Why the Wash U haters? (Washington University/St. Louis)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like the consensus is that it’s Missouri that’s the issue. Yet, people here love Rice and don’t post long missives about how women are treated under Texas laws. Why not?

People do complain about Rice and Texas. Young people like to be in Texas more than Missouri though.

Both these states are extremely aggressive with their abortion bans and involving themselves in folk's reproductive business. There's chatter out here about criminalizing iuds for goodness sake.

Suit yourself but sending your sons and daughters off to college in a state that might criminalize or severely restrict birth control does not seem like the wisest choice.

The biggest concern is the peer group at these schools.

People who think MAGA is acceptable.

St. Louis is blue, and Missouri could be purple.

Liberal and progressive students should make a point of going to schools like Emory, Rice, UNC and Wash. U. and voting for Democrats.

If students care about democracy, they should be willing to make the supreme sacrifice of going to a great, low-key school in a comfy blue bubble in a state with a bad governor.

I think the idea of progressive students avoiding schools in blue bubbles in red states might come from Republicans trying to make purple states more red.

If we really have a bad civil war, blue students can then all transfer to UMass and SUNY schools.

Until then, they should try to make blue bubbles brighter and bigger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a close relative who chose WashU over their highly ranked state flagship (not UVA) because they (1) lived too close to the flagship and (2) was a top student who applied and was rejected by the Ivies and frankly thought they deserved something better than the flagship. Money was not an issue.

Now in a PhD program not particularly highly ranked, and with the benefit of hindsight and maturity, they mildly regret the decision and wished they’d gone flagship. They now will tell you it was a foolish decision financially and academically driven largely by ego. Had they stayed local, they think, not only would they have saved a ton for a better than perfectly acceptable degree, they likely would have performed better academically and gotten into a better program. It’s not like the state flagship doesn’t hold sway with top graduate schools — many of the best ones do.

It’s hard to argue with their revised way of thinking.

I went to Wash. U. and loved it.

I had so much fun there.

I could have pretty much owned a radio station if I’d understood the opportunity. I got to sit next to T.S. Elliot’s great-grandson, because his family helped start the university as a pet project.

The professors who were famous were sometimes obnoxious, but they were doing their best to be good teachers. They weren’t a bunch of arrogant creeps.

The students and professors tend to be very liberal, but with enough conservatives to allow for real diversity of opinion.

I think the school was ranked about 22 when I was there, and that seemed about right. I then went to a grad school ranked a little higher and was stunned by how much meaner it was to the undergrads. My life was plush, but the undergrads had to wait in line all night just to sign up for classes.

But Wash. U. is very expensive. It’s a humble, hardworking school that does everything it can to earn its tuition revenue. It is worth $90,000 a year for people who can afford that. But it’s certainly not worth $50,000 per year more than Maryland, UNC or UVa. for a broke donut hole family. Maybe it’s worth $10,000 per year or $20,000 per year more for a student who wants to have an easy time switching majors or having two majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I don’t hate WashU. My observation from our visit there, conversations with students and parents, and my kid’s view, is that it often isn’t a first choice because kids really, really love it, but rather (a) their counselor tells them it is their best shot for ED and/or (b) it is the best school they got into in RD.

That makes for a campus (albeit beautiful) without much enthusiasm. Not what my kid (and others I know) wanted for their college experience.

I think that students come to Wash. U. thinking it’s below places like Harvard.

Then they see that the professors are easy to talk to, the students are normal people, St. Louis is cheap and gorgeous, and Wash. U. is doing everything it can to do right by them, and they realize that what they really needed was right there at Wash. U. all along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Missouri? Hard pass. Too bad WashU isn't in Washington (state or district) or in Boston or 100 other places. Location matters in college choice and ranking.

+1

Crappy city in sht hole state

I already posted objectively all T25 are great schools. What exactly do you get out of posting that? I genuinely want to understand what motivates someone to be act that way, I know it’s anonymous but it’s so unbecoming of a presumed adult.

Do you truly genuinely want to understand?
Objectively speaking:

Missouri women face significant healthcare challenges, including poor health outcomes, limited access to care, and high rates of preventable deaths, particularly in maternal and reproductive health. Contributing factors include a near-total abortion ban forcing patients to travel for care, widespread maternity care deserts, a high rate of uninsured women, particularly women of color, and a maternal mortality rate 50% higher than the national average. The bipartisan movement to address these issues includes efforts to improve access to contraception and address the shortage of OB-GYN providers.

https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/24/mi...s-commonwealth-fund/
MISSOURI

Banned abortion at 8 weeks with no exceptions for rape and incest

state could investigate women’s miscarriages

doctors could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison

maternal mortality rate is 50% higher than the U.S.

