WUSTL Class of 2019 Applicants Forum

[Scalvert]

Congrats guys!

[alpha kenny body]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

[acr]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

St. Louis is......alright. If you're coming from NYC, DC, etc or even Cali then I think you'll be disappointed. If you're coming from the Midwest and come with reasonable expectations, it can be an enjoyable city.

COL is dirt cheap. I pay $800 (and this is on the very high end) for a baller apartment that would be like $3000 at least in another major city given the amenities and location.

It's pretty accessible. It takes an hour to get from anywhere in the Chicago suburbs down to the city but I can drive from Clayton (near WUSTL) to downtown to Clayton and back again in like 20 minutes

The Cardinals and Blues are fun if you like sports...the Rams...err they might not even be here next year

The BBQ and Italian is good if you like BBQ and Italian

WUSTL is kind of considered Harvard for some reason in the city and surrounding areas

There are actually decent places (like fricken caves) to explore in Mizzery

It's definitely not a long term destination, but it's not a bad intermediary step for 2.5-3 years if you look at it for what it is

[alpha kenny body]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

St. Louis is......alright. If you're coming from NYC, DC, etc or even Cali then I think you'll be disappointed. If you're coming from the Midwest and come with reasonable expectations, it can be an enjoyable city.

COL is dirt cheap. I pay $850 (and this is on the very high end) for a baller apartment that would be like $3000 at least in another major city given the amenities and location.

It's pretty accessible. It takes an hour to get from anywhere in the Chicago suburbs down to the city but I can drive from Clayton (near WUSTL) to downtown to Clayton and back again in like 20 minutes

The Cardinals and Blues are fun if you like sports

The BBQ and Italian is good if you like BBQ and Italian

WUSTL is kind of considered Harvard for some reason in the city and surrounding areas

There are actually decent places (like fricken caves) to explore in Mizzery

It's definitely not a long term destination, but it's not a bad intermediary step for 2.5-3 years if you look at it for what it is

I appreciate that perspective. I also understand that this place has a huge attrition rate. I know a lot of people on here have transferred to higher grounds after 1L.

[acr]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

St. Louis is......alright. If you're coming from NYC, DC, etc or even Cali then I think you'll be disappointed. If you're coming from the Midwest and come with reasonable expectations, it can be an enjoyable city.

COL is dirt cheap. I pay $850 (and this is on the very high end) for a baller apartment that would be like $3000 at least in another major city given the amenities and location.

It's pretty accessible. It takes an hour to get from anywhere in the Chicago suburbs down to the city but I can drive from Clayton (near WUSTL) to downtown to Clayton and back again in like 20 minutes

The Cardinals and Blues are fun if you like sports

The BBQ and Italian is good if you like BBQ and Italian

WUSTL is kind of considered Harvard for some reason in the city and surrounding areas

There are actually decent places (like fricken caves) to explore in Mizzery

It's definitely not a long term destination, but it's not a bad intermediary step for 2.5-3 years if you look at it for what it is

I appreciate that perspective. I also understand that this place has a huge attrition rate. I know a lot of people on here have transferred to higher grounds after 1L.

yeah you'll find it discussed ad nauseum on these forums. I think the higher amount of transferring was somewhat influenced by last year's class size (it was 270, which is large for WUSTL), the fact that last year's class was a debacle, and the fact that WUSTL is now kind of a launching pad into the T14 for transfers (grade inflation). I think there's a legitimate question as to whether transferring is necessarily wise if you're here on full scholarship, which it definitely can be but it could also be wise to stay. I don't know if the transferring had much to do with STL itself. The majority of 2L's and 3L's I talk to genuinely seem to like the city but don't really want to stay

[RareExports]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

I think it's hard to overstate the importance of cost of living.

In my opinion, St. Louis is a terrible city by any standard. But (and this is a massive caveat), I pay $425 for rent in a really nice apartment, which would run $2000-2500 in DC/SF/NY. I'm saving ~20k a year on cost of living measures alone, which will translate to ~70k saved at graduation.

There are a lot of reasons to not go to WUSTL, and there are a lot of (very valid) reasons to chastise St. Louis, but it's a great city to go to law school in.

[alpha kenny body]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

I think it's hard to overstate the importance of cost of living.

In my opinion, St. Louis is a terrible city by any standard. But (and this is a massive caveat), I pay $425 for rent in a really nice apartment, which would run $2000-2500 in DC/SF/NY. I'm saving ~20k a year on cost of living measures alone, which will translate to ~70k saved at graduation.

There are a lot of reasons to not go to WUSTL, and there are a lot of (very valid) reasons to chastise St. Louis, but it's a great city to go to law school in.

From what I have heard from you two, in addition to other posters around TLS, and the COL, it's not so bleek. TYFT.

[acr]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

I think it's hard to overstate the importance of cost of living.

