<p>WUSTL has a low admit rate and high SAT averages but it does not have major sports or any world-renowned academic departments. It is now considered on par with elite schools such as the Ivies. How did this school get on the map? It is nothing special and is not prestigious so why did it become so popular? I have heard it was because of an intense marketing and mailing scheme by the admissions department that drew in applications. Then it's rankings rose as it gained attention for rejecting top applicants. This thread is not designed to bash WUSTL in anyways as a school; however, I want a serious answer from someone who is familiar with the school to this question- How did WUSTL attract your attention? How is it now considered a "Top University"? Why do kids apply? Did you receive an excessive amount of mailings from them?<br>
Thanks for taking the time to objectively read and answer my questions. This is blunt but hopefully not offensive (and if it is offensive then you are probably a little to defensive and sensitive).</p>
<p>WashU medicine is really famous, though I'm not qualified to judge it as I'm not pre-med. Also according to Wikipedia, our beloved source of truth:</p>
<p>"Highly-ranked schools include the Medical School, which is tied for 4th, architecture which is ranked 6th, and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, ranked 2nd"</p>
<p>"Graduate schools include the School of Medicine, currently ranked 4th in the nation, and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, currently ranked 2nd. In 2007, the School of Law was ranked 19th while the Olin Business School was ranked in the top 30. [26] Additionally, the Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design was ranked 6th in the nation by Design Intelligence."</p>
<p>Washington</a> University in St. Louis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</p>
<p>"WUSTL ranks in the top 10 in 19 disciplines."</p>
<p>• Anthropology: 2</p>
<p>• Biochemistry: 8</p>
<p>• Bioinformatics: 7</p>
<p>• Botany and plant biology: 3</p>
<p>• Business administration: 3</p>
<p>• Cell biology: 6</p>
<p>• Communication sciences and disorders: 6</p>
<p>• Developmental biology: 9</p>
<p>• East Asian languages and cultures: 10</p>
<p>• Ecology and evolutionary biology: 1</p>
<p>• English: 4</p>
<p>• Genetics: 10</p>
<p>• Immunology: 6</p>
<p>• Kinesiology and exercise science: 2</p>
<p>• Microbiology: 4</p>
<p>• Molecular biology: 4</p>
<p>• Pathology: 4</p>
<p>• Political science: 1</p>
<p>• Social work: 3</p>
<p>Psychology, social sciences No. 4</p>
<p>I do support the mass mailing of materials (the public needs to know how strong WashU is so it could attract even more great minds), but I'd say a once a month mailing is sufficient.</p>
<p>
[quote]
It is nothing special and is not prestigious so why did it become so popular?
[/quote]
your premise is wrong</p>
<p>maybe... actually when I re-read I realized that some of what I said comes off as being arrogant and quite possibly ignorant about the school. Of course, I already explained I am not very familiar with WUSTL. If you could please prove what I said to be wrong then that would enlighten me. Otherwise, you add little if anything to this thread, nngmm.</p>
<p>The report I cited attests to WashU's strength.</p>
<p>As a research university, WUSTL is well known and highly respected in US and around the world. The statistics and ranking cited above can be used as "evidence" to its strength. WUSTL medical school was repeatedly ranked #1 in student satisfaction, and is one of the most selective, desired and respected in the country. WUSTL is also a home to "Washington Manual" -- medical publication widely used around the world as a practical and concise guide for madecal care.</p>
<p>For undergraduates, WUSTL offers excellent programs, superb advising and support, unparalleled flexibility for combining unrelated majors, double degrees, taking classes in all of its many schools without restrictions, etc. </p>
<p>It also happened to have a remarkably beautiful campus with the largest urban park in the US being in its back yard.</p>
<p>Our anthro department is actually surprisingly strong. I'm in an intro level class, and every now and then, we'll be talking about a key discovery in the field, and our prof will be like, "oh, he works down the hall from me, if you're interested." It's happened on numerous occasions.</p>
<p>ConLax has already toned down the question a little, so let's cut some slack. The basic question is still a good one: how did (or does) a school that is not in a traditional location and not well known generally, rise quickly to the top of the rankings and reputation list. I don't think the question was intended to imply that the reputation is smoke and mirrors. I think the question assumes that the school is now legitimately respected and popular. So, how DO you think Wash U did it, and can other schools emulate it.</p>
<p>The answer is very simple, the school was already one of the best in the nation with a beautiful campus and many resources, so the only thing it needed was marketing to reach every state and every school, and it did it. So now, the only thing it changed was the number of applications and with that donations came and they became more resources for the school.</p>
<p>I think Wash U has capitalized on the fact that graduating high school students now are willing to look at colleges all across the United States, not just those in their own backyard. There is nothing new about Wash U or St. Louis. Both have been well known in the midwest for a very long time. (St. Louis is a "non-traditional location"?? It is one of the oldest cities in the United States.)</p>
<p>Now that more students are considering traveling farther away from home to find the college that best suits their overall needs, it is inevitable that students in the northeast and the west coast will discover that there are actually universities and colleges in between the east and west coasts. In addition, as students from the Big Middle discover the east and west coasts, spaces at the traditional powerhouses are getting scarcer because a lot of those spots are now taken by 'geographic diversity' students from the midwest, the south and the southwest.</p>
<p>ConLax, Put simply, WashU is indeed a "legit school " which uses marketing to increase its name recognition and attract the attention of top students across the country. </p>
<p>WashU has truly transformed itself over the past two to three decades. Its transformation was achieved and continues through the recruitment of top professors, researchers and students. WashU spent money to bring in the talent and invest in the school's facilities. Their top professors actually TEACH and don't just stay in their labs doing research. Their student faculty ratio is low and the beautiful suburban campus with access to a city makes it a very appealing environment for students to learn and mature. </p>
<p>It wasn't marketing that transformed the school, but marketing that has helped spread the word.</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who answered my question. I'm very happy with the answers. It seems that the consensus is that WUSTL was a great school from the start who used innovative marketing to attract attention. Thus,it became a well-known school with good students and many resources.</p>
<p>I would like to also ask what the atmosphere at WUSTL is like. Is drinking common and popular? Do students attend athletic games such as football or basketball? What are some popular student activities or clubs?</p>
<p>Just to add, as of last year's data, Wash U had the 15th largest endowment in the nation, and the business school here is ranked 12th by US News, and 16th by Business Week.</p>
<p>I didn't get an excessive amount of mailings from WUSTL. I did fly down for a visit and an interview junior year. I applied RD and they had the nerve to waitlist me (I understand they waitlist mostly everyone). I then got called off the waitlist, but chose to go to Cornell, instead.
WUSTL was the last on my list of "very hard to get into schools."</p>
<p>Drinking is common at ALL colleges....*except Bob Jones and maybe other very religious schools. WashU does however provide substance free dorms and dorm floors(which some schools don't provide).</p>
<p>hahaha I'm aware of the fact that drinking is common at all colleges. I want to a school that is prestigious and intellectually stimulating but also not boring or lame. Some schools like JHU and MIT are not known for having great girls and parties lol.</p>
<p>MIT also have play hard students and there are plenty of girls. I don't think Wash U alcohol scene is worse than other schools, they're all almost the same.
Check out the web site published here to see the pictures of the different events, you could get an idea of what is going on.</p>