To anyone who has interviewed with Wash U., how long did it take you to hear from them? It's been over two months since my interview and I've heard nothing. Any other interviewees still waiting?
v.
v.
wash u
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Quickly coming up on month two for me...
I've got you all beat! I interviewed 11/9 and I haven't heard anything. I'm starting to think it's only a matter of time before I get the skinny letter in the mail.
On a not completely unrelated note: why don't we compare what all we know about WashU's admissions process? It may be rather informative for us (if nothing else, it will at least pass the time
). I know lilycat had some good info. The only thing I know is that, in November, the adcom said they would meet 3 more times between then and February (which is now over). I'm guessing that means they've made their decisions by now. Soooo, I guess we should be hearing something pretty soon...
On a conflicting note, I swear I heard something about them notifying us in mid-April as to whether we were accepted, rejected, or waitlisted, but I have no idea where I heard that. Any confirmation of that?
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Hercules
But there is also a time for sleeping.
-Odysseus in the Odyssey 11.330-331
On a not completely unrelated note: why don't we compare what all we know about WashU's admissions process? It may be rather informative for us (if nothing else, it will at least pass the time
On a conflicting note, I swear I heard something about them notifying us in mid-April as to whether we were accepted, rejected, or waitlisted, but I have no idea where I heard that. Any confirmation of that?
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Hercules
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I interviewed in early February and was told by my interviwer that they try to send everybody a letter by April 15th telling everyone their status. I know, as of my interview date, they were still accepting students into their class for the fall. The interview was not just for the waitlist. However, my odds are probably worse than any of the previous posters, given my late interview date.
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Incognito, don't sweat it -- I only interviewed a month before you did. My only real information is basically what you had -- their goal is to let everyone know their status by April 15. At my interview they also said that they meet the 3rd Tuesday of every month. And I do know that they do reject people post-interview. However, I've also heard from my premed advisors here at school that they tend to accept a very large percentage of their class off of the wait-list -- sometimes as much as 40-50%.
On a somewhat related note, I was chatting with this anesthesiology resident yesterday who went to SLU for med school, and she had very good things to say about living in St. Louis. (I just get so entertained by the whole St. Louis inferiority complex, because if they didn't have it, I wouldn't care that the school was in St. Louis!). Anyways, I think she was originally from the east coast, but she definitely liked St. Louis, said it was a fun (and cheap) place to live, etc.
On a somewhat related note, I was chatting with this anesthesiology resident yesterday who went to SLU for med school, and she had very good things to say about living in St. Louis. (I just get so entertained by the whole St. Louis inferiority complex, because if they didn't have it, I wouldn't care that the school was in St. Louis!). Anyways, I think she was originally from the east coast, but she definitely liked St. Louis, said it was a fun (and cheap) place to live, etc.
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More information:
At my interview in early December, the introductory talk was given by a rather verbose administrator, who went into excruciating detail about the admissions process, which I will pass on to you.
The files of interviewees are evaluated by regional subcommittees, which meet the third Tuesday of each month. Each subcommittee picks its favorite eight candidates from a steadily-growing stack of files. The regional committee presents its eight picks at the full committee meeting the next day. Approval by the full committee is generally automatic. A list of acceptees is made, and if you're on it you'll get a call from the head of the committee the day after that.
So some people are accepted right away, and some are rejected right away as well -- if the regional committee feels you're "just not a good match for the school," they'll let you know. The rest of the candidates simply stay in the stack of files, week after week after week after week.
He told us that after the adcom's November meeting they had already admitted approximately 120 students -- the size of their entering class. He went on to say that they'd let in another 120 students and then "put the brakes on." At that point, they'll admit people one by one as places open up for them. He also said that they'd try to let everybody know their status by April 15.
Good luck to all of you!
Hey mvalento: I interviewed in early December too, on a Friday. What day were you there? And how was NYC??
At my interview in early December, the introductory talk was given by a rather verbose administrator, who went into excruciating detail about the admissions process, which I will pass on to you.
The files of interviewees are evaluated by regional subcommittees, which meet the third Tuesday of each month. Each subcommittee picks its favorite eight candidates from a steadily-growing stack of files. The regional committee presents its eight picks at the full committee meeting the next day. Approval by the full committee is generally automatic. A list of acceptees is made, and if you're on it you'll get a call from the head of the committee the day after that.
