So the experience in our feederish HS is that WUSTL definitely seems to like full pay high test score kids with top grades and rigor, and is maybe less picky about ECs as long as you have been decently active. And in fact last time we had good data, WUSTL was way up there in terms of test scores (like top 5ish high among all US universities and colleges), which implies they must be compromising a bit more elsewhere to pass so many otherwise highly selective colleges and universities. And to be blunt about it, my S24 is heading to WUSTL with a profile kinda like that.
However, our kids like that who apply to WUSTL tend to actually go there a lot! Again, see my kid. It has a really good rep in our circles, I think there is a lot of values/priorities overlap with our HS, that sort of thing.
So I have heard (although not experienced) that WUSTL might get a little yield-protecty at times, if it is not convinced you are really into WUSTL. This is not unusual, we’ve heard the same thing about Rice, Tulane, for sure Tufts, and so on. But there are colleges where there seems to be very little of that going on, and I gather in some circles WUSTL is seen as having some of that going on.
OK, so, I think the first question is going to be what sort of test scores do you have? I am not saying I would never ED WUSTL without a high test score, but at least in our circles there is a little range in which someone might be considered really competitive for Tufts, maybe not quite there for WUSTL.
Second, if you have competitive numbers for both, and don’t feel a need to compare offers, and these are your clear top two, you can plan to actually ED both. Like, obviously put your absolute favorite first, and if you are rejected you can try the other. Because as far as I know, ED II is as good as ED I for solving yield protection issues.
However, if you are deferred-now you have a decision to make.
Edit: Oh, by the way, ED/REA/SCEA was a blood bath in my kid’s HS this year, meaning not a lot of people got in that way. Then RD turned out to be one of the best years ever. My point is just that ED is not in fact your one and only shot to get into a highly selective college, and lots of people still get into great colleges RD (sometimes surprising even themselves).
