It’s hard to believe that my college decision process started three years ago. Three years ago I applied to Washington University in St. Louis, and I haven’t looked back since. Here’s why:
The Flexibility
Anywhere I went, I knew that I was going to enroll as “undecided” with the ever-so-slightest lean towards science (and business … and art, too … maybe also engineering). This is where Washington University shines. By offering five colleges – Arts & Sciences, Engineering, Business, Art, and Architecture – WashU allows (and encourages) exploration in all areas of study. Enrolling in classes between the colleges is literally as easy as clicking a button, and it shows: A majority of students at WashU choose to pursue another major or minor in addition to their primary area of study.
The Size
During my search, I was looking for a medium sized school – definitely larger than my high school of about 1,400 students, but not so large that I would have to worry about getting “lost” in a sea of almost 30,000 undergraduates. Washington University was that happy medium. With about 7,500 undergraduate students, the school is small enough to have that personal feel and connection, yet at the same time big enough to offer all the support and resources of a large university. You can just as easily meet with your 4-year advisor as you can meet someone new on your way to that meeting.
The Location
Being from Charlotte, North Carolina, I knew that I wanted to continue living in a large city-type area. Situated a short 20-minute MetroLink ride away from downtown St. Louis, Washington University, yet again, was perfect. Living in the suburbs of a big city offers so much opportunity to explore and experience everything from local cuisine to a Beyoncé concert. And, WashU makes traveling throughout the greater St. Louis area super accessible by offering a complimentary U-Pass to every student each semester.
The People
This is super cheesy, but, when I visited Washington University for the first time, I felt it. (I promise this isn’t the St. Louis Provel cheese talking!) I felt that magical, people-always-say-you’ll-just-feel-it feeling. As indescribable a feeling it is, I strongly believe that this was attributed to the people I met on campus. Everyone was so kind and so passionate about being at WashU, that I just knew this was a place full of people I wanted to surround myself with for the next four years.
And, that is “Why WashU?”