congenital syphilis is at its highest rate in nearly two decades

5 counties in Missouri face a 1,000% increase in syphilis

Poor Health Outcomes:
Missouri ranks poorly for women's overall health, with high rates of maternal and infant mortality, breast and cervical cancer deaths, and poor mental health among women.
Maternity Care Deserts:
More than 41% of Missouri counties are maternity care deserts, lacking any birthing facilities or providers, making it harder for women to access care during pregnancy and birth.
Limited Access to Abortion:
A near-total abortion ban, enacted after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, forces Missouri residents to travel out of state for care, incurring additional costs for travel, lodging, and childcare.
Maternal Mortality:
The maternal mortality rate in Missouri is significantly higher than the national average, with Medicaid patients being at especially high risk.
Uninsured Population:
A substantial portion of Missouri women lack health insurance, particularly women of color, hindering their ability to access necessary healthcare services.
Healthcare Costs:
High costs of care and lack of guaranteed paid sick leave create economic instability and make it difficult for women, especially those in low-wage jobs, to access and afford the care they need.
Decreased OB-GYN Providers:
The state's abortion ban has led to a significant drop in OB-GYN residents, further exacerbating access issues for maternity and other reproductive care.
Addressing the Challenges
Legislation:
Bipartisan efforts are underway to reduce barriers to contraception and address the shortage of OB-GYN providers.
Advocacy:
Grassroots movements are working to improve reproductive freedom, access to care, and support for women's health issues.
Public Health Initiatives:
Organizations like the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services offer services such as Extended Women's Health Services to provide family planning, STD testing and treatment, and follow-up care.

If you’re saying: “I can’t afford to pay what the family contribution calculator says I should pay for that school”: That makes sense.

If you’re saying: “My kid needs a school with bigger departments for some majors”: Sure.

If you’re saying: “Missouri is too conservative”: I strongly disagree. T.S. Eliot’s friends and family started Wash. U. because they wanted to keep Missouri in the Union as a free state. They named it Washington University because they wanted to use the name “Washington” to hold the United States together and end slavery.

Wash. U. has a strong college radio station, a strong student newspaper and speaker budgets that are huge and easy to hijack.

So, it’s a great base for students who want to move the country onto a better path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Missouri? Hard pass. Too bad WashU isn't in Washington (state or district) or in Boston or 100 other places. Location matters in college choice and ranking.

+1

Crappy city in sht hole state

I already posted objectively all T25 are great schools. What exactly do you get out of posting that? I genuinely want to understand what motivates someone to be act that way, I know it’s anonymous but it’s so unbecoming of a presumed adult.

Do you truly genuinely want to understand?
Objectively speaking:

Missouri women face significant healthcare challenges, including poor health outcomes, limited access to care, and high rates of preventable deaths, particularly in maternal and reproductive health. Contributing factors include a near-total abortion ban forcing patients to travel for care, widespread maternity care deserts, a high rate of uninsured women, particularly women of color, and a maternal mortality rate 50% higher than the national average. The bipartisan movement to address these issues includes efforts to improve access to contraception and address the shortage of OB-GYN providers.

https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/24/mi...s-commonwealth-fund/
MISSOURI

Banned abortion at 8 weeks with no exceptions for rape and incest

state could investigate women’s miscarriages

doctors could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison

maternal mortality rate is 50% higher than the U.S.

congenital syphilis is at its highest rate in nearly two decades

5 counties in Missouri face a 1,000% increase in syphilis

Poor Health Outcomes:
Missouri ranks poorly for women's overall health, with high rates of maternal and infant mortality, breast and cervical cancer deaths, and poor mental health among women.
Maternity Care Deserts:
More than 41% of Missouri counties are maternity care deserts, lacking any birthing facilities or providers, making it harder for women to access care during pregnancy and birth.
Limited Access to Abortion:
A near-total abortion ban, enacted after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, forces Missouri residents to travel out of state for care, incurring additional costs for travel, lodging, and childcare.
Maternal Mortality:
The maternal mortality rate in Missouri is significantly higher than the national average, with Medicaid patients being at especially high risk.
Uninsured Population:
A substantial portion of Missouri women lack health insurance, particularly women of color, hindering their ability to access necessary healthcare services.
Healthcare Costs:
High costs of care and lack of guaranteed paid sick leave create economic instability and make it difficult for women, especially those in low-wage jobs, to access and afford the care they need.
Decreased OB-GYN Providers:
The state's abortion ban has led to a significant drop in OB-GYN residents, further exacerbating access issues for maternity and other reproductive care.
Addressing the Challenges
Legislation:
Bipartisan efforts are underway to reduce barriers to contraception and address the shortage of OB-GYN providers.
Advocacy:
Grassroots movements are working to improve reproductive freedom, access to care, and support for women's health issues.
Public Health Initiatives:
Organizations like the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services offer services such as Extended Women's Health Services to provide family planning, STD testing and treatment, and follow-up care.

