Washington University in St. Louis
Reviews

Friendly Atmosphere!

WashU and the larger St. Louis community definitely have the Midwest Charm. Everyone at WashU, from the students to the professors from counselors to staff, is friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere at WashU is not cut-throat like other top-tier, largely pre-medical universities; students work and study together frequently. Students and faculty try to build a very inviting and collaborative atmosphere, which definitely helps with studying!

Easy Transportation!

WashU students are eligible for the UPass, which offers free public transportation throughout St. Louis. Many students take advantage of the UPass by riding the buses and the Metrorail, both of which reach the vast majority of the areas of St. Louis that are visited by the students. WashU also offers the WeCar program, which allows students to rent cars for a specified number of hours at a reasonable cost. Lastly, many upperclassmen bring cars to campus.

This Is Where I Grew up

I won't try to fully articulate how incredible Wash U is, because I've learned that I simply cannot. I have been at Wash U for two years now, and they have easily been the two best years of my life. I've been welcomed as a sibling by my peers, challenged more than I ever thought possible, and supported more than I ever thought possible. I've learned so much these last two years, certainly through classes but just as much outside of classes. I've learned how to think and be and progress. I came here arrogant, stupid, naive, and close-minded. I see myself, my relationships, and the world around me very differently than I did then. This is really where I grew up.

Students Are Fine

Girls and guys are about average. Some are good looking while others are not.

changing

The presence of greek life is changing a lot at this school. when i chose to come here, it seemed as though it was a work hard, play hard environment, and that greeks had lots of parties and it was a "fun" school for how highly ranked it is. While almost 30% of the students go greek, this year the administration seems to be doing everything they can to make the school less of a fun school and more of a UChicago-type school. A lot of the social scene has now shifted off campus to bars and clubs in st louis, as frats are now extremely limited in the amount of parties they can have and how "rowdy" the parties can be. I don't know why the school wants to ruin all the fun, but before you choose to come here just keep this in mind

Beautiful, but Subpar Athletic Facilities

The library is pretty good, with plenty of study space and computers, and with a good location. However, the book selection is surprisingly outdated.

The buildings are incredibly beautiful.

Student groups have access to countless facilities and resources. The athletic center is old, with a subpar gym area, many basketball courts, a pool, and many aerobics machines

Reasonable!

Wash U has an open drinking policy. You may drink alcohol in your dorm as long as it isn't hard alcohol, you don't play drinking games, you keep it in your room, you aren't obnoxious, and your door is open. How much this is enforced depends on your RA, and they're usually pretty lax, except on sub-free floors.

Campus police is also pretty reasonable about drinking, even though students talk about them like they are nuisances.The administration is very strict about other drugs, though. I wouldn't recommend getting caught with that kind of stuff.

Carefully Calculated Diversity

Wash U is very racially diverse, but in a way that seems to be carefully planned, and thus does not feel natural. It is a very accepting atmosphere for all races, sexual preferences, nationalities, etc.

However, there are a lot of rich kids here, and although it is religiously diverse, it seems like Judaism dominates the religious scene.

Dorms Are Great!!

The dorms are huge and have beautiful, wooden meeting rooms. Some of the best dorms in the country.

Free

The MetroLink is free for WashU students and takes you anywhere you would ever need to go in the Saint Louis-Clayton area.

Athletics

Athletic events are fun, and people show up to the games to cheer for WashU, but they aren't a huge part of life on campus.

BEST PLACE EVER

I'm absolutely obsessed with WashU. When I was trying to decide where I wanted to go to college, I initially thought that I wanted a very small environment and was looking at schools with 1,600 people in the middle of nowhere. Needless to say, I'm happy that I ended up choosing WashU. I feel like this school is just the perfect balance of everything. Size-wise, you'll always run into people that you know, but you never will know everyone, so you won't get sick of the student body. It's also great because you can avoid people if you need to (awkward hook ups say whaaat)! The facilities are top-notch, and although there's a lot of construction, WashU wants to make sure that its students are learning and living in the best environment possible. Not only is main campus beautiful, but the living areas are perfectly manicured and many buildings are brand new as well. The mattress in my dorm is tempurpedic, which is pretty standard for the dorms, and I have so much room. Plus, the food is great - we were recently voted #1 for best college dining options in the country. The social scene is also a perfect balance - there is always something going on (mostly on Fridays and Saturdays though), but you will never feel pressured to party if you'd prefer to stay in and hit the books (more likely, you'll make the rest of your friends feel guilty that they're going out). The kids here are very happy, warm, and welcoming, which speaks to the midwestern vibe of the school. I could go on and on, but you get the idea!!! COME TO WASH U!!

