After an interview with Aidan Nguyen about his college decision process, it becomes clear that thoughtful planning shaped every step. The most important factors were location, cost, education and community.
Washington University in St. Louis stood out because it is close to home, reducing travel costs, and it offered strong financial aid. Even after earning a full-ride scholarship, Nguyen researched tuition prices and scholarship availability to understand affordability.
For Nguyen, education is a top priority. Because he plans to major in mechanical engineering, he focused on colleges with strong engineering programs. WashU’s academic offerings and reputation made it an ideal fit.
Community also mattered. So, he evaluated student life, extracurriculars and campus activities. Having lived in WashU dorms during the summer between junior and senior year, Nguyen already felt connected to campus life.
“I’m looking forward to the community I will find at WashU,” Nguyen said. “Living in the dorms and finding a new type of independence is something I won’t find outside of college.”
Nguyen is excited about hands-on learning opportunities, including engineering labs and design spaces like the Spartan Light Metal Products Makerspace. Some of his plans include joining WashU Racing or Bear Cub Robotics. Nguyen also hopes to be involved in organizations supporting first-generation and low-income students, such as Deneb STARS, and is interested in mentoring others.
His preparation for college applications began in junior year. Nguyen kept a resume of activities and achievements, and spent the summer writing and revising essays. Starting early made the process more manageable. Nguyen advises students to document their experiences, begin early and be authentic in their essays.
Nguyen received the acceptance email on December 1, 2025
“It was nerve-wracking opening the email in my 5th block English class,” said Nguyen.
But the acceptance and full-ride scholarship brought relief and excitement. With a 4.0 unweighted GPA, 4.302 weighted GPA, and ACT scores of 26 and 28, Nguyen went test-optional to WashU while submitting scores to QuestBridge.
Looking ahead, Nguyen hopes to pursue an engineering career focused on building and creating, supported by WashU’s resources and community.