In my opinion, St. Louis is a terrible city by any standard. But (and this is a massive caveat), I pay $425 for rent in a really nice apartment, which would run $2000-2500 in DC/SF/NY. I'm saving ~20k a year on cost of living measures alone, which will translate to ~70k saved at graduation.

There are a lot of reasons to not go to WUSTL, and there are a lot of (very valid) reasons to chastise St. Louis, but it's a great city to go to law school in.

agreed, especially so for 1L year at least. Whether you're at NYU or Northwestern or Berkeley or Cooley it's kind of hard to fully enjoy the setting because of you know...lawl school

[mornincounselor]

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[Generally]

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[Generally]

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[benwyatt]

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[acr]

I really like the idea of free law school, but I'd rather go into some debt for a job I want than no debt and never get the job. That is my only WUSTL concern.

Yeah the key is some debt. If the choice is between NU or Michigan with $$ and WUSTL with $$$$ by all means take the former. But for many people (me) it's GULC or NU or Cornell etc sticker vs. WUSTL with $$$$.

[Generally]

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[KMart]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

Am I the only one who wasn't turned off majorly by the prospect of STL? It's like a nice mix of city and suburb.

Granted I've never lived there, but it's cheap and only 3 years of your life. Have you ever been to the city?

I find it hilarious they specifically ask about their city; they know people aren't applying based on location.

[RareExports]

I realize I may be beating a dead horse, but for those of you that will ultimately end up debating between WUSTL with a full tuition scholarship vs. T14 even at half scholarship or T6 sticker, I would really recommend giving WUSTL strong consideration. I cannot emphasize enough how nice it is to go to law school and know that at graduation you can take any job that you want and not get debtfucked. Are you going to get a V5 offer at WUSTL? Probably not. If you are V5/SCOTUS clerk/etc. or bust, a T6 may be best for you, but even in choosing that, you are making a huge gamble.

I had pretty decent scholarship offers to Mich and Duke and LOVED both. I hate St. Louis and do get frustrated with WUSTL from time to time. But I've never regretted my decision to come here. The professors are great and the people are as smart as I met at any school. WUSTL probably does close off a few doors, but they're not doors that are easily accessible anywhere.

Any 0L's feel free to pm me any questions you have about WUSTL. I have strong opinions, critical and otherwise, about it and am happy to share.

[LET'S GET IT]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

Am I the only one who wasn't turned off majorly by the prospect of STL? It's like a nice mix of city and suburb.

Granted I've never lived there, but it's cheap and only 3 years of your life. Have you ever been to the city?

I find it hilarious they specifically ask about their city; they know people aren't applying based on location.

You're not alone. I'm a 2L here so I've been here for a while and I really like it, as does my wife. Obviously it's not NYC,LA,DC,SF, but the school and the area around the school (which is where most people spend 98.2% of their time) is really nice IMO. I'll throw in the caveat that I'm from the south so anywhere would be an upgrade, and I'm also a lifelong cardinals fan. That being said I've traveled quite a bit and really like STL. Also I have friends from Cali and the east coast that like it here as well. I can certainly understand why some don't, I'm just throwing out an alternative viewpoint.

[Scalvert]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

Am I the only one who wasn't turned off majorly by the prospect of STL? It's like a nice mix of city and suburb.

Granted I've never lived there, but it's cheap and only 3 years of your life. Have you ever been to the city?

I find it hilarious they specifically ask about their city; they know people aren't applying based on location.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by my visit. Just from listening to people talk, I had expected something much different. Then again, I didn't really venture outside the area close to campus (except for going to Ballpark Village).

Also, has anyone gotten a scholarship email over the weekend?

[acr]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

Am I the only one who wasn't turned off majorly by the prospect of STL? It's like a nice mix of city and suburb.

Granted I've never lived there, but it's cheap and only 3 years of your life. Have you ever been to the city?

I find it hilarious they specifically ask about their city; they know people aren't applying based on location.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by my visit. Just from listening to people talk, I had expected something much different. Then again, I didn't really venture outside the area close to campus (except for going to Ballpark Village).

Also, has anyone gotten a scholarship email over the weekend?

Yeah STL is really a "city of neighborhoods." I feel like people who are used to NYC style nightlife expect to be dropped into any location in a city and have something poppin' or happenin' going on. There are some areas in STL (downtown) that feel like a ghost town. You really have to seek out niche places to hang out in STL like the Grove, Loop, CWE, Soulard, etc. There is a good bar scene, you just have to find it so to speak. and BPV is awesome

[RareExports]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

Am I the only one who wasn't turned off majorly by the prospect of STL? It's like a nice mix of city and suburb.

Granted I've never lived there, but it's cheap and only 3 years of your life. Have you ever been to the city?

I find it hilarious they specifically ask about their city; they know people aren't applying based on location.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by my visit. Just from listening to people talk, I had expected something much different. Then again, I didn't really venture outside the area close to campus (except for going to Ballpark Village).

