@Womama Actually quite a substantial number of BMEs are premed. It’s probably close to half right now in my freshman year, but by graduation it’ll be about a third who actually end up in med school. BMEs can absolutely take the premed survey course; I have several friends who have chosen to take it.
And some words of wisdom for parents whose kids are now part of the Class of 2022. Your students will be intellectually stimulated and challenged. This is part of the learning process.
They may get the shock of their lives when they get back that first Calculus, Chemistry, Physics or fill in the blank midterm. This isn’t what the 4.0/1500+ student expected from college. DS or DD will be in tears as they tell you of their results. You might have the impulse to want to contact the administration. Believe me, some parents on the current WashU FB group have wanted to do this. Parents, resist the temptation to be Tiger Mom, angry soccer parent, or helicopter dad. Our kids are resilient and they will find a way to figure things out without parental intervention.
The learning style is completely different in college, especially in STEM classes. No more plug and chug questions. Rote memorization and regurgitating answers will not work. No more handholding either. You are expected to learn the concepts and to apply them. In some math classes you are expected to derive/use proofs to validate formulas.
WashU is a nurturing, collaborative campus. It’s up to the kids to make the most of the opportunity and to accept what seems like failure at times as well as the successes. Students may question themselves, but Chancellor Wrighton told the students and parents at this year’s Convocation that no mistakes were made. All of the members of each class deserve to be on campus.
Try to explore different classes. Today’s premed may end up in law school. The poet and writer may end up discovering the cure to a disease. The engineering kid might have a hidden talent as an artist. The musician could be the founder of the next Apple/Microsoft. And before you know it you have had the greatest 4 years of your lives and remember the friendships and opportunities you had. And this applies to any school and not just WashU.
Hamurtle – Great advice. Our student is a Junior now. Hard to believe time has gone by so fast. The changes they have experienced – the growth, confidence, and independence gained – tremendous. There have been some tough times, but developing resilience and “stickwithitness” will help. Wash U does a great job – the faculty is engaged and the staff nurturing. In the end, it is on the student – but with the support of parents, friends, family, and the University, good things will happen. I think it is also important to encourage your student to take advantage of all that the University – and the St. Louis community – have to offer. Get out of the Wash U bubble and explore. Part of the college experience is becoming a citizen of the world. It is a great complement to a wonderful education!
No regrets on my side sending off my freshman to WashU. He visited twice (before applying and after getting in ED) and after the first visit he said that he would be attending. Well the one regret is possibly changing my baseball loyalties from the Giants to the Cardinals.
Congratulations to everone who was accepted, and good luck to those who were defered! I was personally defered myself and am now a Junior majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology while following the pre-med track. If anyone has any questions about literally anything regarding school/classes, social life, St. Louis, etc., please don’t hesitate to ask! I remember how helpful this site was to me when I was going through the process! (It’s easiest to see and respond to messages though!)
@srivapau Hi! I got deferred and I was wondering if there is any advice you could have for deferred students?? And/or personal experiences?
@Minkisoo my biggest piece of advice would be to continue to demonstrate interest and let WashU know that they are still your number one choice. If you haven’t visited campus or interviewed (on campus or in your hometown), try and do one of those things. If admissions is stil visiting your school/area, make sure to attend and connect with the admissions office for your area. If you don’t have a relationship with your regional admissions officer yet, that could really help. Keep him/her updated with any major changes to your application, and make sure to keep your grades up. One key thing is be smart about any interactions with anyone involved with admissions. DO NOT call a billion times a month, or waste their time asking questions that can easily be answered online.
Thanks, @srivapau , my D was deferred as well. She’ll have to get creative, though, because she’s been to campus, high school presentations attended jr. and sr. years, interviewed on campus and with an alum! It’s not a desirable situation. And 40% of the freshman class has been accepted already. Ugh
Not sure if anyone is still following this–but, are any of you concerned about the cost/financial aid?
@rhymetime Yes and no. Yes, Wash U is very expensive. No, in that we knew we what the costs were going in and had used the online tooling they have to get a worst case scenario picture. So, I’d say my concerns are at the same level they were before, now it’s just more real.
@rhymetime The first financial aid package they gave us was way more than my family could handle, but we contacted financial aid they just took $15000 off of the package. You might want to consider reaching out to them if you haven’t already!
Yup! We knew what we were getting into financially. It does hurt a bit more after turning down merit scholarships to other schools for $80,000 and $100,000!
@wyo002 congrats on the admission. did you send any specific details?
We are in same boat as well.
@Waldo755 I can relate!
@RyanG1207 Totally worth it! I loved WashU and am beyond thrilled that my son is attending.
@Waldo755 We all loved it too! I’m really excited for my daughter.
@RyanG1207 Should have been more clear – I am WashU Class of 1986. Go Bears!
JemmaSimmons, the wash u finances would potentially stretch our family to its limit. I have read some concerning opinions about the College of Engineering’s reputation and the graduates’ employability during summers and upon graduation. Can you speak frankly about this? The only way to justify the price tag for us is if our son can graduate in a highly employable position.
@JemmaSimmons , @Hamurtle --see previous
@Womama at the APAP interview session I volunteered at, there were 3 alumni from Engineering who did pretty well. One earned his MSEE from Georgia Tech and the other earned an MSCE from Berkeley. And the other alum who graduated last year is a software engineer at Google.
The founder of Square is also a WashU grad in Engineering.