Ok. Let’s hear them. Any specifics about its academic programs that stand out?
You can easily find out that they have small class sizes, easily accessible professors, undergraduate research opportunities, and good engineering, architecture and business schools, in addition to the health related fields they are known for.
You tend to advocate for schools based on rank and easily dismiss their flaws. One only need to read The Crimson to find out that Harvard isn’t the magical bastion you paint it to be.
If you haven’t been to Wash U, don’t know anyone who has attended and don’t know any faculty members, maybe your opinion is a bit to narrow and harsh.
At the end of the day, students will thrive if they put in the work, no matter where they go to school. This has been born out over and over.
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I don’t know where you get that idea. I think USNWR is among the worst things that happened to higher education.
Sure, but plenty of colleges can make the same claim. My question is what distinguishes WashU academically. I’m still looking…
You could ask that question of ANY school. The research is very clear that if you stick a high achieving student into any school, they will thrive. If you want specifics though, look at the Beyond Boundaries Program or the Interdisciplinary Project in the Humanities.
I know two recent Wash U students from the west coast. One is just finished their MBA at Berkeley and one is just about to finish with a BS/MS in ME in 4 years. Both rave about the school. You can’t say either of them aren’t both high horsepower and intellectually curious.
Are these just more buzzwords, that are used by nearly every school? Or is there something substantive? The Beyond Boundary Program, for example, has a couple of seminars and a handful of courses:
Is any of them really worthy of any special consideration?
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Just curious, what is special about Vanderbilt, USC, Duke, Northwestern, Emory or a myriad of other T30 schools?
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A friendly reminder:
- debating is not allowed per CCs terms of service.
- Let’s stick to the OPs question on this thread. Feel free to start a new thread to discuss other colleges.
Unlike real country clubs, “college country-clubs” are usually reserved for schools with average or less academics. Calling Wash U this is definitely off-the-mark.
I’ll take a stab at it…
Vandy - I’m really not sure, and I have a lot of family that went there. I’d say it’s the same as WashU with better marketing.
USC- Cinematic Arts, LA, Very strong alumni network in California.
Duke- Ivy Lite. Known for a great prep to law, med, MBA. Also the basketball sells it as a fun place. Sort of an academic school with an SEC fun side.
Northwestern- Business and Engineering.
Emory- CDC, Pre professional, and Oxford.
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WashU spent most of the 2000’s attracting very well-off students, but in the last 5 years it’s more than doubled the percent of Pell-eligible students it enrolls (now 13% of the student body), so today it’s on par with UPenn, JHU, Georgetown, & Duke, and ahead of UChicago/Notre Dame. Check out “WashU is No Longer American’s Least Economically Diverse College” at Washington U. Is No Longer America’s Least Economically Diverse College. Is That Good Enough_.pdf - Google Drive
For context, about 17-18% of students are Pell-eligible at the Ivies, which are mostly need-blind and have even bigger endowments. It goes without saying that all these elite schools still have a very long way to go to welcome & support students from low-income & working class families!
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My daughter was also accepted to WashU and we will be visiting next weekend. But, my daughter didn’t get any merit scholarship and we don’t qualify for FA so it will be hard to disregard the other schools that she got money from or it’s cheaper. But, we just hear great things about WashU and it’s my daughter number one right now. Best of luck to your daughter.
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Pre med. Excellent medical school.
Architecture school.
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@1NJParent please provide evidence that WashU does not offer paths for academically serious students, since you are making that aversion.
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We’re not debating. We’re arguing. 
Point well taken. Thank you for moderating. I’ll officially stand down.
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FYI- Duke athletics are in the ACC…
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I don’t know any, but if you know some, please share. I’m all ears.
I am not making strident, yet baseless, remarks about lack of academic opportunities at that school.
I said I don’t know any. What’s so strident about it? If you don’t know any either, what’s the base for your “baseless” accusation?
Of course.
SEC schools are known for a party culture and rabid sports fans.
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Not a secret at all where I live in the Northeast. Actually when my kids were applying to colleges (2005 and 2002), Wash U won the prize for sending the most marketing stuff to students. We could have started a copy paper box just for their glossy cards and booklets. And let’s just say…there is no way my kids would have been accepted there.
There was also no way to stop the junk mail.
Their marketing folks made sure that everyone knew about this school.