WashU c/o 2010 (official)

browniegirl86 · Feb 3, 2006

Didn't see it on here, and I know it's kind of early, but I'll definitely be at WashU!

Hi classmates!

QofQuimica · Feb 4, 2006

browniegirl86 said:
Didn't see it on here, and I know it's kind of early, but I'll definitely be at WashU!

Hi classmates!

Hi Brownie; I figured I'd come hang out with you in here.

browniegirl86 · Feb 5, 2006

QofQuimica said:
Hi Brownie; I figured I'd come hang out with you in here.

Thanks Q . . . so . . . lonely . . . +pity+

Gotten any closer to your final decision? Or are you still waiting for all those bazillions of dollars worth of scholarships to roll in?

Wahina · Feb 21, 2006

I'll stop by and say hi. Not quite sure yet, it's going to be hard to say no. You weren't born in 1986, were you?

QofQuimica · Feb 21, 2006

Wahina said:
I'll stop by and say hi. Not quite sure yet, it's going to be hard to say no. You weren't born in 1986, were you?

It's painful to hear that almost all of you were born in the 1980s.

Congrats on your acceptance, BTW.

Brownie, still no final decision yet. Wash U sure got kind of quiet all of a sudden.

browniegirl86 · Feb 21, 2006

Wahina said:
I'll stop by and say hi. Not quite sure yet, it's going to be hard to say no. You weren't born in 1986, were you?

No. It's just the random number I got with my first hotmail account in like . . . 1998. Just stuck. And the brownie part came from me looking at a Girl Scouts book while I was trying to think up a username.

I was born in 1983

browniegirl86 · Feb 21, 2006

QofQuimica said:
It's painful to hear that almost all of you were born in the 1980s. Congrats on your acceptance, BTW.

Brownie, still no final decision yet. Wash U sure got kind of quiet all of a sudden.

They have been pretty quiet, but the scholarship interview invites should be sent out soon I think, since the interviews are supposed to be in mid-March. The rumor mill tells me that people with acceptances at other top schools, specifically with scholarships (such as yourself) are more likely to get one of the WashU scholarships in an attempt to lure them away from competing schools.

Of course I take that with a grain of salt and HOPE it's not true (I withdrew from everywhere except for Baylor and UCSF since I knew I wouldn't go to any of the other schools).

Have you gotten the info about second look weekend? All I know are the dates.

QofQuimica · Feb 22, 2006

browniegirl86 said:
Have you gotten the info about second look weekend? All I know are the dates.

No, that's all I know too.

Camel · Feb 22, 2006

WashU is def. a possibility for me. Hello to all!

It is kinda tied witha bunch of other schools, though. I don't know how much to value name recognition/rankings vs finances (if I get a scholarship somewhere else that is not highly ranked). I don't take much stock in rankings, but a lot of other people seem to... Any thoughts?

QofQuimica · Feb 22, 2006

Camel said:
WashU is def. a possibility for me. Hello to all! It is kinda tied witha bunch of other schools, though. I don't know how much to value name recognition/rankings vs finances (if I get a scholarship somewhere else that is not highly ranked). I don't take much stock in rankings, but a lot of other people seem to... Any thoughts?

This question comes up again and again, and there is no one right answer for all students. You need to be very honest with yourself about what your values and needs are, because my priorities are likely to be very different than yours, and brownie will have a third set altogether. If the school's ranking and prestige are important to you, then admit that (at least to yourself!), and factor school ranking into your decision-making.

Using myself as an example: I'm planning to have a career in academic medicine, so it's important to me to go to a school with a lab for me to join. This is the main reason that I was interested in Wash U; there is a researcher there with whom I would like to work. (The school's prestige in and of itself isn't a major factor for me; one of my other top choice schools is not even ranked in the US News top 50.) I'm also a non-trad (over age 30), so I want to avoid taking on much debt; thus, I care a great deal about financial aid. Third, I would like to go to a school that has other older students. The youth of Wash U's class is probably its biggest disadvantage for me, assuming that I get a good financial aid package from them. But that doesn't mean that it isn't the perfect fit for you. If you are 22 years old yourself (and chances are good that you are

), you most likely won't care that there aren't any 30+-year-olds there. Likewise, if you're on a military scholarship, or your parents can afford to pay the tuition at Wash U, you probably won't care about the financial aspect either. And so on.

