<h1>76. Free Zoo, Free History museum, and Free Art museum all within walking distance of campus. (in Forest Park mentioned in #15)</h1>
<h1>77 One of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the nation not to far from campus. Admission is not free, but it is fairly cheap. Also they have cultural festivals there a couple of times a year.</h1>
<p>As a St. Louis resident I felt that these two should be added</p>
<p>Great points, aspenleaf. The list just seems to go on and on, doesnât it? =)
I will soon update with a new list, for housekeeping purposes on this thread.</p>
<p>Adding what aspenleaf said:</p>
<ol>
<li>The architecture of the buildings is classically gothic and beautiful.</li>
<li>Big university resources, smaller LAC-style attention to students (and AN EXTREMELY SMALL % OF CLASSES TAUGHT BY TAs - and when they are taught by TAs/Grad students this seems to be a good thing - e.g., the Writing 1 class).</li>
<li>Academic Flexibility â Easy to switch schools within WashU and to double major/minor.</li>
<li>Amazing pre-professional programs and resources, especially for pre-meds through the renowned WUSTL medical center</li>
<li>The quality of your peers</li>
<li>Some of the best dorms in the country</li>
<li>Some of the best food for a university</li>
<li>Genuine Midwestern friendliness and helpfulness</li>
<li>Lack of cut-throat competitiveness amongst students, more collaboration</li>
<li>Easy access to metro and bussing (FREE!)</li>
<li>2nd best DIII sports school in the United States</li>
<li>Professors are more undergrad-focused than other top research universities (but renowned in their research fields as well!)</li>
<li>Undergrads have limitless research opportunities.</li>
<li>Beautiful campus (where students are playing ultimate frisbee, football, or in hammocks on the quads).</li>
<li>Forest park across the street (HUGE park with free museums and such).</li>
<li>The Loop (great food and shopping) within walking distance of the university.</li>
<li>Humongous shopping complexes not too far away (by car, Clayton area?)</li>
<li>3 large hospitals within the area.</li>
<li>Exceptional academic advising</li>
<li>Amazing diversity of the student body</li>
<li>Abundance of outstanding prearranged extracurricular activities available to student body (tutoring h.s. students, hospital volunteering, etc.)</li>
<li>Amazing merit scholarship opportunities not found at any school of WashUâs caliber.</li>
<li>Central United States location that allows for relatively easy access from both the East and West Coast.</li>
<li>Hammocks all over campus. âNuff said.</li>
<li>Loads of brand new buildings and a strong commitment to construction and developmentâŠ</li>
<li>St. Louisâs fabulous music scene.</li>
<li>Crazy huge endowment that allows for lots of free trips to campus and subsidized FOCUS excursions and everything a student could want.</li>
<li>Summer excursions like ArtSci Weekends and FSAP that allow students to get acclimated to campus before Orientation.</li>
<li>Awesome Pre-Oâs!</li>
<li>Residential colleges that allow freshman to have connections to sophmores.</li>
<li>Really nice programs for frosh like FOCUS and Freshman Seminars and MBB, Text and Tradition, Medicine in SocietyâŠ</li>
<li>They send you a lot of mail and you feel really good, especially when itâs priority and youâre like âOMG they spend $4.95 on ME!â</li>
<li>Outstanding Financial Aid</li>
<li>St. Louis has some fabulous food. The Hill, Ted Drewes, Tin Cup. Also the amazing Missouri Bakery with the best cheesecake Iâve ever eaten.</li>
<li>Involved and caring students (hirako, don_quixote, johnson181, balancedhelium, etc.) and parents/others (midwest parent; st2, fallenchemist; palmalk, etc.)</li>
<li>WILD (Kid Cudi and the Black Keys in a few weeks!)</li>
<li>Award winning and AMAZING a capella groups</li>
<li>The best dressed university chancellor in the country who has a bowling alley in his house!</li>
<li>The Bunny. Enough said.</li>
<li>Thurtene Carnival, largest in St. Louis, tons of food, games, rides. Greek life also plays a big role in the carnival.</li>
<li>The Holi Festival. Students gather on the Swamp for the schoolâs largest water balloon fight. Everyone gets wet, muddy, and most importantly, everyone has fun.</li>
<li>The Gargoyle</li>
<li>Highest âSurvey-per-week to Studentâ ratio</li>
<li>FLAT SCREEN TVs everywhere!</li>
<li>Smart kids yet no snobbiness</li>
<li>WUstock by the CS40 for free</li>
<li>Ursaâs hot chocolate bar with 10 different kinds of hot chocolate, 6 kinds of homemade whip cream, and crepes on friday nights </li>
<li>Become a part of the best Baseball city in America (Just 5 train stops away from Busch Stadium) </li>
<li>Adjoined to the library is Whisperâs Cafe - where you can go for your late-night studying or cafe food run!</li>
<li>If youâre into any of the hard sciences: the best, top-notch, cutting-edge, fully-stocked laboratories and the myriad of research opportunities that come with them</li>
<li>The award-winning, always fresh and interesting StudLife</li>
