Washington University in St Louis Top Questions

Washington University is an elite research university. The professors are accomplished professionals, experts in their field, with a true passion for teaching and an uncanny ability to communicate amicably and be relatable. The material that you are exposed to is advanced and evolves quickly. You're not taught information that you'll be tested on; you are taught information that you will use in your life and career. This university gives you all of the tools you need to be an elite student, an elite professional, and a wholesome and morally conscious person.

One wonderful aspect about Washington University in St. Louis that makes it stand out is its flexibility. Students enrolled in one undergraduate school are able to, and encouraged to, try classes outside of their major and outside of their school. Additionally, the process of transferring from one school to another is a definite possibility and it does not require an application. This was very appealing to me because I went into the school somewhat unsure about what I wanted to study. The opportunities at Washington University were better and more readily available that at other schools.

The unique thing that made Washington University in St. Louis such an attractive choice for my college education was the rare blend of academic rigor and supportive community. It is unquestionable that Washington University possesses academic programs that can be favorably compared to any in the country. At the same time, it had a sense of community that is often lost at such academically acclaimed schools. This cut throat atmosphere is not the case at Wash U. From the first time I visited it was clear that I was entering a supported environment that wanted to see me succeed.

While many of the other schools that I considered are known to be very competitive, most students at Washington University are very willing to help other students to succeed. It is a much more collaborative environment than many of its peer institutions. Students seem to be more interested in learning than in building their own resumes.

Washington University in St. Louis is a very distinctive insitution. When considering a secondary education, one of the first aspects I looked at was the size of the institution. For the most part, I was forced to choose between a small libaral arts univerity, or a much larger research university. Washington University was one of the few institutions that sat at a happy medium, at about 7500 students. It is large enough to allow for anyone to easily find their niche, but small enought to allow for ample and accessible opportunites.

Very friendly even in a highly professional career centered student body.

WashU does not care who you are as long as you embrace yourself completely; our culture goes beyond all are welcome, it is more all are celebrated.

WashU has the academic rigor and intensity of an ivy league school, but the collaborative and welcoming feel of a less intense school.

The faculty. They are so intelligent and all are currently doing research in the field.

WUSTL is a school that is centered on helping undergraduates in all pursuits, unlike many schools that cater to graduate students, research for the professors, or prestige for the school. The undergraduate research office, Cornerstone for Advanced Learning tutoring hours, engineering help desk, and the writing center are just a few examples of the numerous programs that WashU provides for students to get guidance outside the classroom on projects, getting started on research as underclassmen (which is uncommon at other schools), improving essential career skills like interview manners, resume writing, and more.

Washington University is a university that aims to attain and maintain an ever expanding elite status. It aims to diversify its student body and is in a growing stage in many respects. Academic and residential buildings are always being constructed and faculty are always being hired. The number of incoming freshmen also increases every year. Washington University is a school that unlike many other elite schools consists of students who are committed to helping each other succeed. The price point for an education here, however, is incredibly high which means you get less bang for your buck so to speak.

The population of our school is not too much or not to less. It has considerable amount of students in the school to not feel left out, and not to few to know everyone on campus. Along with a fairly good number of students, we can easily change our majors or colleges within the school if we just shoot an email to at least two advisors. Because of this freedom, we tend to not feel pressured about being stuck with one major throughout the entire four years. Lots of people transfer schools in their junior year as well.

Due to its academic rigor, Washington University in St. Louis offers sheer potential for one to learn deeply and passionately about almost anything one could conjure. There is always intellectual stimulation to be found; even on a Saturday afternoon, one may find oneself partaking in imaginative, perhaps purely hypothetical, yet satisfying conversations with peers. Despite this intellectually saturated environment, people are sincerely warm and do not hold a cutthroat attitude. Although grades are valued, and studying is held sacred during midterm and finals weeks, people and relationships are valued over grades, and the result is a diverse and vibrant campus.

At WashU, everyone is extremely intelligent, friendly, and involved. At most other schools I looked at, the student body could only be described be two of those three categories. WashU mixes a friendly midwestern atmosphere with some of the smartest kids in the nation at a school that emphasizes leadership and research. This means that everyone you know at school is involved in at least one extra curricular activity, and usually more than one.

WashU is unique in that despite its small size, it is extremely spirited and has a lot of school pride.