In the end, no one can tell you which school is best for you except you. And that will take some introspection and soul-searching on your part. Hope this helps, and best wishes wherever you end up. :luck:

stherling · Feb 27, 2006

hey! I was wondering when someone would start this thread... I can't believe I didn't notice its presence for 3 weeks. I THINK I'll be going to Wash U come Fall.... depends heavily on scholarship outcomes and if I get into the other school I interviewed at (letters apparently go out this week....), but I really liked Wash U and am pretty excited about the prospect of going there!

The only things that worry me about Wash U are... distance (and expense of travel) from my bf in Philadelphia, the apparent need to own a car, and how every student I met had gone to med sch straight out of college (I took two years off). But I did love the school, and especially the research opportunities.... so.....

Anyway. like many other people, I'll be more definite in a week or so!

browniegirl86 · Mar 4, 2006

stherling said:
hey! I was wondering when someone would start this thread... I can't believe I didn't notice its presence for 3 weeks. I THINK I'll be going to Wash U come Fall.... depends heavily on scholarship outcomes and if I get into the other school I interviewed at (letters apparently go out this week....), but I really liked Wash U and am pretty excited about the prospect of going there!

The only things that worry me about Wash U are... distance (and expense of travel) from my bf in Philadelphia, the apparent need to own a car, and how every student I met had gone to med sch straight out of college (I took two years off). But I did love the school, and especially the research opportunities.... so..... Anyway. like many other people, I'll be more definite in a week or so!

Congrats! I'm pretty much freaking out about scholarships . . . trying not to think about how amazing it would be to get one of those :scared:

superdevil · Mar 4, 2006

hey everybody,

congrats on all those acceptances!

if there are any questions i can answer (or make a wildly inaccurate attempt at answering) for you regarding washu, shoot--PMs or on the thread, whatever you like. i like it here, but i definitely won't sugarcoat anything.

ps: i'm sure other washu students are probably on here a lot so you can ask them stuff, too. i don't even think i've posted on SDN this year. wow. a far cry from the AMCAS days...

stherling · Mar 4, 2006

browniegirl86 said:
Congrats! I'm pretty much freaking out about scholarships . . . trying not to think about how amazing it would be to get one of those

Tell me about it!! I know my chances aren't high, but I can't help thinking about it. I REALLY hope it's not true that you need to have other acceptances at other top schools to stand a chance...

BUT the more I think about it, the more excited I am about heading out to Wash U in the fall, scholarship or no scholarship, and that's something

QofQuimica · Mar 4, 2006

superdevil said:
hey everybody,

congrats on all those acceptances! if there are any questions i can answer (or make a wildly inaccurate attempt at answering) for you regarding washu, shoot--PMs or on the thread, whatever you like. i like it here, but i definitely won't sugarcoat anything.

ps: i'm sure other washu students are probably on here a lot so you can ask them stuff, too. i don't even think i've posted on SDN this year. wow. a far cry from the AMCAS days...

Ok, so how about helping me out with the student age thing. I spent three days at Wash U when I interviewed, and the closest person I met to a non-trad there was a seventh year MSTP student who was 27 y/o and who apparently is a nightly fixture at the interviewee pizza parties. I will be 31 when I start med school. Was there anyone, anyone at all, who was born prior to 1980 in your first year class??? And if so, would this person be willing to talk to me about his/her experiences? I'm just concerned that Wash U is not going to be a very good fit for me socially. I didn't feel like the school is hostile toward older students, but I have the impression that there just aren't any of them there. Thoughts?

stherling · Mar 4, 2006

superdevil said:
if there are any questions i can answer (or make a wildly inaccurate attempt at answering) for you regarding washu, shoot--PMs or on the thread, whatever you like. i like it here, but i definitely won't sugarcoat anything.

hey superdevil, how hard is it to get involved in research during the school term? I know there are great summer opportunities, but is it possible/hard/easy to work in a lab during the year? Also, do PIs expect you to have relevant research experience or can you get involved in an area you have no background in?