<li>Moonlight Breakfast<br></li>
<li>Walking distance to The Loop, a bustling avenue of shops, cafes, and restaurants</li>
<li>Did I mention the gorgeous campus? Call it fairy-tale or robust and gothic, whatever you wish, but it is GORGEOUS.</li>
<li>Jazz at Holmesâ Lounge</li>
<li>The Campus YMCA and the spawn of volunteer and community outreach programs, including the Social Change Grants</li>
<li>Gelato and crepes in Ursaâs, Froyo at Bearâs Den</li>
<li>Selectively chosen, fully trained, enthusiastic, and approachable Residential Advisors</li>
<li>Academic mentoring WITHIN the residential halls, in the form of selectively chosen, fully trained, and caring Residential Peer Mentors (for Writing, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Calculus)</li>
<li>New Dorms on the 40 have memory foam </li>
<li>Free pizza events all the time</li>
<li>For the premeds: A panel of premedical advisors who are always available, supportive, and effective. While they are available anytime, starting junior year the Pre-Health advisors begin keeping a very close eye on your medical school application process. Premed advising and workshops include mentorship on your personal statements, reviewing your medical school resume, and interview practice.</li>
<li>Bear Patrol, which escorts those late-night study-ers back to their dorms</li>
<li>Closed campus, probably one of the safest around</li>
<li>The newly opened Danforth University Center, with an array of eateries, its own formal restaurant, and the upstairs Game Room (includes Wii, I think)</li>
<li>Wireless Internet access virtually anywhere on campus</li>
<li>Friendly bus drivers who care about the students</li>
<li>Bon Appetit, which listens to the studentsâ needs and concerns and hosts fun events (like that Willy Wonka golden ticket game last year)</li>
<li>Students who are tolerant and supportive of each other</li>
<li>We just won the 2010 Annual Jeopardy! College Championships. BOOYA.</li>
<li>The Lunar New Year Festival - Student dancers and musicians combine artistry and aesthetics to create a story about the Lunar New Year. </li>
<li>Many city events are subsidized for students by campus organizations like ArtSci Council. Examples of events include city symphony performances (freshman year I remember Itzhak Perlman was in town), plays, musicals, Shakespeare in the Park (summer), and more. </li>
<li>The BALLER Brookings Hall. Seriously, have you every stood in the parking lot, beneath that flight of stairs leading to the two towers of Brookings Hall, and know that you will soon ascend the path to greater knowledge?</li>
<li>WashU is one of the prominent hosts of the Vice Presidential Debates, including Palin vs. Biden, 2008.</li>
<li>The fact that itâs WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS.</li>
<li>Free Zoo, Free History museum, and Free Art museum all within walking distance of campus. (in Forest Park mentioned in #15)</li>
<li>One of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the nation not to far from campus. Admission is not free, but it is fairly cheap. Also they have cultural festivals there a couple of times a year.</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks a bunch xrCalico. The list just keeps expanding so itâs good to have a helping hand in the housekeeping. </p>
<p>Ok, there were actually even more reasons added to the list-- Iâm going to combine yours and update with the new list. Thanks a bunch!</p>
<p>New, Updated, Fresh-off-the-press List! Will most likely keep updating:</p>
<ol>
<li>The architecture of the buildings is classically gothic and beautiful.</li>
<li>Big university resources, smaller LAC-style attention to students (and AN EXTREMELY SMALL % OF CLASSES TAUGHT BY TAs - and when they are taught by TAs/Grad students this seems to be a good thing - e.g., the Writing 1 class).</li>
<li>Academic Flexibility â Easy to switch schools within WashU and to double major/minor.</li>
<li>Amazing pre-professional programs and resources, especially for pre-meds through the renowned WUSTL medical center</li>
<li>The quality of your peers</li>
<li>Some of the best dorms in the country</li>
<li>Some of the best food for a university</li>
<li>Genuine Midwestern friendliness and helpfulness</li>
<li>Lack of cut-throat competitiveness amongst students, more collaboration</li>
<li>Easy access to metro and bussing (FREE!)</li>
<li>2nd best DIII sports school in the United States</li>
<li>Professors are more undergrad-focused than other top research universities (but renowned in their research fields as well!)</li>
<li>Undergrads have limitless research opportunities.</li>
<li>Beautiful campus (where students are playing ultimate frisbee, football, or in hammocks on the quads).</li>
<li>Forest park across the street (HUGE park with free museums and such).</li>
<li>The Loop (great food and shopping) within walking distance of the university.</li>
<li>Humongous shopping complexes not too far away (by car, Clayton area?)</li>
<li>3 large hospitals within the area.</li>
