August 28, 2025 Student Life newspaper, WashU in St. Louis
WashU, other universities named defendants in ‘Early Decision’ admissions lawsuit
WashU and 30 other elite universities were named defendants in a class action lawsuit filed yesterday in federal court. The complaint alleges that these institutions’ use of “Early Decision” (ED) in admissions is misleading and allows the schools to price-fix in violation of federal antitrust laws.
The suit — filed in the District Court of Massachusetts — lists Alayna D’Amico, Max Miller, Bella Robinson, and Bram Silbert as plaintiffs. All are current and former university students of Wesleyan University, Vassar College, and WashU. Miller is the plaintiff associated with WashU and will be a senior this school year. The filing says that he applied and was accepted to WashU in the regular decision cycle (RD). When asked about the suit, Miller highlighted how he believes that ED is bad for all students and how other elite universities do not utilize ED in admissions.
“ED also hurts Regular Decision admits: it drives up tuition for all students, Regular Decision admits included. It also forces the pool of Regular Decision applicants to compete over a constricted number of
WashU is among several elite universities named as defendants in a class action lawsuit challenging Early Decision admissions policies.
admissions slots,” Miller wrote in an email comment. “Some of the nation’s most prestigious schools are able to attract excellent undergraduate classes without the use of Early Decision as it currently functions. I see no reason why WashU cannot follow suit.”
ED is an admissions practice that offers students the chance to apply and gain acceptance to an elite university on the condition
that they sign a “binding agreement” to withdraw all applications to other schools and attend their ED choice.
According to the Common Application website, “[s]tudents admitted under the Early Decision option may be released from this binding commitment only in cases of documented financial hardship.”
Many universities have significantly higher acceptance rates for ED applicants than
for the regular decision pool.
For instance, for the Class of 2028, WashU’s ED acceptance rate was 25%, while its regular decision admissions rate fell to a mere 8%. The suit alleges that these markedly higher acceptance rates encourage students to apply in ED cycles and privilege students who are not pricesensitive to tuition.
Notably, WashU adopted a need-blind admissions policy in 2021, meaning the admissions team does not factor an applicant’s family income into its decision to admit a student in either ED or RD admission rounds.
The suit also claims that these schools portray ED as legally binding, while knowing that they cannot legally force a student to attend. They allege that the
RESEARCH
from page 1
The test, named EndoVIA, can be used to track RNA modifications in cells and can potentially lead to a better understanding of disease origins.
In a statement to The Source, Alex Quillin, a recent Ph.D. graduate of WashU’s Vagelos Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences who is now working at MilliporeSigma, stressed the importance of making tools like EndoVIA widely accessible.
“We want other researchers to be able to perform the assay quickly and get the data that they need,” she said.
institutions benefit from this “misrepresentation” by not allowing students to compare financial aid offers at other schools, which in turn raises tuition prices for all enrolling students.
“The schools lose their incentive to compete on price for students admitted through Early Decision, driving up overall ‘top line’ tuition levels and reducing both need-based and meritbased aid for Early Decision admittees,” the complaint alleges. “The result is that both Early Decision and non-Early Decision students pay higher prices than they would have paid absent the conspiracy at the center of the Early Decision scheme.”
According to plaintiffs, this “scheme” is supported by three other named
WashU and MilliporeSigma have had close ties dating back nearly 80 years.
In 1946, WashU alumnus Dan Broida founded the Sigma Chemical Company, a precursor to MilliporeSigma. Since then, MilliporeSigma has poured millions into WashU laboratory equipment, employed hundreds of WashU alumni to work at MilliporeSigma and its parent company, and provided annual support for the WashU Institute for School Partnership’s STEMpact program, which provides training seminars for
defendants in the filing: two college application platforms, Common Application and Scoir, and a group of more than 30 elite institutions formed in the mid-1970s called the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE).
The suit says that all the defendant universities either are or have been a part of COFHE, which is a selfdescribed “unincorporated, voluntary, institutionally-supported organization of highly selective, private liberal arts colleges and universities.”
