Top Law Schools

I'll give you all a basic overview of what the admitted students day was like a WUSTL on January 28th as well as my thoughts about the school's important qualities and possibly the local area as well (I live here). I decided not to bring my camera mainly because 1. I live around here and can go back basically whenever and 2. My camera is rather large and I would have looked like a dork, so I don't have pics to post at the moment.

The overall architecture and layout of the WUSTL campus is pretty beautiful, I have to say. It definitely gives the feeling of a great institution and looks like an old-school ivy league place, as opposed to some places I've been that look more like a series of plain, cube-like, brick buildings. The WUSTL law school is primarily housed on an amazing building called Anheuser-Busch Hall (named after the beer company headquartered in St. Louis, obv.) The building has something like 5 stories, with the main level of class rooms going around the perimeter of a circular hall and in the middle is an enclosed courtyard with lots of tables and couches, clearly the prime hangout for law students to eat, hang out, etc. The entire building is very modern inside, despite it's old-world appearance outside. I really did love it.

In that same building is the law library which encompassed all or part of three different levels. Lots of desks, tables, study rooms, etc. They also have a large reading room with high ceilings, wood arches, looking like something out of Harry Potter (in the best way possible).

The faculty and students I spoke with were incredibly enthusiastic about the school, which of course is to be expected. We were able to sit in on a class which I found to be really great, and it used a mix of cold-calling and voluntary hand-raising as they went through a couple Civ Pro cases. I was especially impressed though with their trial advocacy/moot court/mock trial programs. We were split into small groups based on interest and speaking to the professor who led that program, he told us how they regularly win multiple national competitions, have local judges help coach, and how much of an asset it is in the marketplace when other schools offer little real-world prep.

We also had panels with some students and Alumni, and it really kind of changed my previous conception of WUSTL as a regional rather than national school. Some of their alumni flew in from as far as California just for the one hour panel; I was really impressed.

At the end, they had an awesome reception with wine and a lot of current students to mingle with. They were all VERY engaging, incredibly nice, and sincerely tried to connect with me and offer advice, so that was really refreshing. Overall, I would say that the students seemed very happy.

This all isn't to say I'm dead set on WUSTL; I'm not. I still have a really hard decision between a place like WUSTL or Vandy and some other acceptances like Chicago. But that seriously is my honest assessment, and the main thing I walked away thinking was, "I could be very happy here." Happy to take questions and I'll answer them as I check in.


(Not a picture of the AB building, but of a typical WUSTL building)

Thanks for this post. I registered for the 2/25 one and can't wait to visit. I'm a bit lukewarm about the school at the moment, but I think I read from Romo or someone that the visit significantly affected his decision to attend, so I'm hoping to be wowed.

Now for an actual, specific question: was this a really structured tour, or did you get chances to explore on your own? I ask because my sister is really interested in their social work school and will be going with me on my visit. She can obviously stay for the whole tour if it's necessary, but she was hoping to break away at some point to head over and check out the social work program.

Kabuo wrote:Thanks for this post. I registered for the 2/25 one and can't wait to visit. I'm a bit lukewarm about the school at the moment, but I think I read from Romo or someone that the visit significantly affected his decision to attend, so I'm hoping to be wowed.

Now for an actual, specific question: was this a really structured tour, or did you get chances to explore on your own? I ask because my sister is really interested in their social work school and will be going with me on my visit. She can obviously stay for the whole tour if it's necessary, but she was hoping to break away at some point to head over and check out the social work program.

They keep the day very tightly scheduled, so I would say that you shouldn't plan for time to walk around and explore the SW school (which is amazing also, btw. I've seen that too a different time). I don't think we ever had more than a half hour to sit around, and that was only because we finished scheduled things early. I imagine that with a bigger group than mine (which you are certain to have), there is even a smaller chance of a block of free time. You can see it on the schedule, but we were basically busy from 9-5, so if your sister wants to take a significant look, I would maybe come a day earlier and call the SW school to plan a tour or info session or w/e for that Thursday before the ASW. Of course, this is only if you want to explore both schools together. I'm sure if she just wants to skip the entire law school ASW, she can go do SW tour stuff and meet up with you later. Hope that helps and gives you an idea.

Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know.

Great post, very informative.

I'm so excited to visit! I have a bit of a weird question -- I'm on travelocity to book a hotel for the 2/25 ASD and was looking at their "top secret hotel rates," where you get an amazing deal but don't get the name/address of your hotel until after you book. They do tell you the neighborhood though, so would you recommend Clayton or "Downtown/Forest Park" as good options to be near the school?

