Washington University in St Louis Top Questions

Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

Chelsea

Many people think that Wash U students are rich because it's such an expensive school. In actuality, tons of students receive a lot of financial aid from the school. No one really fills in the rich kid stereotype here.

Rob

Wash U as a school is generally very wealthy but there is no division between socioeconomic classes. Most people don't know about others finances and don't really care either. The school is about 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} jewish. This is roughly the same percentage of jewish students at any top college. While Wash U has a reputation of having a high concentration of east-coasters, the student body really does come from all over. While I would say Missouri, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, California, and Texas are the most represented states, kids come from all over--Alaska, West Virginia, Alabama. And of course there are a lot of international students as well. So while many students come from the east coast, Wash U has students from everywhere.

Ben

A student talks about Wash U stereotypes

Hannah

70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students plan to be pre-med, but only 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} graduate that way- it is a great school for pre-med but it is tough and there are also plenty of other great majors- WashU is a well-rounded school; as the 11th ranked school in the nation, people do take their academics seriously and you struggle to find a seat in the library come finals, people are competitive but there is a more relaxed feel than at the Ivys, from what I have heard, and people take time to party and know how to have a good time; finally, true we are D3, but both our men's basketball team and women's volleyball team won the national championships this year and RedAlert pulls people to games with pizza, free t-shirts, etc - nevertheless if you are all about going to college to see the football games, WashU isn't for you

Dave

There are many premeds here, but most of them won't kill puppies. During my two years, I have seen no evidence to support the idea of that Wash U students are "cutthroat." There's a natural competitiveness caused by the "curved" grading structure of the largest classes, but this is true for all schools. Students hold study sessions for these classes and work towards group success. A large portion of Wash U students do place grades at the top of their priority list. I can't remember how many times I've heard on a Friday night, "I can't go out tonight, I have to study." Still, there's a balance for the most part.

Lee

well half the freshmen are pre-med but then about half drop out by the end of sophomore year. the girls aren't all that bad, it's a pretty good cross section of the nation, there are relly pretty ones and not so pretty ones but it's pretty even, it's definitely possible to find pretty girls if you want to. the others are all true

Rebecca

yes, students here are very well balanced

Kate

I don't think that the girls are ugly. There may be more "hot" girls at state schools, but at least most of the girls at WashU are not fake-looking (few of them go tanning or bleach their hair blonde), and they're smart! If you know where to look, there are some very pretty girls at this university (try some of the sports teams and some of the sororities). Sometimes I think that there are more ugly guys at WashU than ugly girls! It is accurate that the students are smart-not everyone is, but most people are extremely intelligent.

Sarah

Partially.

Abe

Somewhat.. yes, but it's the same everywhere. There are a lot of non attractive girls but I think it's the same ratio as the real world. The school is very Jewish though.

caleb

yeppi

Stephanie

There is some truth to these stereotypes but they are in no way one-hundred percent truth. There are people at Wash U that only care about studying and getting good grades (especially the pre-meds), but there are also people that like to go out and have fun and goof around. If you go to Wash U you are inevitably going to be labeled as a nerd, but people here still know how to have fun and take a break from studying. The guys and girls at Wash U are definately not the most attractive. You usually have to look a little harder to find hot guys, but they do exisit. Plus, if you're really not having any luck schools like SLU and Mizzou are close by so you can definately find hot guys there! The upside of Wash U guys are that they are for the most part really sweet and nice. They know how to treat girls with respect! I can't necessarily speak for the attractiveness of the female population but I personallu think that a lot of my sorority sisters sisters are gorgeous! Wash U is not the most diverse campus. Most students are white and from the middle or upper class. There are lots of student groups for african american students or indian students, but there is not a lot of mixing between the groups.

Lisa

When you do hear of WUSTL, you realize what a great school it is.

Blaire

All true!

Hannah

We are very smart, but we are not as nerdy as people think!

Laura

yep

Patricia

Some of them are for some people. A surprising percentage of the population, however, is quite aware of social inequality, are here on scholarship, and/or came from rural, urban, or international home bases. I don't own Ugg boots - but most girls have them. Overall this student body is one of the most diverse I have ever known of, and is incredibly accepting. And unfortunately, not all of us are headed for 6-figure salaries.

