WashU - specific questions
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I know there are a bunch of posts praising or criticizing WashU, but could I just ask some specific questions here - and hopefully get answers from posters who have/had kids there, or know kids who are there?
1) How is freshman orientation? Would a kid who is nervous about making friends have an easy time? How social are dorms? 2) How hard is it for a freshman to get a single? And are most dorms suite-style? Is that something that can be requested? 3) I read conflicting things about how easy/hard it is to switch schools - eg, Arts&Science to Olin or vice versa - anyone know from experience? 4) Any feedback on academic advising? 5) How generous is the school with resources? I feel this varies so much - at my older kid's small private, the college is unbelievably generous (including with money) and admin and faculty are super accessible. At her friend's much larger private, kids even have to pay for a gym membership. Where does WashU fall on that spectrum? 6) Also read conflicting things about the food - it used to be rated one of the best (and still is sometimes) but so many complaints now about food being too expensive, only one AYCE option, having to order everything through grub hub, limited hours, etc. 7) How are off campus apartments? It seems WashU only guarantees 2 years of housing (but that it is not that hard to get a 3rd or 4th year if you really want). What is upperclassmen campus housing like? Thank you! |
Anonymous
| bump |
Anonymous
| Not at WashU, but as a general thing, for a kid worried about making friends, I wouldn’t recommend a single unless there are medical/accommodations reasons to do so. While it might be a little uncomfortable, having a roommate forces a certain amount of social interaction, and for shy students it can be problematic ally easy to hide away in a single room and not force themselves to get out and interact. |
Anonymous
Like any other school, there will be be supporters and detractors 1) orientation was good. My DC made a few friends the first month there. It’s a midsized school so not too large and not too small 2) don’t know about single because dc started off with double. There is a questionnaire of what your kid wants in a dorm 3) quite easy to transfer which is what my dc did 4) you are assigned a general advisor and later on, a major specific one 5) we did not have to pay for anything else on top of tuition, room and board 6) food is still quite good but upper classmen may tire of eating cafeteria food and many options off campus 7) off campus housing really good with lots of different options |
Anonymous
My rising sophomore daughter at another school loved having a single - almost half the freshmen at her school have singles and they congregate in the common rooms. She made tons of friends and having your own space in which to recharge is huge, IMO. (At WashU, half the freshman rooms are singles, and the traditional singles tend to be suite style, so plenty of social interaction.) |
Anonymous
| I'll never understand why people choose to get housing off campus if on campus housing is available to them, and they can afford it. |
Anonymous
Depends on the school, but I can think of many reasons. A few off the top of my head: it's nicer, they have a kitchen and their own bathroom, they can live with exactly whom they want, they want more independence (no RA or university housing rules), they are sick of the noise. |
Anonymous
Junior and Senior housing at DD's college has kitchens and own bathroom. You can live who you want. You are pretty damn independent on a campus-more so than the real world-being loud and having parties has much bigger ramifications in an apartment complex than a dorm, where most people will ignore you for going wild. Noise is a fair point. I just don't see the purpose of removing yourself from a residential community. You have an entire adult life to worry about leases and subletting. |
Anonymous
Independence, desire to engage in the city/town they're in and not live in an artificial bubble? |
Anonymous
Walk off campus or drive? This is another imaginary issue. |
Anonymous
I'm not convinced by this. People off campus tend to hermit and become less involved. They also typically need to work more to afford housing. Living on campus with a car seems like a much better idea if your goal is to engage with the area you're in. |
Anonymous
Why are you so bothered by other people's choices that don't affect you? Live and let live. Christ. |
Anonymous
| Is WashU woke? |
Anonymous
THIS THIS THIS. Now maybe someone will engage with the actual point of this post instead of just using the space for their own weird hangups and generalizations about 18-22yos.... |
Anonymous
I asked a question and just don't think that was a valid answer. I am not bothered. You seem bothered though. |