<li>Exceptional academic advising</li>
<li>Amazing diversity of the student body</li>
<li>Abundance of outstanding prearranged extracurricular activities available to student body (tutoring h.s. students, hospital volunteering, etc.)</li>
<li>Amazing merit scholarship opportunities not found at any school of WashUâs caliber.</li>
<li>Central United States location that allows for relatively easy access from both the East and West Coast.</li>
<li>Hammocks all over campus. âNuff said.</li>
<li>Loads of brand new buildings and a strong commitment to construction and developmentâŠ</li>
<li>St. Louisâs fabulous music scene.</li>
<li>Crazy huge endowment that allows for lots of free trips to campus and subsidized FOCUS excursions and everything a student could want.</li>
<li>Summer excursions like ArtSci Weekends and FSAP that allow students to get acclimated to campus before Orientation.</li>
<li>Awesome Pre-Oâs!</li>
<li>Residential colleges that allow freshman to have connections to sophmores.</li>
<li>Really nice programs for frosh like FOCUS and Freshman Seminars and MBB, Text and Tradition, Medicine in SocietyâŠ</li>
<li>They send you a lot of mail and you feel really good, especially when itâs priority and youâre like âOMG they spend $4.95 on ME!â</li>
<li>Outstanding Financial Aid</li>
<li>St. Louis has some fabulous food. The Hill, Ted Drewes, Tin Cup. Also the amazing Missouri Bakery with the best cheesecake Iâve ever eaten.</li>
<li>Involved and caring students (hirako, don_quixote, johnson181, balancedhelium, etc.) and parents/others (midwest parent; st2, fallenchemist; palmalk, etc.)</li>
<li>WILD (Kid Cudi and the Black Keys in a few weeks!)</li>
<li>Award winning and AMAZING a capella groups</li>
<li>The best dressed university chancellor in the country who has a bowling alley in his house!</li>
<li>The Bunny. Enough said.</li>
<li>Thurtene Carnival, largest in St. Louis, tons of food, games, rides. Greek life also plays a big role in the carnival.</li>
<li>The Holi Festival. Students gather on the Swamp for the schoolâs largest water balloon fight. Everyone gets wet, muddy, and most importantly, everyone has fun.</li>
<li>The Gargoyle</li>
<li>Highest âSurvey-per-week to Studentâ ratio</li>
<li>FLAT SCREEN TVs everywhere!</li>
<li>Smart kids yet no snobbiness</li>
<li>WUstock by the CS40 for free</li>
<li>Ursaâs hot chocolate bar with 10 different kinds of hot chocolate, 6 kinds of homemade whip cream, and crepes on friday nights </li>
<li>Become a part of the best Baseball city in America (Just 5 train stops away from Busch Stadium) </li>
<li>Adjoined to the library is Whisperâs Cafe - where you can go for your late-night studying or cafe food run!</li>
<li>If youâre into any of the hard sciences: the best, top-notch, cutting-edge, fully-stocked laboratories and the myriad of research opportunities that come with them</li>
<li>The award-winning, always fresh and interesting StudLife</li>
<li>Moonlight Breakfast </li>
<li>Walking distance to The Loop, a bustling avenue of shops, cafes, and restaurants</li>
<li>Did I mention the gorgeous campus? Call it fairy-tale or robust and gothic, whatever you wish, but it is GORGEOUS.</li>
<li>Jazz at Holmesâ Lounge</li>
<li>The Campus YMCA and the spawn of volunteer and community outreach programs, including the Social Change Grants</li>
<li>Gelato and crepes in Ursaâs, Froyo at Bearâs Den</li>
<li>Selectively chosen, fully trained, enthusiastic, and approachable Residential Advisors</li>
<li>Academic mentoring WITHIN the residential halls, in the form of selectively chosen, fully trained, and caring Residential Peer Mentors (for Writing, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Calculus)</li>
<li>New Dorms on the 40 have memory foam </li>
<li>Free pizza events all the time</li>
<li>For the premeds: A panel of premedical advisors who are always available, supportive, and effective. While they are available anytime, starting junior year the Pre-Health advisors begin keeping a very close eye on your medical school application process. Premed advising and workshops include mentorship on your personal statements, reviewing your medical school resume, and interview practice.</li>
<li>Bear Patrol, which escorts those late-night study-ers back to their dorms</li>
<li>Closed campus, probably one of the safest around</li>
<li>The newly opened Danforth University Center, with an array of eateries, its own formal restaurant, and the upstairs Game Room (includes Wii, I think)</li>
<li>Wireless Internet access virtually anywhere on campus</li>
<li>Friendly bus drivers who care about the students</li>
<li>Bon Appetit, which listens to the studentsâ needs and concerns and hosts fun events (like that Willy Wonka golden ticket game last year)</li>
<li>Students who are tolerant and supportive of each other</li>
<li>We just won the 2010 Annual Jeopardy! College Championships. BOOYA.</li>
<li>The Lunar New Year Festival - Student dancers and musicians combine artistry and aesthetics to create a story about the Lunar New Year. </li>
