Washington University in St Louis Top Questions

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.

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.

Depends on your taste

Yes

to some extent

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

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.

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.

for the most part, yes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

for the most part no

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.

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.

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.

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.