The following reviews are the views of students or alumni at this school and are unrelated to the school data and other editorial content on usnews.com. These reviews neither reflect nor impact a school's position within the Best Colleges rankings.
The best thing about WashU is that everyone is so willing to help you in your endeavors. My four year advisor will help me with any problem I am having, even if it does not pertain to school. ResLife was helpful for me too- I had to move dorms mid-year and they helped me and allowed me to choose exactly where I needed to move. When I tell people I go to WashU they usually have no clue what I'm talking about. There is not much school pride, but I'm okay with that. It fits me that it's not a major sports school. The fact that we don't have much school pride just shows how mellow we are. I would say we have pride in the fact that we go to WashU. I rarely hear major complaints about the school; everyone seems pretty happy with going to WashU, and I'd call that having school pride of sorts. I think WashU's administration is fabulous. They are so friendly and seem concerned about the students, more so than when I talk to my friends from other schools. For example, I would feel that I could drop a class if I said I was having psychological issues, yet one of my friends at a state school wasn't allowed to drop a class when she needed to use that reason.
Ellie Sophomore
Best thing about Wash.U.: Friday night basketball games. Yeah, it's D3, but we have a blast. The school is also a great size and very geared toward the undergraduate population which is awesome School pride is big, though not necessarily in the athletics sense. That said, basketball games have gotten huge in the last couple years and are incredibly fun. Without D1 sports, though, people just aren't gonna get hopped up for games other than hoops. I wish kids were a bit more socially and emotionally intelligent. We have some of the most book smart people in the world, but they often don't have a clue as to how to interact or think outside of their narrow academic boxes.
Andrei Senior
I enjoy it when people ask me where I go to school, only to discover they've never heard of Wash U. I live three hours away, yet plenty of people from home don't know Wash U is in St. Louis. I'm glad that I can be proud of where I go to school, but at the same time I don't seem like I'm bragging by telling people where I go. The biggest recent controversy on campus was a student movement against the administration to bring presidential candidates to campus to speak for free. The administration cited legal and logistical reasons for not allowing Barack Obama to come speak. While these are probably very legitimate reasons, the students were still very upset. Wash U is in a great location. We're essentially in St. Louis, with easy access to the City Museum, major league sports events, concerts, musicals, etc. We're also a self-contained campus, so the campus is relatively compact. There are also two MetroLink stops on campus, for which we get free passes, so St. Louis is literally a couple stops away. It's perfect. The Loop on Delmar is also a fifteen-minute walk away, with "college-town" shops, restaurants, etc. My favorite aspect of Wash U's location is Forest Park, which is across the street from campus. Whether for a run, playing ultimate frisbee, going for a bike ride, going sledding down art hill, going for a walk, or going to the science center, Forest Park is a wonderful asset to Wash U. The most frequent student complaints are the lack of variety and healthy options in campus dining. Wash U's food is really very good, but we all get sick of having practically the same menu everywhere. Although cost is probably an issue at every school, students frequently get upset at substantial cost increases in tuition, room, board, and fees every year. Many of us also feel like Health Services is inconvenient and not as effective as it should be. There is not a lot of attendance to varsity sports, yet there is "school pride" in the sense that students are proud to be part of the Wash U community. One of my more unique experiences was winning the intramural inner tube water polo tournament two years in a row. One of my favorite unique activities Wash U offers is Residential College Olympics, a Saturday full of free t-shirts, food, and all sorts of games: ultimate, soccer, basketball, tug-of-war, ping pong, foosball, euchre, dodgeball, flag football, etc. It's awesome.