According to COFHE’s website, Chancellor Andrew Martin is a member of its Board of Directors.
The suit also claims that COFHE is “highly secretive” and that COFHE’s existence violates antitrust laws because member universities enforce each other’s early decision admissions as binding without the legal standing to do so. The suit alleges that COFHE member institutions do so by sharing a list of admitted ED applicants, which results in other members removing those students from their RD applicant pool.
WashU offers two binding ED processes, including Early Decision I, with a deadline of Nov. 3, and Early Decision II, with a deadline of Jan. 2. According to Student Life calculations of data obtained from WashU’s most recent Common Data Set, 66% of WashU’s Class of 2028 was admitted through either ED I or II. WashU spokesperson Julie Flory has not responded to requests for comment as of the date of publication.
elementary educators in STEM subjects. As WashU and MilliporeSigma strengthen their relationship through this agreement, Chancellor Andrew Martin anticipates further scientific advancement on campus.
“Collaboration is central to our university’s research and scientific success,” Martin said in MilliporeSigma’s news release. “Partnering with an industry leader like MilliporeSigma will expand our capacity to generate solutions to the world’s greatest challenges.”
Chancellor Martin shakes hands with Chief Executive Officer of MilliporeSigma, Jean-Charles Wirth.
PHOTO
LYDIA NICHOLSON | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
PHOTO
Chants, cheers, and new beginnings: Convocation welcomes first-years
PHOTOS BY BRI NITSBERG |
MANAGING PHOTO EDITOR
“Before we even started walking, we were screaming our chants. I lost half of my voice before convocation even started,” first-year Eliana Moronta said.
Energy was high as students walked to Brookings Quadrangle with their residential colleges, yelling spirit chants, connecting with other students, and kicking off their first year at convocation on Saturday night, Aug. 23.
Convocation is one of the few times in all four years of college that an entire class will ever be together.
“It’s 8,000 undergrads. So that’s crazy,” Moronta said.
First-years walked with their WashU Student Advisor (WUSA) groups to convocation. Sitting with their residential colleges added a sense of familiarity in a crowd of new people.
“I sort of felt like I wasn’t alone in [convocation]. It did feel like a true ceremonial college kickoff, even though it wasn’t in itself that incredible or fun of a thing. But it was fun to have my WUSA group there because I felt like I was part of something,” first-year Benji Shoemaker said.
“I felt like it was a really cool first-year assembly … and it was fun for what it was. But I think they glorified it a lot beforehand,” he said.
For WUSA and sophomore Orlee Bracha, however, convocation felt like a hopeful way to kick off the semester.
“[Convocation] reminded me of how much good the first-years have ahead of them and how much they have yet to learn and experience and accomplish,” Bracha said.
SARA GELRUD
JUNIOR SCENE EDITOR
SPORTS
FALL SPORTS PREVIEW
MATT
Not a single member of the WashU men’s soccer team has been with the team in a NCAA tournament competition, a rarity for one of WashU’s most historically successful teams. This season, the Bears look to reverse the trend with a new-look squad. Luckily for second-year
head coach Andrew Bordelon, the team will stay mostly intact into the 2025 season. On offense, men’s soccer is led by reigning First Team AllUAA senior Zach Susee on the wing and junior Ethan Wirtschafter up front. Last year’s UAA Defensive Player of the Year junior Quentin Gomez will lead the Bears’ backline, flanked by All-UAA honorable mentions senior
Nate Szpak and junior Carter Sasser. The Bears will welcome 14 first-years to the program this year, injecting youth into a team that is looking for a spark in 2025. The incoming class includes midfielder Daniel Kochen, a product of FC Barcelona’s academy and the brother of Barcelona goalkeeper Diego Kochen. In a boost to their tournament hopes, men’s
soccer will not face a single opponent that was ranked in last year’s top 25 all season. Instead, WashU has stacked their non-conference schedule with games against local opponents like Webster University and Principia College before facing the typically daunting UAA schedule in October and November.
