What is WashU trying to accomplish by adding EA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The area around WashU is nice. We toured last summer and didn't see anything remotely sketch. Delmar Loop is okay, not as lively as UW-Madison's State Street. People who said WashU is unsafe either haven't stepped foot on campus, or have an inexplicable dislike of all things St. Louis.

Thanks. I’m thinking any sincere people posting like that got lost and ended up in areas that most WashU students and alumni never see.

We probably should see them more and think harder to help them, but they don’t have a lot to do with life at WashU.

No one is sincere or with direct knowledge if they are posting about WashU being in a bad area. Literally no one. It’s on a beautiful campus in a beautiful surrounding area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vandy, Emory, Rice, and now Notre Dame have passed WashU in app numbers.
Vandy- 48k
Emory- 43K
Rice- 39k
ND- 36k
WashU- 32k

The only peer school with less apps is Georgetown which will move to the common app and likely pass WashU at minimum.

Is Washu declining in relative popularity to peers? Its was neck and neck with Vandy at my private.

It's popular among Jewish families and premed kids. At our school, Vandy is more for hooked applicants, WashU is attainable for unhooked applicants.

Those that want Vandy are more the Wake Forest preppy, bro/bra than WashU, more nerdy, quirky, serious

This is for sure true at our private.
WashU (totally fine area imo) with a lovely campus and beautiful housing/food and HUGE endowment, doesn't get the love it should. Can't compare to ND or Vanderbilt because of Div 1 sports, which is a huge draw.
More like Rice, Emory, and CMU.
Maybe this is an attempt for WashU to try and climb out of that tier to compete against JHU?

[Anonymous]

Washu has a very nice campus and the area around it is fine. I think the ‘tier’ argument is a bit silly as at this level, it’s a popularity contest which has nothing to do with university quality or its students. WashU, if located outside the Midwest, would get more apps easily. Really strong private Midwestern schools (outside Chicago) just struggle a bit more. Adding EA is probably just trying to help them with broadening the applicant base and helping them with yield so they can meet their goals. It’s a great school with great students.

[Anonymous]

I don’t get the hate for Wash U. I’m from the Midwest (not St. Louis). It was a well-regarded school in our social circle 30+ years ago and just as popular as Northwestern and Michigan. Its profile has become more National since then. I would have been very happy and excited to have my kid attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The area around WashU is nice. We toured last summer and didn't see anything remotely sketch. Delmar Loop is okay, not as lively as UW-Madison's State Street. People who said WashU is unsafe either haven't stepped foot on campus, or have an inexplicable dislike of all things St. Louis.

Thanks. I’m thinking any sincere people posting like that got lost and ended up in areas that most WashU students and alumni never see.

We probably should see them more and think harder to help them, but they don’t have a lot to do with life at WashU.

I’d have to agree that the UG WashU students probably don’t see a lot of the bad in StL. I went to grad school there and I saw quite a bit because we routinely went all over StL…my experience was that the undergrads did not do this and that they mostly stayed near campus, south of drlmar and west of skinker with occasional forays into the park.

I’ve lived in several major cities and visited umpteen more and all cities have terrible areas. What irked me about StL was that the terrible areas were weirdly intermixed with good areas. Most cities you are good if you avoid certain areas. But, in StL, you can go to dinner in a nice neighborhood and inadvertently wander to the next block and be in hell. But, yes, most UGs aren’t experiencing this and parents visiting aren’t seeing this because the area surrounding the campus is fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vandy, Emory, Rice, and now Notre Dame have passed WashU in app numbers.
Vandy- 48k
Emory- 43K
Rice- 39k
ND- 36k
WashU- 32k

The only peer school with less apps is Georgetown which will move to the common app and likely pass WashU at minimum.

Is Washu declining in relative popularity to peers? Its was neck and neck with Vandy at my private.

It's popular among Jewish families and premed kids. At our school, Vandy is more for hooked applicants, WashU is attainable for unhooked applicants.

Those that want Vandy are more the Wake Forest preppy, bro/bra than WashU, more nerdy, quirky, serious

This is for sure true at our private.
WashU (totally fine area imo) with a lovely campus and beautiful housing/food and HUGE endowment, doesn't get the love it should. Can't compare to ND or Vanderbilt because of Div 1 sports, which is a huge draw.
More like Rice, Emory, and CMU.
Maybe this is an attempt for WashU to try and climb out of that tier to compete against JHU?