So some people are accepted right away, and some are rejected right away as well -- if the regional committee feels you're "just not a good match for the school," they'll let you know. The rest of the candidates simply stay in the stack of files, week after week after week after week.
He told us that after the adcom's November meeting they had already admitted approximately 120 students -- the size of their entering class. He went on to say that they'd let in another 120 students and then "put the brakes on." At that point, they'll admit people one by one as places open up for them. He also said that they'd try to let everybody know their status by April 15.
Good luck to all of you!
Hey mvalento: I interviewed in early December too, on a Friday. What day were you there? And how was NYC??
So will they continue meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of the month until April, or continue on until the last minute before school starts? I'm asking because I know some schools basically organize you by priority on the waitlist. Then there are no decisions to be made; when enough slots have opened up and its your turn, you get the call. Any word on if WashU does this? Thanks for the info everbody.
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Hercules
But there is also a time for sleeping.
-Odysseus in the Odyssey 11.330-331
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Hercules
But there is also a time for sleeping.
-Odysseus in the Odyssey 11.330-331
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omores-
i don't really remember the day- maybe december 5th? that sounds about right, but i'm not sure if that was even a friday or not. in any case, i'm not getting my hopes up for the schools i'm still waiting on, including wash u- between that, duke, yale, and michigan (where i was today), i think i'll be lucky if i get onto a few waitlists. as far as NYC is concerned, i really enjoyed NYU, i found out today that i am on their waitlist. which isn't too bad considering a lot of people (usually) get off it. but not for a few months, i'm sure...ah well. better than rejection eh?
bud
i don't really remember the day- maybe december 5th? that sounds about right, but i'm not sure if that was even a friday or not. in any case, i'm not getting my hopes up for the schools i'm still waiting on, including wash u- between that, duke, yale, and michigan (where i was today), i think i'll be lucky if i get onto a few waitlists. as far as NYC is concerned, i really enjoyed NYU, i found out today that i am on their waitlist. which isn't too bad considering a lot of people (usually) get off it. but not for a few months, i'm sure...ah well. better than rejection eh?
bud
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Just a little insight.
I go to the orientation days at the 5 medical schools in the MO and IL areas (wash u, slu, siu, u of i, u of mo). My observation is that wash u has the most diversified polulation of med students I have ever seen ( some others i wont name look like the boys and girls of brazil, you know the movie about clones). The one thing all wash u students seem to have in common is exceptionaly high stats, MCAT and undergrad GPA. Every student my office has worked with for HPSP has exceeded the automatic acceptance criteria of 29 mcat and 3.5 gpa.
Good luck, and if you get in at wash u I will see you at breakfast there during orientation week. Be sure to say hello.
[This message has been edited by DocHunter9 (edited 03-03-2001).]
I go to the orientation days at the 5 medical schools in the MO and IL areas (wash u, slu, siu, u of i, u of mo). My observation is that wash u has the most diversified polulation of med students I have ever seen ( some others i wont name look like the boys and girls of brazil, you know the movie about clones). The one thing all wash u students seem to have in common is exceptionaly high stats, MCAT and undergrad GPA. Every student my office has worked with for HPSP has exceeded the automatic acceptance criteria of 29 mcat and 3.5 gpa.
Good luck, and if you get in at wash u I will see you at breakfast there during orientation week. Be sure to say hello.
[This message has been edited by DocHunter9 (edited 03-03-2001).]
Less than 20% of the applicant pool is interviewed. Rejected students are notified within about a month after interview.
The wait list is not ranked. When there is an opening the entire list is reviewed; the Committee looks closely at the composition of the class when selecting from the waitlist. Greatest activity occurs between April 15-June 15. After June 15, fewer than 10 applicants are usually accepted. Faxes, e-mail and letters that demonstrate a continued interest in the school are most helpful to wait-listed candidates.
[Don't lay it on too thick. A simple, short statement of interest will do. By June 15. AMCAS notifies medical schools of where their applicants have received acceptances and are holding places]
The wait list is not ranked. When there is an opening the entire list is reviewed; the Committee looks closely at the composition of the class when selecting from the waitlist. Greatest activity occurs between April 15-June 15. After June 15, fewer than 10 applicants are usually accepted. Faxes, e-mail and letters that demonstrate a continued interest in the school are most helpful to wait-listed candidates.
