Why so much WUSTL/WashU hate on DCUM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WashU is for kids who can’t get into Ivies. Washed Up.

And Yale and Princeton are for Harvard rejects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My *perception* is that it is a fine school with some good/great programs, but it isn't tippy top known for anything.

Personally I agree with a lot of what the OP wrote. The campus beautiful and contained with a great view of downtown. Adjacent to an Olmsted design park, on a street car line from the airport to downtown. It has a lot going for it.

But compared to other schools that it competes with, there isn't those one or two programs that really get kids excited. It is a strong D3 sports school, but that doesn't give rah-rah culture, so to me, it is one of those schools that is good in every area but not superlative in any area.

You can go down the list of peer schools:

Northwestern: Journalism/Theater/Sciences/Econ
Chicago: Econ, hard sciences
Carnegie: Strong sciences, theater
Georgetown: SFS

Other schools have that one or two things that make them stand out. I don't know what that is with WashU, though I would have been more than happy for any of my kids to go there. I personally loved it.

I disagree. WashU is amazing in the biomedical and related sciences and has a top-notch med school. It is a lot like a slightly lesser-known Hopkins without as much grind.

A step below Hopkins for sure though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WashU is for kids who can’t get into Ivies. Washed Up.

And Yale and Princeton are for Harvard rejects.

HahahaNO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My *perception* is that it is a fine school with some good/great programs, but it isn't tippy top known for anything.

Personally I agree with a lot of what the OP wrote. The campus beautiful and contained with a great view of downtown. Adjacent to an Olmsted design park, on a street car line from the airport to downtown. It has a lot going for it.

But compared to other schools that it competes with, there isn't those one or two programs that really get kids excited. It is a strong D3 sports school, but that doesn't give rah-rah culture, so to me, it is one of those schools that is good in every area but not superlative in any area.

You can go down the list of peer schools:

Northwestern: Journalism/Theater/Sciences/Econ
Chicago: Econ, hard sciences
Carnegie: Strong sciences, theater
Georgetown: SFS

Other schools have that one or two things that make them stand out. I don't know what that is with WashU, though I would have been more than happy for any of my kids to go there. I personally loved it.

I disagree. WashU is amazing in the biomedical and related sciences and has a top-notch med school. It is a lot like a slightly lesser-known Hopkins without as much grind.

A step below Hopkins for sure though

Same name recognition out west but a step below here.
Georgetown is clearly a more recognized name than Hopkins there too. People wouldn't know "JHU" and may not even know just "Hopkins."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My *perception* is that it is a fine school with some good/great programs, but it isn't tippy top known for anything.

Personally I agree with a lot of what the OP wrote. The campus beautiful and contained with a great view of downtown. Adjacent to an Olmsted design park, on a street car line from the airport to downtown. It has a lot going for it.

But compared to other schools that it competes with, there isn't those one or two programs that really get kids excited. It is a strong D3 sports school, but that doesn't give rah-rah culture, so to me, it is one of those schools that is good in every area but not superlative in any area.

You can go down the list of peer schools:

Northwestern: Journalism/Theater/Sciences/Econ
Chicago: Econ, hard sciences
Carnegie: Strong sciences, theater
Georgetown: SFS

Other schools have that one or two things that make them stand out. I don't know what that is with WashU, though I would have been more than happy for any of my kids to go there. I personally loved it.

I disagree. WashU is amazing in the biomedical and related sciences and has a top-notch med school. It is a lot like a slightly lesser-known Hopkins without as much grind.

A step below Hopkins for sure though

Same name recognition out west but a step below here.
Georgetown is clearly a more recognized name than Hopkins there too. People wouldn't know "JHU" and may not even know just "Hopkins."

Lol or they think it is John

[Anonymous]

WashU admits 55-60% of their class through early programs (ED1 & 2, Questbridge). It isn't a school full of Ivy rejects. Some kids may have been advised to focus on WashU or Chicago or Hopkins by counselors but that doesn't mean they are or necessarily would be Ivy rejects.
https://admissions.wustl.edu/washu-360/early-decision-and-washu/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My *perception* is that it is a fine school with some good/great programs, but it isn't tippy top known for anything.

Personally I agree with a lot of what the OP wrote. The campus beautiful and contained with a great view of downtown. Adjacent to an Olmsted design park, on a street car line from the airport to downtown. It has a lot going for it.