Thanks! I'm sure I'll have more questions later

kirexhana · Mar 4, 2006

hey guys and gals,

just thought i'd join the party! i'm SO stoked about Wash U

! is everyone going to the revisit?

QofQuimica · Mar 4, 2006

kirexhana said:
hey guys and gals,

just thought i'd join the party! i'm SO stoked about Wash U ! is everyone going to the revisit?

Congrats on your acceptance, kirexhana.

browniegirl86 · Mar 4, 2006

kirexhana said:
hey guys and gals,

just thought i'd join the party! i'm SO stoked about Wash U ! is everyone going to the revisit?

stherling · Mar 4, 2006

kirexhana said:
hey guys and gals,

just thought i'd join the party! i'm SO stoked about Wash U ! is everyone going to the revisit?

Congrats and welcome

Syranope2 · Mar 4, 2006

QofQuimica said:
Ok, so how about helping me out with the student age thing. I spent three days at Wash U when I interviewed, and the closest person I met to a non-trad there was a seventh year MSTP student who was 27 y/o and who apparently is a nightly fixture at the interviewee pizza parties. I will be 31 when I start med school. Was there anyone, anyone at all, who was born prior to 1980 in your first year class??? And if so, would this person be willing to talk to me about his/her experiences? I'm just concerned that Wash U is not going to be a very good fit for me socially. I didn't feel like the school is hostile toward older students, but I have the impression that there just aren't any of them there. Thoughts?

I'm in the second year class at Wash U, and the two oldest students turned 30 this year. We also have quite a few people over the age of 26. Let me know if you want their email addresses and I'll ask them if they'd mind.

QofQuimica · Mar 5, 2006

Syranope2 said:
I'm in the second year class at Wash U, and the two oldest students turned 30 this year. We also have quite a few people over the age of 26. Let me know if you want their email addresses and I'll ask them if they'd mind.

I would really appreciate that.

superdevil · Mar 5, 2006

QofQuimica said:
Ok, so how about helping me out with the student age thing. I spent three days at Wash U when I interviewed, and the closest person I met to a non-trad there was a seventh year MSTP student who was 27 y/o and who apparently is a nightly fixture at the interviewee pizza parties. I will be 31 when I start med school. Was there anyone, anyone at all, who was born prior to 1980 in your first year class??? And if so, would this person be willing to talk to me about his/her experiences? I'm just concerned that Wash U is not going to be a very good fit for me socially. I didn't feel like the school is hostile toward older students, but I have the impression that there just aren't any of them there. Thoughts?

admittedly, our class is pretty young--though i wouldn't say by design. two of my best friends in the first year class are 27 and 28, though. i believe we have a whopping 1 person in my class who is 30. i would say there's a decent amount of people in their mid-late 20's, but the upper end of our age range does seem to be a tad low.

also, you have to consider what you want out of a school "socially". do you want an active class that goes out a lot? well, we sure as hell have that here. do you want to be more business-like, show up and do your work and then go home and relax? well, you can do that anywhere, age be damned. if you really want to go out, AND have the people be your age, the med school does participate in a lot of social activities with other grad schools in the university, so there's always the chance of meeting people you'd like. its all a matter of what you make out of the situation. if you have any concerns that are more specific, let's hear 'em.

superdevil · Mar 5, 2006

stherling said:
hey superdevil, how hard is it to get involved in research during the school term? I know there are great summer opportunities, but is it possible/hard/easy to work in a lab during the year? Also, do PIs expect you to have relevant research experience or can you get involved in an area you have no background in?

Thanks! I'm sure I'll have more questions later

as far as during the school term, it there if you want it. there's plenty of work to be done as a student, though, believe me. i would say, however, that its pretty easy to get into a lab during the school year. hell, the PI doesn't care if its july or march, cheap labor is cheap labor! as far as having experience goes, expectations vary among PIs, but most of them will take anybody who is seriously interested.

for instance, i just finished an elective in molecular hematology (really just a basic science leukemia journal club with some lectures), and after the course was over, the faculty all gave us open invitations to come take up projects in their labs or come up with new projects. they also made a point of saying 'no experience necessary' and they were all very personable and down-to-earth. the opportunities are here in spades--it just depends on how much you're willing to take on at one time.

keep the questions coming.

