Washington University in St Louis

I'll start by saying I can't imagine not having gone to WashU. I learned so much not just in my classes, but from all of my friends and classmates, and everyone else I've met in St. Louis as a result of going to school here. WashU is highly rigorous in general, and in the architecture program, that means you will probably spend at least one night working in the studio. The studio culture is a little zealous and you will feel pressure to be in the studio all of the time. Outside of the studio, there are lots of really great and interesting electives to take, extracurriculars to get involved in, and a really great city to explore and get to know. It's pricey, but if you can afford it, WashU is absolutely the way to go!

I kind of alluded to this in my last response, but the school is expensive so there are a lot of students who are wealthy and if you're low to mid-income, it may be intimidating to be surrounded by classmates who ski every year for spring break and travel to three different countries every summer. Also, particularly when it comes to the art and architecture departments, there isn't funding to subsidize the cost of supplies, so students are fully on the hook for buying paints, modeling materials, paper/canvases, etc. for the completion of their projects which means that your grade can potentially be impacted by your ability to pay for quality materials (or enough materials).

I like that the school allows a lot of flexibility when choosing majors/schools. A lot of other schools lock you into whatever you apply with, but WashU gave me the freedom to explore lots of options before finally deciding on Psychology.

Honestly, there isn't much I've disliked about WashU. There are some professors who I think graded too harshly or some meals I disliked, but those are problems you'd find anywhere. Some people don't like the actual location of St. Louis, but I think it's a beautiful place.