Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) has one required short answer and one optional writing supplement to help the Admissions Committee understand you better.
Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why.
Undecided about your academic interest(s)? Don’t worry—tell us what excites you about the academic division you selected. Remember that all of our first-year students enter officially “undeclared” and work closely with their team of academic advisors to discover their academic passions. You can explore all of our majors and programs on our website.
My interest in environmental analysis began with a local mystery. The small creek behind my neighborhood, once full of minnows and frogs, slowly became silent and murky over the course of a few years. I started by testing the water quality for a science fair project, but the data only told part of the story. The real "why" involved zoning laws, new housing developments, and a community that was unaware of the slow-motion damage. I realized that solving environmental problems requires more than just science; it requires an understanding of policy, economics, and people.
This is why I am so interested in WashU’s Environmental Analysis major. It is one of the few programs that truly integrates the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. I am excited to take courses like “Environmental Law” and “Ecological Economics” to understand the human systems that drive environmental change. I hope to apply this interdisciplinary knowledge at the Tyson Research Center, perhaps as an undergraduate fellow, to conduct hands-on fieldwork. Furthermore, the opportunity to work in the Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic, alongside law and engineering students on real cases, is exactly the kind of applied, community-engaged experience I am looking for. WashU will give me the tools to not just analyze a problem like my local creek, but to help solve it.
WashU is a place that values a variety of perspectives. We believe those perspectives come from a variety of experiences and identities. Respond to one of the following prompts to help us understand “Who are you?”:
My most meaningful community is a global, digital one: a small team of volunteers who translate and subtitle foreign-language documentaries. We are a scattered group of students and hobbyists, connected by the belief that language should not be a barrier to knowledge. My place within this community is as a cultural translator.
When I first joined, our subtitles were often too literal, losing the nuance and cultural context of the original film. I took the initiative to create a shared "style guide," a document that outlined best practices for not just translating words, but translating meaning. For a film about a Brazilian festival, for example, I researched the historical and religious significance of the event to ensure our subtitles captured the true spirit of the celebration.
My impact was in helping our team move from simple translation to cultural interpretation. Our subtitles became richer and more accurate, and our viewership grew. This experience taught me that community is not defined by geography, but by a shared purpose. It showed me that my skills could be used to build bridges between cultures, making the world a little more accessible for everyone.
My story was shaped by a spectacular failure. Convinced I was a natural builder, I decided to construct my own mechanical keyboard from scratch. I watched a few tutorials and assumed my intuition would carry me through. It did not. I ordered incompatible parts, my soldering looked like melted crayons, and the final product was a silent, lifeless brick of plastic. I was frustrated and humbled. My identity as someone who was "good at this stuff" was shaken.
For a week, the failed keyboard sat on my desk as a monument to my arrogance. Then, I took a deep breath and started over. I desoldered every single joint. I read the manuals carefully. Most importantly, I went to online forums and asked for help, posting pictures of my messy work and admitting I was in over my head.
The keyboard I am typing this essay on is the result of that second attempt. It works perfectly, but the real success was the change in my perspective. That experience taught me that skill is not a gift; it is earned through patience, humility, and the courage to admit you do not have all the answers. My story is about learning that the process of failing and trying again is far more valuable than getting it right the first time.
All the best!
