<p>I'm interested in international relations/studies with some future interest in law, but I'm mainly UNDECIDED and there's a huge possibility that I'll end up majoring in something completely unrelated.
I haven't visited these campuses as I live abroad, but may get the chance to visit two of them</p>
<p>Things I'm considering:
-Academics (IR, flexibility, ease of double-majoring, name recognition for future jobs)
-Quality of life (dorms, food, social life, city, weather, and overall student body happiness)
-Athletics (mainly skiing -one of the main attractions of Midd)
-Study Abroad</p>
<p>Also, I've heard WashU is very pre-professional (mainly premed and prelaw)? How true is this?
How strong is the B school?
Are there any other major cities within driving distance of St. Louis? Or ski areas by any chance?</p>
<p>I'd appreciate some comments as to some of the strengths/weaknesses of each of these schools and I'm grateful for any and all insights or comments you can give! :)</p>
<p>If I get to visit two of these three campuses before my decision, which two should I visit?</p>
<p>Wash U: Very easy to double major (I have two friends there right now both double majoring). In the fields of work you mentioned, I don’t think name recognition will be a problem at Wash U. Anyone looking to hire you in the professional world/law firms will have heard of Wash U. In terms of dorms/food Wash U is the best you will find at any of these school. On Princeton Review, Wash U got voted #2 best dorms of any school, #9 best food, and #9 happiest students. (They have other ratings that I can’t think of right now) Wash U does have a ski/snowboard club and they do take trips to various places around the area. (Still, you won’t have the access you’d get at a school like Middlebury with a mountain right down the road.) Wash U’s other athletic teams are not the best and the school knows it, having very little school spirit in terms of sports. I don’t know much about study abroad. I don’t think you’ll need any other major cities besides St. Louis close by. Being a Wash U student you get free public transportation (bus and metro). Plus, you really probably won’t have much time to travel outside of St. Louis. You’ll have a decent load of work, even on weekends, so a nice trip into St. Louis will probably take up enough of your free time.
Source: I’m transferring to Wash U next year and have done a lot of research. </p>
<p>Middlebury: I don’t know anything about ease of double majoring… In terms of name recognition, anyone in the North East is going to know about Middlebury. If that is where you are looking to find work in the future, then you will not have an issue with that. However, most jobs these days just want to see that you did well at whatever institution you attended. (Good GPA) These days, there are so many circumstances that may keep a brilliant student away from brilliant schools, that the name of the school attended is becoming less and less important. I’ve been to Middlebury and their food is good. I still say Wash U has a ton more options though. The surrounding town is cute, but nothing major. You’ll probably have to rent a zip car and drive 45 minutes if you need to get something at “Best Buy” or “Bed Bath and Beyond”. (Luckily Zip Car pays for gas) Middlebury is also D3 so in terms of school spirit, you won’t be blown away, but for skiing, they do have that mountain close by that I hear students frequent rather often. I suggest looking at Princeton Review for all of these schools. </p>
<p>Tufts: Don’t know much about Tufts other than it’s in a beautiful area, and of course you have Boston right there, which is just a fantastic city. </p>
<p>Side Note: I suggest looking at Princeton Review for all of these schools. You can see what really stands out about the schools in their rankings section. (I think to see all the rankings you have to make an account, which is really easy to do) Also, if you click on “Student Body” and “Campus Life/Facilities” you can see what students say about their school. (Which is not always positive) So check it out!</p>
<p>Also take a read through the Fiske Guide to Colleges, which many feel presents a more in-depth look at the colleges.</p>
<p>" Wash U’s other athletic teams are not the best and the school knows it, having very little school spirit in terms of sports." </p>
<p>Not so fast. Wash U teams have won 19 NCAA National Championships in the last 25 years, in both men’s and women’s basketball, tennis, cross-country and 10 by the women’s volleyball team, which alone accounts for more national titles in that period than any other school at any level. Granted, the school participates at the Division III level, which I agree does not have the same fever-pitch level of support that you would find at a Division I school, but to say that the teams are ‘not the best’ couldn’t be further from the truth. Middlebury and Tufts are also Division III institutions. </p>
<p>For any WashU students/alumni, if there is one thing you could change about the school or your experience there, what would it be? Basically what are the honest weaknesses of WashU?</p>
<p>Thanks for your replies!</p>