WashU Pre-med culture questions

Hi guys! I'm a high school senior interested in pre-med, and WashU is high on my list. I'm also being recruited for a sport there. I'm visiting soon and would love honest perspectives from current students and alumni.

Pre-med rigor: How competitive does it get? Is it collaborative or cutthroat in the intro sciences (gen chem, orgo, bio)? Is grade deflation real in the weed-out courses? How does that affect GPAs and med school outcomes?

Research access: How easy is it to get into a lab as an underclassman? Do you have to cold email a lot, or do labs actively recruit undergrads? Is it realistic to do research at the medical school?

Party culture and social life (I'm currently being recruited for a sport, so my social life would largely surround that): Is the vibe more "work hard, play hard" or "work hard, work harder"? Do people have the time for a more vibrant social-life?