Is Boston University or Washington University in St. Louis harder to get into?

The biggest practical difference is that Washington University in St. Louis typically admits from a more academically concentrated, smaller pool, while Boston University evaluates a much larger and still very accomplished applicant pool. Both schools are reaches for many strong students, but WashU is usually the more difficult admission overall. A student who looks competitive at BU should not assume that the same profile will be competitive at WashU.

For WashU, successful applicants commonly present sustained strength across a demanding curriculum, excellent academic performance, and clear evidence of intellectual or community engagement beyond simply joining many activities. The application tends to benefit from a coherent sense of how the student has pursued interests deeply, whether through research, service, creative work, leadership, or a focused academic area. Strong recommendations and a thoughtful explanation of fit can matter because many applicants already have very strong grades and coursework.

BU also attracts high-achieving applicants and can be unpredictable, particularly for popular programs. Its Boston location, broad academic offerings, and large applicant interest mean that strong academics alone are not a guarantee. Still, BU may offer somewhat more room for applicants whose records are excellent but not quite as uniformly exceptional as the profiles often associated with WashU.

Treat WashU as the harder of the two and likely a high reach unless your academic record and involvement are unusually strong in your school context. Treat BU as highly selective as well, not as a fallback; neither should be considered safe based on grades or test scores alone.