<p>Ah, this thread makes me happy. I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with anyone at Wash U about them wanting to have gone somewhere else…it’s a great place to go to school! And I totally agree with THEAjay89 about the maturity of those decisions. It can be hard when you are surrounded by people who think their lives will only have meaning if they go to an Ivy League school (ok maybe that’s a slight exaggeration).</p>
<p>When you get here, you’ll realize that nearly everyone has turned down some school that would make others question your judgement. But that’s just because they fail at realizing how awesome Wustl is.</p>
<p>One of my favorite shirts is the one that says “WashU Pride” on the front, and on the back says “… it’s in St. Louis dammit!”</p>
<p>Just for perspective, when I went to U of Penn decades ago, we wore t-shirts that said “Not Penn State”. People used to say to me “oh you go to Penn, great football team!” I predict the same thing is going to happen to WashU. When you are older and tell people that you went to WashU, they will surely be impressed!!! Meanwhile, enjoy the wonderful academic and social environment at WashU. The school is a rare gem!</p>
<p>I was torn down between wash u and georgetown until this morning, but I think I’ve made my mind! I will go to WUSTL!</p>
<p>It seems academically better and much friendlier. I know I would be happy there.
But it was not so great to hear someone telling me that wash u people are just strivers who constantly tried and tries to justify their equal standing with lower ivies…</p>
<p>Well, that sentence really made me think over and over again, but I just decide to
ignore it. I guess he’s just being sarcastic about how wash u students love the place but loving his/her own school is not a shame.</p>
<p>Anyway, I turn down gtown,UMich,UCLA,Vandy,Tufts for wustl and I get the feeling that I won’t regret it!</p>
<p>My D turned down Brown, Hopkins, Rice, Case Western, Tulane, Brandeis and a couple of state schools that were safeties for WUSTL.</p>
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<p>keb - you were very smart to come to the conclusion to ignore it. Makes me think you will fit in well at Wash U. The Wash U statistics speak for themselves, and I really doubt Wash U people feel much need to justify anything. As I said earlier, I suspect most of them just smile knowingly, secure in the fact that they are part of a true hidden gem (but not too hidden, lol). As far as someone making fun of loving where you go to school, well I can only compare that to the alternative and say HUH?</p>
<p>keb, fallenchemist is absolutely right, your attitude is a perfect example of why WashU is a great “fit” for you. My D tells me all the time about friends of hers who turned down<br>
“high prestige name schools” for WashU and how they did so because they loved the whole WashU environment and had no need for or interest in the “Ivy League/Bumper sticker” seal of approval. I think that having a student body filled with kids like that is a big part of what makes WashU so special.</p>
<p>Lots of people turning down Brown…I think I might do the same…</p>
<p>full ride and chancellor’s scholar program to UIUC.
almost full ride to UMN-TC.</p>
<p>had i applied, i’d also have turned down HYPSM, the other ivies, caltech, etc etc etc.</p>
<p>Georgetown, Emory, Tufts, Hopkins, UF, UM, FSU. (Floridian)
Right now I’m deliberating between Wash U, Emory and a 7-year program, but I’ve visited Wash U and love it sooo much. The atmosphere is very homey, friendly and intellectual. I’m fairly certain that I’ll be sending in my deposit soon, haha.</p>
<p>Who cares what other people think (not to sound immature or anything)? When people ask me where i’ll be next year, i just say, “i’m going to a school in Missouri.” Saying “I’m going to WashU” just drags the whole conversation lol. I can’t say I don’t blame kids who aim for HYSP their whole lives. Like all of us, they just want the best for themselves.</p>
<p>Son chose Wash U over Penn, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt, Lehigh and UW-Madison.</p>
<p>wow kaykay, was that this year?
sorry, but could people also post whether it’s this year or not?</p>
<p>Yes - this year.</p>
<p>I chose WashU over Northwestern, OSU, Kenyon College, and Case Western Reserve.
I am extremely excited to be matriculating this fall!</p>
<p>Chose WashU over full scholarship to Yale with no regrets.<br>
I truly think that WashU is the best place to major in science/do pre-med-all of the resources of an Ivy (including a close relationship with WUSM-a top 3 med school) without the elitism, high cost of living, or cold-prickliness.<br>
And now, once again, I am choosing a non-Ivy over the “best medical school in the world” to do my MD/PhD, and I anticipate being just as satisfied with that decision too.</p>
<p>Why is there a need to dump on other schools to justify your decisions to attend WashU? If you can’t feel good about going to WashU without trying making specious claims about other top schools, it kind of puts into question whether you really believe that WashU is a top level school. Relax! Your college experience will have nothing to do with whether or not WashU is better than or equal to other schools mentioned in this thread.</p>
<p>I thnk you overstate it rollins. People always have choices and it is interesting to see what choices they make and for what reasons. This is a life shaping decision and there is usually a lot of money at stake as well. To the extent people choose not to attend another school because they have a poor perception of it for whatever reason, that is clearly understood as opinion and can only be taken as such. For example, gby thinks that there is a lot of elitism at the Ivies, an opinion I share, so he turned them down. It is just an opinion, yet if enough people appear to feel that way then you have to at least consider there might be something to it. Or you can ignore it. Whatever, but it doesn’t negate the human interest and value of seeing what decisions people made and why when it comes to something of high importance.</p>
<p>This year:
I chose Wash U over U of Michigan-Ann Arbor, U of Rochester, Miami OH, Tulane with Honors Program and 24K a year scholarship, U of Miami with 24K a year scholarship, and Northwestern</p>
<p>University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, McGill University, University of Southern California.</p>
<p>Not nearly as impressive as the others, but it’s something.</p>
<p>I actually only applied to WUSTL because my dad pointed out that the university didn’t require a supplement for their application. I had also never heard of the place before.</p>
<p>But I must say that I am extremely glad that I applied and got in. It has a wonderful campus filled with caring, intelligent people.</p>