QofQuimica · Mar 5, 2006

superdevil said:
also, you have to consider what you want out of a school "socially". do you want an active class that goes out a lot? well, we sure as hell have that here. do you want to be more business-like, show up and do your work and then go home and relax? well, you can do that anywhere, age be damned. if you really want to go out, AND have the people be your age, the med school does participate in a lot of social activities with other grad schools in the university, so there's always the chance of meeting people you'd like. its all a matter of what you make out of the situation. if you have any concerns that are more specific, let's hear 'em.

Hmm, I guess I wasn't very clear about what I mean. But the going out is a perfect example. I am way past the partying point in my life. I've been 22 before, and I certainly remember what that was like, but I'm not looking to re-live my adolescence. On the other hand, being "business-like, showing up, and doing my work before going home to relax" by myself while all of my classmates hit the bar together is bound to get lonely for me after a while. It's not really even chronological age that matters to me as much as knowing that I'm not joining a de facto frat house. But at the same time, I also don't want the other extreme, where people just study and don't do anything else. Would you say that most people do more than just study and party? Such as, do students volunteer in a free clinic? Do research during the school year? Teach or mentor kids? Have class social activities that don't revolve around getting trashed? It's important to me to go to a school where the students are involved in the community and service-oriented.

Does that make my question clearer? And a kind of related question: out of curiosity, why do YOU think that the class is so young? I'm wondering because a lot of Wash U's peer schools seem to have much more diverse classes. I also want to say that I appreciate you answering my questions.

superdevil · Mar 6, 2006

QofQuimica said:
Hmm, I guess I wasn't very clear about what I mean. But the going out is a perfect example. I am way past the partying point in my life. I've been 22 before, and I certainly remember what that was like, but I'm not looking to re-live my adolescence. On the other hand, being "business-like, showing up, and doing my work before going home to relax" by myself while all of my classmates hit the bar together is bound to get lonely for me after a while. It's not really even chronological age that matters to me as much as knowing that I'm not joining a de facto frat house. But at the same time, I also don't want the other extreme, where people just study and don't do anything else. Would you say that most people do more than just study and party? Such as, do students volunteer in a free clinic? Do research during the school year? Teach or mentor kids? Have class social activities that don't revolve around getting trashed? It's important to me to go to a school where the students are involved in the community and service-oriented.

Does that make my question clearer? And a kind of related question: out of curiosity, why do YOU think that the class is so young? I'm wondering because a lot of Wash U's peer schools seem to have much more diverse classes. I also want to say that I appreciate you answering my questions.

PM'ed ya.

QofQuimica · Mar 6, 2006

superdevil said:
PM'ed ya.

Thanks, man, I appreciate it.

stherling · Mar 6, 2006

superdevil said:
hell, the PI doesn't care if its july or march, cheap labor is cheap labor!

Hey, thanks for responding! What do you mean by cheap labour though? Is this dependent on being work-study? (I'm international) Or just in general that students will work for peanuts?

browniegirl86 · Mar 6, 2006

stherling said:
Hey, thanks for responding! What do you mean by cheap labour though? Is this dependent on being work-study? (I'm international) Or just in general that students will work for peanuts?

Or for free

superdevil · Mar 6, 2006

stherling said:
Hey, thanks for responding! What do you mean by cheap labour though? Is this dependent on being work-study? (I'm international) Or just in general that students will work for peanuts?

well, the school itself has programs and funds that pay students to do research regarless of PI funding, so a med student may actually be totally 'free' to a PI. even if they have to pay you out-of-pocket, its not that much compared to a lab tech salary, etc, anyway. there's lots of money to go around.

