I was doing research, and I found out that WUSTL has 14k students, but only 7k are undergrad. As an undergraduate student, would I be interacting with the graduate students on a regular basis, or would I be mostly with students my age---- Does the school feel like it has the 14k or do the graduate students not really affect or interfere with the undergrad students at WUSTL?
Any graduate students you would interact with would be TA’s in your classes. The presence of a large number of grad students means that WUSTL is a major research university. What to you mean by their “interfering” with you?
Wash U. strives to create a fabulous educational and social experience for its undergraduates and seems to do so with great success. The professors are committed to working with and undergraduates inside and outside the classroom, and there seem to be many opportunities for undergraduate research. It probably feels more like a medium-sized research university than a huge one.
By “interfering” I think the OP probably means in terms of how large the school feels and how much interaction there is between undergraduates and graduates, as well as whether the school’s focus is more on graduate students at the expense of undergraduates and if grad students are the ones that get all of the research opportunities, which can happen at some of the larger research universities. @TomSrOfBoston’s point about TAs teaching classes probably would probably only affect discussion sections. I think that there are lots of opportunities for undergraduates to work with faculty.
As for interacting with grad students in the classrooms, this will happen more in upper-level classes that you may take as a junior or senior.
yes- by interfering I meant more in terms of size/how big the campus feels and on the professors’ focus on students. in other words, Are professors focused on the graduates more than undergrad, or vice versa, or is that not even a concern I should have? and socially, is there any separation between grad and undergrad/ does it feel like a school with 7k students that I’d be surrounded with on a daily basis, or more towards the 14k range?
thanks so much for the insight and help.
Professors care about the students in their class- so if your in an undergrad class they should care about you, an undergrad. This isn’t a concern you shld have tbh. Honestly, as a freshman you cant even tell the difference between grad and undergrad students- I don’t recall ever meeting a grad student. Also the WashU that you see is mostly undergrad-You don’t rlly see grad students especially bc ur living on the south 40 with only underclassmen and also grad school classes rnt even close to yours eg the Law School campus is a whole bus ride away. It doesn’t feel like 14K students.
Professors care about the students in their class- so if your in an undergrad class they should care about you, an undergrad. This isn’t a concern you shld have tbh. Honestly, as a freshman you cant even tell the difference between grad and undergrad students- I don’t recall ever meeting a grad student. Also the WashU that you see is mostly undergrad-You don’t rlly see grad students especially bc ur living on the south 40 with only underclassmen and also grad school classes rnt even close to yours eg the Law School campus is a whole bus ride away. It doesn’t feel like 14K students.
calijunior22 – Our student is now a junior at Wash U – loves it. Interactions with graduate students varies. Student is on an interscholastic club sports team with grad students on so has made friends with them. Some of the large class tutorial sections are run by grad students – who have uniformly been very good. Student has nothing but praise for them.
Professors are very focused on teaching undergrads – has had excellent experiences with faculty – even in the larger core science classes. Enjoys many of the tutorials as well.
Law school and MBA programs are on the main (Danforth) campus – in fact, the Business School, Brown School (Social Work), Arts and Sciences, Design and Engineering grad students are all on the Danforth campus and you will undoubtedly come in contact with grad students. The Medical School is on the other side of Forest Park. Our student does research over there and has greatly enjoyed the contact with the graduate / medical students that have occurred.
Bottomline – Bard and Tom have it right – WashU faculty are excellent teachers and our experience has been very positive.