If you’re saying: “I can’t afford to pay what the family contribution calculator says I should pay for that school”: That makes sense.

If you’re saying: “My kid needs a school with bigger departments for some majors”: Sure.

If you’re saying: “Missouri is too conservative”: I strongly disagree. T.S. Eliot’s friends and family started Wash. U. because they wanted to keep Missouri in the Union as a free state. They named it Washington University because they wanted to use the name “Washington” to hold the United States together and end slavery.

Wash. U. has a strong college radio station, a strong student newspaper and speaker budgets that are huge and easy to hijack.

So, it’s a great base for students who want to move the country onto a better path.

So good fit for the kid that wants to go to a Missouri college with a strong radio station and newspaper who wants to advocate for state-wide women's healthcare issues against the triple maga state-wide government before he's old enough to vote. Sure

[Anonymous]

No hate here. I think it's a fantastic school. Great campus, strong resources, excellent undergrad education, and I thought the local area was nice while still offering some city access. But the thing that most impresses me is the seeming student satisfaction. For all the online griping, kids there seem legitimately happy with their school.

[Anonymous]

There seems to be a fair amount of deflection and mistruths in some of these responses.

Not sure why someone (likely the same poster) always has to conflate the politics of MO with Washu. You're only there for 4 years, not living there for the rest of your life. Washu Medicine has a FULL range of women's and reproductive services except for abortion. As someone mentioned, abortion services are provided close by across the border in Illinois (e.g. Hope Clinic). MO may be a red state, but St. Louis is blue and WashU is even "bluer."

Some say St. Louis is dangerous - that's an overgeneralization and disingenuous at best. It is probably true of the North side but that is miles aways from WashU and students rarely, if ever, go there. There are many nice and leafy neighborhoods of St. Louis such as Kirkwood, Central West End, Webster Groves, Shaw, DeMun, Clayton (where WashU is located), etc. Forest Park which is adjacent to campus is over 1300 acres with many trails and is beautifully landscaped. It has a free Art and History museums as well as a free zoo to boot. It also has a public golf course. Downtown St. Louis is quite safe and includes the baseball stadium (Busch stadium), Gateway Arch and park.

WashU is plenty fun. Unless your idea of fun is nightly frat parties and drinking there is a lot to do both on and off campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I don’t hate WashU. My observation from our visit there, conversations with students and parents, and my kid’s view, is that it often isn’t a first choice because kids really, really love it, but rather (a) their counselor tells them it is their best shot for ED and/or (b) it is the best school they got into in RD.

That makes for a campus (albeit beautiful) without much enthusiasm. Not what my kid (and others I know) wanted for their college experience.

Very good point. I don’t know anyone who had it as their first choice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Missouri? Hard pass. Too bad WashU isn't in Washington (state or district) or in Boston or 100 other places. Location matters in college choice and ranking.

+1

Crappy city in sht hole state

I already posted objectively all T25 are great schools. What exactly do you get out of posting that? I genuinely want to understand what motivates someone to be act that way, I know it’s anonymous but it’s so unbecoming of a presumed adult.

Do you truly genuinely want to understand?
Objectively speaking:

Missouri women face significant healthcare challenges, including poor health outcomes, limited access to care, and high rates of preventable deaths, particularly in maternal and reproductive health. Contributing factors include a near-total abortion ban forcing patients to travel for care, widespread maternity care deserts, a high rate of uninsured women, particularly women of color, and a maternal mortality rate 50% higher than the national average. The bipartisan movement to address these issues includes efforts to improve access to contraception and address the shortage of OB-GYN providers.

https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/24/mi...s-commonwealth-fund/
MISSOURI

Banned abortion at 8 weeks with no exceptions for rape and incest

state could investigate women’s miscarriages

doctors could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison

maternal mortality rate is 50% higher than the U.S.

congenital syphilis is at its highest rate in nearly two decades

5 counties in Missouri face a 1,000% increase in syphilis

Poor Health Outcomes:
Missouri ranks poorly for women's overall health, with high rates of maternal and infant mortality, breast and cervical cancer deaths, and poor mental health among women.
Maternity Care Deserts:
More than 41% of Missouri counties are maternity care deserts, lacking any birthing facilities or providers, making it harder for women to access care during pregnancy and birth.
Limited Access to Abortion:
A near-total abortion ban, enacted after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, forces Missouri residents to travel out of state for care, incurring additional costs for travel, lodging, and childcare.
Maternal Mortality:
The maternal mortality rate in Missouri is significantly higher than the national average, with Medicaid patients being at especially high risk.
Uninsured Population:
A substantial portion of Missouri women lack health insurance, particularly women of color, hindering their ability to access necessary healthcare services.
Healthcare Costs:
High costs of care and lack of guaranteed paid sick leave create economic instability and make it difficult for women, especially those in low-wage jobs, to access and afford the care they need.
Decreased OB-GYN Providers:
The state's abortion ban has led to a significant drop in OB-GYN residents, further exacerbating access issues for maternity and other reproductive care.
Addressing the Challenges
Legislation:
Bipartisan efforts are underway to reduce barriers to contraception and address the shortage of OB-GYN providers.
Advocacy:
Grassroots movements are working to improve reproductive freedom, access to care, and support for women's health issues.
Public Health Initiatives:
Organizations like the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services offer services such as Extended Women's Health Services to provide family planning, STD testing and treatment, and follow-up care.

