I’m a Wash U student who’s actually from St. Louis

If you’re a high school student in St. Louis and you’re looking for the place to spend the next four years of your life, you’re probably going to do what I did and search far and wide to find the school of your dreams. You definitely have the right idea considering as many schools as possible to find the perfect fit for you, but you definitely shouldn’t overlook the 169-acre campus just down the road belonging to Washington University.

While you may believe it would be sad, boring or even uncomfy to share a college experience with your peers in a world you are already so familiar with, there are certain perks to going to college in the city you have known your whole life that your fellow students will not have the same appreciation for.

Here’s a pic of my friends and I privileged to witness a game in the Lou (and smiling through the pain of an LA loss)

College in St. Louis is very different from high school in St. Louis. You may be thinking you know this city like the back of your hand, but the Lou is much larger than you originally thought. The Loop, Ballpark Village, the Grove, and countless other hotspots around the area are an entirely new and unique experience when shared with your friends in college.

The diverse campus is a melting pot of people from very different cultures and backgrounds from across the globe. The city becomes a reality that is so different from what you were used to growing up here, despite only moving a few miles away from your parents. It is even more rewarding to show your non-local friends the city you grew up in and to help them fall in love with it like you did. You could take them to a Cardinals or Blues game or bring them to your house for dinner with your family. Regardless, it’ll be a lot of fun helping your friends make your city their new home.

Pictured here we see freshmen Felicia Ellsworth and Julia Veitinger taking a break from school by enjoying parents weekend with my puppers (there’s also Evan Nagel ’19 eating a cookie in the background)

While you may think you have experienced all that St. Louis has to offer, and worry you would just be stuck in the same atmosphere as you the one you had in high school, the “Wash U Bubble” will provide you with a new appreciation for St. Louis you didn’t have before. As a Wash U student and a St. Louis local, I can truly say my first year here has proven to me that my home town is truly one of the hidden treasures of the country. What’s even better is I know I still have so much more to see. It’s also a pretty sweet deal (and totally underrated) to have free laundry machines, a home cooked meal, and puppies down the road when you finish a tough week of school and need an escape from the stress.

Senior Sam Schnabel is another St. Louis local who loves his city and his soon-to-be alma mater

So, if you are still making the tough choice between Washington University and some other top-ranked university, I’d recommend you take my advice, and come take a tour of the Danforth campus.