Syranope2 · Mar 7, 2006

QofQuimica said:
Hmm, I guess I wasn't very clear about what I mean. But the going out is a perfect example. I am way past the partying point in my life. I've been 22 before, and I certainly remember what that was like, but I'm not looking to re-live my adolescence. On the other hand, being "business-like, showing up, and doing my work before going home to relax" by myself while all of my classmates hit the bar together is bound to get lonely for me after a while. It's not really even chronological age that matters to me as much as knowing that I'm not joining a de facto frat house. But at the same time, I also don't want the other extreme, where people just study and don't do anything else. Would you say that most people do more than just study and party? Such as, do students volunteer in a free clinic? Do research during the school year? Teach or mentor kids? Have class social activities that don't revolve around getting trashed? It's important to me to go to a school where the students are involved in the community and service-oriented.

Does that make my question clearer? And a kind of related question: out of curiosity, why do YOU think that the class is so young? I'm wondering because a lot of Wash U's peer schools seem to have much more diverse classes. I also want to say that I appreciate you answering my questions.

I'm not sure what superdevil pmed you about, but i will say that the second year class, at least, is incredibly active in the community. we do have some people who can't seem to give up the college, go out and get drunk mentality, but the great majority of students in my class are really involved in student groups and things outside the school in the community. i think one of the best things about Wash U is its dedication to the student groups. We are provided with really ample budgets to allow us to start up programs, bring intersting speakers to campus, and travel to nationwide conferences. There are probably 5 or 6 groups that go out to St. Louis middle/high schools and teach AIDS ed, sex ed, prenatal ed, etc. There are several free clinics where students work, including one where the patients are primarily Spanish-speakers. There are also opportunities to be involved with student government, both in the med school and on graduate student committees at the undergrad campus. There is soooooo much to do besides studying and partying.

I promise I'm working on getting you those email addresses

Syranope2 · Mar 7, 2006

stherling said:
Hey, thanks for responding! What do you mean by cheap labour though? Is this dependent on being work-study? (I'm international) Or just in general that students will work for peanuts?

Wash U is a huge research institution. There is something available for ANYONE in research, whether you want to work in the same lab for three years during med school and take off a year between second and third years to do more research, or if you just want to go in on a few free weekends and work on a project involving chart review. There's no experience necessary for a lot of these positions, and it's not dependent at all on financial aid/work study. You can be doing research with professors at the top of their field. They've been working with med students for years and know how to set you up in a project where you can really have an impact. They know how important publications are and they'll do their best to get your name on at least one paper.

As for funds, Wash U has money out the wazoo, it seems, especially for research. Of all the people who decided to do research last summer (more than half the class), between first and second year, every single one of them recieved a $3400 stipend for their work from the school (not bad considering the cost of living in St. Louis). If you want to do research of any kind and any commitment level, you can do it here.

Bernito · Mar 7, 2006

QofQuimica said:
Hmm, I guess I wasn't very clear about what I mean. But the going out is a perfect example. I am way past the partying point in my life. I've been 22 before, and I certainly remember what that was like, but I'm not looking to re-live my adolescence. On the other hand, being "business-like, showing up, and doing my work before going home to relax" by myself while all of my classmates hit the bar together is bound to get lonely for me after a while. It's not really even chronological age that matters to me as much as knowing that I'm not joining a de facto frat house. But at the same time, I also don't want the other extreme, where people just study and don't do anything else. Would you say that most people do more than just study and party? Such as, do students volunteer in a free clinic? Do research during the school year? Teach or mentor kids? Have class social activities that don't revolve around getting trashed? It's important to me to go to a school where the students are involved in the community and service-oriented.

Does that make my question clearer? And a kind of related question: out of curiosity, why do YOU think that the class is so young? I'm wondering because a lot of Wash U's peer schools seem to have much more diverse classes. I also want to say that I appreciate you answering my questions.

Is this considerably different than every other school? I mean it seems that people aren't very creative everywhere, almost regardless of age, so going to a bar is the default way to have "fun". But at the same time I think most schools have student groups. In my opinion one of the best way to meet people that have something in common with you is via athletics. You're a runner, right? Well I know they have a running group, another group training for a marathon, and with forest park right there I am sure you will not have a problem recruiting others. Just one example.

