The admissions cycle for the class of 2029 was the most selective in undergraduate history, with the highest-ever engagement from the incoming class, according to Sally Stone Richmond, the vice president for admissions and financial aid.

Washington and Lee switched to a need-blind admissions process in November 2024 after an alumnus donated $132 million, according to previous reporting by the Ring-tum Phi. The donation by Bill Miller III, ’72, is the largest single gift in the university’s history and one of the largest dedicated to financial aid at any private liberal arts college, according to the Columns.

The Process

This admission cycle was the most selective process in the university’s undergraduate history, according to the 2029 class profile.

The university received 8,969 applications, which is a 10% increase. The acceptance rate was 13.5% for the incoming class.

Richmond said she believes the university’s developments toward affordability, including becoming need-blind, could account for the increase in applications. She said it is a “persuasive and powerful marker for prospective students and families.”

For the 2023-24 school year, the university spent over $66 million in financial aid, according to the Washington and Lee Fact Book.

Prior to becoming need-blind, the office would consider the financial needs of about 10 to 15% of a class to ensure they were on track for their budget, Richmond said. Now, that isn’t a factor, and they are expecting a 10 to 15% increase in spending, too.

“We may very well see what a student’s expected or estimated institutional grant might be,” Richmond said. “It isn’t something we always had to take into account, but yeah, we had a budget we were supposed to meet.”

This past year, there was a 3% jump in students receiving need-based financial aid, with 63% of the class of 2029 receiving aid.

“When you are need-blind, you’re taking all the other academic and intellectual and personal components into account, including also students interested in Washington and Lee,” Richmond said.

Richmond said the class of 2029 had the highest engagement they’d seen, with 92% of the class engaging with them “actively and individually in their admission process.” This means the student has done at least one of the following: visited campus, attended a program, met with an admissions officer while on the road, or interviewed with a member of the admissions team or alumni admissions team, either in-person or virtually.

International Student Applicants

Around 115 colleges are need-blind, but only 24 also meet 100% of need, according to previous reporting by the Ring-tum Phi. Even fewer do so for international students, Richmond said.

Washington and Lee is one of about 15 schools that are need-blind with no loans and meet full need for all students, including international applicants, Richmond said.

The admissions office saw a 25% increase in applications from international students, Richmond said. But the percentage of international students who enrolled stayed constant at 9%.

“That’s a commitment and conversation that we have with the Center for International Education,” Richmond said. “In terms of what the right level of enrollment means for supporting students … and ensuring that they can have the full W&L experience and can be fully supported on campus by CIE.”

To meet demand, Richmond said the university has replaced one-on-one interviews with International Group chats. They are casual, small-group conversations between current student University Ambassadors and up to four prospective students from around the world.

 “We feel that what we haven’t been able to do in the past is meet those students’ demands in terms of questions about W&L and the application process,” Richmond said.

Prospective international students can “chat with the Ambassadors about academics, campus culture and what it’s like to attend college in Lexington,” Richmond said. University Ambassadors will share stories, answer questions and ask the prospective students questions. Richmond said there will be 35 group chats throughout the fall.

While international students can no longer have a one-on-one interview with an admissions officer, University Ambassador or university alum, Richmond said they accept and welcome InitialView interviews, which are one-on-one talks with a third-party interviewer.

Early Decision

When applicants apply Early Decision, it confirms that Washington and Lee is their first choice. “That’s a wonderful symbiotic relationship,” Richmond said. “Certainly, we can fund you.”

This year, 55% of the class of 2029 was admitted as part of Early Decision I or II or through QuestBridge, Richmond said.

QuestBridge

“That’s the other wonderful outcome that we anticipate will persist, but we weren’t sure,” Richmond said. “We were able to admit and enroll more students through those who completed the QuestBridge application.”

 Last year, 6% of the first-year class was a QuestBridge finalist. This year, that number rose to 8%.

QuestBridge is a national program that connects high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds to some of the top colleges across the country, according to their website. The organization has 55 college partners, including Washington and Lee.

“It is a terrific partnership with being need-blind,” Richmond said. “Their academic prowess is very clear … and we can commit to them through QuestBridge. We can admit you and meet your need.”

Pell Grant

Richmond says the university also saw an increase in Pell Grant recipients. The number of Pell Grant recipients used to sit around 12 to 13% of the class, but now it’s around 15 to 16%.

To be considered Pell-eligible, a student must show exceptional financial need, with most of the awards given to students coming from households earning less than $30,000 per year, according to Prep Scholar.

The Pell-eligibility indicator was a significant reason why the university dropped 10 spots in U.S. News and World Report’s 2023 college rankings, according to previous reporting by the Ring-tum Phi.