Kate

1. there definitely are a lot of Jews, but I don't even think they're the majority! (maybe like 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}?) 2. yes, everyone is very smart, and mostly rich, but there are those few people here on scholarships to keep the socio-economic levels a bit varied 3. WashU's med school is amazing, so there is a good number of pre-med students, but most drop out of the program after freshman chemistry anyway

Ricky

We may be pretty smart here, but we all still know how to party. We might tone it down on weekdays, but wekends we are just like any other college, at night at least. As to our attractiveness, yeah that's fairly accurate. As a whole, we aren't so good looking.

Leah

To some extent, yes.

Dylan

They are both accurate and inaccurate. On the one hand, many Wash U kids are Jewish and many are from the Northeast. On the other, Wash U kids are actually quite giving, and many of them are not arrogant.

Eric

1. In some respects, yes. I believe that this stereotype has a modicum of truth involved. Many Wash U students do come from affluent backgrounds on the East and West coasts - I feel that students from the Midwest and South are in the minority. However, this is the case at many other Ivy League institutions. There are, nevertheless, a large amount of students who are from more humble beginnings and rural areas that attend our school. 2. True (at least with respect to the engineering school). Wash U is a very graduate-studies-oriented place. Little attention is payed to the preparation of students for their careers in industry compared to the push to continue a life in academia. Even then, little resources are presented to teach undergraduate students about their options until the time of their graduation.

Hunter

Depends on your taste

Robert

Yes

Erin

to some extent

Robin

CHILL!! And smart. Some not so down to earth, but chill. And chill. But some work too hard, man.

Jennifer

most of the students here are very focused on studying hard and getting work done. during finals week the library is literally packed(all 4 floors!) i hear rumors about people never leaving there (they run extended hours during this time) but something people don't know is that WashU kids LOVE to party!! there's something great and outrageous happening every single Thursday, Friday and Saturday no matter what. you'll end up having fun definetely.

Reese

The stereotypes need some clarification (note: these addenda correlate with the stereotypes listed above): *1* ...but there are still SOME hot girls here. *2* ...but just cause they're "smart" doesn't mean they're smart. *3* ...though there are a handful of truly gorgeous interior spaces. *4* ...well, this one's just true. *5* ...seriously. Fuck that.

Patrick

for the most part, yes

Kate

As with stereotypes for many groups, there are people at Wash U who do fit these descriptions. On the other hand, though, it is pretty easy to find people who do not fit them. As for the first stereotype I mentioned, have friends who go out four or five nights a week and friends who might go out one night a week when they're feeling social. I would say the second stereotype is a little more pervasive. Most people who come to Wash U come to the Midwest for a reason. The Midwest as a whole is not as cut-throat as other places in the country, so while we do have our fair share of hyper-competitive New Yorkers, I don't think people here are as competitive with each other as they are with themselves. I think the third stereotype I mentioned is the most true. Unless you are covering a sports game for the paper, taking some active role in it, or are just wanting to cheer on a close friend who is playing, you probably won't be going to many sports games. I'm not sure if this is a trend with most DIII schools, but cheering on sports is not a priority for most students.

Ellie

I don't know how accurate either of these statments are. I don't believe that the girls are ugly at WashU. I think that because we are in the mid-west there are a lot of plain looking people because that's what midwesterners are. You don't find many WASPs like in the south. There are few fake-tanned girls who wear their pearls and designer brand clothes like I'd find anywhere at home. I also don't know how accurate it is that living off campus is cheaper. I know it invests a lot more time and energy than living on campus, and finidng extra time and energy to furnish an apartment, pay bills, upkeep an apartment, buy groceries, and even just commute to school would for me definitely cost more than paying a few more bucks to live on campus.

Jamie

While Wash. U. does have it's fair share of arrogant snobs, most students are fairly friendly. Despite what I heard before coming to Wash. U. the girls really aren't as bad as people make them out to be.

