Washington University in St. Louis

Also known as WUSTL or WashU by its affectionate students. Basically, a scary top-ranked institution that's described by two adjectives: intense and balanced. Students here are the cream of the crop, the smart and the smartasses, the nerd kings, the future crazy scientists...except they won't show it. The school is set in the laid-back Midwest, so while the students are intense and brilliant, the environment is generally pretty supportive and not cutthroat. It's also a premed haven. Watch out in your science classes... Washington University in St. Louis is also ranked fourth of all universities in terms of National Merit Scholars. Competition to get in is pretty difficult, though a lot of naysayers of the school think the school rigs its acceptance rate...the naysayers usually turn out to be WUSTL rejects. Just talk to anyone from Washington University in St. Louis like the recent Jeopardy College Championships winner and you'll be blown away both by their brains and their cool.