USC vs. Washington U. in St. Louis?

sacchi
Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:42:32 +0000

Has she visited both schools? When you say she hates winter, where has she lived in and experienced winter in? Of course WashU’s winter will be much colder than USC’s.

My S attends WashU, and we’re from NJ. The St. Louis winter is noticeably shorter than the NJ winter, but otherwise similar in terms of how cold it gets. St. Louis summers are hotter than NJ summers. My S says that the St. Louis weather is more changeable.

If you, say, live in upstate NY and wants to avoid winter, St. Louis would seem mild, but if, say you live in southern California, St. Louis winters would seem harsh. It’s all relative.

S says that there is a large Asian population at Wash U - both Asian-Americans and internationals; at least there is among his circle of friends (he is white). USC has a larger Asian population, but WashU’s is large enough that your D wouldn’t feel at all like she was the only one…

I think WashU has a more nerdy, less partying population than USC, but there is drinking and partying at every college, and WashU is no exception.

She’s got two great choices. She should visit both if she hasn’t yet, to help her decide which fit is better. Based on your description, I would lean towards WashU being the better fit, but I am biased since my S is very happy there.