Drinking Wins

The drug scene on campus is pretty nonexistent, with the exception of weed. The campus is tobacco free and few students smoke cigarettes.

Delicious but Unchanging

The food is all really good and there are tons of spots on campus to get food. However, the options never change, so it can get pretty tiring by the end of freshman year.

Greek Life = Main Form of Social Life

Greek life makes college nightlife so much more fun. When you are part of a sorority or fraternity you are invited to more exclusive events and your weeks and weekends always have events planned. However, they are usually not mandatory and you can be as involved or uninvolved as you want in your sorority or fraternity. Greeks would agree that Greek life significantly improves your social life but non-Greek students seem happy as well and find things to do on campus on the weekends too. Only frats have housing.

I Miss Wash. U Food When I Am at Home...

Washington University prides itself in having one of the best quality meal options available to students. You buy food a la carte so students can eat at any time and purchase exactly the amount they want to eat. They have a stir fry station, grill, ethnic food, comfort food, pasta bar, etc. My personal favorite dining option is Holmes Lounge located on the academic part of campus that has fresh wraps that are amazing!!!!!

Athletics on the Back Burner

Washington University is not the place to come for a high energy athletics program. Although our school does have many different teams that compete nationally, the student body as a whole is neither well informed nor very supportive of their fellow student athletes. Everyone is just too busy with their studies and research to pay much mind to sports.

The Delmar Loop

About three blocks north of Wash U's campus is a 2 mile stretch known as the Delmar Loop that is a great hot spot for restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. Most of the restaurants are very reasonably priced and some even take student campus card points.

Safety Is a Priority

Washington University really puts a lot of effort into keeping its students safe. All of the doors to the dormitories have locks, the campus is well lit, and there is even a special campus group who's job it is to shuttle students if they ever feel unsafe at night. The campus has even gone so far as to include lights and emergency buttons on paths into the city well traveled by students on their way to have a night out.

Review

The buildings, except for Eliot, are all beautiful. I think the only building that has to be redone is the Athletic Center. It is old and not even comparable to a lot of schools. The weight room is very small. Overall, however, the campus is gorgeous.

Finding your Niche

I think one of the best parts about Wash U is that everyone can find their niche. From bro'd out frat guys to the engineering nerds that only want to discuss the latest Python update to athletes to the laid-back eco-conscious awesome co-opers. Wash U is a great place for anyone to find a great friend group.

Random..

There are definitely 4 seasons here. When you get here in August its hot and humid for a month then by october its 70-80 and pleasant most days. The fall colors are amazing and winter isn't bitterly cold at all like chicago, but still you will need a heavy coat/layers. The annoying part is that it doesnt snow as much as New York or Boston but it's just as cold. By the beginning of March it starts to get warmer again and by the time you leave in May it's pretty hot. Fall and spring are awesome but the weather changes very quickly, especially in spring. One day it's 70 and tornado watches and then within 24 hours it's like 35. No joke I went to bed one night when it was 70 degrees and woke up to 40 degree weather.

Drugs Are Available, but Frowned Upon

Because of the very liberal drinking policy - the University allows you to drink with your dorm room door open - WashU is very strict on drug use. Weed is still pretty popular, but is not an essential element of the social scene.

Solid Food, but Need More Options

The food around campus is very good during the first semester, but you get sick of it very quickly. Good options in the DUC, South 40, and of course Subway. I would recommend buying a small meal plan and adding points as you go.

No Regrets

Teachers know students by name and story. High quality food. Students work together rather than compete with one another. Faculty and deans are very responsive to student's needs and wishes. Students wanted a place in the business school where they could eat, the school opened up an Einsteins. Students wanted a place in the business school where they could quickly print slides/notes before class, the school transformed the broom closets into Express Labs. Students wanted to be able to have summer abroad options, the school now offers many summer abroad opportunities.