<li>Many city events are subsidized for students by campus organizations like ArtSci Council. Examples of events include city symphony performances (freshman year I remember Itzhak Perlman was in town), plays, musicals, Shakespeare in the Park (summer), and more. </li>
<li>The BALLER Brookings Hall. Seriously, have you every stood in the parking lot, beneath that flight of stairs leading to the two towers of Brookings Hall, and know that you will soon ascend the path to greater knowledge?</li>
<li>WashU is one of the prominent hosts of the Vice Presidential Debates, including Palin vs. Biden, 2008.</li>
<li>At least 22 Nobel Prize recipients did the majority of their winning research at Washington University in St. Louis. </li>
<li>The administration is incredibly friendly and helpful. They are like the staff at an upscale restaurant- understanding of your questions and concerns, at the same time professional and efficient. </li>
<li>Now and then-- surprises on campus like free donuts and coffee in the morning, petting zoos, horse and carriage rides, Fair Trade shopping booths, and the spontaneous pieces of artwork designed by the Art School students</li>
<li>Every year we have the Thurtene Carnival, the oldest and largest student-run carnival (complete with rides, cotton candy, games, and shows!) in the nation.</li>
<li>WashU is close to the City Museum, an artsy place for every one of your creative whims. Go down the giant slide, model something out of clay, watch a magic show, or go on the outdoors jungle gym and ball pool area. A good place to reconnect with your inner (big) child </li>
<li>Major St. Louis attractions are free: Free Zoo, Free History museum, and Free Art museum all within walking distance of campus. (in Forest Park mentioned in #15)</li>
<li>One of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the nation not to far from campus. Admission is not free, but it is fairly cheap. Also they have cultural festivals there a couple of times a year. </li>
<li>The fact that itâs WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS.</li>
</ol>
<p>zenith I sent you a PM regarding WashU premed. Can you get back to me on that? Thanks.</p>
<p>Ok muchoschocolate. Will send reply back asap.</p>
<p>UPDATED LIST OF REASONS!!!</p>
<ol>
<li>The architecture of the buildings is classically gothic and beautiful.</li>
<li>Big university resources, smaller LAC-style attention to students (and AN EXTREMELY SMALL % OF CLASSES TAUGHT BY TAs - and when they are taught by TAs/Grad students this seems to be a good thing - e.g., the Writing 1 class).</li>
<li>Academic Flexibility â Easy to switch schools within WashU and to double major/minor.</li>
<li>Amazing pre-professional programs and resources, especially for pre-meds through the renowned WUSTL medical center</li>
<li>The quality of your peers</li>
<li>Some of the best dorms in the country</li>
<li>Some of the best food for a university</li>
<li>Genuine Midwestern friendliness and helpfulness</li>
<li>Lack of cut-throat competitiveness amongst students, more collaboration</li>
<li>Easy access to metro and bussing (FREE!)</li>
<li>2nd best DIII sports school in the United States</li>
<li>Professors are more undergrad-focused than other top research universities (but renowned in their research fields as well!)</li>
<li>Undergrads have limitless research opportunities.</li>
<li>Beautiful campus (where students are playing ultimate frisbee, football, or in hammocks on the quads).</li>
<li>Forest park across the street (HUGE park with free museums and such).</li>
<li>The Loop (great food and shopping) within walking distance of the university.</li>
<li>Humongous shopping complexes not too far away (by car, Clayton area?)</li>
<li>3 large hospitals within the area.</li>
<li>Exceptional academic advising</li>
<li>Amazing diversity of the student body</li>
<li>Abundance of outstanding prearranged extracurricular activities available to student body (tutoring h.s. students, hospital volunteering, etc.)</li>
<li>Amazing merit scholarship opportunities not found at any school of WashUâs caliber.</li>
<li>Central United States location that allows for relatively easy access from both the East and West Coast.</li>
<li>Hammocks all over campus. âNuff said.</li>
<li>Loads of brand new buildings and a strong commitment to construction and developmentâŠ</li>
<li>St. Louisâs fabulous music scene.</li>
<li>Crazy huge endowment that allows for lots of free trips to campus and subsidized FOCUS excursions and everything a student could want.</li>
<li>Summer excursions like ArtSci Weekends and FSAP that allow students to get acclimated to campus before Orientation.</li>
<li>Awesome Pre-Oâs!</li>
<li>Residential colleges that allow freshman to have connections to sophmores.</li>
<li>Really nice programs for frosh like FOCUS and Freshman Seminars and MBB, Text and Tradition, Medicine in SocietyâŠ</li>
<li>They send you a lot of mail and you feel really good, especially when itâs priority and youâre like âOMG they spend $4.95 on ME!â</li>
<li>Outstanding Financial Aid</li>
