How to Apply to Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis: Apply to Arts & Sciences, Declare Psychological & Brain Sciences in Sophomore Year, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese High School, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), psychology is offered by the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences (P&BS) in the College of Arts & Sciences. Applicants choose one of five undergraduate schools (Architecture, Art, Arts & Sciences, Business, Engineering); for psychology, choose Arts & Sciences. You also list a primary academic interest, but you do not formally declare a major until your second year. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on WashU’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Studying psychology

• Two majors: Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Psychological & Brain Sciences: Cognitive Neuroscience, both BA degrees. Optional specializations include Cognition in Children, Experimental Psychopathology, Lifespan Development, and Personality and Individual Differences.
• Units: 34 units for the base major (at least 25 at the 3000 level or above), plus 9–12 units for a specialization, for 43–46 in total; courses must be passed with C- or better.
• Required courses: Introduction to Psychology (PSYCH 1000), Introduction to Psychological Statistics (PSYCH 3000) and Experimental Psychology (PSYCH 3010 or 3011), plus at least one course in each of five areas (Social/Personality, Mental Health/Affective, Biological/Neurological Bases of Behavior, Behavior and Cognition, Lifespan Development) and at least 9 elective units.
• AP, IB and A-Level: AP Psychology 5, IB Psychology 6 or 7, or A-Level Psychology A can waive PSYCH 1000, but waived courses earn no major units and must be replaced with other P&BS courses; no AP math course can replace PSYCH 3000.
• Honors: overall and P&BS GPAs of at least 3.65, Experimental Psychology completed, and an approved faculty mentor.
• Research and practice: research with faculty, supervised community internships and a practicum in applied behavior analysis for autism spectrum disorder.

2. Four application plans and timeline

• Early Action (EA): due 2 November 2026, decisions by 23 December, non-binding, reply by 1 May.
• Early Decision I: due 2 November 2026, decisions by 11 December. ED is binding: if admitted, you must enrol and withdraw other applications.
• Early Decision II: due 4 January 2027, decisions by 12 February, also binding.
• Regular Decision: due 4 January 2027, decisions by 1 April.
• School materials (school report and transcript, one teacher evaluation, counselor recommendation): by 9 November for EA and ED I, and by 11 January for ED II and RD.
• How to apply: the Common Application or Coalition Application, open from 1 August; the application fee is $75 and is waived for all financial aid applicants.
• WashU does not hold admission interviews; international students are encouraged to submit third-party interviews such as InitialView to show English proficiency, and those who don’t are not disadvantaged.

3. Students at high schools in China

• Academic background: at least 12 years of primary and secondary study and a secondary school diploma or equivalent. Submit all secondary transcripts, a description of the grading system, exam results (such as predicted A-Levels or national exams) and leaving certificates, with certified English translations.
• Testing is optional. Students at schools outside the US may choose to submit any one of:
  • the SAT or ACT;
  • predicted or actual national exam results (WashU’s examples are the Baccalauréat, Abitur and Maturita);
  • predicted or actual IB Diploma results, or three IB higher-level scores if not a Diploma candidate;
  • predicted or actual A-Levels;
  • three AP exam scores.
  Applicants to STEM majors in Arts & Sciences need one math score among AP or IB exams; psychology is not covered by that rule. WashU does not name the Gaokao or explain how a Gaokao not yet taken would count, so ask the admissions office (admissions@wustl.edu) if you want to use it.
• Coursework: successful candidates often have four years of English and math, three to four years of lab science and of history or social science, and at least two years of one foreign language.
• Essays: the Common App or Coalition essay and a 250-word response on what you want to study and why.

4. Students at Canadian high schools

• Students in BC and other provinces apply as students at high schools outside the US, with the same optional testing. WashU publishes no province-specific grade requirements.
• English: international students whose first language is not English are generally required to submit a test. The only stated exemption is for three or more years at an English-medium US high school with strong grades; other cases are considered individually, so students at English-medium Canadian schools should ask admissions about a waiver.

5. English requirements

• Non-native English speakers must submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo.
• WashU’s most competitive applicants have (recommended, not minimums): TOEFL 100 for tests before 21 January 2026 or 5.0 on the new scale after that; IELTS Academic 7.0; Duolingo 130.
• December 2026 tests are the last accepted for fall 2027 (October for EA or ED I).
• From fall 2027 admission, SAT or ACT scores are no longer accepted in place of English tests.

6. Costs, aid and scholarships

• 2026-27 costs (US$): tuition 71,310; student activity fee 712; health and wellness fee 700; average housing and food 24,272; total university charges 96,994, plus estimated books 1,412, travel 1,050 and miscellaneous 2,804. 2027-28 figures are not yet published.
• International aid: WashU meets 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted undergraduates, but international students are eligible only if they apply for aid during the admission process; they cannot apply after the decision or during their four years. Those not applying for aid must submit the International Financial Information form in the WashU Pathway.
• Admission and need: WashU’s stated need-blind policy covers US citizens and permanent residents; it does not describe how international aid requests are treated in admission.
• Scholarships: each school offers four-year academic scholarships up to full tuition, considered automatically from the admission application. For priority consideration for Signature Scholar Programs, apply by 16 December 2026 and answer the short questions in the Pathway.

7. Transfer students

• Deadlines: 1 March 2027 for fall 2027, with decisions by 7 May. Spring 2027 entry is for Arts & Sciences only, due 15 October, and international students must already be studying at a US university.
• Requirements: places are very limited, from zero to a small handful per school each year. Successful applicants present at least a 3.5 college GPA and a first-year composition course; first-year college students need one full semester of grades or a Mid-Term Report. Testing is optional.
• Staying in your school: transfer students must remain in the school that admits them; moving to another school requires an application after one full semester and is not guaranteed.
• Credit: courses comparable to WashU offerings with grades of C or better can transfer, with final decisions by your academic dean; Arts & Sciences accepts at most 60 transferred units, and the final 60 units and at least four consecutive full-time semesters must be completed at WashU. The P&BS Director of Undergraduate Studies evaluates which transfer credits count toward the psychology majors.
• Aid: international transfer applicants are not eligible for WashU financial aid.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Choose Arts & Sciences with psychology as your academic interest; apply EA or ED I (2 November) or ED II or RD (4 January)
• TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo, aiming for TOEFL 5.0 (100 old scale), IELTS 7.0 or Duolingo 130; EA and ED I applicants use October tests at the latest
• Optional testing: SAT, ACT, three APs, A-Levels or IB; ask admissions before relying on the Gaokao
• If you need aid, request it when you apply and meet the aid deadlines (17 November for EA and ED I; 11 January for ED II; 1 February for RD); apply by 16 December for Signature Scholar priority

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same deadlines; ask admissions whether an English test waiver applies

Transfer students:

• Apply to Arts & Sciences by 1 March 2027 with a GPA of about 3.5 or higher; no aid for international transfers

Sources: Washington University in St. Louis, First-year international applicants; Application dates and deadlines; English testing requirements; Transfer applicants; Common questions; Psychological & Brain Sciences; Scholarships; 2026-27 costs; Bulletin: Psychological & Brain Sciences; Bulletin: Psychological & Brain Sciences major. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 rates). Check WashU for the latest details.