Washington University in St. Louis is unique because it allows the freedom to choose exactly what you want to study while also having the prestige of a top ranked research university.

As I entered college, I found it restricting to dedicate myself to a specific major or career path early on in the process. With all the opportunities a University has to offer, I really wanted an opportunity to explore a wide variety of classes so that I really could see what interests me the most. Washington University's Discovery Curriculum does just that by encouraging students to take classes across different fields to give its students a broad academic background. Through this curriculum, I have really discovered many interests I may not have found at other universities.

It combines an elite education with the down-to-earth Midwestern environment.

people

I believe Wash. U. is unique in that it is a school where you can meet anyone. The spread of cultures and values here is so vast that it seems amazing that there aren't more conflicts. Yet everyone gets along very well, and we truly seem to be a community here, united by our love of education, learning, and general nerdiness.

While Wash. U is considered to be one of the top private universities in America, it maintains a lesser level of recognition around the nation compared to many other prominent universities of equal standing. Every student who goes here has had to explain endlessly that "No, I don't go to school in Washington" and "Yes, it is a good school". An intersting result of this phenomenon is that students here aren't looking for a name brand college. The atmosphere is more collaborative than cut throat, and people care more about the education they are getting than the prestige.

There is an unbelievable network of academic resources. Tutoring, mentoring, and any other kind of help one may need. I came from a rural high school, and I was looking for somewhere that could fill the academic gap, should the need arise for me to seek help.

People are extremely nice. Residential college system is really nice.

This school has a very friendly environment, as well as a variety of majors and academic programs that fit with my desired career path. In addition, there are plenty of ways to get involved on campus and in the surrounding community, whether you like sports, community service, research, etc. There is also a wide variety of restaurants and entertainment venues that make life outside of academics an absolute blast.

I hope I didn't sound disingenuously positive, but I really do love Wash U. Knowing what I know now, I would choose Wash U over any school in the country.

The academic focus sets Washington University in St. Louis apart from many other schools I applied to. The drive and passion that many of the students had towards research and the pursuit of knowledge was very intriguing to me.

My school is unique in that the University is so community oriented. Everything done groups and events has community of Washington University in mind. Because of this, not a day goes by when I dont see people I know in my classes, walking to my classes, at lunch and even off-campus. In contrast, my first school, Northeastern University was much more intorverted of a school in itself. Right off the bat, once classes started you would scarcely meet new people, be invited to new events or have the opportunities to get to know even your teachers.

The thing about WashU is that it's a college without giving you that whole "college living" feel. WashU provides its undergraduate students with spacious, clean and beautifully architectured dorm buildings. In fact, I not only have my own bathroom but there are hammocks right outside my building. The WashU administration makes a huge effort to keep their students happy which is not only evident through the dorms but also the delicious food, facilities, and constant requests for feedback of how to improve which I did not see in any of my 20 college tours.

It's very research focused and has plentiful resources, but also has a great focus on teaching. It promotes relationships between faculty and students.

It's location in a suburb but close to downtown. It's campus is beautiful, and there is a change of seasons. The people on campus are all very diverse and friendly and it seems like everyone knows eachother.

The students at Washington University are amazing. Because of the school's academic standing and small percentage of admission, the students at Wash U are all extremely smart. However, what is amazing about the school is that although everyone is smart, everyone is also interested in learning from others and having fun! It was a wonderful experience to meet friends who, although interested in success, did not sacrifice their opportunities to learn from others and make friends. Wash U is competitive, but not in an aggressive way. Everyone knows what they need to do and tries to help each other.

good mix of people and opportunity to study different things

Very warm campus. The colors of the buildings were just so inviting that it gave at the campus a warm feel. It made it very appealing as a place to live and work in for the next four years of my life.

Hard work but a great community to help you study and awesome social life.

What makes Wash U so unique is that so many of the students think it's the greatest place on earth. Most of the time when you ask someone why they came here, they tell you "it just felt right" because there's a certain friendly and ambitious energy that surrounds the campus. Students are proud to be here because it's an excellent school, but it has a midwest feel of being very approachable.

the people are so nice and willing to help, so many great communities

The academic record of this school was better than the others I could have enrolled in. It has an overall better reputation. It is also much farther away.

A student tells us about Wash U's reputation.