14 first-years are joining the team this season
36 goals in 2024, most in the UAA
The WashU football team has something to prove this season. Last season, the Bears went 8-2, barely missing a tournament bid after losing a key game down the stretch. Entering 2025, many key pieces of the Bears offense have graduated. They’ll have to win this year with a drastically different roster, making this season an important transition year for the Bears.
The WashU offense will suffer the greatest change and will be underclassman-heavy. Under center, the Bears will be led by junior quarterback Levi Moore. Moore stepped into the starter’s role at the end of last season and was successful on the rush
while improving his passing game.
“[Moore] has done a nice job stepping in some tough situations,” head coach Aaron Keen said after Moore led the Bears to their highest total yardage in a single game last November. “I think he can be a difference-maker for us.”
WashU’s options for running back and receiver will look very different this year, having lost multiple key players in both positions. Keen will turn to senior Fred Ware in the run game, who had nine total rushing touchdowns last year. In the air, juniors Makael Carter and Colin Donahue and sophomore Lucas Blumenthal should
Ahead of final CCIW season, football has something to prove
play an increased role. On defense, seniors Ryan Schmadtke and Brady Willmer will lead the charge.
The 2025 campaign will be the Bears’ last in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), after being voted out of the conference in September 2024. They’ll likely play their final games against multiple CCIW rivals this year, including hosting reigning national champions No. 1 North Central College on Sept. 27 and a tilt with familiar foe No. 17 Wheaton College on Oct. 25. Football opens its season on Sept. 6 at Francis Field against Rhodes College.
45 wins since joining the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin in 2018
13 rushing touchdowns for junior quarterback Levi Moore in two seasons
September 5 vs. Elmhurst
September 16 vs. North Park
September 20 vs. Wheaton
September 30 vs. Greenville
October 4 vs. Brandeis
October 19 vs. Carnegie Mellon
November 1 vs. NYU
November 8 vs. UChicago
September 6 vs. Rhodes
September 27 vs. North Central
October 4 vs. Illinois Wesleyan
October 18 vs. Elmhurst
November 8 vs. North Park
Junior Levi Moore is the Bears’ starting quarterback.
Senior Zach Susee led the team in goals last season.
BRI NITSBERG | MANAGING PHOTO EDITOR
LEWIS
After finishing as national runners-up in 2023, the WashU women’s soccer team beat William Smith College to win the 2024 Division III National Championship. The national championshipwinning squad was led by the backline of then-senior Emma Riley McGahan and graduate students
Ally Hackett and Sidney Conner, all of whom are no longer on the team. Despite graduating seven studnets ahead of the 2025 campaign, WashU’s roster is still full of returning talent.
“While we are losing some incredible players, we have a lot of great players returning to the program,” head coach Jim Conlon wrote to Student Life.
“We have had a very good spring in growing in the direction we want to go. Adding some new players this fall will make us that much stronger.”
Up front, the Bears are returning sophomore Olivia Clemons, who scored 22 goals in her first season in St. Louis — the third most in program history — and was named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the NCAA Tournament.
Seniors Grace Ehlert and Ella Koleno and junior Sophie Viscovich will join Clemons as they look to continue the Bears’ dominant offense. Ehlert was named to the NCAA Championship AllTournament team in 2023
soccer seeks to repeat
and had the second-most goals scored of any player last season with a total of 14. Koleno and Viscovich recorded four and five goals respectively in 2024.
Juniors Regan Cannon and Alexandra Karolak both played important roles in the Bears’ backline last season and will look to replace the graduates who helped contribute to an unbeaten season in 2024.
Junior Charlotte Shapiro, who played in seven games in 2024, will likely get the bulk of starts between the posts this year. WashU also brought in two trans fers from the Division I University of Iowa, alongside a nine-woman first-year class.
Since 2021, the team has made it to the Sweet 16 or beyond every sea son, making it to the national championship game in both 2023 and 2024. Without their AllAmerican defense, it might be more challenging, but there’s no team on campus as capable of making three straight national champi onship game appearances as women’s soccer.