[Don't lay it on too thick. A simple, short statement of interest will do. By June 15. AMCAS notifies medical schools of where their applicants have received acceptances and are holding places]
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Gower, once again you continue to amaze. Thanks for the info -- that was very helpful. Do you think you could help me out with info. on one other school as well?
Also, to Gower or anyone else, what do you all think about the possible "urban med school legend" of simply showing up on the first day of classes at a school you are waitlisted at, and that is your top choice? I have heard of people doing this and thus getting in, but I don't know if that really works. It does sound like a lot of schools continue to have openings up until the last minute, but would they really take you just because you happen to be there? Both of my top choices start 2-3 weeks before the school I will currently be attending. Just wondering how desperate to get...
Also, to Gower or anyone else, what do you all think about the possible "urban med school legend" of simply showing up on the first day of classes at a school you are waitlisted at, and that is your top choice? I have heard of people doing this and thus getting in, but I don't know if that really works. It does sound like a lot of schools continue to have openings up until the last minute, but would they really take you just because you happen to be there? Both of my top choices start 2-3 weeks before the school I will currently be attending. Just wondering how desperate to get...
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Thanks gower. My other question is about Baylor... I interviewed there in late September (I think it was their 2nd interview weekend of the season) and haven't heard anything since. I wrote a letter to the Dean of Admissions in December, basically reaffirming my very strong interest in the school, and then in January, I emailed one of my faculty interviewers as well. All I know is that they stopped interviewing in February. Any insight on their process, or recommendations at this point? The whole thing just seemed very vague (at the interview, basically they said we could hear anytime between Oct. 15th and the 1st day of classes -- I'm really glad they narrowed that down for us).
As for the "legend," I actually have very good friends both at Baylor and Wash U that I could crash with temporarily if I really wanted to try my luck. I just was curious if you or anyone else had first-hand knowledge if that ever worked.
As for the "legend," I actually have very good friends both at Baylor and Wash U that I could crash with temporarily if I really wanted to try my luck. I just was curious if you or anyone else had first-hand knowledge if that ever worked.
Felis lilium:
My knowledge of Baylor is not based on personal experience with the medical school but from a usually reliable source and the MSAR.
Wait-listed candidates are sent a letter advising them of their status; they remain on the alternate list unless they submit a written request to be removed. The alternate list is rank-ordered, but information about a student's rank will not be released to anyone. Wait-listed students should not submit additional information. Greatest movement occurs during May for Texans and during June and July for non-Texans. Very few are accepted after June 15.
About 70-75% of the class are residents of Texas in accordance with state capitation policies. Baylor has partnerships with Baylor University, Rice, U. Houston and UT-Pan American, whose students comprise about 10% of the class.
First year class: 160 70-75% Texas residents.
Matriculants (1977) from MSAR
Mean GPA: 3.8
Average MCAT scores for subsets are in the 11 range.
Women matriculants: about 40%
Take it from there.
If you are not a Texas resident and have an offer somewhere else, take it. If you wait too long, then you have to really scramble for loans and housing. If you are the Unsinkable Molly Brown you may survive, if you are a Nervous Nelly, that is no way to start on your great adventure.
May the road rise up to meet you
May the sun shine warm upon your face
My knowledge of Baylor is not based on personal experience with the medical school but from a usually reliable source and the MSAR.
Wait-listed candidates are sent a letter advising them of their status; they remain on the alternate list unless they submit a written request to be removed. The alternate list is rank-ordered, but information about a student's rank will not be released to anyone. Wait-listed students should not submit additional information. Greatest movement occurs during May for Texans and during June and July for non-Texans. Very few are accepted after June 15.
About 70-75% of the class are residents of Texas in accordance with state capitation policies. Baylor has partnerships with Baylor University, Rice, U. Houston and UT-Pan American, whose students comprise about 10% of the class.
First year class: 160 70-75% Texas residents.
Matriculants (1977) from MSAR
Mean GPA: 3.8
Average MCAT scores for subsets are in the 11 range.
Women matriculants: about 40%
Take it from there.
If you are not a Texas resident and have an offer somewhere else, take it. If you wait too long, then you have to really scramble for loans and housing. If you are the Unsinkable Molly Brown you may survive, if you are a Nervous Nelly, that is no way to start on your great adventure.
May the road rise up to meet you
May the sun shine warm upon your face
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Gower, you are truly the Deep Throat of studentdoctor.net. Thanks for all your help.
