My D is on the bronze plan because she prefers to use her bear bucks so she can eat in the cafe or elsewhere. My D knew up front the bronze plan wouldn’t be enough so that’s why I gave her the bear bucks. She likes having the flexibility of eating at many different places.
Yes, you can move her up to higher meal plan for next semester if you want to. Everyone eats differently and no she isnt’ doing anything wrong. Just give her bear bucks if she runs out so she can get through this semester.
My D is also thinking of renting an apartment next year. She sent me a list of places on Mcpherson, Delmar, Waterman. Most places charge around $1500 for a two-bedroom. If you search on Zillow, you will find several rentals clustered around WashU. D spends lots of time at the library, I am just worried about the walk home late at night.
I don’t know about the off campus apartments, but as a senior, my D lived in the on campus apartments which were spacious and extremely convenient. She was in a 3 bedroom apartment with a kitchen, bathroom and very large living room. D liked the convenience as she also spent a lot of time at the library (and worked there) and doing activities on campus. She got reduced meal plan that year so she would often take her lunch and use her meal plan for dinner or vice versa. She ate breakfast at the apartment.
@parentguidance1 I don’t know anything about the disability services at WashU but I can tell you that in general, WashU seems to do an excellent job in providing services and in communicating with both parents and students. The impression I had for all four years my D was there is that they truly care about their students’ well being. My D went in undecided as a major and had an adviser who really helped her navigate choosing courses her first two years so that she was working towards up to 3 majors before she settled on one. Early in the fall of her junior year, D got mono and was pretty sick for about 3 to 4 weeks - and really did not fully recover until after Thanksgiving. Her professors were all supportive, letting her hand in work a week or more behind and they were very understanding about her missing so many classes. I felt that she was in good hands at Wash U - how she did was still up to her but I felt there were resources available to her if she needed them.
I think the best example I can give is that in the fall of senior year, all seniors must complete an “intent to graduate” form. I wondered why Wash U required that. It is so that the school can make sure that the seniors have met all requirements before their final semester begins. A childhood friend of D’s was attending Georgia Tech at the same time. She graduated on time but her roommate learned weeks before graduation that she was missing some required course and she was not permitted to graduate. This girl had a job lined up that she had to back out of. It sounded like a real mess. Maybe the girl messed up but the school clearly was not looking out for this type of situations. We know a number of students at Penn State who this happened to over the years. The school is large and the kids really have to pay very close attention to graduation requirements on their own. Anyway, I know I did not answer your specific question but I hope this gives you an idea of the culture at Wash U.
What do most people do with kid’s stuff that are flying distance away? Are there storage companies that pack and store everything and then bring it all back beginning of next year? How expansive is it? Just trying to figure it out if we should do that if it’s available or just fly in, pack her stuff and put it in storage. But that would require us to come back with her in the fall.
They store it in air conditioned storage or you can pay more to have a WashU student run storage company pick it up and deliver it to your new dorm/ housing the next semester.
@momworried There are plenty of storage places fairly close to campus. Each summer my D went in a with a few friends to rent a storage unit and left all her stuff there, including her winter clothes. It was not expensive, maybe $30 a month at most. Much cheaper and more convenient that dragging it home or a plane ticket to go back with her. She had a car with her senior year but the other years she got her RA or a friend to give her a ride (about a 5 minute ride from campus).
For freshman year, we did three things. WashU has student run business where you can ship things with them - they have stops on the east coast and other places. We sent three large boxes this way. It was better than shipping as the boxes were placed in her room and were there when we arrived. Second, we picked out a lot of her stuff at Bed, Bath & Beyond. They have a college program where you select the items you want (like a bridal registry) at your local store and it will be waiting for you at the BBB near campus.You don’t even pay ahead of time so when you get there, a decision can be made if you still want certain items. The BBB near WashU is also next door to a large Target so you can get whatever else you need on that trip. Lastly, we sent things to D using Amazon Prime. I’m generally a big fan of Amazon Prime. We sometimes used this for certain books she needed for classes (not usually textbooks, but other reading). HTH.
Where did she get all the packing materials like boxes and stuff? Did she have a friend with a car help her drive stuff in the fall? My daughter has a lot of stuff. Just those under bed storage boxes will take up all of the SUV back. She has a tiny traditional room with no storage so we had to bring her bed all the way up and stock it up with plastic storage containers.
We have used the student-run shipping business. If you live in one of the pick-up areas they come to the house or you bring it to a certain location. If you don’t live in one of those areas, you bring it to the post-office and ship it to them and then they bring it right to your child’s dorm room. It was very convenient. In the summer, he stored some things using the student-run business again. They picked it up from the room and brought it to the new room in the fall. Other stuff that he wanted at home they picked up and delivered to our house. They provided the boxes and tape to pack up the stuff.