Also, has anyone gotten a scholarship email over the weekend?

Yeah STL is really a "city of neighborhoods." I feel like people who are used to NYC style nightlife expect to be dropped into any location in a city and have something poppin' or happenin' going on. There are some areas in STL (downtown) that feel like a ghost town. You really have to seek out niche places to hang out in STL like the Grove, Loop, CWE, Soulard, etc. There is a good bar scene, you just have to find it so to speak. and BPV is awesome

I entered with a very open mindset. I did not seek to compare STL to NYC/DC/LA/Chicago. But still, I am tremendously critical of STL. Granted, neighborhoods are much more important in STL than in other cities of its size, but still, STL has a very high crime rate and little to offer. I will say, the free museums and zoo are a big plus. But St. Louis is not a lively city, nor a cultural one. And perhaps the most frustrating aspect of STL are the wild Missourans. Most people in STL are bad at just about everything. They're bad drivers, bad neighbors, you name it. The city is just not efficient. But the cost of living is so low that it's worth it.

Pros: Low cost of living, low population density (for traffic purposes), free museums and zoo, Forest Park
Cons: Mostly lazy population, lack of good restaurants/social scene, bad public transportation, unsafe

I keep bringing it up, but the cost of living is such an important aspect. St. Louis is such a cheap city and that cannot be valued enough.

[acr]

throwing an app here, not too excited about the prospect of living in STL though. There are a few benefits though.

Am I the only one who wasn't turned off majorly by the prospect of STL? It's like a nice mix of city and suburb.

Granted I've never lived there, but it's cheap and only 3 years of your life. Have you ever been to the city?

I find it hilarious they specifically ask about their city; they know people aren't applying based on location.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by my visit. Just from listening to people talk, I had expected something much different. Then again, I didn't really venture outside the area close to campus (except for going to Ballpark Village).

Also, has anyone gotten a scholarship email over the weekend?

Yeah STL is really a "city of neighborhoods." I feel like people who are used to NYC style nightlife expect to be dropped into any location in a city and have something poppin' or happenin' going on. There are some areas in STL (downtown) that feel like a ghost town. You really have to seek out niche places to hang out in STL like the Grove, Loop, CWE, Soulard, etc. There is a good bar scene, you just have to find it so to speak. and BPV is awesome

I entered with a very open mindset. I did not seek to compare STL to NYC/DC/LA/Chicago. But still, I am tremendously critical of STL. Granted, neighborhoods are much more important in STL than in other cities of its size, but still, STL has a very high crime rate and little to offer. I will say, the free museums and zoo are a big plus. But St. Louis is not a lively city, nor a cultural one. And perhaps the most frustrating aspect of STL are the wild Missourans. Most people in STL are bad at just about everything. They're bad drivers, bad neighbors, you name it. The city is just not efficient. But the cost of living is so low that it's worth it.

Pros: Low cost of living, low population density (for traffic purposes), free museums and zoo, Forest Park
Cons: Mostly lazy population, lack of good restaurants/social scene, bad public transportation, unsafe

I keep bringing it up, but the cost of living is such an important aspect. St. Louis is such a cheap city and that cannot be valued enough.

Yeah I get what you mean about the unsafe thing. I was nervous about that coming here too. To be fair though I haven't really even felt uncomfortable or unsafe at all when I've gone out here. The only time I was nervous was when I walked home by myself from a Bar Review in the CWE to my place at like 2 in the morning on a Thursday night. Literally no one on the streets for a good 5 or 6 blocks. Even then I saw three cops on the walk home.

I definitely think the crime problem is inflated and misunderstood. I mean UChicago is in Chicago's south side and USC isn't, well, in Beverly Hills. Yale is in New Haven. I don't think WUSTL is in a more dangerous location than any of those schools. I think the areas that most WUSTL students confine themselves to are actually very nice. CWE, Clayton, Forest Park, and Wash U are all beautiful and clean in my opinion. I haven't gotten to know the natives that well but yeah they don't strike me as overly friendly or sophisticated

[ltbenn]

Submitted!

Above 75th for LSAT, between 25th and median for GPA... Hoping for some good $$$.

Fingers crossed!

[w00kash]

I'll just defend STL a bit and say for a city it's size I think it actually has a lot to offer. 3 professional sports teams, some beautiful parks, decent public transportation, and like 4 or 5 pretty fun neighborhood. The safety thing really isn't an issue for me or my wife, and we go out a lot. So it's not a large city but I would strongly disagree with the notion that it's an objectively bad city, especially for a mid sized city.

[jumbocolumbo]

I greatly appreciated the simplicity of WUSTL's application.

[susanlata]

Checking in! Having an interview with WUSTL tmr, fingers crossed...

BUT! I noticed that I didn't actually assign RLs to WUSTL app since they require none and I submitted the app directly.. hope that does not adversely affect my app....