DocHunter9, your comments about the diversity of the student body are very reassuring. I had just been poring over their list of students, and everybody just sounded so...young. And although I kept reminding myself that the group I interviewed with was the most diverse I'd seen, I was beginning to think that I'm far too old and from too weird a background to ever be comfortable there. So I was glad to hear your observation. Perhaps I'll see you at that breakfast...
[This message has been edited by omores (edited 03-04-2001).]
DocHunter9, your comments about the diversity of the student body are very reassuring. I had just been poring over their list of students, and everybody just sounded so...young. And although I kept reminding myself that the group I interviewed with was the most diverse I'd seen, I was beginning to think that I'm far too old and from too weird a background to ever be comfortable there. So I was glad to hear your observation. Perhaps I'll see you at that breakfast...
[This message has been edited by omores (edited 03-04-2001).]
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to all you wash u people......what did you think of the school? i was blown away by the hospital and facilities. barnes-jewish is pretty impressive. even the area is good.....better than i had originally expected of st. louis. i spent some time with a bunch of students after the pizza party at this guy's birthday. i probably met about 20 students, and the vast majority of them seemed kind of weird. maybe 'dorky' is a better word, but i feel sorta bad saying that. they were totally nice, but i'm just not sure if i would fit in. anyone have any thoughts on this? i'm still waiting to hear (i interviewed in mid january), so i may have the decision made for me. regardless, i thought i'd ask.
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I couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks again, gower.
omores, I hope you don't mind my asking, but can I interpret your post to mean that you have already gotten into Wash U? If so, congratulations!
Tigger, I know what you mean about the student-body. I definitely met some people who seemed a little "off" -- I can't really put my finger on it, but there was just something there. However, I'm not sure that that isn't just a function of med school in general -- you're in a class full of "pre-meds" 24/7 suddenly -- you're bound to run into those types. Personally, I was really impressed by the other interviewees -- very diverse, cool, laid-back group, and I would love to be classmates with at least 90% of them (again, there was that "off" factor with the rest). I can't say that for most of the other schools I've interviewed at. Anyways, I hope the selection of interviewees bodes well for the selection of the class as a whole.
[This message has been edited by lilycat (edited 03-04-2001).]
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lilycat, thanks for your reply. i know that just by the nature of the profession we're going into, we're going to encounter a lot of brainy (and therefor 'off', as you so perfectly put it) people. i guess i just met more at wash u then at, say, vandy or emory. i just wasn't sure if i just happened to get all the 'off' people in one room, or if other people had similar experiences. i've actually liked most of the people in my interview groups....by in large, they were all pretty social, well-rounded, interesting people, which is exactly what i'm after. this is four years of my life, in my early 20s nonetheless. while i realize that i'm not going to be some party animal (hey, it's med school, i know), i do plan on having pursuits outside of class. i'm just not sure if wash u students were of the same mindset. and by extracurricular, i don't just mean AMWA.
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Tigger and Lilycat:
Yes, I met a few "off" ones myself. Have you ever travelled in non-English-speaking country, one in which you can speak the language, but not well? You can get basic ideas across, but there's something a bit wrong with the flow. In conversations, there's a stiltedness that makes it hard to keep talking.
In retrospect, I realized that these "off" ones were all very very young and didn't seem to have lived much -- most of the "travelling" they had done was intellectual rather than literal -- at times I felt as if I were talking to academically precocious high school students.
Then I began to realize that this may have been at least partly due to the fact that I was hanging out in Olin Hall, which is were many of the less world-wise ones choose to live. The students I met the next day (i.e. at breakfast, on the tour, and at lunch) were not that way at all. They seemed very bright and easy to talk to and -- big plus -- devoid of intellectual pretensions.
So before I make any final decisions, I think I'll go back and visit, and try to sit in on some classes to try to get an overview of all the students, not just the dormies.
Yes Lilycat, you're right. I was lucky enough to get out of limbo fairly quickly. Hope you hear something soon.
Yes, I met a few "off" ones myself. Have you ever travelled in non-English-speaking country, one in which you can speak the language, but not well? You can get basic ideas across, but there's something a bit wrong with the flow. In conversations, there's a stiltedness that makes it hard to keep talking.
In retrospect, I realized that these "off" ones were all very very young and didn't seem to have lived much -- most of the "travelling" they had done was intellectual rather than literal -- at times I felt as if I were talking to academically precocious high school students.