Not sure where my D got her packing material - she probably saved it from the prior year. For some reason, when D was there, she had not heard great things about the student run storage (although the shipping was great when we used it freshmen year). Her RA or other friends/sorority sisters helped her get the stuff to storage in the spring. Sophomore year, I got the “brilliant” idea that we would drive D back (uh, 900 miles) to school and make a vacation of it with our S. So we helped her get her stuff that year. I can’t remember if my H flew back with her junior year or if she had someone help her. Spring of junior year, D studied abroad so she had to get everything in storage from December through the next August. But there were plenty of others doing that too. The trick was that this time, she needed her winter clothes to come home with her in December because she was studying abroad in Europe. I went out for a visit in Oct. (took my mom to Parent’s weekend that year) and brought a large suitcase with me which D filled with a lot of her winter clothes and which I brought home. She brought a few more things home at Thanksgiving and the rest in December. Worked out fine since she couldn’t take all that much to Copenhagen - she managed one very large suitcase, a tiny carry on one and a backpack. I digress but really, the kids all work this stuff out together because almost everyone is getting storage units.
Thanks everyone for your advice D just joined the sorority so hopefully the older sisters will give her advice on what to do. She’s not even thinking about it yet. I’m the planner and usually like to know things ahead. But my friend told me to to just let it go and let her figure it out. D is a last minute person so we will see how it will work out. Lol
Hi there! My daughter (from Florida) was just admitted to WUSTL and I have a few questions I haven’t been able to find the answers to. Is housing assigned on a first come first serve basis? Meaning the sooner you send in your housing application, the better your chances of getting one of your choices? Also, which housing type have your kids had? Modern, traditional, double, single…? Also, she was invited to the Olin Spotlight weekend in April. I was wondering if they are given the opportunity to meet with an advisor and register for classes during that time and if they stay with an older student in a dorm. There is not very much information given on that program. Thank you!!!
Hi. Congrats on your daughters acceptance! No the dorm selection is not based on first come first serve. Everyone is assigned a dorm at the same time. Just fill out the form information based on what your daughter wishes to have. My D had a single both years with suite mates and was very happy with that.
I highly recommend SOAR which is over the summer where you will meet with your adviser and sign up for classes. You will also meet your classmates and get used to the campus. My D loved it.
The visits is April are just to visit with WashU and to see the campus and visit with your admission advisors. My D had two tours. One of the campus and one with her major. She spent an hour and a half touring with her major admissions advisor. That was the best part. She showed her all her classrooms and what programs they offer. It was one on one which was sweet.
Thank you so much for your help! This is my first child going to college and we are a bit lost. During the April tours was your daughter able to register for any classes? April is a very busy month for us…just trying to decide if it is worth it for her to go then (other than the free airfare!). Also, did your D find and request a roommate or was she assigned suite mates? Wondering how common it is for them to meet people on the official Facebook page and then room together like other colleges do. When did they get assigned their housing? I guess I will have to go buy her a bunch of winter clothes now! Thanks again for your help!
No I don’t think you can sign up for classes. It isn’t even open yet. You don’t have to visit again unless you haven’t before. The April visits are offered so your child can decide if WashU is for them. If she already knows and doesn’t need to visit then I’d skip it and go to SOAR instead. That’s over the summer and you can sign up for classes then.
Also the computer matches up your child’s likes and dislikes to find a roommate. For example the questions ask are you a morning or night person? Are you neat or messy? It does a pretty good job of matching up roommates. My D didn’t request to be with anyone but you can do that if you’d like.
On the WashU website there is a great helpful tool for freshmen transitioning into WashU . It’s called first year center. WashU does an incredible job with the students.
@jeffthink what website did your daughter use to find a roommate? College confidential blocked out the name. Maybe type it out differently. Was it roommate finder?
The summer before my D started at WashU, she was working at an overnight camp with little free time and no good access to the internet. She did not join the FB group and had her roommate assigned randomly after completing the form about likes/dislikes. The match was good and she and her roommate got along great. They did not live together after freshmen year and seemed to develop different social circles, but they stayed friendly and would meet for a meal together from time to time. From stories I’ve heard of other kids at other schools, sometimes finding a roommate on FB works out fine and sometimes not. It will all work out.
I echo what @newjersey17 wrote. WashU does a wonderful job of getting the kids settled in and the first year center is excellent. Go to their website and search “first year center”. The one for 2019 comes up but it will be mostly the same for 2020. I couldn’t find it on the website just now, so it may have changed, but when my D was a freshman, the First Year Center had a First 100 days program, where they did orientation type activities from time to time for the freshman. The one I remember (because I still have the picture) was photos they took of freshmen on their way to class holding up a little white board with a message to their parents. It was awesome to get that photo. You child will be in good hands at WashU.
S just admitted RD. I thought I had bookmarked mos. ago a wonderful article about freshmen housing options written by a wash univ. student listing pros and cons of each dorm but can no longer find it Does anyone have that article?
