Washington University in St Louis Top Questions

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.