Then I began to realize that this may have been at least partly due to the fact that I was hanging out in Olin Hall, which is were many of the less world-wise ones choose to live. The students I met the next day (i.e. at breakfast, on the tour, and at lunch) were not that way at all. They seemed very bright and easy to talk to and -- big plus -- devoid of intellectual pretensions.
So before I make any final decisions, I think I'll go back and visit, and try to sit in on some classes to try to get an overview of all the students, not just the dormies.
Yes Lilycat, you're right. I was lucky enough to get out of limbo fairly quickly. Hope you hear something soon.
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Actually, the Olin Hall part is a good point that I meant to make earlier -- not to insult anyone who was thinking of living there, but I think a certain type is attracted to living there (I can understand 1st year, but really, 3rd and 4th years?!). I also felt a little more comfortable talking to some of the non-Olin people -- they seemed more like the people I would be friends with outside of class, etc. It seems like if you live in the dorm, you would be a little more in the "WashU bubble" and I just don't think that bubble would be for me, all day every day. Plus, with the cost of living around there, why not get a great apartment nearby and take more advantage of the city, and other parts of the school.
On a slightly unrelated note (I have a tendency to go off on tangents), one thing that was initially pretty important to me at the beginning of this process was that I really wanted to find a school that had lots of other grad programs (ie, law school, bus. school, etc.) so that I would have a chance to interact outside of the med school and the med students. However, I've found that most med schools I look at tend to isolate themselves from the rest of the university pretty well. Anyone else notice that, and if so, does that bother you?
On a slightly unrelated note (I have a tendency to go off on tangents), one thing that was initially pretty important to me at the beginning of this process was that I really wanted to find a school that had lots of other grad programs (ie, law school, bus. school, etc.) so that I would have a chance to interact outside of the med school and the med students. However, I've found that most med schools I look at tend to isolate themselves from the rest of the university pretty well. Anyone else notice that, and if so, does that bother you?
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i think that my favorite schools of the ones i visited were those that had associated law, business schools, etc. i also need to like my fellow students, of course, but it's great to be able to associate with people who have no idea what g-proteins do. emory even has organized mixers at local bars with students from the other nearby grad schools. i did get the sense that wash u was sort of isolated in that respect. and the olin hall point is well-taken....my friend that interviewed a couple weeks later than me met some people who lived in apartments, and they were apparently a lot more 'normal'. maybe i just met too many olin hall people. who knows.
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the students at wash u were a definite turn-off for me. of course, i run the risk of categorizing the whole class due to my perceptions of those i met at the interview. some of them, though, seemed as if they had never stepped foot outside of a research lab. i did get the chance to talk to one girl for quite some time, she told me that it seemed like a majority of her class were the 'golden children' of their respective universities, i.e. she had trouble keeping up with them. this girl was from cornell, by the way.
while i was impressed with the facilities, the surroundings definitely decreased my interest. wash u is the one school i have visited where several students have voiced concerns to me about their safety outside of the campus. the doctor i had lunch with also told me that it wasn't safe to venture inside forest park, which surprised me. the tour was great, though, especially since it was just me and and an MS4. i will say this about the school- it was the most accomodating of all the schools i have interviewed at, so i expect they treat their students very well.
my chances of actually being accepted to wash u...that is another factor decreasing my interest there!
bud
while i was impressed with the facilities, the surroundings definitely decreased my interest. wash u is the one school i have visited where several students have voiced concerns to me about their safety outside of the campus. the doctor i had lunch with also told me that it wasn't safe to venture inside forest park, which surprised me. the tour was great, though, especially since it was just me and and an MS4. i will say this about the school- it was the most accomodating of all the schools i have interviewed at, so i expect they treat their students very well.
my chances of actually being accepted to wash u...that is another factor decreasing my interest there!
bud
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mvalento -- that was very interesting about the safety part -- I hadn't heard anything about that! However, I guess it didn't seem that bad after visiting Houston & New Orleans. Anyone else get warned safety-wise?