Sorry if this is too weird, but I figured a local would be the best to ask!

peaches2132 wrote:I'm so excited to visit! I have a bit of a weird question -- I'm on travelocity to book a hotel for the 2/25 ASD and was looking at their "top secret hotel rates," where you get an amazing deal but don't get the name/address of your hotel until after you book. They do tell you the neighborhood though, so would you recommend Clayton or "Downtown/Forest Park" as good options to be near the school?

Sorry if this is too weird, but I figured a local would be the best to ask!

Hi peaches. I would recommend Clayton I'm pretty sure, but I have to admit that I'm not exactly sure what they mean by "Forest Park/Downtown" I don't know if you'll have a car with you, but either way I think the Clayton area, being on the same side of Forest Park as WUSTL, is your best bet. Here's a map to illustrate what I mean. Notice the easy metro stops between Clayton and WUSTL. They will most likely have you meet at a campus building off of Forsyth. Hope it helps.

Muenchen wrote:
Hi peaches. I would recommend Clayton I'm pretty sure, but I have to admit that I'm not exactly sure what they mean by "Forest Park/Downtown" I don't know if you'll have a car with you, but either way I think the Clayton area, being on the same side of Forest Park as WUSTL, is your best bet. Here's a map to illustrate what I mean. Notice the easy metro stops between Clayton and WUSTL. They will most likely have you meet at a campus building off of Forsyth. Hope it helps.

THANK YOU! Tremendously helpful.

Peaches, i recommend the clayton sheraton as it has a free driver to take you to campus and it is very nice for around a 100 bucks a night

Awesome post! Living out of country so may only be able to visit cities with multiple schools I applied to (i.e.- NYC and DC), but am VERY interested in finding out more about WUSL

What time did the cocktail hour finish up on Friday night? Looking at flights and such.

snichols16 wrote:What time did the cocktail hour finish up on Friday night? Looking at flights and such.

It started at about 3:30 and went into about 5:30, though you were free to leave basically at any time throughout the reception. Some people stayed later than that and went to a happy hour at another place on campus and others left early on around 4. Make sure to plan appropriate driving/walking to the metro time as well.

Muenchen wrote:

snichols16 wrote:What time did the cocktail hour finish up on Friday night? Looking at flights and such.

It started at about 3:30 and went into about 5:30, though you were free to leave basically at any time throughout the reception. Some people stayed later than that and went to a happy hour at another place on campus and others left early on around 4. Make sure to plan appropriate driving/walking to the metro time as well.

Great. Thanks for the advice. I'll likely stay at the Sheraton in Clayton, so transport to/from campus and to/from the airport shouldn't be an issue.

Thanks for the post! I am not going to be able to make either ASW due to work travel and another ASW planned.

I think I am just going to take a Sunday/Monday (on my way home from another ASW) to visit the city and WUSTL. I'll have to look into that Sheraton, thanks yall! Any suggestions of things to do on that Sunday? I am going to schedule a visit with admissions/tour/whatnot that Monday...

krad wrote:Thanks for the post! I am not going to be able to make either ASW due to work travel and another ASW planned.

I think I am just going to take a Sunday/Monday (on my way home from another ASW) to visit the city and WUSTL. I'll have to look into that Sheraton, thanks yall! Any suggestions of things to do on that Sunday? I am going to schedule a visit with admissions/tour/whatnot that Monday...

Hey krad! Hmm, I'm nto sure exactly what you're looking for on Sunday or how much time you're going to have during the day/night, so I will throw a few ideas out there. If you're going to be there for like a whole day, Sunday afternoon might be a good time to go travel and look around downtown or in the Central West End (you can see that on the map) or maybe go to the St. Louis Art Museum or STL Zoo (both free) which are around/in Forest Park. If you're only going to be there for the night, you don't want to stray too far from WUSTL, or you're looking for a more alternative area, I think your first priority should be to check out the Delmar Loop, which is the blocks of Delmar north of Forest Park. Awesome shops, restaurants, etc are there. My default recommendation for a great restaurant/bar where you can eat, drink, and play darts is Blueberry Hill in the Loop. Let me know how your visit goes! I'm always in the area.

Muenchen wrote:

krad wrote:Thanks for the post! I am not going to be able to make either ASW due to work travel and another ASW planned.

I think I am just going to take a Sunday/Monday (on my way home from another ASW) to visit the city and WUSTL. I'll have to look into that Sheraton, thanks yall! Any suggestions of things to do on that Sunday? I am going to schedule a visit with admissions/tour/whatnot that Monday...