What a strange take. WashU is a great school on its own merits. Why would it care about “competing” with JHU?

DCUM is so weird ranking the same top 20-25 schools when they are all still in the top 1% of US colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The area around WashU is nice. We toured last summer and didn't see anything remotely sketch. Delmar Loop is okay, not as lively as UW-Madison's State Street. People who said WashU is unsafe either haven't stepped foot on campus, or have an inexplicable dislike of all things St. Louis.

Thanks. I’m thinking any sincere people posting like that got lost and ended up in areas that most WashU students and alumni never see.

We probably should see them more and think harder to help them, but they don’t have a lot to do with life at WashU.

I’ve lived in several major cities and visited umpteen more and all cities have terrible areas. What irked me about StL was that the terrible areas were weirdly intermixed with good areas.

You’re answering me here.

I think the horrible reason why St. Louis is so block-by-block is that, like Chicago and Detroit, it was hit terribly hard by segregation, the 1960s riots and misguided “urban renewal” and has never fully recovered.

WashU has one of the best social work schools in the country. I did participate in small volunteer program where I saw the “bad parts.” (I played with babies stuck in a group home.)

I don’t think that trashing Emory, Case Western, Rice, Rochester, Tufts or WashU over where they rank in their tier is very nice. They’re all lovely schools playing the hands they’ve been dealt as well as they can.

But I think it is reasonable to wonder why I could spend four years at WashU without ever visiting “the bad parts” for a class, or having a class that taught me why “the bad parts” had problems.

I wish we could get past this sad time when we talk a lot more about EA/ED strategies than about what universities are doing to make “the bad parts” of their communities less bad.

So, on the one hand, bashing WashU because of its location is bizarre, but, if we were talking about how well universities are serving their communities and what they could do better in that regard, that might be an interesting conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vandy, Emory, Rice, and now Notre Dame have passed WashU in app numbers.
Vandy- 48k
Emory- 43K
Rice- 39k
ND- 36k
WashU- 32k

The only peer school with less apps is Georgetown which will move to the common app and likely pass WashU at minimum.

Is Washu declining in relative popularity to peers? Its was neck and neck with Vandy at my private.

It's popular among Jewish families and premed kids. At our school, Vandy is more for hooked applicants, WashU is attainable for unhooked applicants.

Those that want Vandy are more the Wake Forest preppy, bro/bra than WashU, more nerdy, quirky, serious

This is for sure true at our private.
WashU (totally fine area imo) with a lovely campus and beautiful housing/food and HUGE endowment, doesn't get the love it should. Can't compare to ND or Vanderbilt because of Div 1 sports, which is a huge draw.
More like Rice, Emory, and CMU.
Maybe this is an attempt for WashU to try and climb out of that tier to compete against JHU?

JHU? It cant even compete with its current tier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The area around WashU is nice. We toured last summer and didn't see anything remotely sketch. Delmar Loop is okay, not as lively as UW-Madison's State Street. People who said WashU is unsafe either haven't stepped foot on campus, or have an inexplicable dislike of all things St. Louis.

Thanks. I’m thinking any sincere people posting like that got lost and ended up in areas that most WashU students and alumni never see.

We probably should see them more and think harder to help them, but they don’t have a lot to do with life at WashU.

I’ve lived in several major cities and visited umpteen more and all cities have terrible areas. What irked me about StL was that the terrible areas were weirdly intermixed with good areas.

You’re answering me here.

I think the horrible reason why St. Louis is so block-by-block is that, like Chicago and Detroit, it was hit terribly hard by segregation, the 1960s riots and misguided “urban renewal” and has never fully recovered.

WashU has one of the best social work schools in the country. I did participate in small volunteer program where I saw the “bad parts.” (I played with babies stuck in a group home.)

I don’t think that trashing Emory, Case Western, Rice, Rochester, Tufts or WashU over where they rank in their tier is very nice. They’re all lovely schools playing the hands they’ve been dealt as well as they can.

But I think it is reasonable to wonder why I could spend four years at WashU without ever visiting “the bad parts” for a class, or having a class that taught me why “the bad parts” had problems.

I wish we could get past this sad time when we talk a lot more about EA/ED strategies than about what universities are doing to make “the bad parts” of their communities less bad.

