The Pros and Cons of WashU in St. Louis

What is Washington University’s reputation?

“beautiful campus” “great pre-med program” “like an Ivy in the Midwest” “rigorous academics” “students work all the time” “Top 20 undergraduate business program” “excellent research opportunities” “no school spirit” “not much social life” “work hard/work hard culture” “lots of stress and burnout” “excellent campus food” “super-friendly students” “great dorms with Tempur-pedic mattresses” “collaborative vibe” “city of St. Louis isn’t the best” “campus is a bubble” “many people have never heard of it” “weather is unpredictable” “great job prospects after graduation”

Washington University in St. Louis is a Top 20-ranked private research university located in the Midwestern city of St. Louis, Missouri. It’s a mid-sized university, with about 8,000 undergraduates, and students apply directly to 1 of 5 different undergraduate colleges, including: Arts & Sciences (A&S), Business (Olin), Engineering (McKelvey), Visual Arts or Architecture (Sam Fox). You generally can’t major in two different colleges, but you can certainly major in one and minor in another.

Everyone is “locked-in.”

WashU has earned a reputation for being academically rewarding but a bit socially unfulfilling. The strength of the academics is undeniable: the school excels in pre-med, business and psychology; class sizes can be very small (except for large intro lectures for things like Bio, Chem, and Econ); the coursework is extremely rigorous; the grading in certain majors is unforgiving; and students generally work very hard (they are “locked in”). But many students complain that there’s not much else to do besides work: the social scene is dead, there’s little school spirit, there’s no big sports culture, and St. Louis isn’t that safe or exciting.

As a result, WashU is perhaps best suited for students who are very serious about their education and their post-graduation prospects, whether that’s landing a great job or getting into a top graduate school. But if you’re someone who’s looking for that more traditional college experience that blends challenging academics with a vibrant and stimulating social community, it’s probably not for you. WashU is a bit “all work and no play.”

The Pros of WashU…

#1: High Ranks — The school scores very high across a number of different categories. In addition to its high academic rankings for Business, Psychology, Pre-Med, and Engineering, Wash U is consistently ranked by two different organizations (The Princeton Review and Niche.com) for having the Best Campus, the Best Food, and the Best Dorms. So they’re obviously doing something right.

#2: Campus — While the city of St. Louis gets mixed reviews, WashU’s campus is a pleasant bubble. It’s a beautiful campus with stunning Gothic architecture, it’s relatively small and walkable, and students feel safe on campus and in the surrounding suburban neighborhood. It’s also right next to a sprawling city park with nature trails, ice skating, paddle boats, a glass conservatory, a zoo, a golf course, and the country’s largest outdoor music theater.

#3: South 40 — All freshmen live together in a special community called South 40 which is on the southern end of campus. It’s like a small European ski village with its own dining facility, fitness center, cafés, shops, and meeting places. There’s even a “teaching kitchen” where students can learn from the chefs who prepare their meals.

#4: Friendly and Collaborative Vibe — There’s an unmistakable Midwestern friendliness at WashU, and students say that even in the most rigorous classes which are graded on a steep curve (Bio! Chem!), students help each other out. While many of the classes are highly competitive, the students remain very collaborative.

#5: Pre-Med — If you want to be doctor, or especially if you want to go into medical research, WashU has a great pre-med program. WashU’s Medical School is located 2 miles away and is ranked Top 10 in the nation, and is the #2 ranked school for NIH (National Institutes of Health) research funding. So that means undergraduates have unlimited access to hundreds of research projects on Alzheimer’s, cancer, AI imaging, biomedical engineering, etc. Plus WashU graduates have about an 80% acceptance rate into med school, which is double the national average.

#6: Olin Business School — WashU’s undergraduate business program is ranked Top #20 in the nation. It’s particularly strong in both quantitative analytics and entrepreneurship. And unlike many top business programs, it’s said to be much more collaborative than competitive. It’s also thought to be much less cut-throat and rigorous than the school’s engineering or pre-med programs. And even if you’re not in the business college, you can still minor in fields like Business, Entrepreneurship, or Financial Economics.

The Cons of WashU…

#1: Lack of Social Scene — While most students rave about their classes, many complain that the social scene (and even the student body itself!) can feel a bit bland. This is a place where students seem to work all the time. And even though there is a small Greek life, it doesn’t seem to play a large role on campus

#2: Lack of Name Recognition — While many top employers, and certainly all graduate schools, are very familiar with WashU’s caliber, many people have never heard of it. It often gets confused with The University of Washington (in Seattle) or George Washington University (in DC). This can be frustrating for students who know the value of their education.

#3: Rough Weather — St. Louis experiences extreme weather conditions. It’s very hot and muggy in the summer, and freezing cold in the winter. You definitely get a mix of all four seasons, but the weather is highly unpredictable.

#4: St. Louis Crime — The city of St. Louis is often ranked as one of the most — if not the most — dangerous city in America, right alongside other crime-ridden cities like Memphis, TN; New Orleans, LA; Baltimore, MD; and Detroit, MI. So while campus itself feels very safe, students have to be extra careful when venturing downtown, or taking public transportation at night.

#5: Burnout — Because of the school’s “grind” culture, many students complain about stress and burnout. This is one of those places where many students are happiest once the four-year experience is over, and they’re enjoying the fruits of their labor in a prosperous career or at a top graduate program.

If you like WashU, you might also like…

Emory University (#24). Just like WashU, Emory is a mid-sized private university that sits on a beautiful campus just outside a major city (Atlanta), and features a top-notch pre-med program with excellent research opportunities, a Top 15 ranked undergraduate business program (Goizueta), rigorous coursework, small class sizes, grade deflation, and also a very serious work culture without a ton of fun social outlets. And just like WashU, Emory offers a very strong admissions advantage when you apply Early Decision, and they have an ED II option too.

How to get into WashU…

#1: Apply ED — Statistically you have a very strong admissions advantage when you apply Early Decision. The ED rate is 26% vs. only 10% for Regular Decision (RD). It’s also worth knowing that approximately 60% of the freshmen class is made up of ED applicants. And since the size of the ED applicant pool is much smaller, it tells you how much they prioritize those candidates.

#2: Apply ED II - WashU is one of those schools with an ED II option. So if you don’t get into your first-choice school in the early round (or if you’re not ready to apply to college in November), you may want to apply to Wash U ED II in January to improve your admissions odds. The exact admissions rate for ED II is unknown, but it’s generally thought to be around 18%.