Hey krad! Hmm, I'm nto sure exactly what you're looking for on Sunday or how much time you're going to have during the day/night, so I will throw a few ideas out there. If you're going to be there for like a whole day, Sunday afternoon might be a good time to go travel and look around downtown or in the Central West End (you can see that on the map) or maybe go to the St. Louis Art Museum or STL Zoo (both free) which are around/in Forest Park. If you're only going to be there for the night, you don't want to stray too far from WUSTL, or you're looking for a more alternative area, I think your first priority should be to check out the Delmar Loop, which is the blocks of Delmar north of Forest Park. Awesome shops, restaurants, etc are there. My default recommendation for a great restaurant/bar where you can eat, drink, and play darts is Blueberry Hill in the Loop. Let me know how your visit goes! I'm always in the area.

Thanks Muenchen! I'll PM ya here soon as I get more details of my trip ironed out... I'm probably going to arrive late Saturday night and have until Monday evening in STL

I found these in another thread. Some awesome pictures of the WUSTL campus and the inside of the law school. Worth checking out, I promise.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6#p3226456

Thanks for the post. I was at the 1/28 ASD also, and something that intrigued me was that the professor's offices were all (or almost all) in the library, so you could be in the middle of studying, have a question, and just poke your head in their office and ask them right there. I haven't been to any other schools yet, so maybe they're all like that, but I was impressed.

^ I too was at the 1/28 ASD (there were only like 19 of us there, I feel like we all probably talked). I have been on 3 law school visits so far and WUSTL has definitely been the best. During lunch they sat us at tables where professors were already waiting to discuss their clinical specialties with us. They tried to match us with whatever area we had indicated on our apps, so I think it worked out pretty well. I actually thought I would have wanted to be at a different table but the faculty at mine turned out to be just the right match. The whole experience was just all around great.

Plus Wake Forest didn't provide free alcohol at the end...Come to think of it, my tour guide there said that they do "Kegs in the Courtyard" maybe twice a year and it's "pretty fun." I wanted to tell her that WUSTL has $500 worth of free Anheuser-Busch beer every Friday in the foyer. It's not everything, but definitely something to consider.

I'm getting so excited! Thank you all for the info, I am definitely looking into the Sheraton in Clayton and love that it's close to a metro stop too.

Girl question: were most people dressed business casual? I assume that'd be the safest bet since it is during the regular week and professors would probably be dressed that way.

Muenchen wrote:I found these in another thread. Some awesome pictures of the WUSTL campus and the inside of the law school. Worth checking out, I promise.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6#p3226456

awesome pics! just rsvp'd for the march asd, staying at the moonrise

peaches2132 wrote:I'm getting so excited! Thank you all for the info, I am definitely looking into the Sheraton in Clayton and love that it's close to a metro stop too.

Girl question: were most people dressed business casual? I assume that'd be the safest bet since it is during the regular week and professors would probably be dressed that way.

I'm interested to know this, as well. From what I have been told and have seen at NSW thus far, it's not even business casual -- it's just casual.

snichols16 wrote:

peaches2132 wrote:I'm getting so excited! Thank you all for the info, I am definitely looking into the Sheraton in Clayton and love that it's close to a metro stop too.

Girl question: were most people dressed business casual? I assume that'd be the safest bet since it is during the regular week and professors would probably be dressed that way.

I'm interested to know this, as well. From what I have been told and have seen at NSW thus far, it's not even business casual -- it's just casual.

This is an interesting question, and to be honest the clothing somewhat ran the gamut from jeans and a polo to blazer and dress shirt sans tie. I wore a nice pair of dark jeans and a dress shirt/sweater. So I would say shoot for the middle ground. Even though I tend to err on the side of over dressing, no one will shun you for wearing jeans and a normal shirt. Hope that helps.

ETA: I realize that I only talked about male clothes, so insert your own female equivalents as I'm not sure.

I called beforehand and they recommended business casual, but they also said it wasn't a particularly big deal.

As for the free alcohol, it certainly gives me a way to earn back some tuition money, and seems to foster a feeling of community. I think Vandy does it too, but I'm not 100% on that. And the students were very friendly - I hung out for a while afterwards in the courtyard area and every group of students was approachable, and some students even saw my nametag and walked up to talk to me.

narayan1121 wrote:I called beforehand and they recommended business casual, but they also said it wasn't a particularly big deal.

As for the free alcohol, it certainly gives me a way to earn back some tuition money, and seems to foster a feeling of community. I think Vandy does it too, but I'm not 100% on that. And the students were very friendly - I hung out for a while afterwards in the courtyard area and every group of students was approachable, and some students even saw my nametag and walked up to talk to me.

did i miss something? free beer?