QofQuimica · Mar 7, 2006

Bernito said:
Is this considerably different than every other school? I mean it seems that people aren't very creative everywhere, almost regardless of age, so going to a bar is the default way to have "fun". But at the same time I think most schools have student groups. In my opinion one of the best way to meet people that have something in common with you is via athletics. You're a runner, right? Well I know they have a running group, another group training for a marathon, and with forest park right there I am sure you will not have a problem recruiting others. Just one example.

I don't know for sure, since I haven't ever attended any medical school, but my impression is yes. There are definitely some schools that have a lot more older students than others. I would say that AECOM, Pitt, Case, Baylor, Miami, U Mich, Harvard, Chicago, USF, and Yale all have fairly large numbers of older students. Other schools are very young, like UF, UAB, Duke, Penn, Vanderbilt, and yes, Wash U. I understand that older students aren't going to be the majority at any school, and I'm not expecting that.

Your idea of student interest groups is a good one....they have an Old Farts Club at Pitt for students who are over age 30. I suppose I could start a club like that at Wash U, but the problem is that I'd likely be the only member.

P.S. Thanks, syranope.

stherling · Mar 7, 2006

Anyone going to the 2nd look weekend?

Bernito · Mar 7, 2006

QofQuimica said:
I don't know for sure, since I haven't ever attended any medical school, but my impression is yes. There are definitely some schools that have a lot more older students than others. I would say that AECOM, Pitt, Case, Baylor, Miami, U Mich, Harvard, Chicago, USF, and Yale all have fairly large numbers of older students. Other schools are very young, like UF, UAB, Duke, Penn, Vanderbilt, and yes, Wash U. I understand that older students aren't going to be the majority at any school, and I'm not expecting that.

Your idea of student interest groups is a good one....they have an Old Farts Club at Pitt for students who are over age 30. I suppose I could start a club like that at Wash U, but the problem is that I'd likely be the only member.

P.S. Thanks, syranope.

Sorry I assumed you had been accepted at every single school in the country. Was it really that bad of an assumption?

Another thing is that many students will be involved in different community activities as someone mentioned. I was wondering actually if any current students could comment on La Clinica. At my interview I asked Dr Ross about it and he told me a good deal. But it was something that I had to dig around to find information on in the first place. How many students volunteer there, what do they do, is it really far... Basically anything other than what it is and whom it serves.

browniegirl86 · Mar 7, 2006

stherling said:
Anyone going to the 2nd look weekend?

Yeah but I can't get there until Saturday morning

QofQuimica · Mar 7, 2006

Bernito said:
Sorry I assumed you had been accepted at every single school in the country. Was it really that bad of an assumption?

Another thing is that many students will be involved in different community activities as someone mentioned. I was wondering actually if any current students could comment on La Clinica. At my interview I asked Dr Ross about it and he told me a good deal. But it was something that I had to dig around to find information on in the first place. How many students volunteer there, what do they do, is it really far... Basically anything other than what it is and whom it serves.

Nope, I haven't even been accepted everywhere I applied. Some of them have waitlisted me and even rejected me.

Ok, so are you a non-trad, Bernito, and are you considering attending Wash U?

stherling · Mar 9, 2006

browniegirl86 said:
Yeah but I can't get there until Saturday morning

that's a pity... are you working friday?

Anyhow, I just decided I'm going to go, if for nothing else, to witness the 1st Annual School of Medicine Musical

Also to wrangle a day off work. And to check out apartments (maybe). So see you guys there!

Do any of the current students know if the musical will be an annually recurring thing? I remember when I was interviewing at Wash U one of the girls at my lunch table was asking if there were any theatre groups in the medical school she could get involved in and was basically told that there weren't any...

Also, did any of you participate in the the public health week (wump?) before orientation? I just noticed it in the dis-orientation guide they gave us... Did you enjoy it?

browniegirl86 · Mar 9, 2006

stherling said:
that's a pity... are you working friday?

Anyhow, I just decided I'm going to go, if for nothing else, to witness the 1st Annual School of Medicine Musical Also to wrangle a day off work. And to check out apartments (maybe). So see you guys there!

Do any of the current students know if the musical will be an annually recurring thing? I remember when I was interviewing at Wash U one of the girls at my lunch table was asking if there were any theatre groups in the medical school she could get involved in and was basically told that there weren't any...

