Transfer Applicants (U.S. and International)

Transfer admission to WashU is both selective and competitive. In any given year, any academic school may have from zero to a small handful of slots available. With this small number of transfer spots open, we recommend the strongest candidates for admission present proof of a high school diploma or equivalent and proof of a high level of academic success at their current institution.

Successful applicants present at least a 3.5 GPA from a two-year or four-year college in courses across a broad academic curriculum and have completed a first-year composition course. Some of our academic schools require specific grades in specific courses. For example, students with interests in engineering, business, or the physical or biological sciences must present a strong background in science and mathematics, including calculus. In addition, you must have left your current institution and all previous institutions in good standing and be eligible to return.

If you have been away from a formal academic setting for more than two years, we generally recommend you complete at least one year (30 hours) of work at another college or university before submitting your application for transfer admission.

If you are in your first year of college, you must present at least one completed semester of full-time college work with your application for transfer admission or submit a completed Mid-Term Report.

You must select one of our undergraduate schools (Architecture, Art, Arts & Sciences, Business, Engineering) when you apply. You should select the school that offers the major program that most interests you. Because slots for transfer students are very limited, when you are admitted to a school, you will be expected to remain in that school after you enroll at WashU. If you decide to pursue a major in a different school, you will be required to apply for transfer into that school after one full semester at WashU. Transferring between schools is not guaranteed.

PreHealth/PreMedicine

Transferring as a PreHealth or PreMed student is challenging. We recommend that students interested in PreHealth apply as junior-level transfers having completed the following coursework:

• Two semesters of general chemistry (with lab)
• Two semesters of organic chemistry (with lab)
• Calculus I & II at the college level
• At least one writing course
• We also encourage the completion of some biology coursework at the college level
• Physics is a plus if taken, but not a “deal breaker” (*Calculus-based physics in particular is recommended.)

College preparation/PreHealth course requirements for U.S. medical schools:

Students will need TWO semesters each of:

• General chemistry (with lab)
• Organic chemistry (with lab)
• Biology (with lab)
• Physics (with lab)
• Mathematics (including calculus)
• English (at least one in composition)

Additional coursework in biology and chemistry is advised. Some medical schools will not accept Advanced Placement credit in lieu of these requirements.

Please contact Demetrius Coleman at 314-935-4641 if you have questions about transferring to WashU as a PreHealth student.

College of Arts & Sciences

Please contact Demetrius Coleman at 314-935-4641 if you have questions about transfer admission to the College of Arts & Sciences.

Olin Business School

Transfer applicants to the Olin Business School:

• Must have completed Calculus I & II at the college level. (Please note that Calculus II can’t be taken the summer before enrolling.)
• It’s recommended that sophomore-level transfer candidates have completed microeconomics at the college level.
• Junior-level transfer candidates should also have completed financial accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics, and perhaps managerial accounting.

Please contact Assistant Dean Lanna Skadden at 314-935-4758 with any questions.

McKelvey School of Engineering

• Every applicant to McKelvey School of Engineering must have completed an English composition course, two semesters of calculus-based physics; Calculus I, II, and III; and be prepared to take differential equations.
• Applicants interested in chemical or environmental engineering should also have completed sufficient chemistry to be prepared to take organic chemistry.
• Applicants interested in biomedical engineering should also have completed sufficient chemistry to be prepared to take organic chemistry and a biology course that includes cellular, molecular, and genetics work.
• Applicants interested in computer science—instead of taking the required two semesters of calculus-based physics courses—may substitute 8 units of approved other natural science courses from the following departments: Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Environmental Studies, or Physics.
• Ideally, applicants will have calculus grades of at least a B+ as well as a general GPA of at least a B+.

Please contact Assistant Dean James McDonald at 314-935-6100 with any questions.

Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts – College of Art & College of Architecture

Transfer applicants to the College of Art and College of Architecture are required to submit a portfolio for review by the faculty using the SlideRoom function on the Common Application. The digital portfolio should include 12-15 pieces showing a variety of art experiences, including drawings, work utilizing design principles, and some work in color.

Architecture suggested coursework:

• Art history
• General liberal arts courses
• Calculus
• Physics
• At least one semester of drawing

Art suggested coursework:

• Art history
• General liberal arts courses
• One semester of drawing
• One semester of digital art
• Several other studio art classes

If you have questions about applying to the College of Architecture or the College of Art, please contact Joseph Fitzpatrick, Associate Dean of Students for the Sam Fox School, at 314-935-6532.

WashU awards academic credit for course work that resembles, by official description, a comparable course offering from one of its undergraduate schools. No credit is given for CLEP exams, standard-level IB exams, correspondence/online courses, or departmental placement exams given by another institution.

To ensure proper transfer credit, please submit a copy of the catalog description for any course whose nature is not immediately clear by title or course number. Credit is awarded if grades of C or better appear on your transcript. Final decisions concerning transferring course credits are made by your academic dean at WashU. The WashU transcript will only include grades earned at WashU. Grades earned at your previous institution will not be recorded or included in the grade-point average.

Students admitted to Architecture, Art, Arts & Sciences, or Business, may transfer a maximum of 60 semester hours of credit toward the degree at WashU. Engineering has no maximum limit.

If you plan to enroll in Architecture, Art, Arts & Sciences, or Business you must complete the final 60 hours and a minimum of four consecutive full-time semesters in residence in order to earn a degree. If you plan to enroll in Engineering, in order to complete a Bachelor of Science degree, you will need to complete a minimum of 60 credit hours, including 30 credit hours of junior- or senior-level course work.

Advanced Placement

Many departments at WashU will accept for credit and placement a score of 4 or 5 on the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) tests or a score of 5 or better on the higher-level International Baccalaureate (IB) exams. Official score reports should be sent to the appropriate dean’s office after admission has been granted.

International students whose first language is not English are required to submit results from either the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo.

Transfer applicants should use the Common Application. The application must be completed by the application deadline.

Complete the general application questions and the section that is specific to WashU. Your support materials can be completed at a later date.

What you need to know for the WashU section of the Common Application:

• Which WashU school are you applying to?
• Are you applying for need-based financial aid (U.S. citizens and permanent residents only)? Please note, international applicants for transfer admission are not eligible to apply for financial aid from WashU.

Within a few days of submitting your Common Application, you will receive login instructions for the WashU Pathway.

In the Pathway, you will see:

• A checklist showing the status of each piece of your application
• A link to your financial aid account (if applicable)

Admission decisions will be posted in the Pathway as soon as they are released.

WashU meets 100 percent of demonstrated need for admitted students.

When filling out your application for admission, indicate your intent to apply for need-based financial aid. Once you submit your application—we will create an account for you with Student Financial Services, and your application begins!

International applicants for transfer admission are not eligible to apply for financial aid from WashU.

Your Pathway will include a current checklist of your support materials:

• College transcript
• High school transcript
• College instructor evaluation
• College report
• Mid-term report for Spring applicants who are in their first semester of college
• Optional – Self-reported or official SAT or ACT scores
• TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test for students whose first language is not English
• Portfolio (required for students applying to the College of Art or College of Architecture.) The portfolio should be submitted using SlideRoom. 

The $75 nonrefundable application fee is required to complete your application. You may pay the application fee using a credit card when you submit your application for admission.

Fee waiver

As part of WashU’s commitment to meeting 100 percent of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students, we are happy to waive our $75 application fee when it presents a financial hardship. All applicants for financial aid receive a fee waiver.