So, on the one hand, bashing WashU because of its location is bizarre, but, if we were talking about how well universities are serving their communities and what they could do better in that regard, that might be an interesting conversation.

Case, Rochester, and Tufts arent in that tier. They're 1.5- 2 tiers below.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vandy, Emory, Rice, and now Notre Dame have passed WashU in app numbers.
Vandy- 48k
Emory- 43K
Rice- 39k
ND- 36k
WashU- 32k

The only peer school with less apps is Georgetown which will move to the common app and likely pass WashU at minimum.

Is Washu declining in relative popularity to peers? Its was neck and neck with Vandy at my private.

It's popular among Jewish families and premed kids. At our school, Vandy is more for hooked applicants, WashU is attainable for unhooked applicants.

Those that want Vandy are more the Wake Forest preppy, bro/bra than WashU, more nerdy, quirky, serious

This is for sure true at our private.
WashU (totally fine area imo) with a lovely campus and beautiful housing/food and HUGE endowment, doesn't get the love it should. Can't compare to ND or Vanderbilt because of Div 1 sports, which is a huge draw.
More like Rice, Emory, and CMU.
Maybe this is an attempt for WashU to try and climb out of that tier to compete against JHU?

JHU? It cant even compete with its current tier.

WashU is certainly competitive within its tier. For example, in terms of 2029 yield rates:

WashU 49%
Rice 43%
Vandy 63%
Emory 37% (Atlanta) 17% (Oxford)
Georgetown 44%
CMU 47%
Michigan 46%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forbes has an article out on this that I don't believe has been linked (might be pay walled):

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizdoestone/2026/05/27/applications-to-washington-university-in-st-louis-are-about-to-surge/

This article is hilariously bad, maybe it was written by ChatGPT? Woohoo one less essay, get ready for the floodgates! It reads like a paid promotion.

Right…it sounds like Forbes took some WashU $$$ in exchange for a boosting article.

Only Emory Mom can link a poorly written article with a negative assumption about WashU

So every negative comment about washu is from Emory mom?

It is what is said. Preposterous and stupid statements. The above one is an example. Another one was something like the students are all wealthy because a fountain on campus has the name of the donor on it. When pressed, she doubled down and said and also the students take ubers to go to brunch.

Np. Well that is not entirely true because I made the second comment on that thread in defence of WashU kids. I am not Emory mom. My point was they are very well off at washu for the most part. But it’s not the flashy private jets, trips and yacht parties like you see at UMiami for example. I lived in St Louis. They are just very comfortable. They get extremely nice dorm and dinning accommodations at WashU. And they love eating out at the really good food scene in St Louis. What seemed to me a lot. I personally knew students who regularly are out with a large group of friends. It was obvious they didn’t have any concern for money. I wasn’t disparaging them or the school. Quite the opposite. They otherwise seemed like delightful, down to earth, students.

I loved St Louis by the way. I would raise a family there. Lots to do and low col. nice Midwestern people.

My guess is you don’t have a student there. A massive number are on financial aid. I go and visit and drive a group to the Aldi where they spend 30 min debating value and need. They share clothes needed for events bc they aren’t buying new. They share Ubers or pay $5 to rent a car as a group. One friend’s summer wardrobe for an office job she got is completely free from the professional closet they have there. This is not a handful like this…most that I meet are like this. In fact, I didn’t even know intl students could be on aid…but I haven’t met one who isn’t based on income level.

The fact that it’s beautiful and well maintained does NOT mean these kids are all wealthy. Some? Sure.

What you are saying applies to EVERY private school. Each one has roughly 50% full pay, 50% on finaid. Your post adds little to the discussion.

Not "every" but yes most of the T25 privates are 50% or higher on need aid.
At least 5 of the ivies and MIT are closer to 60% on need -based aid, and rising as they have begun offering need based aid to households in the 250-300k range. Majority on aid is the theme of the very top schools and they have been talking about it since our family began tours over five years ago. WashU became need blind four years ago I believe and has gone up in need based support to be in line with the top schools it competes with. Yes, WashU competes with ivies Uchicago Rice Hopkins Northwestern and others, particularly for many who decide their strategy is to ED at one of them.
It is a fabulous school very similar to ivy/T10 as far as the peer group (pre-TO SAT ranges were higher than the lowest ivy Cornell, and most T20 schools are seeing a essentially the same SAT ranges return once they go back to test required). Now they have caught on to the need-based game. It helps endowment tax and it helps change the wealth-dominant culture that top schools had until around 2010. If EA helps their goals I say good for WashU. There is no reason for all the DCUM hate. Must be jealousy from those rejected.