Also, did any of you participate in the the public health week (wump?) before orientation? I just noticed it in the dis-orientation guide they gave us... Did you enjoy it?

I have a chamber singers concert, and since I'm one of the three first sopranos . . . I have to be there. Oh well, it's one of my last performances with professional level choral group so it's worth it

I DEFINITELY want to check out apartments . . . do you think that locators will be open on Sunday?

stherling · Mar 9, 2006

browniegirl86 said:
I DEFINITELY want to check out apartments . . . do you think that locators will be open on Sunday?

No idea... any of the current students have any clue? I don't even really know where to start. I'm still thinking about staying at Olin for my first year.... for convenience if nothing else.... but I go back and forth on that. I'm not a fan of living in an apartment by myself, but I'm also not a fan of living in an apartment with complete strangers either!

browniegirl86 · Mar 9, 2006

stherling said:
No idea... any of the current students have any clue? I don't even really know where to start. I'm still thinking about staying at Olin for my first year.... for convenience if nothing else.... but I go back and forth on that. I'm not a fan of living in an apartment by myself, but I'm also not a fan of living in an apartment with complete strangers either!

You can live with me

I'm not a psycho and I pay my bills on time, and I can cook. I can't live in Olin because I have a dog. Good thing is, a lot of the apartments in the Disorientation Guide take dogs no problem.

stherling · Mar 9, 2006

oh browniegirl86, if I hadn't just lived through a year made miserable by my roommate's pets, and wasn't more of a cat person I might have actually taken you up on that.

What sort of dog do you have, anyway? Maybe if it's particularly cat-like we could work something out

ahumdinger · Mar 9, 2006

Hey washU class-- I'm a class of 2010 wannabe, but I'm from st. louis and live right around the school, AND I have a dog. So I thought I'd weigh in on the apt issue. (also, hopefully your superstar abilities to get accepted will rub off on me)

For people who want to live in an apt but are considering olin for the convenience, you should find out if you can do Olin for just one semester, and then you can try to find an apt (possibly with a classmate or another schoolmate) second semester. I'm not sure if the housing contract allows for this. The downside is that if you start a lease in January, that means it'll end in January, and during your last year you might have to do month-to-month or find subletters when you leave. Olin really isn't that bad. There's a great new med student gym that you guys probably saw on your tour, and I hear it's a great way to get to know your classmates (throwback to freshmen year dorm living!!)

There used to be an awesome dog park on Taylor (near the corner of Lindell) but the property was on loan to us from a realtor who planned to develop it. So now it's closed, but there's another one on Olive (near the corner of Taylor) that is an "all-weather" dog park (has mulch rather than grass so not muddy on rainy days). The Central West End is REALLY dog-friendly. There are plenty of apts that allow dogs, but none of the highrise ones on Lindell allow dogs. So though it's easy to find an apt that allow dogs, it's more difficult to do so on a super tight budget. (but if you're from a big city, any rent prices here will sound cheap to you!)

The other thing the incoming class should keep in mind is that the Metrolink expansion will be done (hopefully) by the time school starts. This means that you no longer have to limit yourself to living in the CWE. The Metrolink will go by the undergrad campus and also the brentwood/richmond heights areas (right behind the trader joe's) and there are affordable places to rent and to buy over there. The university is offering a U-Pass (included in tuition) that will give you unlimited rides on metrolink. Since metrolink basically drops you off right in front of Farrell, getting to class will be SUPER easy.

hope this helps.

browniegirl86 · Mar 9, 2006

stherling said:
oh browniegirl86, if I hadn't just lived through a year made miserable by my roommate's pets, and wasn't more of a cat person I might have actually taken you up on that. What sort of dog do you have, anyway? Maybe if it's particularly cat-like we could work something out

She is a shelter dog named Uma. Cutest dog on earth:

She does love cats. If they want to play with her, she loves to play chase and will swat playfully at the cat (she's a big imitator). If the cat is not into playing (like my parent's cat) then she knows to keep her distance. I was actually thinking about getting her a kitten friend once I am at school. She's crate and potty trained, and can play fetch AND frisbee

