Andrea
The typical stereotype of WashU is that we are all a lot of pre meds. Although there are undoubtedly an abundance of students pursuing medical school at the university, they are by no means the majority. One of the great things about WashU is the diverse student body with an array of interests.
Richard
The stereotypical WashU student is perceived (both by outsiders and by WashU students alike) as living in a sort of bubble. The campus is beautiful and certain residential areas feel like small, contrived ski villages in that you never really need to go anywhere because life on the Forty (the very modern residential area for freshmen and sophomores) has everything.
Now, is that true? Yes and No. People do go out, students have lives that revolve around things off campus. Additionally, there is a lot to do outside of the campus which abuts Forest Park which, as someone from Pennsylvania I honesty had never heard of, is astounding in the sheer magnitude of things to do there. It's actually larger than Central Park in NY and is jam-packed with all manner of fun stuff. Additionally we are very close to "The Loop" - a funky shopping, eating, and hanging out sort of place two blocks north. Finally, there are two metro stops and many bus routes on campus that make it convenient to go to stadiums, theaters, and just into St. Louis in general.
In one sense people do go out. A lot, too. However there is always the return to "the bubble" and the day-to-day experience of being on campus, going to classes, etc... is conducive to getting trapped in what can only be described as, well, the WashU bubble. The lines which delineate the boundaries of campus are abundantly clear and if for no other reason than it honestly does feel like you're walking into a different world once you step inside. This is neither good nor bad however it nevertheless is undeniably true.
Richard
The stereotypical WashU student is perceived (both by outsiders and by WashU students alike) as living in a sort of bubble. The campus is beautiful and certain residential areas feel like small, contrived ski villages in that you never really need to go anywhere because life on the Forty (the very modern residential area for freshmen and sophomores) has everything.
Now, is that true? Yes and No. People do go out, students have lives that revolve around things off campus. Additionally, there is a lot to do outside of the campus which abuts Forest Park which, as someone from Pennsylvania I honesty had never heard of, is astounding in the sheer magnitude of things to do there. It's actually larger than Central Park in NY and is jam-packed with all manner of fun stuff. Additionally we are very close to "The Loop" - a funky shopping, eating, and hanging out sort of place two blocks north. Finally, there are two metro stops and many bus routes on campus that make it convenient to go to stadiums, theaters, and just into St. Louis in general.
In one sense people do go out. A lot, too. However there is always the return to "the bubble" and the day-to-day experience of being on campus, going to classes, etc... is conducive to getting trapped in what can only be described as, well, the WashU bubble. The lines which delineate the boundaries of campus are abundantly clear and if for no other reason than it honestly does feel like you're walking into a different world once you step inside. This is neither good nor bad however it nevertheless is undeniably true.
Lauren
The most popular characterization of WashU students is that we're all of preppy, white rich kids. Although this stereotype certainly holds some merit--Uggs and boat shoes reign the campus--the student population is somewhat diverse. The University often tries to overcompensate for the plethora of white kids by emphasizing the importance of diversity and culture, with events like "multi-cultural weekend" to lure in prospective students. But students here often embrace our stereotype, especially with groups like "WashU problems" on Facebook, a group that posts problems that could only be considered problems at a school as spoiled as ours.
The general consensus is that WashU students lack school spirit when it comes to sports of any sort, which I fully concur with upon attending a basketball game with lower attendance than those at my high school. Jocks are a rare breed here, and the few and the proud who actually can play sports are equally as intelligent as the rest of the students. It's always unnerving to see a muscled boy quote Shakespeare like the best of them. Only at WashU, right?
That brings me to the stereotype of our nerdy student body. It's definitely true that the library will never, EVER be completely empty when it's open. With that being said, the party scene is probably bigger than it gets credit for. WashU kids like to study, but we also like to party! Work hard, play hard, and if that's not working, we just work harder and play harder.
Chelsea
The only real stereotypes here are:
1) If you're in Phi Delt (frat), you're a football player.
2) Ho's.
Both of these are generally true and not common at Wash U. Also, because we're one of the most expensive universities in the country, people assume we're stuck up.This is completely inccurate! We're the second most friendliest school in the country :)