Martha

I mean there is definitely a population of students from the Northeast but I feel like the students at WashU are super nice and super friendly. The whole student body is just really open to getting to know you or lending a helping hand--which is really hard to find at other colleges. Even the staff and faculty are amazing people who have a genuine interest in you. Yeah people at WashU have to study a lot but it certainly does not dominate to the point of suffocation. WashU students are generally pretty low key and there's always someone you can find to hang out with on a Friday night outside of the library.

Andrei

Somewhat. There are a lot of Jewish kids, but it's no Brandeis. There are a lot of nerds, but a lot of kids like to go out and have a good time. There are a lot of completely socially inept kids, but enough cool people that you will still have a good time...and feel cooler. There are a lot of unattractive people, but enough good looking ones to get by...plus you feel a lot better looking.

Alex

No, you don't have to be rich to go to WU (financial aid, loans, scholarships) No, not everyone is pre-med, but we are associated with a very good medical school and our pre-med program is good too No, not everyone is Jewish, but we do have a large Jewish population No, not everyone is Asian, but we do have a large Asian population Yes, everyone is brilliant and/or really good at something.

Jay

for the most part no

Emmerson

It is true that many students used Wash U as their back-up school, but I do not think Wash U is in any way inferior to the Ivy-league schools. I chose to come to Wash U because of what Wash U had to offer, not because "it was the best school I could get into." I do agree that Wash U students are involved, balanced, and contributing members to the community.

Scott

No, there are a lot of Jews, but that's really cool. There's also a very good mix and variety of a faiths and religions on campus. Also, Wash U was first in the Director's Cup for Division III last year, which is a measure of the school's overall athletic performance. So, we are also athletic, although I must admit, there is a relatively small population of the students that care about athletics, and that is mostly the athletes themselves. Also, I think there are some very attractive people here.

Kay

to some extent--I hear people talking about their lack of sleep and long hours working on papers/projects, as well as drinking and pot-smoking weekends, but I'm not sure how common either one is.

Alex

Wash U students are indeed very smart. We have plenty of students that are very social and "normal" in highschool, but we definitely have our share of nerds, too. Any kind of person can find a group of friends at Wash U.

Kristi

Partly. There are a lot of students who are nerds deep down inside, some embrace it more than others. Everyone here is smart, you have to learn to not be intimidated. And not all Wash U girls are ugly, but you don't have the stereotypical blondes prancing around that you might see at some other school. But the guys can't say much, cause same goes for them. But I do believe if you are looking for a place to get a great education but are still looking to party, Wash U does follow the "Work Hard, Play Hard" motto if you want to be part of it. Sometimes you just have to go looking for the parties, or create your own, but there will always be partying.

Ben

For the most part. Wash U students are hard-working, friendly, and more competitive than they let on. Not everyone is wealthy, but a small minority of those who are don?t shy away from wearing designer fabrics to class and spending cash like Monopoly money. There are lots of Jewish students, but also plenty of Catholics and people who aren?t really thinking much about God. Students are willing to humor the administration?s obsession with besting the likes of Brown and Cornell in the rankings if it means people will stop asking us about how we like Seattle or DC. And notwithstanding talk of ?Wash U goggles,? there are plenty of attractive people around.

Laura

The bubble environment is probably as prevalent at WU as it is at any suburban school. Students without cars tend to be confined to the campus, and though St. Louis has a lot to offer, exploring the city can require some motivation. The bubble mentality is only a problem if a student lets it become his or her world. There are of course myriad ways to avoid getting trapped in the bubble. The "wh, ph" mentality is a little polarizing and can be characteristic of a certain group of people at WU. In general, though, the school is filled with kids who are moderately competitive but are not as cut-throat as that stereotype makes the student body seem.

Antonia

Everybody here is extremely smart. But I know many people who party. Personally, I go out 4 to 5 days a week. And though there might not be a surplus of great looking guys, I manage to find plenty.

Steven

There is tons of diversity on campus. Students are from all around the country and the world, with many different socio-economic backgrounds. Most students fall into the average "smart kid" category, mostly cerebral in personality. However there are plenty of athletes and invloved students. Also, the girls aren't so bad.