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I am considering the MSTP program at Wash U and have just returned from a revisit weekend. After 3 days at the interview and another 3 days looking at the med school and the city, and meeting tons of students, I have to say that the diversity of the students at Wash U is amazing! Many of the people that I met had roommates, etc...who were not affiliated with the med school at all. Many in their "social circles" were artists, students at another university in the city, etc...I went around town with a realtor and it seemed like there were students that lived in just about every neighborhood. Certainly, the Central West End where the med school is located is very culturally diverse. I sat in a first year class and asked a student later about the fact that no one seemed to be taking notes. He told me that the first year is so laid back and fun that taking notes really isn't necessary. My point is that I never really got the impression that the pervading attitude was "medicine 24-7". Of course, there are a few in every group but you figure them out by the end of orientation! Sorry if some of you had a bad experience. I had a good experience with the med students and I must say that the group of applicants I was there with were by far the best of any other interview I went to! It's shaping up to be a fun class!
As for the safety issues, I am from small town midwest and was a bit concerned about this. While I was there, I went running in the park at 5 am and walked around the CWE late at night and never felt scared. There seems to be a pretty big ?buffer zone? between the med school campus and the rougher parts of St. Louis.
As for the safety issues, I am from small town midwest and was a bit concerned about this. While I was there, I went running in the park at 5 am and walked around the CWE late at night and never felt scared. There seems to be a pretty big ?buffer zone? between the med school campus and the rougher parts of St. Louis.
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The students I met also seemed a bit odd. Mostly nice, but I did get that unconnected feeling that others have mentioned. On the safety note, my tour guide said that she lived in the Central west end, and wouldn't walk home alone after dark. She said she would call security to take her to her apartment. Also, the security guard at Olin also mentioned that it was unsafe to walk around after dark when I asked. The neighborhood didn't seem bad to me though. And the admissions people said that there were still open places in the class when I interviewed at the end of February.
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I also had mixed feelings about the students I met at Wash U. Although most of them seemed positive about the school, I didn't feel like I clicked with any of them and I wasn't sure if any of them had any passionate interests in what they were doing, which I found disappointing. The person who changed my mind a bit about the school was my faculty interviewer, who seemed to really want to teach students and to make them into the best doctors possible.
But, I'm still not completely certain of what to think of the school. As of right now, it looks like I'll be heading to St. Louis in the fall. Being from the east coast, I had never thought I would ever live in Missouri and I'm slowly becoming adjusted to the idea, although I am concerned that the vast majority of students there are from the midwest and I will be out of my element (which might be enlightening too...)
And as far as safety goes, even if there are a few minor problems with St. Louis, of all the top med schools I've seen, Wash U is in the safest location of them all and I suspect that quality of living is quite high there.
But, I'm still not completely certain of what to think of the school. As of right now, it looks like I'll be heading to St. Louis in the fall. Being from the east coast, I had never thought I would ever live in Missouri and I'm slowly becoming adjusted to the idea, although I am concerned that the vast majority of students there are from the midwest and I will be out of my element (which might be enlightening too...)
And as far as safety goes, even if there are a few minor problems with St. Louis, of all the top med schools I've seen, Wash U is in the safest location of them all and I suspect that quality of living is quite high there.
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I'm a first year MD/PhD student at Wash U. Yeah, there are a few weird people in my class (maybe I'm one of them), but I find nearly all the students to be very nice, interesting, diverse and intelligent. Having visited many medical schools, I think the students at the top ten schools are very similar. You'll likely find just as many weird people at Hopkins or Penn. Btw, a certain percentage of weird people is inevitable when you select a diverse population of students.
Compared to other major medical centers, I think Wash U is located in a fabulous neighborhood. No, I wouldn't walk around alone after dark on a quiet night, but I wouldn't do that in any other major city in America. There are lots of shops, bars, restaurants, apartments, parks, etc. nearby. The cost of living is quite low, so you don't have to live in a closet and eat Ramen noodles for four years.
Good luck to all of you.
Compared to other major medical centers, I think Wash U is located in a fabulous neighborhood. No, I wouldn't walk around alone after dark on a quiet night, but I wouldn't do that in any other major city in America. There are lots of shops, bars, restaurants, apartments, parks, etc. nearby. The cost of living is quite low, so you don't have to live in a closet and eat Ramen noodles for four years.
Good luck to all of you.
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I have to agree. While I did not grow up in St. Louis per se, that is where all of my family is from. I spent every summer vacation and Christmas break there. The area of WashU is really not that bad at all. Granted, my current perspective is that of Dallas and Houston. Still, the neighborhood is nice. Central West End is also very nice and pretty close. I actually have walked around there at night (granted, I am 6'3" and was with 3 or 4 friends) and did not seem to attract any unwanted attention. I think in any large city there is the potential for problems and as long as you are careful you should be ok.
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