The Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is a great medical school to gain excellent clinical training. Plus, as many as half the medical school student body attends tuition free! Given this combination, getting accepted at WashU medical school is extremely competitive. Other than a strong academic background, the way to differentiate yourself is through submitting a phenomenal Washington University Medical School secondary application. Get started and read our WashU Medical School secondary application tips below.
To learn more about student life and the curriculum, read our blog post: How to get into WashU Medical School in St Louis.
The WashU secondaries have not changed for several years. This is a great secondary application to start pre-writing!
Have questions? Contact Dr. Rachel Rizal and Dr. Rishi Mediratta, your Cracking Med School Admissions advisors!
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Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2023 – 2024
- Have you already completed your undergraduate education, have you had your college or graduate education interrupted, or do you plan not to be a full-time student during your application year? If yes, describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (2,000 characters max)
- Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3,000 characters max)
- (Optional) Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions? (3,000 characters max)
Tips to Answer WashU Secondaries
WashU Secondaries Pre-Writing Guidance: The WashU secondary has not changed in the past couple of years. Therefore, we think this is a great secondary to pre-write! There is a large character limit as well, so this might take you awhile to write and revise! Connect with Dr. Rachel Rizal and Dr. Rishi Mediratta if you need help with your WashU secondaries.
- Download all our HIGH-YIELD tips for secondary essays: Cracking Med School Admissions Secondary Essay Guide
- Read more information about the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis admissions statistics, curriculum, and culture here.
WashU Secondary Application Tip #1: Here are important elements to emphasize in your WashU secondary application:
- Mention any affiliations with WashU or work you’ve done in the Midwest.
- Research experiences, especially research stories that discuss your passion for research, problem solving abilities, and critical thinking.
- Clinical experiences and patient stories.
WashU Secondary Application Tip #2: Definitely answer the optional question. You can literally write about anything! This essay should complement your other essays. Many of our Cracking Med School Admissions premedical students write about their clinical work or their research projects.
WashU Secondary Application Tip #3: Tell stories. Take advantage of the large character limit; the essays have enough space so you can write stories. In the prompt “Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed,” the reader should be able to visualize and understand the circumstances of this situation. You can tell additional stories in the other essays, including times you led a team and instances when you impacted a patient’s life during a clinical experience.
WashU Secondary Application Tip #4: In the prompt “Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed,” make sure you add the following:
- How did you resolve the problem or overcome the challenge?
- What did you learn from this situation?
WashU Secondary Application Tip #5: Don’t forget to incorporate a little bit about “Why WashU Medical School?” throughout the secondary application essays. Talk about projects and research you want to do at the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis.
- Learn more about the WashU student culture and curriculum in our WashU Medical School profile.
- Read our high yield blog post on how to answer why this medical school?
WashU Secondary Application Tip #6: Have questions about how you can stand out? Contact us below. Need help with editing your WashU secondary application essays? Our Cracking Med School Admissions team can help you through our secondary essay packages.
[Read Other Secondary Essay Tips: Case Western Reserve University & Cleveland Clinic; New York University – Grossman; Stanford; University of Michigan]
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download your secondary Essay Guide
Use this essay guide and workbook to write standout secondaries.
Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2022 – 2023
- Have you already completed your undergraduate education, have you had your college or graduate education interrupted, or do you plan not to be a full-time student during your application year? If yes, describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (2,000 characters max)
- Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3,000 characters max)
- (Optional) Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions? (3,000 characters max)
Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2021 – 2022
- Have you already completed your undergraduate education, have you had your college or graduate education interrupted, or do you plan not to be a full-time student during your application year? If yes, describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (2,000 characters max)
- Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3,000 characters max)
- (Optional) Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions? (3,000 characters max)
Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2020 – 2021
- Have you already completed your undergraduate education, have you had your college or graduate education interrupted, or do you plan not to be a full-time student during your application year? If yes, describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (2,000 characters max)
- Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3,000 characters max)
- (Optional) Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions? (3,000 characters max)
Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2019 – 2020
- Have you already completed your undergraduate education, have you had your college or graduate education interrupted, or do you plan not to be a full-time student during your application year? Yes or No?
- Describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (2,000 characters max)
- (Optional) Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3,000 characters max)
- (Optional) Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions? (3,000 characters max)
Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2018 – 2019
WashU Secondary Application: MD Essay Prompt
- Have you already completed your undergraduate education, have you had your college or graduate education interrupted, or do you plan not to be a full-time student during your application year? Yes or No?
If Yes, this question appears: Describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (2,000 characters max) - (Optional) Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3,000 characters max)
- (Optional) Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions? (3,000 characters max)
WashU Secondary Application: MSTP Essay Prompt
- Briefly describe the area of research you would like to explore in graduate school. (1,800 characters max)
Washington University School of Medicine in St LouisSecondary Application Essay Prompts: 2017 – 2018
- Have you already completed your undergraduate education, have you had your college or graduate education interrupted, or do you plan not to be a full-time student during your application year? Yes or No?
If Yes, describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (2,000 characters max) - (Optional) Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3,000 characters max)
- (Optional) Do you have unique experiences or obstacles that were not covered in your application about which you would like to inform our Admissions Committee? (3,000 characters max)
- Have you been convicted of any criminal offense (excluding speeding and non-moving traffic offenses)? Yes or No?
If Yes, please explain. (1,000 characters max)
Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2016 – 2017
- Do you have unique experiences or obstacles that you have overcome that were not covered in your application about which you would like to inform our Admissions Committee? (3,000 characters max – including spaces)
- Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3,000 characters max – including spaces)
- If you have already completed your education, if your college or graduate education was interrupted, or if you do not plan to be a full-time student during the current year, describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (1,800 characters max – including spaces)
Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis Secondary Application Essay Prompts: 2015 – 2016
- Do you have unique experiences or obstacles that you have overcome that were not covered in your application about which you would like to inform our Admissions Committee? (3,000 characters max – including spaces)
- Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3,000 characters max – including spaces)
- If you have already completed your education, if your college or graduate education was interrupted, or if you do not plan to be a full-time student during the current year, describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (1,800 characters max – including spaces)