WashU in St. Louis 2014 fall

[hiclub2]

Did Anyone apply WashU? They seem to have an insane amount of resources: https://brownschool.wustl.edu/Resources-and-Initiatives/Pages/default.aspx

[hiclub2]

I know of a few people who applied to Washington University in St. Louis. I'm used to living in Los Angeles so I'm afraid that Saint Louis won't be busy enough for me.

[dlr129]

I applied to WashU! Got my application in last-minute (right on march 1, last priority deadline.)

How long will it take to hear back? How is their financial aid?

 

Yes, location is a consideration... I don't understand the bad rep! For me, it's the reason I applied. St. Louis is where I plan to settle down and start my career, I absolutely love the city

[hiclub2]

I've applied mid jan. So I should be hearing back soon. It take 6to 8weeks

[asd2]

I applied in early December and was accepted in mid-February. Still waiting to hear back from a few schools, but WUSTL looks like a great program. I've been a lurker on these boards for months and have heard little mention of WUSTL, which is strange because it seems that they hook their students up with great opportunities while in school and once they graduate. It seems heavily geared towards research, which is sort of a turn off for me considering I want to get into community and grassroots organizing, but it seems as though WUSTL's program is broad enough to accommodate me. 

 

I hope to visit in a month, but have only driven through St. Louis once and know very little about it other than the cost of living is cheap and so is a lot of entertainment.

 

So, what's good in St. Louis? 

[hiclub2]

Haha good question. 

[asd2]

WashU is considered to have the second best program is Social Work, and I've heard enough good things about St. Louis to give me hope that it'll be an interesting place to live, at the very least. 

[MrsBanks421]

I applied to WUSTL for early decision (application submitted 11/26). I was notified by the dean that I had been accepted on 1/15 and then had my scholarship interview about a week later. I was awarded the Thurgood Marshall scholarship which covers over half of the tuition price! The program is pretty expenisve, so that was a relief. I am going to pursure the direct practice (clinical) track with a concentration in mental health.

I am originally from California (Central Valley) and have been living in Boston for the last six years. Although St. Louis living will be "slower" I am impressed witht the city nonetheless. St. Louis has a lot to offer. There are a number of free museums, entertainment, etc. Like eveyone else has said, cost of living is super cheap. My husband and I are looking to secure a loft near the baseball stadium. These are extremely nice lofts priced at half of what we pay for our apartment in Boston.

I think a lot of people shy away from this program due to its location. However, the school is top notch. My cousin also attended and now has a very successful career. I am very excited to be going!

[Sumrin]

Has anybody applied to WashU's PhD program ?? I am still waiting for the decision..

[dlr129]

what's good in st. louis??? definitely not a dead city!! well, let me list:

1) it is an architecturally beautiful city - the buildings, houses, etc. are among the most beautifully detailed you'll find anywhere.

2) the food. top-notch barbecue (pappy's, bogart's), famous night-only donut shop (john donnut, opens at 11pm), among plethora other places you can't miss.

3) public amenities. forest park, lafayette square, tower grove park are some of best public parks you'll find. all museums and the zoo in forest park are free!

4) alright public transit. not the best, but washu will give you free metropasses for buses and metro.

5) the people - st. louis has the nicest people you'll meet anywhere. strike up a conversation with anyone on the bus, metro, at a restaurant, etc. and they'll be excited to tell you about themselves, their family, etc.

6) an inherent sense of history. st. louis residents are proud of their city and their history. budding architectural historians and writers (michael allen of PRO, alex ihnen of Next STL, etc) mean a positive turn in the city.

7) price - if you do some looking, you can find a 2 bedroom apartment for $550-600 in a good neighborhood, or buy a move-in ready house for <$100,000

? sports - cardinals and blues fans are PROUD and not jerks

9) st. louis is not just a crime-ridden, dangerous city. in my 4 years as a washu undergraduate, i felt unsafe once, and i trekked the whole city. and that unsafe moment was when a cop pulled me over and told me to leave a neighborhood because it was "dangerous" and i had "no business being there," even though i was doing work in the neighborhood! some neighborhoods are derelict or neglected, but crime is generally restricted to in-gang violence. yes, there is some crime throughout the city, but you don't have to go inside at 4:00pm and fear for your life - i went out alone at all hours by walking and bike and never had a problem, as did pretty much all of my friends.

10) great opportunities for growth - st. louis's non-profit and business fields are not top-notch, like you'd find in NY or chicago, but they are quickly growing. your placements will be great, and will only get better with time.

11) it has a gayborhood - people all around the city are lgbt-friendly

so, never fear the great city of st. louis! it's a great place to be

[hiclub2]

Thanks for the information about St. Louis!

[guyinshortsallday]

Hey everyone, 

 

 

is anyone going to WashU? I am considering going there but nervous and concerned about loans? Thoughts? 

[MSW1416]

Hi guyinshortsallday,

 

I am so glad I found this forum! I just got my acceptance to WUSTL yesterday with a $25K scholarship. I was also accepted to UCLA, and planned on going there until this offer came in and now I am more confused than ever about what to do. I have not heard back from UCLA about funding, but I assume it will most likely be in all loans.

 

Where else are you considering guysinshorts? Also, congratulations on your acceptance! 

[guyinshortsallday]

Thank you so much. 

 

 

I just had an interview with CAL and got rejected. I have gotten in a few schools on the east coast (Boston, Simmons, etc.), but I realized shortly after applying that being in the cold is not my thing. Currently, I am waiting for a couple other schools, but Washu is definitely a school I am considering given it's location and prestige. I am currently waiting for some California state schools because I am a little concerned about costs. 

 

 

 

So have you decided? 

[MSW1416]

No, I haven't made a decision yet. I contacted UCLA to ask about how I could possibly make going there affordable, but I haven't heard back yet. Ultimately, money is going to be a deciding factor, and WashU's offer is going to be hard to beat. 

 

Funny you say that about Boston, I am from Boston (still live here) and I am trying to also get away from the cold. I won't lie, UCLA's location is a part of my reasoning for wanting to go there, and what is making this decision so difficult for me.

 

What is CAL is I may ask?

[guyinshortsallday]

Berkeley. Yeah I am not about the cold. 

[dlr129]

I just got accepted to WashU, and they are requesting an interview for scholarship options. Did anyone else have this interview? What did it entail? What do they want to ask me?

[MrsBanks421]

Hi dlr129 - They do an interview with selected applicants. It is very informal and laid back. My interview lasted about 20 minutes.

1.) What made you decide upon social work?

2.) Related volunteer/work experiences

3.) Challenges you have faced and how you overcame them

4.) What do you see yourself doing in 5 years? 10 years?

That is most of what I remember from mine. The point of the interview is for them to decide if you qualify for any of their special scholarships. It's always a good idea to talk about wanting to work with underserved populations (I did and I really believe it influenced their decision to award me one of their larger scholarships).

Hope that helps and good luck! Don't worry too much.

[dlr129]

Oh ok, so it sounds like another general interview? I was worried that since it was an "interview for scholarships" it was going to be another "We don't believe your FAFSA" (got that from multiple universities while applying for undergrad, I guess some places didn't expect kids from working class families to apply there...)