<li>St. Louis has some fabulous food. The Hill, Ted Drewes, Tin Cup. Also the amazing Missouri Bakery with the best cheesecake Iâve ever eaten.</li>
<li>Involved and caring students (hirako, don_quixote, johnson181, balancedhelium, etc.) and parents/others (midwest parent; st2, fallenchemist; palmalk, etc.)</li>
<li>WILD (Kid Cudi and the Black Keys in a few weeks!)</li>
<li>Award winning and AMAZING a capella groups</li>
<li>The best dressed university chancellor in the country who has a bowling alley in his house!</li>
<li>The Bunny. Enough said.</li>
<li>Thurtene Carnival, largest in St. Louis, tons of food, games, rides. Greek life also plays a big role in the carnival.</li>
<li>The Holi Festival. Students gather on the Swamp for the schoolâs largest water balloon fight. Everyone gets wet, muddy, and most importantly, everyone has fun.</li>
<li>The Gargoyle</li>
<li>Highest âSurvey-per-week to Studentâ ratio</li>
<li>FLAT SCREEN TVs everywhere!</li>
<li>Smart kids yet no snobbiness</li>
<li>WUstock by the CS40 for free</li>
<li>Ursaâs hot chocolate bar with 10 different kinds of hot chocolate, 6 kinds of homemade whip cream, and crepes on friday nights </li>
<li>Become a part of the best Baseball city in America (Just 5 train stops away from Busch Stadium) </li>
<li>Adjoined to the library is Whisperâs Cafe - where you can go for your late-night studying or cafe food run!</li>
<li>If youâre into any of the hard sciences: the best, top-notch, cutting-edge, fully-stocked laboratories and the myriad of research opportunities that come with them</li>
<li>The award-winning, always fresh and interesting StudLife</li>
<li>Moonlight Breakfast </li>
<li>Walking distance to The Loop, a bustling avenue of shops, cafes, and restaurants</li>
<li>Did I mention the gorgeous campus? Call it fairy-tale or robust and gothic, whatever you wish, but it is GORGEOUS.</li>
<li>Jazz at Holmesâ Lounge</li>
<li>The Campus YMCA and the spawn of volunteer and community outreach programs, including the Social Change Grants</li>
<li>Gelato and crepes in Ursaâs, Froyo at Bearâs Den</li>
<li>Selectively chosen, fully trained, enthusiastic, and approachable Residential Advisors</li>
<li>Academic mentoring WITHIN the residential halls, in the form of selectively chosen, fully trained, and caring Residential Peer Mentors (for Writing, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Calculus)</li>
<li>New Dorms on the 40 have memory foam </li>
<li>Free pizza events all the time</li>
<li>For the premeds: A panel of premedical advisors who are always available, supportive, and effective. While they are available anytime, starting junior year the Pre-Health advisors begin keeping a very close eye on your medical school application process. Premed advising and workshops include mentorship on your personal statements, reviewing your medical school resume, and interview practice.</li>
<li>Bear Patrol, which escorts those late-night study-ers back to their dorms</li>
<li>Closed campus, probably one of the safest around</li>
<li>The newly opened Danforth University Center, with an array of eateries, its own formal restaurant, and the upstairs Game Room (includes Wii, I think)</li>
<li>Wireless Internet access virtually anywhere on campus</li>
<li>Friendly bus drivers who care about the students</li>
<li>Bon Appetit, which listens to the studentsâ needs and concerns and hosts fun events (like that Willy Wonka golden ticket game last year)</li>
<li>Students who are tolerant and supportive of each other</li>
<li>We just won the 2010 Annual Jeopardy! College Championships. BOOYA.</li>
<li>The Lunar New Year Festival - Student dancers and musicians combine artistry and aesthetics to create a story about the Lunar New Year. </li>
<li>Many city events are subsidized for students by campus organizations like ArtSci Council. Examples of events include city symphony performances (freshman year I remember Itzhak Perlman was in town), plays, musicals, Shakespeare in the Park (summer), and more. </li>
<li>The BALLER Brookings Hall. Seriously, have you every stood in the parking lot, beneath that flight of stairs leading to the two towers of Brookings Hall, and know that you will soon ascend the path to greater knowledge?</li>
<li>WashU is one of the prominent hosts of the Vice Presidential Debates, including Palin vs. Biden, 2008.</li>
<li>At least 22 Nobel Prize recipients did the majority of their winning research at Washington University in St. Louis. </li>
<li>The administration is incredibly friendly and helpful. They are like the staff at an upscale restaurant- understanding of your questions and concerns, at the same time professional and efficient. </li>
<li>Now and then-- surprises on campus like free donuts and coffee in the morning, petting zoos, horse and carriage rides, Fair Trade shopping booths, and the spontaneous pieces of artwork designed by the Art School students</li>
<li>Every year we have the Thurtene Carnival, the oldest and largest student-run carnival (complete with rides, cotton candy, games, and shows!) in the nation.</li>
