Washington and Lee University
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Washington and Lee University’s 2024-25 Essay Prompts
Why This College Short Response
Washington and Lee University invites you to submit an optional 250-word short response answering the question, “Why W&L?” The writing prompt and instructions for submitting your optional response will be available in your W&L Applicant Portal.
Select-A-Prompt Essay
In 800 words or less, please respond to one of the following:
Option 1
"To promote literature in this rising empire and to encourage the arts, have ever been amongst the warmest wishes of my heart" (George Washington, 1798, first president of the United States and first major benefactor of Washington and Lee University). Describe a work of art that has influenced you, and discuss the impact it has had on you.
Option 2
In mathematics, the shortest distance between two points on a flat surface is a straight line. While geometry is predictable, sometimes daily life is not. Reflect on a time when your path was not as simple or direct as anticipated. How did you manage, and what did you learn?
Option 3
We live in a world in which much of our self-representation is curated online via short-lived social media ‘stories’ and disappearing photos. What photo or other representation of yourself is authentically you? What does it say about your growth into the person you are today and the person you want to become? Please use only the words in your essay to address this question. Do not include photographs or other materials in your answer.
Option 4
W&L’s Spring Term is a four-week, intensive experience during which students take only one course, allowing for undivided attention to the subject matter. Spring Term courses are known for innovative pedagogy, interdisciplinary scholarship, travel, and fieldwork in diverse settings. If you could design a Spring Term course, what would you propose, and why would you choose to pursue that topic?
Option 5
In his October 1963, A Talk to Teachers, James Baldwin said “…the whole process of education occurs within a social framework and is designed to perpetuate the aims of society.” Yet, as he aptly notes, “the paradox of education is precisely this – that as one begins to become conscious, one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated." Baldwin suggests that the purpose of education is to teach us to think for ourselves, to question – and change – the “framework” that we have come to understand and accept. What norms of your home or community have you become conscious of during your time in high school, and how would you like to use that knowledge to make it a better place?
Select-A-Prompt Short Response
We encourage you to show us another side of yourself by answering ONE of the below optional short-answer prompts. Your chosen prompt may be answered in your Applicant Portal, which you will gain access to after submitting your application.
Option 1
Please describe an aspect of your life outside of school that is important to you, such as an extracurricular activity, a job, or a family responsibility. How has your involvement shaped your personal qualities and growth, and how has it impacted those around you?
Option 2
W&L‘s mission statement focuses on preparing graduates for lifelong learning in a global and diverse society. Engaging with faculty, staff, and classmates with diverse identities, experiences, and perspectives is an essential component of our education. Recognizing that diversity takes many forms, what diverse aspect would you bring to W&L?
Option 3
Reveal to us how your curious mind works by sharing something you spend considerable time thinking or learning about.
Option 4
On a residential college campus with a Speaking Tradition that encourages connections between individuals, using each other‘s names matters. Please share the story of any name you go by and what significance it holds for you.