If you’re saying: “I can’t afford to pay what the family contribution calculator says I should pay for that school”: That makes sense.

If you’re saying: “My kid needs a school with bigger departments for some majors”: Sure.

If you’re saying: “Missouri is too conservative”: I strongly disagree. T.S. Eliot’s friends and family started Wash. U. because they wanted to keep Missouri in the Union as a free state. They named it Washington University because they wanted to use the name “Washington” to hold the United States together and end slavery.

Wash. U. has a strong college radio station, a strong student newspaper and speaker budgets that are huge and easy to hijack.

So, it’s a great base for students who want to move the country onto a better path.

So good fit for the kid that wants to go to a Missouri college with a strong radio station and newspaper who wants to advocate for state-wide women's healthcare issues against the triple maga state-wide government before he's old enough to vote. Sure

that's pretty specific

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s an Ivy League back up and it’s expensive as hell. Anybody living in VA who’s good enough to get into Wash U but not an Ivy is far better off going to UVA.

+1

- Missouri resident growing up, Virginia resident now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s an Ivy League back up and it’s expensive as hell. Anybody living in VA who’s good enough to get into Wash U but not an Ivy is far better off going to UVA.

+1

- Missouri resident growing up, Virginia resident now

absolutely for UVA, but probably also for most any in state flagship school. (Michigan, Maryland, California, Georgia, Texas, ....)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like the consensus is that it’s Missouri that’s the issue. Yet, people here love Rice and don’t post long missives about how women are treated under Texas laws. Why not?

People do complain about Rice and Texas. Young people like to be in Texas more than Missouri though.

Both these states are extremely aggressive with their abortion bans and involving themselves in folk's reproductive business. There's chatter out here about criminalizing iuds for goodness sake.

Suit yourself but sending your sons and daughters off to college in a state that might criminalize or severely restrict birth control does not seem like the wisest choice.

The biggest concern is the peer group at these schools.

People who think MAGA is acceptable.

St. Louis is blue, and Missouri could be purple.

Liberal and progressive students should make a point of going to schools like Emory, Rice, UNC and Wash. U. and voting for Democrats.

If students care about democracy, they should be willing to make the supreme sacrifice of going to a great, low-key school in a comfy blue bubble in a state with a bad governor.

I think the idea of progressive students avoiding schools in blue bubbles in red states might come from Republicans trying to make purple states more red.

If we really have a bad civil war, blue students can then all transfer to UMass and SUNY schools.

Until then, they should try to make blue bubbles brighter and bigger.

And the MO state legislature is very red too.

So you think D students should go to college in a red state just so they can vote there during college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s an Ivy League back up and it’s expensive as hell. Anybody living in VA who’s good enough to get into Wash U but not an Ivy is far better off going to UVA.

+1

- Missouri resident growing up, Virginia resident now

Nahhhh, my kid picked WashU over a few ivies & UChicago. It was truly the best fit for them, without the dog eat dog grind of UChicago and the snobbery of the ivies.

Beyond strong academics and opportunities outside of the classroom, my kid was impressed by the collaborative culture of both the staff and students.

WashU definitely leans more liberal. I’m wondering if the MAGAs are targeting WashU this week because Sonia Sotomayor is scheduled to speak there tomorrow.

As for the location, St. Louis isn’t much different than DC. The campus is in Clayton, a suburb comparable to Bethesda, but also like Bethesda it’s near a city like DC that has some less safe areas. The area around WashU is much safer than UPenn, Yale and UChicago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. I don’t hate WashU. My observation from our visit there, conversations with students and parents, and my kid’s view, is that it often isn’t a first choice because kids really, really love it, but rather (a) their counselor tells them it is their best shot for ED and/or (b) it is the best school they got into in RD.

That makes for a campus (albeit beautiful) without much enthusiasm. Not what my kid (and others I know) wanted for their college experience.

I think that students come to Wash. U. thinking it’s below places like Harvard.

Then they see that the professors are easy to talk to, the students are normal people, St. Louis is cheap and gorgeous, and Wash. U. is doing everything it can to do right by them, and they realize that what they really needed was right there at Wash. U. all along.

False. It’s a dump.

[Anonymous]

^ I lived there and couldn’t wait to leave