<li>WashU is close to the City Museum, an artsy place for every one of your creative whims. Go down the giant slide, model something out of clay, watch a magic show, or go on the outdoors jungle gym and ball pool area. A good place to reconnect with your inner (big) child </li>
<li>Major St. Louis attractions are free: Free Zoo, Free History museum, and Free Art museum all within walking distance of campus. (in Forest Park mentioned in #15)</li>
<li>One of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the nation not to far from campus. Admission is not free, but it is fairly cheap. Also they have cultural festivals there a couple of times a year. </li>
<li>The South40. 'Nuff said.</li>
<li>Nerds who put the âcoolâ in âschoolâ</li>
<li>Tons of research scholarships throughout your undergraduate, for every field possible (engineering, biology, anthropology, English, economics, etc)</li>
<li>The fact that itâs WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS.</li>
</ol>
<p>Hey visiting freshmen!
Be sure to PM me your impressions of WashU after your visit! What things on this list were accurate? What else would you like to add? Any peeves?</p>
<p>AlsoâŠthere have been several questions directed to me about the Premedical Program at WashU. Please continue to PM me if you do have questions, but also, Iâd like to share this link to the most recent âWashU premedâ thread (believe me, there have been numerous on CCâŠso you can look for them via Search if you wish)</p>
<p><a href=âhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/washington-university-st-louis/869028-washu-premed-program.html[/url]â>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/washington-university-st-louis/869028-washu-premed-program.html</a></p>
<p>Bumping this awesome thread</p>
<p>Please feel free to PM me with your questions.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: No, I am not being paid to answer your questions, or paid for anything for that matter. I love WashU and remember when I was a high schooler visiting schools. So yea, Iâd love to help you guys out.</p>
<p>lol, judging from this thread and all your previous posts, you must really, really love WashU to an extraordinary degreeâŠ</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I do love WashU, though not to an unearthly degree I hope. I do love helping people out, and I particularly enjoy answering questions for the future freshmen of WashU because I can still remember when I was in your shoes, with the same questions you are all asking! =)</p>
<p>Accepted students: If you guys have any more questions about the WashU experience, please check out the WUSTL 2014 subforum. I posted the WashU Premed Questions and Answers thread, the student activities and organizations thread, and the Specific Majors Q&A. Feel free to post more questions there or PM me.</p>
<p>Bring this Thread Up</p>
<p>this link needs to go here since it has some stuff not covered on the list above so far. </p>
<p><a href=âhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/washington-university-st-louis/878100-school-has-all-washington-university-st-louis-3.html[/url]â>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/washington-university-st-louis/878100-school-has-all-washington-university-st-louis-3.html</a></p>
<ol>
<li>Gateway Arch</li>
</ol>
<p>What about the bus passes and cable? Also, tax free dining purchases with the campus card. Freshman orientation is the best Iâve ever seen and the whole family can get involved. Family feels connected and involved and receive regular communication from the school - letters to parents when students complete their first semester and information on assistance that is available on campus. Great, unadvertised scholarships (Eliot). Outstanding student support that makes it difficult to be unsuccessful here. Great study abroad opportunities.</p>
<p>Just my thoughts as the parent of a sophomore.</p>
<p>â22. Amazing merit scholarship opportunities not found at any school of WashUâs caliberâ</p>
<p>This is misleading. Rice University in Houston is very similar to WashU (I was also admitted to WashU and have visited it twice) in terms of academic quality and dedication to undergrads, and it offers merit scholarships to 30% of incoming freshmen. Additionally, Emory offers merit scholarships to approximately 350 admitted students through the Emory Scholars Program. Both are at WashUâs caliber (both are ranked #17 by USNWR), but it seems that both Rice and Emory offer more merit scholarships. Although my anecdotal evidence isnât proof, I was offered a substantial merit scholarship at both Rice and Emory, but I wasnât offered anything at WashU (even though I applied to many of the WashUâs merit scholarship programs).</p>
<p>Nevertheless, I have tremendous respect for WashU⊠I just wanted to set some facts straight so prospective students are not misled.</p>