One great thing about WashU is that it draws people from everywhere. For me, being from the east coast, living in the Midwest has given me a good look at other parts of the country. Most of my friends go to school on the east coast and I think going to WashU has been a learning expierence in itself- in a good way. Twice this semester I drove to Baton Rouge with my frisbee team and went through states I was pretty sure I would never see. It makes you a more worldly person and more open-minded.

I think I should reiterate the rigor of academics here. No matter what your major, plan on working hard. A's, for the most part, are hard to come by at Wash U. I've found, however, that the high expectations and the quality of those around me has improved my confidence and will result in good things when I leave here.

this place is awesome, seriously. if you can handle more work than the majority of the population and having your soul crushed every once and then having to just keep working more than i would suggest washu, it's totally worth it.

No, I just love wash U, except the Metero, because they wont run in midnight like 1 am. because I have to leave olin before 11 or I will miss my metero to get home. Blah.

Housing at Wash U is really nice. I think it's better than any other campus I've seen. The old fresman dorms are kind of small but they still have a great atmosphere and you can still have plently of room for all your stuff without bunking beds. Upperclassmen housing on campus is super nice. There are suites with common rooms and balconies and apartments with common rooms and kitchens. However, most students move off campus by there senior year because on-campus housing can be pricey. The food at Wash U is also really good. The on-campus subway even takes meal points! There is a lot of variety.

One of the big plusses of this school is the scholarship policies. First of all, there is merit based aid available which was a big factor for me. If you apply to the university, make sure to apply for the scholarships! There are a lot of scholarships available, and so apply and do a really good job on the application. For me, it certainly paid off; I've got a full scholarship here with a stipend each year. Then, the policy for outside scholarships is great too... if you're a National Merit finalist, the school gives you money depending on what type of National Merit scholarship you get; I got a $2500 one-time scholarship from NMSQT, but Wash. U is continuing that for my sophomore, junior and senior years. Additional outside sholarships are also yours to keep; financial aid doesn't just sink your scholarship money towards your need based aid at all! That's huge. In fact, this semester the university wrote a check to me because I had more money scholarship money coming in than the semester 's tuition, room and board were costing. Of course, I have been very lucky and I worked very hard. I don't want to give the impression that everyone here has full scholarships or anything. All I mean to say is that need and merit based aid is very very reasonable at Washington University relative to other universities and that you should apply for scholarships!

Now, I hope I do not sound falsely positive about Wash. U... I just am enjoying being here so much and I really haven't found anything bad about the school. I never expected college to be so inspiring, full of so many good smart people, and so beautiful. The academics are extremely challenging, but it helps to be in a place that constantly reminds me that I am getting an excellent education.

My only gripes are that everything here is very expensive; in addition to the whopping tuition, the University charges students extra money for in-room Internet service and cable TV. Food is also very expensive; you pay a premium for the good quality. Another problem is that there's so much construction. The University is bringing up two new buildings right now on main campus, and that means there's two giant holes where there were once either an old building or grass. Finally, St. Louis isn't the most hopping city. There are some good museums in Forest Park and excellent shops and ethnic food on the Delmar Loop, but besides that the city is not safe to be in by yourself. Thankfully, the University isn't located right in St. Louis city, but rather in University City and Clayton, the latter of which is a rich, up-scale suburb of St. Louis. On the whole, campus itself is very safe, and I never feel unsafe walking around campus at night. Still, on the whole, my experience here has been very satisfying. It's a challenging but cooperative academic environment with great professors, excellent quality of life, and good social atmosphere.

The biggest thing is to plan out your 4 years, as some classes are only offered in the Fall, or in the Spring, and have prerequisites, which are only offered in the Fall, or in the Spring. Figure out what class to take in which semester, or you'll cram it all in Senior year. I took the Intermediate Financial Accounting class at the same time as the Introduction to Managerial Accounting class so I wouldn't have to take any Accounting in the Spring of Senior year. I was one year ahead of people in my grade level, in terms of Accounting classes, but I made friends with the class of '04 and stayed ahead of the curve.

Sadly, WashU is a very unattractive campus...I come from a high school with a very attractive student body and I have been shocked to see the amount of unattractive people here. However, people get "WashU goggles" and pretty much disregard any previous standards, so there is plenty of hooking up and dating going on...

I HATE how much waste there is in the cafeterias! but the food is pretty good.

I LOVE WASH U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!