<p>Here’s the deal with WashU: it’s had a top medical school for a long time. It has marketed to undergrads very well so that it now attracts, and has attracted, the top high school students for several decades. If the academics weren’t meeting top students’ expectations, word would have eventually gotten out and the school wouldn’t be so desirable. The faculty wouldn’t be filled with graduates from MIT/Harvard/Oxford/etc. b/c professors wouldn’t want to go there. WashU has money - lots of it. WashU knows how to spend its money. These things are making WashU a great school. Regardless of ranking, you’ve got to keep it together and really be comparable to other top schools in quality or eventually top students and teachers will stop coming.</p>