<p>I actually read through the entire list, and it is eerily similar to â101 Reasons to Attend Riceâ (Rice is known for down-to-earth nerdy students, both are known for high student quality of life and happiness, both have caring administrations, both are famous in the sciences, both have huge annual water balloon fights, both have an advising network built around residential colleges, both are close to a large urban park and zoo, both are close to a metro rail and bus stop, both are in major metropolitan areas, both are known for their dedication to undergraduates, and both are not as well known throughout the entire country)⊠I think both Rice and WashU are the most similar of top 20 schools.</p>
<p>I think the financial aid/scholarships might be a little random: I was given VERY generous aid from Wash U, but didnât get the same from other similar schools I applied to. I completely agree with you on Rice; the schools have many similarities.</p>
<ol>
<li>The architecture of the buildings is classically gothic and beautiful.</li>
<li>Big university resources, smaller LAC-style attention to students (and AN EXTREMELY SMALL % OF CLASSES TAUGHT BY TAs - and when they are taught by TAs/Grad students this seems to be a good thing - e.g., the Writing 1 class).</li>
<li>Academic Flexibility â Easy to switch schools within WashU and to double major/minor.</li>
<li>Amazing pre-professional programs and resources, especially for pre-meds through the renowned WUSTL medical center</li>
<li>The quality of your peers</li>
<li>Some of the best dorms in the country</li>
<li>Some of the best food for a university</li>
<li>Genuine Midwestern friendliness and helpfulness</li>
<li>Lack of cut-throat competitiveness amongst students, more collaboration</li>
<li>Easy access to metro and bussing (FREE!)</li>
<li>2nd best DIII sports school in the United States</li>
<li>Professors are more undergrad-focused than other top research universities (but renowned in their research fields as well!)</li>
<li>Undergrads have limitless research opportunities.</li>
<li>Beautiful campus (where students are playing ultimate frisbee, football, or in hammocks on the quads).</li>
<li>Forest park across the street (HUGE park with free museums and such).</li>
<li>The Loop (great food and shopping) within walking distance of the university.</li>
<li>Humongous shopping complexes not too far away (by car, Clayton area?)</li>
<li>3 large hospitals within the area.</li>
<li>Exceptional academic advising</li>
<li>Amazing diversity of the student body</li>
<li>Abundance of outstanding prearranged extracurricular activities available to student body (tutoring h.s. students, hospital volunteering, etc.)</li>
<li>Amazing merit scholarship opportunities not found at any school of WashUâs caliber.</li>
<li>Central United States location that allows for relatively easy access from both the East and West Coast.</li>
<li>Hammocks all over campus. âNuff said.</li>
<li>Loads of brand new buildings and a strong commitment to construction and developmentâŠ</li>
<li>St. Louisâs fabulous music scene.</li>
<li>Crazy huge endowment that allows for lots of free trips to campus and subsidized FOCUS excursions and everything a student could want.</li>
<li>Summer excursions like ArtSci Weekends and FSAP that allow students to get acclimated to campus before Orientation.</li>
<li>Awesome Pre-Oâs!</li>
<li>Residential colleges that allow freshman to have connections to sophmores.</li>
<li>Really nice programs for frosh like FOCUS and Freshman Seminars and MBB, Text and Tradition, Medicine in SocietyâŠ</li>
<li>They send you a lot of mail and you feel really good, especially when itâs priority and youâre like âOMG they spend $4.95 on ME!â</li>
<li>Outstanding Financial Aid</li>
<li>St. Louis has some fabulous food. The Hill, Ted Drewes, Tin Cup. Also the amazing Missouri Bakery with the best cheesecake Iâve ever eaten.</li>
<li>Involved and caring students (hirako, don_quixote, johnson181, balancedhelium, etc.) and parents/others (midwest parent; st2, fallenchemist; palmalk, etc.)</li>
<li>WILD (Kid Cudi and the Black Keys in a few weeks!)</li>
<li>Award winning and AMAZING a capella groups</li>
<li>The best dressed university chancellor in the country who has a bowling alley in his house!</li>
<li>The Bunny. Enough said.</li>
<li>Thurtene Carnival, largest in St. Louis, tons of food, games, rides. Greek life also plays a big role in the carnival.</li>
<li>The Holi Festival. Students gather on the Swamp for the schoolâs largest water balloon fight. Everyone gets wet, muddy, and most importantly, everyone has fun.</li>
<li>The Gargoyle</li>
<li>Highest âSurvey-per-week to Studentâ ratio</li>
<li>FLAT SCREEN TVs everywhere!</li>
<li>Smart kids yet no snobbiness</li>
<li>WUstock by the CS40 for free</li>
<li>Ursaâs hot chocolate bar with 10 different kinds of hot chocolate, 6 kinds of homemade whip cream, and crepes on friday nights </li>
<li>Become a part of the best Baseball city in America (Just 5 train stops away from Busch Stadium) </li>
<li>Adjoined to the library is Whisperâs Cafe - where you can go for your late-night studying or cafe food run!</li>
