What are the dates?
The dates for Parent & Family Weekend 2011 are set for the weekend of October 21-23. For a copy of last year's agenda, please visit http://parents.wustl.edu/weekend/.
When do activities begin and end?
Activities begin on Friday, October 21 at 8:30 a.m. with the start of classes and continue through Sunday afternoon, October 23. Many families choose to arrive in town on Thursday evening. For last year’s agenda please visit http://parents.wustl.edu/weekend/.
Where do we go when we arrive on campus to pick up information and ask questions for the weekend?
The Parent & Family Weekend welcome and registration area is in the Ann W. Olin Women's Building Formal Lounge. At registration you can register on-site, pick up event tickets that you ordered, receive your Parent & Family Weekend keepsake, ask questions about campus, the weekend's activities and pick up information about St. Louis. Registration is open on Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
What if I can not make it to pick up my tickets before registration closes?
Your students is welcome to check-in for you and pick up any special event tickets that you have preordered.
Do we need a parking pass for the weekend?
A parking permit was included with the brochure that was mailed home. Please place this pass on your dashboard while you are on campus. Parking is available in yellow, green and brown areas only. If you park in a metered spot, you will need to feed the meter, and if you park in the Danforth University Center garage, you will also need to pay to park. If you have misplaced your parking pass, extras will be available at registration in the Women's Building Formal Lounge.
What is there to do while visiting?
Parent & Family Weekend will be a great opportunity for parents to explore the St. Louis and Washington University communities while spending time with their students. There will be a number of program opportunities for parents to take advantage of while visiting. For this year’s agenda please visit http://parents.wustl.edu/weekend/.
Do students have the day off on Friday?
Students do not have the day off on Friday. However, there will be plenty of time for the students to spend time with their parents and there will be a ton of activities and programs to take advantage of throughout the weekend. Please be aware that your student may have exams the following week and may need some time to study or work during the weekend.
Are exams cancelled for Parent & Family Weekend?
Classes operate as usual surrounding Parent & Family Weekend. Please talk with your student before you arrive on campus to check on his or her workload for the weekend. You are welcome to attend activities with or without your student. Parents and family members are also welcome to visit campus at any time, please be sure to confer with your student first.
Are all classes open for visiting on Friday? What if we do not know our student's schedule?
There are some regularly scheduled Friday classes that professors have removed from the open class list. These classes have exams or some type of special project that does not work with visitors in the classroom. However, most classes are open. Please contact your student to get a list of their courses. A list of all open classes will be available at registration in the Women's Building Formal Lounge. Parents are also welcome to visit any open class that interests them, with or without a student.
What activities are acceptable for young and preteen siblings?
Most of our events are acceptable for younger siblings. You can best determine if a young child would be more interested in the more academic programs, such as the Dean's Meetings or the various tours and social programs. Please be aware of the distance for some of the walking tours and if your child would be comfortable traveling by foot for one or two miles.
What is the weather in St. Louis in October?
This question has no definitive answer! Most years, in late October, St. Louis weather is mild with day temperatures in the 60s to low 70s and evening temperatures in the 50s. Please be prepared for warmer or colder weather and be ready with layers of clothing.
Where do parents stay?
For a listing of St. Louis are hotels, please follow this link that lists the hotels near the Danforth University Campus. Washington University also has accommodations on the Danforth Campus at the Charles F. Knight Center. Please call (866) 933-9400 for reservations.
What room selections should my student make?
Students have the option to choose between both modern and traditional residence halls in addition to choosing whether they’d prefer a single, double, or triple. Though there is no guarantee which housing option they will be given, they are allowed rank their preferences for consideration. There are numerous housing options in terms of locations but in general, all freshmen along with a number of sophomores live on the South 40 while upperclassmen tend to move toward other housing options on the north side of campus and some even move to some off-campus housing options. To find out more about housing options please visit http://reslife.wustl.edu/.
What is the timing for housing selection?
For a complete listing of important dates and a timeline of housing selection please follow this link.
How do lottery numbers work?
For information about lottery numbers as well as information about the different rounds in the housing selection process please follow this link.
What are the off campus housing options?
Please check out the links below for off campus housing options. Non-WU related sites, such as craigslist, may also be helpful for off campus living arrangements.
What are the safety features associated with residential life?
Washington University has a number of safety initiatives and programs that students are encouraged to utilize including emergency text messaging services. For a complete listing of programs and safety features for the university please visit http://police.wustl.edu/.
What should my student bring with them?
For a complete list of everything students should bring with when moving on campus, please visit http://orientation.wustl.edu/movingin/shopping.
What are ArtSci Weekends?
ArtSci Summer Weekends are designed to introduce entering freshmen to Washington University, academic life in the College of Arts and Sciences, and to prepare them for the fall semester. For information on ArtSci Weekends, please go to http://college.artsci.wustl.edu/artsci-summer-weekends.
What summer programs are available for incoming students?
For information on summer programs for Arts & Sciences students, including ArtSci Weekends and FSAP, please go to http://college.artsci.wustl.edu/incoming-students.
How can my student fight homesickness?
First and foremost students should use their resident advisors. These people are great resources and are trained for handling such situations. Additionally, students have student associates, residential college directors, and a number of other individuals who are available to help. Aside from the people that are there to help students, there are a number of opportunities for students to get involved and more connected with the campus community including an activities fair that provides them access to over 300 different student groups with which they can get themselves involved. For more information see getinvolved.wustl.edu.
Can students’ plans be adjusted? If so, when is this possible? What happens to excess funds?
There are a number of different meal options for students to choose from so that an appropriate plan can be matched with each student. Additionally, students are provided with “Suggested Point Balances” to keep them off track and the opportunity to add points if they run low. At the end of the Fall semester, points are rolled over to the Spring semester. However, at the end of the Spring semester, plans are cleared so make sure those points get used! For more information about meals plans please visit http://diningservices.wustl.edu/meal_plans.shtml.
How can my student get around St. Louis without a car?
What summer storage options are available for students?
Currently, Washington University offers summer storage for those students who seek such services through an on-campus student run business called Utrucking. This company offers summer storage to university students and and they can be contacted via their website: http://www.utrucking.com. Additionally, students are encouraged to seek use of other local services though none are necessarily endorsed by the university.