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Early Decision

The Washington and Lee admission committee seeks for each entering class a strong core of students whose sincere commitment to the University will establish a foundation of contagious allegiance to the ideals and principles of W&L, a foundation upon which the freshman class will be built. Once you have researched the colleges and universities of greatest interest to you, if W&L is clearly at the top of your list, we encourage you to think about our Early Decision application options.

The Washington and Lee applicant review process is highly selective, and the admission committee’s expectations regarding academic and personal credentials are essentially the same for Early Decision and Regular Decision candidates. Nonetheless, every year there are a few cases involving applicants at the competitive margin in which a firm desire to attend Washington and Lee – as evidenced by an Early Decision application – will be resolved in favor of the candidate. Approximately forty percent of each entering class at Washington and Lee is composed of Early Decision candidates.

If you are considering an Early Decision application to Washington and Lee but are concerned about the financial aid implications of applying Early Decision, you will be pleased to know that W&L seeks to ensure that a Washington and Lee education is affordable for all admitted candidates, regardless of their socioeconomic background. Many students enroll each year who would be unable to attend the University without our assistance. Students who meet all appropriate Early Decision financial aid deadlines and who are determined to have financial need will receive financial aid awards made up of grant funds, not loans. These students will receive their preliminary aid award within a week of receiving their admission notification.

In relation to the Johnson Scholarship Competition, please understand that final scholarship decisions are not made until after the Early Decision application process has concluded. Therefore, students whose enrollment at W&L depends on winning a Johnson Scholarship should not apply under our binding Early Decision Plan.

Again, we encourage you to think carefully about submitting an Early Decision application to Washington and Lee, noting in particular that ours is a binding plan. Should you apply Early Decision and be accepted, you must withdraw all other applications from other colleges and confirm your intention to enroll at W&L by sending a $500 reservation deposit. Talk with your parents and your secondary school counselor about the implications of an Early Decision application, familiarize yourself with our application procedures and deadlines, and make an informed choice regarding this important decision. Whatever you elect to do, we wish you the best.