skipper Junior
The most popular shirt on campus says, "Wash U Pride, it's in St. Louis dammit." That pretty much sums up the reaction we have when we try to tell other people where we go to school. I am from FL and the first response I usually get is "O, Wash U, is that in Seattle?" kindly responding, "No, in St. Louis..." only get a more disappointing response of "Why the hell would you move to Missouri!" Wash U is a good mix of really focused academic students, and well, the more social students. The environment is way more relaxed than some other campuses I visited and people are pretty friendly. The campus is beautiful, including historical collegiate Gothic architecture and brand new similarly designed facilities that are up to date with 21st century technology. The students here complain a lot about the food, but in the grand scheme of things, I think Wash U is rated among the top schools for food. It's always a topic of conversation, as I am sure dining is on every campus. More recent hot topics here revolve around the political world. Alberto Gonzales came to speak on our campus, Barack Obama was turned away from speaking directly on campus (though he came to the Edward Jones Dome for a rally anyhow), in effort to stay neutral before Wash U hosts the VP debates next fall. Students are gathering to discuss these controversial issues, igniting political activism. It is a wake up call and I think everyone is learning more about what's going on in our government and country in effort to be educated voters. I am looking forward to more speakers and debate coming to campus in the near future. St. Louis, not the most exciting city I have ever been to, but a good place to explore and experience different flavors of culture around town. There are a ton of different places to eat and a few different areas to go out in. I think many people think it is a much more 21 and up friendly town, though. With our graduate schools, SLU and Fontbonne campuses nearby, there are a lot of college students to be found, though St. Louis would definitely not be classified as a "college town." I could go on forever about how I love Wash U and probably only complain about the ridiculously random weather we get here. If you would like more of my opinion I'd love to speak more with you on the phone.
Brittany Junior
Wash U is the perfect size -- not just a few thousand like a highschool, and not so big that you'll get lost in the crowd. Most people don't know about Wash U. Many are mistaken when they think we're located in the state of Washington. Most people I know stay on campus the majority of the time. Some underclassmen go out to clubs on Thursday nites. Many students go out to dinner off campus. I think most students are happy they go to Wash U, but there isn't much school pride when it comes to sports at all. Our campus has many pesky squirrels and rabbits.
ChemE Sophomore
Compared to your Stanfords or Dukes, Wash U is a relative newcomer to that privileged bunch that turns away the bulk of its applicants. ESPN broadcasters donÕt name-drop our basketball players and no one goes to St. Louis for its weather; a lot people donÕt even know that Washington University in St. Louis is, in fact, in St. Louis. But there is definitely a sense around here that Wash U is a school on the rise and its cool to be part of that. The school is flush with money; the administration has spent millions on constructing new buildings and recruiting world-renowned faculty. We now have dorms that have more in common with the lodging at Disneyland than a traditional college dorm. You can order crepes at our dining halls or take advantage of abundant funding for student groups and projects. I doubt I am the only one, however, who wonders whether these perks really justify a $50,000 a year price tag. Sometimes it seems as though the administration lavishes more money and attention on its buildings than its students. Wash U, like much of its competition, charges for everything: to use the Internet, to print at the library, to use outdated exercise facilities. The nicest dorms cost over $1,000 a month in rent and you can expect to pay $6 or $7 for the convenience of buying a box of cereal on campus. In its defense, the administration has begun to address some of these issues by bundling some fees into room and board. Increasingly, however, the people in charge seem slow to respond to the issues students have with current policies. This spring, for instance, the Chancellor refused an offer from Barack Obama to speak on campus for free on the weekend before Super Tuesday on the grounds that doing so would be a costly distraction and require the school to host any presidential candidate who wished to speak here. A lot of students thought this was a pretty flimsy excuse, especially in light of the fact that the College Republicans brought Mike Huccabee on campus last spring and paid Alberto Gonzales $35,000 for a half-hour speech this winter. For the most part, however, students are really happy to be at Wash U. The size of the school is perfect; intimate enough to see people you know everywhere you go, large enough to constantly meet new people. And despite all of the facility improvements and stellar academics, itÕs the people that make Wash U a stellar place. True ***s are a rare breed on campus. Almost everyone is approachable and friendly in a Midwestern sort of way. School spirit is difficult when you play DIII sports and you share part of your name with a dozen other schools, but people bond easily enough through their freshmen floor, mutual friends, extracurriculars, and Greek life.
Ben Sophomore
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