Applications for the 2024 Admissions Cycle are closed.
We will update this site for the 2025 Admission Cycle at a later date.
Requirements for Admission
- Students must have completed an undergraduate degree (B.S./B.A. or the equivalent for international students) by the time of enrollment
- Undergraduate GPA at least 3.0
- Undergraduate coursework in:
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
- Statistics
- Psychology
- Exposure to the field of Genetic Counseling (e.g. shadowing or informational interviewing of Genetic Counselors)
- Advocacy and/or counseling experience is highly recommended. Examples of applicable experiences include but are not limited to:
- In-person, phone, and/or text crisis counseling
- Patient counseling/advocacy work at community or health organizations (e.g. Planned Parenthood, domestic violence center, etc.)
- Working with individuals or families affected with genetic conditions or disabilities (e.g. Special Olympics, ARC, etc.)
- Volunteer experience also favored
- GRE scores not required and will not be reviewed
- Ability to comply with the Program Technical Standards
The English proficiency testing requirement may be waived for applicants who meet any of the below criteria:
- Is a citizen of Australia, Cameroon, Commonwealth Caribbean nations, Ghana, India, Ireland, Kenya, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe.
- Has completed a minimum of three years of documented study in a university-level academic program in the United States or one of the countries listed above.
- Has completed a minimum of three years of documented study in an English-medium academic program in Canada, Hong Kong, or South Africa.
For international applicants for whom an English proficiency testing requirement is not waived, scores from an accepted language proficiency test (TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo) must be submitted with your application. The expiration date of those scores may not be earlier than our application submission deadline for the application cycle to which you are applying. Based on the evaluation of your application package, we retain the right to require additional English testing upon arrival and you may be required to take additional English classes. If you are recommended to take English classes, the cost of the courses will be your responsibility.
For students whose secondary education was obtained outside of the U.S., transcript evaluations will be accepted from World Education Services (WES), Spantran or another member institution of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
International students admitted to the Program in Genetic Counseling at Washington University School of Medicine are eligible for an F-1 visa. The admission decision at the Program in Genetic Counseling Washington University School of Medicine is based on academic and personal merit and on the Genetic Counseling Admissions Match process as administered by National Matching Services, Inc. Admissions are not based on the ability of the student to pay the costs of education. However, individuals who are not citizens of the United States of America or who do not hold U.S. Permanent Resident Visa status are not eligible for financial aid due, in part, to regulations covering most programs used by the School to fund financial assistance. Therefore, in order for the School to complete the required documents, which are necessary for issuance of a Visa, the student must document, by a date and in a manner designated by the School, that the necessary amount of funds, as established by the School, is available to pay the costs of education (tuition and living expenses) for the anticipated period of enrollment (2 years). Documentation of the required amount of financial resources may be done via this form: https://students.wustl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/DCOF-2yrProgram.pdf. This document is not required at the time of application submission but will be requested from any international applicants offered an interview and it must be supplied in advance of the Match Rank Order List submission deadline.
For more information about international admissions, please contact the Office for International Students and Scholars: https://students.wustl.edu/international-students-scholars/.
Application Instructions
Students will first need to register with the Genetic Counseling (GC) Admissions Match through National Matching Services (NMS). Students will not be able to advance through the Program’s application nor submit it without supplying their NMS Match ID number.
Program application fees are $25.
The Association of Genetic Counseling Program Directors/Genetic Counselor Educators Association (AGCPD/GCEA) has established a waiver for the $100 fee associated with the Genetic Counseling Admissions Match. Prospective students who demonstrate financial need AND have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater can apply for a Match fee waiver. Prospective students should apply for a fee waiver BEFORE registering for a Match Code Number.
Applications for the Match fee waiver are due by October 4, 2023. Applicants will be notified by October 30, 2023 as to whether they have received a waiver. There are a limited number of waivers, so not all applicants will receive a waiver. Instructions for how to register for the GC Admissions Match will be provided to those who receive a waiver.
Waivers are non-transferable to future Match cycles and cannot be transferred by the recipient to another prospective student. Prospective students who are granted fee waivers must register for the Match by January 1, 2024. Any waiver not used by January 1, 2024 will be rescinded and may be granted by AGCPD to a different prospective student.