The Bears have an earlyseason test against No. 25 Calvin University at home on Sept. 5. The rest of their early-season schedule is against unranked oppo nents, but they will finish their season with key UAA matchups against No. 16 Carnegie Mellon University, No. 4 Emory University, and the No. 11 University of Chicago.
79 goals en route to the 2025 Division III National Championship
18 clean sheets in 2024, best in team history
After graduating key contributors, No. 11 volleyball gears up for 2025
MATT EISNER
For the past three seasons, women’s volleyball has advanced to the Division III tournament.
Each of those seasons, the Bears were eliminated in the second round.
Bears hope that they can get over the hump in 2025.
Willamette University, Loras College, Bluffton University, and Carthage College. They will play high-stakes games against the No. 6 University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, No. 15 Claremont-MuddScripps, and UAA rivals No. 5 Emory, No. 20 UChicago, and No. 25 Case Western Reserve University throughout the season. After second national championship, No. 1
Although this year’s team will look different from previous years’ squads, the
WashU will be led by senior setter Sam Buckley, last year’s University Athletic Association Player of the Year and one of the best players in all of D-III volleyball. Junior rightside hitter Leah Oyewole was second in kills and third in points for WashU last year, and senior Anna
Freeman was excellent in limited action last season. Unfortunately for the Bears, four of their top five scorers from last season have now graduated. Due to this, the team’s large contingent of underclassmen will play a much larger role in 2025.
The Bears will open their season with the Bear Invite tournament against
1,472 assists for senior Sam Buckley in 2024, the most in Division III
6 wins against top 25 opponents in 2024
August 29 vs. Westminster
September 5 vs. Calvin September 7 vs. Rose-Hulman
October 4 vs. Brandeis
October 19 vs. Carnegie Mellon November 1 vs. NYU November 8 vs. Chicago
August 29-30 Bear Invite September 13 vs. Hendrix/ Greenville September 20 vs. Concordia (WI)/Simpson October 21 vs. Illinois Wesleyan
Senior Sam Buckley was last year’s UAA volleyball player of
Sophomore Olivia Clemons (#9) led the team with 22 goals last season.
ANNA CALVO | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
ANNA CALVO | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
FORUM
Shoot your shot: Choosing courage over comfort
entertaining other women. But then he paused, and said, almost to himself: “I always loved that girl.”
The idea of “being comfortable” has been a crutch in our society for generations. We choose convenience over discomfort, especially when it comes to the way we feel. It’s much easier to stay quiet rather than say something real, to swipe away rather than risk real rejection. But what if taking the path of least resistance is the thing actively preventing us from finding the love we have always wanted?
While visiting my aunt and uncle in the U.K., I got to know some of the neighborhood locals, family friends, local churchgoers, and most notably, their next-door neighbor, Charles. Charles was an older gentleman, mid-70s, soft-spoken, with the kind of stillness that made you want to listen. I’d ask him questions, and he’d tell me stories. But there’s one story in particular that’s stuck with me.
He admitted to being a bit of a player back in his day, always wrapped up in one situation or another. At the same time, he stayed close to a boy named Liam and his younger sister, Laurel. The three of them had known each other for as long as he could remember. At the time, Laurel was dating one of his friends, and Charles was off
He told me she was the only woman he ever truly loved, but he never told her. “Talking about it made me feel really uncomfortable,” he said. After school, life took them in different directions. Charles never married. And even now, decades later, he told me that choice, the decision to stay quiet, still haunts him every day.
Charles’s story made me think about how nothing has changed and how many love stories never happened because people were “too scared.” If anything, things have only gotten worse. In the days of old, people had no choice but to approach others. Now, with the rise of dating apps, especially ones crafted for college or WashU students like Datamatch, Marriage Pact, and, most recently, WUCupid, uncomfortable conversations have been replaced with algorithmically curated connections. Gone are the days of walking up to someone and just saying how you feel; now, we’d rather pour our hearts into a DM to WashU’s anonymous gossip Instagram about our “missed connections.”