But compared to other schools that it competes with, there isn't those one or two programs that really get kids excited. It is a strong D3 sports school, but that doesn't give rah-rah culture, so to me, it is one of those schools that is good in every area but not superlative in any area.

You can go down the list of peer schools:

Northwestern: Journalism/Theater/Sciences/Econ
Chicago: Econ, hard sciences
Carnegie: Strong sciences, theater
Georgetown: SFS

Other schools have that one or two things that make them stand out. I don't know what that is with WashU, though I would have been more than happy for any of my kids to go there. I personally loved it.

I disagree. WashU is amazing in the biomedical and related sciences and has a top-notch med school. It is a lot like a slightly lesser-known Hopkins without as much grind.

A step below Hopkins for sure though

Same name recognition out west but a step below here.
Georgetown is clearly a more recognized name than Hopkins there too. People wouldn't know "JHU" and may not even know just "Hopkins."

Lol or they think it is John

So true Heard that more than once!

[Anonymous]

We visited WashU. Very nice campus next to Forest Park, which is lovely. The surrounding community is very affluent. The main strip in town is lively - restaurants, boutiques, cafes, etc. The school is very good for pre-med. Olin - the business school - is also very good. The school seems pretty solid in everything. And the students seemed friendly and happy.

Downsides were that it felt a little too much like a country club. The majority of students do seem to be very privileged and the school caters to that market. As a D3 school, there's no rah-rah go team sports culture if that matters to people. And it's near St. Louis, Missouri, which is not exactly America's favorite city. It's generally a depressed city. And no one is feeling the love for Missouri these days. Consequentially, you feel far away from everything, like life is elsewhere. Very few graduates stay in the St.Louis area. But it's a good school for the right student.

[Anonymous]

We have found the best name recognition with my DD’s doctors and many of her classmates have parents in the medical profession. But otherwise, lots of people in DC are not familiar with it. We actually weren’t either until we started looking at colleges. Fit just what DD wanted and has been great.

[Anonymous]

It's a wonderful off-season Jewish sleep away camp.

[Anonymous]

Its architecture is beautiful. The dorms are nice. The food is good. Ranking is good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My *perception* is that it is a fine school with some good/great programs, but it isn't tippy top known for anything.

Personally I agree with a lot of what the OP wrote. The campus beautiful and contained with a great view of downtown. Adjacent to an Olmsted design park, on a street car line from the airport to downtown. It has a lot going for it.

But compared to other schools that it competes with, there isn't those one or two programs that really get kids excited. It is a strong D3 sports school, but that doesn't give rah-rah culture, so to me, it is one of those schools that is good in every area but not superlative in any area.

You can go down the list of peer schools:

Northwestern: Journalism/Theater/Sciences/Econ
Chicago: Econ, hard sciences
Carnegie: Strong sciences, theater
Georgetown: SFS

Other schools have that one or two things that make them stand out. I don't know what that is with WashU, though I would have been more than happy for any of my kids to go there. I personally loved it.

There are very, very few schools that are "tippy top known" in one particular area - for obvious reasons. I would argue that a college being more generalized but good in many different fields is actually better than being just tippy top in one or two fields (unless perhaps that particular field is what you plan to do for the rest of your life and then even so). Perhaps that would apply more in grad school. Getting a well-rounded liberal arts undergraduate education, no matter what your field of study, is actually very important. it will make you a better engineer, computer scientist, mathematician, whatever. Anddon't forget many college students that change their major, some more than once. Being a more well-rounded person is actually a good thing. At the very least, it gives you perspective as you go on in life.

Please note that using a term like “tippy top” makes you sound like a fourth grader.

[Anonymous]

So many are jealous because the typical WashU student comes from an upper middle class or upper class background, is smart, grounded, and will set themselves up for continuation of the lifestyle provided by their parents. A lot of envious haters here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Homelessness, racial tensions, Ferguson, gun violence, drugs, rich underachievers who couldn’t get in anywhere better

First five are not near campus at all. Last just is not true. WashU ranked 24. Was higher before USNWR changed system that stopped looking at important stuff. WashU is a destination not a backup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many are jealous because the typical WashU student comes from an upper middle class or upper class background, is smart, grounded, and will set themselves up for continuation of the lifestyle provided by their parents. A lot of envious haters here.

Every private college in the top 40 has the same demographics.