Prospective students who are applying for a Match fee waiver will be required to write a short essay and to upload at least one of the following documents demonstrating financial need:
- A copy of a letter verifying unemployment benefits received within the past two years
- A copy of a letter on official letterhead from a government agency verifying that you or your family have qualified for public assistance based on low income criteria anytime within the past 5 years
- A copy of your financial aid award letter from another / previous institution dated within 5 the past years
- A copy of your approved GRE fee waiver (for tests taken within 5 years of the application deadline)
- A copy of your federal Student Aid Report (SAR) that verifies you qualified for financial aid within the past 5 years based on a family contribution of:
- Not more than $1,500 if the student is a dependent student
- Not more than $1,900 if the student is an independent student
A limited number of fee waivers are available on a first come, first serve basis. Fee waivers are available for:
- Washington University undergraduates
- Participants in Washington University summer bioscience research programs
- Applicants with financial need
If you think you qualify for a fee waiver, please contact us at geneticcounseling@wustl.edu. Please share in the email your reason for qualifying for the fee waiver.
Applicants are required to do the following:
- Upload an unofficial copy of their transcript. Students will also be asked to indicate which prerequisite course(s) they have taken or will have completed prior to matriculation into our program. As part of the application, transcripts will be used to verify completion of prerequisites.
- Submit three (3) letters of recommendation.
- Submit a personal statement and a copy of their resume or curriculum vitae (CV). See below for instructions on what to include and how to format both documents.
Personal Statement
One of the most important pieces of the application process to our program is your personal statement. While your transcripts and the experiences outlined in your resume or CV tell us some things about who you are, your personal statement is the place for you to stand apart from other applicants. Your personal statement should not just repeat a list of courses taken and volunteer experiences but should help us really understand why you want to attend our program. This is also an opportunity for you to address any weaknesses or gaps in your application. For example, if you went through a difficult time and your grades suffered, you can explain that in this statement. Please address the following prompts in your response:
- How would you describe the profession of genetic counseling?
- What experience(s) in your life have influenced your decision to become a genetic counselor?
- What about our program particularly interests you?
- What are some of your unique attributes that will help you excel as a genetic counselor?
- How do you envision your future career as a genetic counselor?
The Personal Statement should be no longer than three pages, double spaced, 12-point font.
Resume/CV
Please upload a PDF of your current resume or curriculum vitae (CV). In addition to listing all degrees, certificate training, and employment beyond the high school level, we ask that you include the following types of experiences if you have them:
- Genetic counseling exposure (e.g., shadowing experiences, informational interviews)
- Advocacy, counseling, and/or crisis intervention experience
- Other volunteer experience
- Teaching or tutoring experience
- Research experience and scientific publications
Please note, we do not require that you have experiences for each of these headings and we do not anticipate that applicants will have all types of experiences listed above.
Representation, Inclusion, and Support for Equity in Genetic Counseling (RISE GC) Scholarship
Starting with the 2024 GC Admissions Match Cycle, we will be able to offer up to two applicants the Representation, Inclusion, and Support for Equity in Genetic Counseling (RISE GC) Scholarship. This scholarship is available to individuals who identify as coming from a disadvantaged background, defined as meeting two or more of the following criteria:
- Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Definition: https://nche.ed.gov/mckinney-vento/);
- Were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families (Definition: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/focus-areas/foster-care);
- Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years (Definition: https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/income-eligibility-guidelines);
- Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree (see https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018009.pdf);
- Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants (Definition: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/fpg/eligibility.html);
- Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child (Definition: https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-eligibility-requirements).
- Grew up in one of the following areas:
- a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer (https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/rural-health)
- a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas (https://www.qhpcertification.cms.gov/s/LowIncomeandHPSAZipCodeListingPY2020.xlsx?v=1, qualifying zip codes are included in the file).
Only one of the two possibilities in #7 can be used as a criterion for the disadvantaged background definition.
This scholarship will provide $10,000/year for both years of enrollment of the program to total $20,000. Eligible and interested applicants who are offered an interview will be provided a brief writing prompt which will be used to help us identify to whom the scholarship will be awarded.
For more information, please contact us at geneticcounseling@wustl.edu.
Want to contact us directly?
Contact our Program Coordinator Elizabeth Witthaus by calling us at 314-273-8552 or emailing us at geneticcounseling@wustl.edu.
Visit our Program Facebook Page to stay up-to-date!