<li>If youâre into any of the hard sciences: the best, top-notch, cutting-edge, fully-stocked laboratories and the myriad of research opportunities that come with them</li>
<li>The award-winning, always fresh and interesting StudLife</li>
<li>Moonlight Breakfast </li>
<li>Walking distance to The Loop, a bustling avenue of shops, cafes, and restaurants</li>
<li>Did I mention the gorgeous campus? Call it fairy-tale or robust and gothic, whatever you wish, but it is GORGEOUS.</li>
<li>Jazz at Holmesâ Lounge</li>
<li>The Campus YMCA and the spawn of volunteer and community outreach programs, including the Social Change Grants</li>
<li>Gelato and crepes in Ursaâs, Froyo at Bearâs Den</li>
<li>Selectively chosen, fully trained, enthusiastic, and approachable Residential Advisors</li>
<li>Academic mentoring WITHIN the residential halls, in the form of selectively chosen, fully trained, and caring Residential Peer Mentors (for Writing, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Calculus)</li>
<li>New Dorms on the 40 have memory foam </li>
<li>Free pizza events all the time</li>
<li>For the premeds: A panel of premedical advisors who are always available, supportive, and effective. While they are available anytime, starting junior year the Pre-Health advisors begin keeping a very close eye on your medical school application process. Premed advising and workshops include mentorship on your personal statements, reviewing your medical school resume, and interview practice.</li>
<li>Bear Patrol, which escorts those late-night study-ers back to their dorms</li>
<li>Closed campus, probably one of the safest around</li>
<li>The newly opened Danforth University Center, with an array of eateries, its own formal restaurant, and the upstairs Game Room (includes Wii, I think)</li>
<li>Wireless Internet access virtually anywhere on campus</li>
<li>Friendly bus drivers who care about the students</li>
<li>Bon Appetit, which listens to the studentsâ needs and concerns and hosts fun events (like that Willy Wonka golden ticket game last year)</li>
<li>Students who are tolerant and supportive of each other</li>
<li>We just won the 2010 Annual Jeopardy! College Championships. BOOYA.</li>
<li>The Lunar New Year Festival - Student dancers and musicians combine artistry and aesthetics to create a story about the Lunar New Year. </li>
<li>Many city events are subsidized for students by campus organizations like ArtSci Council. Examples of events include city symphony performances (freshman year I remember Itzhak Perlman was in town), plays, musicals, Shakespeare in the Park (summer), and more. </li>
<li>The BALLER Brookings Hall. Seriously, have you every stood in the parking lot, beneath that flight of stairs leading to the two towers of Brookings Hall, and know that you will soon ascend the path to greater knowledge?</li>
<li>WashU is one of the prominent hosts of the Vice Presidential Debates, including Palin vs. Biden, 2008.</li>
<li>At least 22 Nobel Prize recipients did the majority of their winning research at Washington University in St. Louis. </li>
<li>The administration is incredibly friendly and helpful. They are like the staff at an upscale restaurant- understanding of your questions and concerns, at the same time professional and efficient. </li>
<li>Now and then-- surprises on campus like free donuts and coffee in the morning, petting zoos, horse and carriage rides, Fair Trade shopping booths, and the spontaneous pieces of artwork designed by the Art School students</li>
<li>Every year we have the Thurtene Carnival, the oldest and largest student-run carnival (complete with rides, cotton candy, games, and shows!) in the nation.</li>
<li>WashU is close to the City Museum, an artsy place for every one of your creative whims. Go down the giant slide, model something out of clay, watch a magic show, or go on the outdoors jungle gym and ball pool area. A good place to reconnect with your inner (big) child </li>
<li>Major St. Louis attractions are free: Free Zoo, Free History museum, and Free Art museum all within walking distance of campus. (in Forest Park mentioned in #15)</li>
<li>One of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the nation not to far from campus. Admission is not free, but it is fairly cheap. Also they have cultural festivals there a couple of times a year. </li>
<li>The South40. 'Nuff said.</li>
<li>Nerds who put the âcoolâ in âschoolâ</li>
<li>Tons of research scholarships throughout your undergraduate, for every field possible (engineering, biology, anthropology, English, economics, etc)</li>
<li>The fact that itâs WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS.</li>
<li>Awesome club sports, even if thereâs not a varsity team (like menâs club volleyball- <a href=âhttps://sites.google.com/site/washuvolleyball/[/url]â>https://sites.google.com/site/washuvolleyball/</a> )</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>Bear Path</li>
<li>An outstanding hotel (including conference rooms and delicious buffet breakfast) right ON campus!</li>
</ol>
<h1>89. Sex on the beach.</h1>