I’ve heard all the arguments in favor of online dating: “The apps already have that romantic undertone, so it takes away a lot
PUZZLE PUZZLE Mania
of the awkwardness,” or “They help me filter out the people I don’t want and only show me real potential.” And sure, that sounds efficient. But to me, it just feels like an extension of both laziness and fear.
Lazy, because we’d rather let an algorithm decide who’s right for us than find out for ourselves.
Fearful, because we’d rather defer to a screen than risk a real human moment.
One that might be messy. One that might be awkward. One that, honestly, might change everything.
In order to get what you want out of life, you have to put yourself in the kinds of situations that make it possible. Right now, too many of us are letting fear dictate what we think we do and don’t deserve.
We tell ourselves stories like, “They’re out of my league,” or “Now’s not the
right time,” or “What if it’s awkward?” And before we know it, we’ve talked ourselves out of something that could’ve changed everything.
Everyone deserves their own meet-cute. Everyone deserves to meet the love of their life at a bookstore, at the coffee shop, or on a random night out. But that kind of story only happens when you’re willing to step into it. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy; if you never take the chance, it never becomes real.
Charles’s story lives in my head because it reminds me of what’s at stake. One conversation, one moment of honesty, could have rewritten the rest of his life. But fear won the day. And many of us are at the edge of the same decision.
So this is my only plea: take your shot. Say something. Smile first. Join a
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SCENE
Everything
LAUREL WANG SENIOR SCENE EDITOR
Welcome to WashU! Now that you’ve gotten on campus and paged through a syllabus, you’re a properly minted Bear, and we’re so glad you’re here. College is a huge shift on every level, and you’ve already done a huge amount of learning on the job these past few weeks.
Still, here are a few things you won’t find in a Bear Beginnings pamphlet because they’re a compilation of advice gathered from careful consultations with upperclassmen of all stripes.
If you were fortunate enough to coast down Midwestern expressways on your way to campus, you’ll certainly have encountered the billboards that splice amber waves of grain with their divine proclamations all the way down the I-55.
I’m here to tell you that those billboards were right: Hell is Real, and it’s the Brentwood Pavilion on a Saturday afternoon.
Those of you courageous enough to brave the Target during these past few weeks might have already seen the worn battlefield: shell-shocked employees, gridlocked battalions of carts, and fistfights over the last twin XL sheet set.
The Pavilion will eventually come to be a central part of your shopping experience here at WashU. But during these busy seasons, try to avoid the gridlock by shopping at Dierbergs — it’s closer to the metro station, and you don’t have to cut through the Chick-fil-A drive-thru to get there.
Speaking of the metro, get a U-Pass! Sources tell me distribution has been tricky this year, but these cards allow you to ride the rails for free. Firstyears should receive their U-Passes automatically, typically during move-in. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors should request a U-Pass through the Parking & Transportation Office at the start of every semester.
That being said, the metro
I wish I knew as a first-year
usually doesn’t check tickets unless you’re coming back from an especially crowded Blues game or the Medical Campus, but you always have to swipe for buses. Use the Transit app for St. Louis transportation to check wait times (with cute emojis!) and TripShot for the 10 WashU shuttles that run on and around campus, as well as the Campus2Home and Shopper shuttles.
St. Louis is a pretty cardependent city, so utilizing campus and public transportation will save you from excessive Uber charges, as well as sweaty treks in the summer and freezing your butt off in the winter. Don’t be fooled by the unseasonably cool weather this week — summer here lasts well through September. Expect Halloween to be cold (and potentially drizzly — maybe you can be a sexy black cat in a raincoat) and for the first snow to ground the city to a halt around Thanksgiving. If this is the furthest north you’ve been, invest in a heavy winter jacket, a hat, and gloves. Conversely, if this is the furthest south you’ve been, pick up some bug spray and deodorant (please!).
