How to Apply to Undergraduate Business at WashU Olin Business School: Direct First-Year Admission to the BSBA and Choosing a Major in Sophomore Year, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), undergraduate business is taught by Olin Business School, which awards the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA), a four-year program starting in the fall. 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. Direct first-year admission

• Choose a school when you apply: WashU has five undergraduate schools (Architecture, Art, Arts & Sciences, Business and Engineering). Students who choose Olin are admitted to the BSBA as first-year students and start business courses from day one.
• Changing schools is not guaranteed: students can apply to change schools only after a semester at WashU, so if you want business, apply to Olin.
• Joint degree in business and computer science: a BS offered with the McKelvey School of Engineering; indicate interest on the application and answer a short question of up to 250 words.

2. Curriculum and majors

• Units: at least 120 units, including 42.5 units of professional business requirements, 48 required units outside business, 17.5 units of business electives and 12 units of other electives. At least 40% of classes are outside Olin, leaving room for minors, a second major or a second degree.
• Grades: business and required courses are taken for grades, with at least a 2.0 GPA overall and in business.
• Typical first year: Individual in a Managerial Environment, Foundations of Business, Calculus I or higher, English Composition, Microeconomics, Managerial Statistics I and Calculus II.
• Eight majors: Accounting, Economics and Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Healthcare Management, Organization and Strategic Management, Marketing, and Operations and Supply Chain Management, declared in sophomore year; students can take more than one.
• Practice: the Center for Experiential Learning places student teams on consulting projects; Olin says about 60% of its undergraduates study or intern abroad.

3. Application plans and timeline

• Early Action: due 2 November 2026, decisions by 23 December, non-binding.
• Early Decision I: due 2 November 2026, decisions by 11 December, binding.
• Early Decision II: due 4 January 2027, decisions by 12 February, binding.
• Regular Decision: due 4 January 2027, decisions by 1 April.
• Materials: the Common Application or Coalition Application ($75, waived for aid applicants); school report, transcript, one teacher evaluation and counselor recommendation; a 250-word response on what you want to study and why. There are no admission interviews.

4. Students at high schools in China

• Academic record: at least 12 years of schooling; submit all secondary transcripts, a grading scale, exam results and leaving certificates, with certified translations.
• Testing is optional: students outside the US may submit the SAT or ACT, national exam results, predicted or actual IB or A-level results, or three AP scores. WashU’s examples of national exams do not include the Gaokao, so ask Admissions before relying on it.
• Math: BSBA students take calculus in their first year, so a strong math background matters.
• English: non-native speakers must submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo. Most competitive scores (not minimums): TOEFL 5.0 on the new scale (100+ before 21 January 2026), IELTS 7.0 and Duolingo 130. From fall 2027, the SAT or ACT can no longer replace an English test.
• Interviews: international students are encouraged to submit third-party interviews such as InitialView, but are not disadvantaged without one.

5. Students at Canadian high schools

• Students in BC and other provinces apply as students at high schools outside the US, with testing optional; WashU publishes no province-specific grade requirements.
• English: the only stated exemption is three years at an English-medium US high school; other cases are considered individually, so ask Admissions.

6. Costs, aid and scholarships

• 2026-27 costs (USD): tuition 71,310, student activity fee 712, health fee 700, average housing and meals 24,272, for school charges of 96,994; plus estimated books 1,412, travel 1,050 and other 2,804.
• Aid for international students: WashU meets 100% of demonstrated need for admitted undergraduates, and Olin highlights this too. International students are eligible only if they apply for aid when applying for admission.
• Scholarships: each school offers four-year academic scholarships reviewed automatically; apply by 16 December 2026 for priority consideration for the Signature Scholar programs.

7. Transfer students

• Deadline: 1 March 2027 for fall entry. Spring transfer is only for Arts & Sciences, not Olin.
• Coursework for Olin transfers:
  • college-level Calculus I and II are required (Calculus II cannot be taken the summer before enrolling);
  • sophomore-level candidates are encouraged to have taken college microeconomics;
  • junior-level candidates should also have financial accounting, microeconomics, macroeconomics and perhaps managerial accounting.
• General criteria: transfer places are very limited, perhaps zero to a few per school each year; successful applicants usually have at least a 3.5 college GPA and first-year writing. Testing is optional.
• Aid: international transfer students are not eligible for WashU financial aid.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Choose Olin Business School on the application; EA or ED I by 2 November, ED II or RD by 4 January
• Aim for TOEFL 5.0 (100 old scale), IELTS 7.0 or Duolingo 130
• Testing optional: SAT, ACT, three APs, A-levels or IB
• Apply for financial aid at the same time as admission if you need it

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

• Same deadlines; ask Admissions about an English test waiver

Transfer students:

• Apply by 1 March 2027 for fall; complete college Calculus I and II, plus accounting and economics for junior entry

Sources: Washington University in St. Louis, Olin BSBA; BSBA curriculum; BSBA majors and minors; First-year international applicants; Application dates and deadlines; English testing requirements; Transfer applicants; Joint degree in business and computer science; Scholarships; 2026-27 costs. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check WashU for the latest details.