It is great being an international student in the Washington University MSTP! There are multiple international students in my class, signifying that the program truly admits students based on merit irrespective of citizen status. The Washington University community is very diverse and includes nationals of many different countries; however, St. Louis and particularly Missouri, is not quite as international. With that said, I have only found St. Louisans and Missourians to be friendly and curious to learn about different cultures and customs. I have been able to visit my home country of Denmark once or twice every year since moving to St. Louis, and that has been amazing! St. Louis living is very affordable; therefore, you can save money to travel, and St. Louis Lambert International Airport has descent options for most destinations, assuming you don’t mind an extra layover. My Danish friends and family as well as other international visitors who were not familiar with St. Louis or Missouri prior to their visit have all been pleasantly surprised.