The campus community is one of the most important parts of college. Clubs and activities are the best way to find your people — check out the Activities Fair in the Field House on Friday. Whether you’re assembling race cars, flipping with club gymnastics, or pulling Wednesday all-nighters for StudLife, getting involved is paramount to meeting new people (and padding your resume). With over 400 student groups, you’re bound to find something that fits your fancy.
While finding community at WashU is great, sometimes you just want to chill out for a minute. In that case, avoid popular spots like the DUC, especially around lunch hour. If you were planning on eating that day, order early on GrubHub for pickup, or frequent one of the faster campus dining options, like Stanley’s
Sushi in Lopata Hall or Corner 17 in Olin. The rush usually calms down as the semester gets going (and everyone loses their will to spend any excess time outside the confines of their very comfortable bed), but be prepared for long wait times.
Community has also gone digital — GroupMe chats are a great way to get the haps on everything going on around campus, from nightlife and free food to coordinating rideshares from the airport and finding summer housing.
So go forth — this city is yours, and you’ve got four amazing years to explore it. Study hard, play harder, and collect some crazy college stories along the way. Be a Bear — just maybe not at the Brentwood Pavilion.
Study hard, play harder, and collect some crazy college stories along the way.
LUCIA THOMAS | STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
Dear Scene,
Going into this semester, I feel like I never got a chance to actually get involved on campus. I went to a bunch of meetings the first couple of weeks of school, but classes got in the way last year, and now I feel kind of behind. I have a lot of interests, but nothing has stood out to me yet. How do I find the right club, and is it too late??
Sincerely, Concerned Club-Chaser
Dear Concerned Club-Chaser,
It’s great that you’re open to joining a club! College is one of the best chances you’ll ever have to pick up new hobbies, learn new skills, and do things just because you want to.
First off, in case you don’t already know, a great site where you can browse clubs is WUGO, and joining is often as easy as clicking “join” on their page.
I know plenty of people, including myself, who didn’t have a chance to get involved with clubs during their first year at WashU. If that’s how you’re feeling, try these pieces of advice:
It’s never too late to join (they want you so bad)
The timeline of college
doesn’t have to be so linear — you can pick something up whenever, and chances are, that club is just happy to see someone show up. Some student organizations are more structured than others, but the biggest thing you can do really is to be there in the flesh. And even if you leave only having learned “oh … this is not the club for me,” that’s still a win. Also, most clubs are entry-level, meaning you don’t need any prior experience. You could literally reenact an ancient classical Greek tragedy with toga-wearing Ph.D.s for the WashU Classics Club just because you liked the Percy Jackson movies.
Clubs are for fun, and you have free will Sure, join the clubs you think will boost your resume if you want. But if your homework looks like calculating the triple integral of one molecule of a
drink.
17th-century column, it’s nice to have a place to go to decompress. Maybe you do that best with knitting, or maybe it’s tae kwon do; luckily, WashU has both. Also, if you like free experiences and the idea of “trying everything,” signing up and making time for a club is kind of like paying for a membership, but with no cost. Take advantage!
Decisions, decisions
Finally, don’t overthink your club. Sometimes, the best club is the one that fits into your schedule and lets you prioritize studying or your job. It could be the one that challenges you beyond what you study. It could also be the one where you like the people or get free food. Sometimes the best clubs are the ones so unrelated to your major that you don’t recognize anyone from your lectures.
At the end of the day,
clubs aren’t everything. If you prefer less structure or simply don’t have the time, that is okay too. There are other ways to make friends and make the most of college. Maybe it gets to midterm season, and you realize the club adventures will have to wait until next semester. Give it time, and if you can, try to make it to that first meeting.
My biggest tip: Choose the club that holds meetings you want to attend. Maybe it takes a few months to notice which ones keep you coming back, but at some point, it will feel natural to make time for the activities you’re passionate about.
My second biggest tip: Attend the club fair on Aug. 29 from 3-5 p.m.! (Obligatory Student Life shoutout … we will be there.)