Why did WashU's test scores drop post test optional?
Also, the only school you mentioned in WashU's peer group is Rice.

Source?

None bc it is made up nonsense.

[Anonymous]

EA will not fix WashUs decline in popularity. The yeild will just decrease.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The area around WashU is nice. We toured last summer and didn't see anything remotely sketch. Delmar Loop is okay, not as lively as UW-Madison's State Street. People who said WashU is unsafe either haven't stepped foot on campus, or have an inexplicable dislike of all things St. Louis.

Thanks. I’m thinking any sincere people posting like that got lost and ended up in areas that most WashU students and alumni never see.

We probably should see them more and think harder to help them, but they don’t have a lot to do with life at WashU.

I’ve lived in several major cities and visited umpteen more and all cities have terrible areas. What irked me about StL was that the terrible areas were weirdly intermixed with good areas.

You’re answering me here.

I think the horrible reason why St. Louis is so block-by-block is that, like Chicago and Detroit, it was hit terribly hard by segregation, the 1960s riots and misguided “urban renewal” and has never fully recovered.

WashU has one of the best social work schools in the country. I did participate in small volunteer program where I saw the “bad parts.” (I played with babies stuck in a group home.)

I don’t think that trashing Emory, Case Western, Rice, Rochester, Tufts or WashU over where they rank in their tier is very nice. They’re all lovely schools playing the hands they’ve been dealt as well as they can.

But I think it is reasonable to wonder why I could spend four years at WashU without ever visiting “the bad parts” for a class, or having a class that taught me why “the bad parts” had problems.

I wish we could get past this sad time when we talk a lot more about EA/ED strategies than about what universities are doing to make “the bad parts” of their communities less bad.

So, on the one hand, bashing WashU because of its location is bizarre, but, if we were talking about how well universities are serving their communities and what they could do better in that regard, that might be an interesting conversation.

Case, Rochester, and Tufts arent in that tier. They're 1.5- 2 tiers below.

Based on what criteria? Popularity as defined by applications or yield? Research output? Med school success rates? Employment outcomes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The area around WashU is nice. We toured last summer and didn't see anything remotely sketch. Delmar Loop is okay, not as lively as UW-Madison's State Street. People who said WashU is unsafe either haven't stepped foot on campus, or have an inexplicable dislike of all things St. Louis.

Thanks. I’m thinking any sincere people posting like that got lost and ended up in areas that most WashU students and alumni never see.

We probably should see them more and think harder to help them, but they don’t have a lot to do with life at WashU.

I’ve lived in several major cities and visited umpteen more and all cities have terrible areas. What irked me about StL was that the terrible areas were weirdly intermixed with good areas.

You’re answering me here.

I think the horrible reason why St. Louis is so block-by-block is that, like Chicago and Detroit, it was hit terribly hard by segregation, the 1960s riots and misguided “urban renewal” and has never fully recovered.

WashU has one of the best social work schools in the country. I did participate in small volunteer program where I saw the “bad parts.” (I played with babies stuck in a group home.)

I don’t think that trashing Emory, Case Western, Rice, Rochester, Tufts or WashU over where they rank in their tier is very nice. They’re all lovely schools playing the hands they’ve been dealt as well as they can.

But I think it is reasonable to wonder why I could spend four years at WashU without ever visiting “the bad parts” for a class, or having a class that taught me why “the bad parts” had problems.

I wish we could get past this sad time when we talk a lot more about EA/ED strategies than about what universities are doing to make “the bad parts” of their communities less bad.

So, on the one hand, bashing WashU because of its location is bizarre, but, if we were talking about how well universities are serving their communities and what they could do better in that regard, that might be an interesting conversation.

Case, Rochester, and Tufts arent in that tier. They're 1.5- 2 tiers below.

Based on what criteria? Popularity as defined by applications or yield? Research output? Med school success rates? Employment outcomes?

Prestige. Emory/Rice> USC/NYU> Tufts/BC> Case/Rochester

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:EA will not fix WashUs decline in popularity. The yeild will just decrease.

Emory mom: it is spelled "yield."