<p>I think that a great way to determine this is to ask undergrads at WashU what schools they chose between. For instance, my S chose WashU over Northwestern and is thrilled that he made that choice. That being said, I'm sure he would have loved NU, as well. The point is that WashU is a rocket in the prestige "game" right now. Students are choosing it over (or making it one of their final choices) schools of comparable levels in the famous rankings list.</p>
<p>Don't get sidetracked by the message boards on this one. Speak to the undergrads.</p>
<p>Mtldad, the fact that a student chooses Wash U over Brown does not make Wash U a better school than Brown. For a particular student, Wash U might be a better fit. However, in terms of prestige, Wash U needs to do some work. There are quite a few of bulge bracket firms that do not even hold on-campus interviews for Wash U students, including JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, MOrgan Stanley, and Merrill Lynch. This is despite the fact that Wash U has a business school!!!!!</p>
<p>You need to present your case a bit more accurately. Top employers of Olin MBA students last year per the business school's annual report available on the web were (in alphabetical order): A.G. Edwards and Sons Inc., Banc of America Securities, LLC, CIBC World Markets Corp., Deloitte Consulting, EdwardJones, Epic Systems Corporation, Ernst & Young LLP, General Mills, Inc., Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Maybe you don't consider these top employers of Wash U students worthy of Brown students but if I were one of the above I'd be headed to Wash U too. Brown has about half the endowment Wash U does and will gladly take any kid with extra dough or a family connection that might help them catch up to the rest of the Ivy League. That's why they rank behind Wash U in selectivity in the US News survey. For the best students (not to mention the best campus) students and employers are headed to Wash U.</p>
<p>Collegebound, I hate to dispel you of the notion that the "bulge bracket" firms don't, don't, etc, but it's not true. As a client of one of your named "bulge bracket" firms....I can tell you with first-hand knowledge that WashU students are very highly regarded, are employees of the organization (I deal with one, specifically) and the school is a major rising star within that organization. </p>
<p>I have made this point many times on these boards. At this level, the student is already an academic success. The importance is to find the school that fits for you and to then achieve! </p>
<p>Btw, my S chose WashU over NU......he totally was not into Brown and wouldn't have considered going there. The simple reason for that is that he just didn't feel it at Brown for himself. We all know that Brown is a great place, but it's got to be right (no different than any institution) for the student.</p>
<p>I will add this....once you visit WashU, it's really hard to not want to go there.</p>
<p>How well-known is more well-known? I thought WUSTL was pretty well known. I talked to a person the other day and mentioned Harvard. He asked "Is that one of those hotel chains?"</p>
<p>It is true that "well known" has to be modified to the audience. Outside of the well educated profressional/executive ranks, I doubt most people can name more than 3 or 4 Ivy league schools. Almost everyone would get Harvard and Yale, most would get Princeton and maybe Columbia. But few would know that Brown is an Ivy. Cornell might do a little better. As for Penn, when I told someone my S might apply there they asked how much longer I thought Joe Paterno would be coaching. </p>
<p>So no one at any school outside of HYP should assume that the general public has heard of it or know whether it is prestigous or not. In the end what matters is whether hiring companies and grad school admissions officers know about it. And on that score Wash U is in excellent shape. I would even guess that no school has a hotter buzz right now among those ranks.</p>
<p>The general public just isn't always up to date on the best and most selective colleges. If you looked at acceptance rates alone, WashU is harder to get into than Duke, Northwestern, or Cornell. But, it just doesn't have the name-recognition of those schools.</p>
<p>A lot of this depends on geography, as well. </p>
<p>For the poster that earlier wrote about Duke being well-known for "a century"....well, I don't know. When I entered college in '78, I can tell you that I don't know anyone from my highly-regarded metro NY high school that was considering or applying to Duke (in those days). That school has definitely enjoyed a tremendous increase in prestige (deservedly so) in the last 25 years.</p>
<p>As for Northwestern (disclaimer, my S chose WashU over Northwestern and is thrilled with the choice)....again, when I talk to my friends and business associates in the metro NY area, they all leap when I tell them my S is at WashU. When I tell them that he chose it over NU, they tend to tell me that they don't know that many kids from their area that applied there.</p>
<p>So, my point is that there's a geographical aspect to this, as well. But, I will tell you this....I really wouldn't worry about this issue, the school is red-hot on the recognition scale.</p>
<p>I wouldn't put too much stock Wash U's acceptance rate. I know that at least the east coast information session I attended, the admission rep encouraged students to apply pointing out that all it takes is the common application with no supplement. Although this drew a positive response and no doubt a lot of applications lowering the acceptance rate, many in the crowd weren't all that familiar with Wash. U.</p>
<p>Wash. U is a great school, but looking at the credentials of its students and comparing them to the credentials of those who attend Duke, Northwestern and Cornell, it is kind of far fetched to claim that Wash U. is harder to get into. Given the apparent consensus of this thread that Wash. U. isn't as well known as some of its peer schools (IMHO because of a lack of Ivy status and/or Division I sports) its success in drawing applications to maintain and to build on the quality of its student body should be commended. The heavy advertising by the admissions department and the ease of filing an application, while attracting applicants who would not have otherwise applied and/or who are doomed for rejection may well create an artificially low acceptance rate, but there is no doubt that it also results in matriculating an excellent student body notwithstanding the school's relative lack of notoriety</p>
<p>I first heard about it from a relative who lives outside of St. Louis. I disregarded it at first, but later realized how great of a school it was. After looking at some pictures I was in awe of the campus and decided to visit. I applied ED and ill be going there next year. :)</p>
<p>bak, Congratulations, you will love it. I've said over and over, listen to the students that are there. Over and over, you hear them say that they love it there (including my S). The academics are superb, the name recognition is an issue that seems to obsess the posters....but not the student body. The campus is one of the prettiest that I've ever seen. The environment there is just fantastic. Good luck.</p>