Can you tell I am completely in love with this dog?

browniegirl86 · Mar 9, 2006

ahumdinger said:
Hey washU class-- I'm a class of 2010 wannabe, but I'm from st. louis and live right around the school, AND I have a dog. So I thought I'd weigh in on the apt issue. (also, hopefully your superstar abilities to get accepted will rub off on me)

For people who want to live in an apt but are considering olin for the convenience, you should find out if you can do Olin for just one semester, and then you can try to find an apt (possibly with a classmate or another schoolmate) second semester. I'm not sure if the housing contract allows for this. The downside is that if you start a lease in January, that means it'll end in January, and during your last year you might have to do month-to-month or find subletters when you leave. Olin really isn't that bad. There's a great new med student gym that you guys probably saw on your tour, and I hear it's a great way to get to know your classmates (throwback to freshmen year dorm living!!)

There used to be an awesome dog park on Taylor (near the corner of Lindell) but the property was on loan to us from a realtor who planned to develop it. So now it's closed, but there's another one on Olive (near the corner of Taylor) that is an "all-weather" dog park (has mulch rather than grass so not muddy on rainy days). The Central West End is REALLY dog-friendly. There are plenty of apts that allow dogs, but none of the highrise ones on Lindell allow dogs. So though it's easy to find an apt that allow dogs, it's more difficult to do so on a super tight budget. (but if you're from a big city, any rent prices here will sound cheap to you!)

The other thing the incoming class should keep in mind is that the Metrolink expansion will be done (hopefully) by the time school starts. This means that you no longer have to limit yourself to living in the CWE. The Metrolink will go by the undergrad campus and also the brentwood/richmond heights areas (right behind the trader joe's) and there are affordable places to rent and to buy over there. The university is offering a U-Pass (included in tuition) that will give you unlimited rides on metrolink. Since metrolink basically drops you off right in front of Farrell, getting to class will be SUPER easy.

hope this helps.

Thank you! Good news about the dog thing. I'd love to live in the CWE, and my impression of the rates there is that they're comparable to those in Austin. Do you have any idea how quickly apartments fill up around there? Like, would it be advisable to find a place during second look or would it be ok to wait until summer?

QofQuimica · Mar 9, 2006

browniegirl86 said:
She is a shelter dog named Uma. Cutest dog on earth:

She does love cats. If they want to play with her, she loves to play chase and will swat playfully at the cat (she's a big imitator). If the cat is not into playing (like my parent's cat) then she knows to keep her distance. I was actually thinking about getting her a kitten friend once I am at school. She's crate and potty trained, and can play fetch AND frisbee

Can you tell I am completely in love with this dog?

One of my cats would definitely play with her; he is very friendly and loves other animals. He was a stray, too. His name is Graymalkin.

browniegirl86 · Mar 9, 2006

QofQuimica said:
One of my cats would definitely play with her; he is very friendly and loves other animals. He was a stray, too. His name is Graymalkin.

Love the name! Maybe if you get lured to WashU we can set up a playdate

stherling · Mar 9, 2006

browniegirl, your dog Uma is really cute

Btw, I know this is kinda random, but being from Austin, have you ever been to Spamarama?

ahumdinger · Mar 10, 2006

browniegirl86 said:
Thank you! Good news about the dog thing. I'd love to live in the CWE, and my impression of the rates there is that they're comparable to those in Austin. Do you have any idea how quickly apartments fill up around there? Like, would it be advisable to find a place during second look or would it be ok to wait until summer?

waiting for summer would definitely be fine. CWE is probably one of the more expensive places to live in St. Louis. If you live by yourself, you can get a studio for $450+, a one bedroom for $500+ (though the nicer ones are $600-700). If you share an apt, you can usually get it down to about $300-400 per person, depending on how many bedrooms. Again, your choices are limited if you have a dog and you may have to pay extra.

WashU c/o 2010 (official)

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Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....

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Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....

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Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....

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Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....

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Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....

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Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....

planning my escape

Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....

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planning my escape

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Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....

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Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....

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Seriously, dude, I think you're overreacting....

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