<p>If I get asked why I applied to WU during my interview, I don't want to just say "because I got rejected to Harvard!" Is Washinton U better than Harvard at anything? I probably have another year or so until my interview, but your answer will help me decide on which schools to apply next year. Thank you.</p>
<p>Is Washinton U better than Harvard at anything</p>
<p>hahaha, are you kidding me</p>
<p>washu is deep fried crap whereas harvard is caviar</p>
<p>I expect my children to apply to more than one college each, and when I think ahead about questions like "Why do you think you belong at [name of school]?" the ONLY sensible answer, it seems to me, is to simply list various characteristics of that school that fit YOU, without regard to that school being "better" or not than some other school. Learn about each school, and get excited FOR YOURSELF about some aspect of each school. I know Wash. U. alumni and I know Harvard alumni. The Wash. U. alum I know best beat a Harvard alum pretty badly in class standing at a state university law school. (Maybe he was near the top of his class at Wash. U., while the Harvard alum was lower in his class; I don't know.) Look for what interests you, and don't fixated on ratings--especially because those ratings are frequently made by people who don't know either school well. </p>
<p>Good luck in your application process.</p>
<p>If you get asked why you are applying to Wash U in an interview it is most likely not derogatory. They are just trying to get a sense of what you are like and what you are looking for in a school. You have to apply to many schools Wash U may not be as good as Harvard but it is a good school that most interviewers will not doubt you applying to.</p>
<p>I've heard that they rejected alot of people whom they believe applied to WU as a safe school. Which is exactly what I'm doing, but I certainly don't want them to know that!</p>
<p>I did it. I kept from seeming like any other safety school kid by being a legacy and talking to the coach and not mentioning Harvard and Yale while mentioning all my other schools. ;)</p>
<p>If there's a chance that a school might reject you because they think you're applying there for a safety, why don't you just leave out a few of your accomplishments to make yourself look like a match? It's kinda devious I guess, but it might work at those yield-protecting schools. Hmm...but then you'd run the risk of not getting accepted at all because you're not good enough without those accomplishments.</p>
<p>You have to think whether it makes any sense at all to apply to a school where you won't be happy. Only apply to a school if you think there is a good reason to end up there as a matriculated student.</p>