Washington & Lee University: Expectations vs Reality

Parents Forum
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There’s already a Washington & Lee 2027 thread, but I wanted to focus here on expectations vs reality. We all have these pre-conceived notions about certain colleges; Northeastern is pre-professional, Wake is a rich kid school, etc, etc. Most of us have an idea that Washington & Lee is the conservative-leaning college, and there’s been historical/recent evidence of that. (“Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke at W&L two weeks ago….”) What you don’t know unless you’re focusing deeply on the school is that Marc Short, Pence’s former Chief of Staff, is a 1992 alum of W&L and remains actively involved with the university. More on alumni/networks in a moment.

So DC and I took in the Washington & Lee admitted student day, which began with buffet breakfast in a large tent. Each new student received lanyards – BLUE for those who are enrolled and attending and SILVER for those accepted but undecided. The campus feels larger than its 325 acres. The buildings are relatively uniform and some give off a UVA vibe. We split up for different segments – they attended mock classes (which are smaller than average college classes) and I joined the Career Development session. Learned a few things, namely that the most kids after graduation end up working either in NYC or D.C. Beyond those two cities, the list was interesting:

• Atlanta
• Charlotte
• Dallas
• Houston
• Denver

The session confirmed what most of us already knew – alumni & network is the REAL DEAL here. Numerous W&L alums are currently working on Capitol Hill, for both Democrats & Republicans. I would say with deep conviction that the Beltway connections at Washington & Lee are as strong as Hollywood connections are at USC. If your child has a desire for politics as a career, W&L should definitely be on the list right alongside Georgetown. The panel also revealed that 93% of the students are employed or in grad school upon graduation. There were seniors on the panel headed into investment banking, Big 3 consulting, Harvard law. I got the sense that students who achieve academically here have significant post-graduation opportunities.

I addressed the “conservative culture” aspect of the campus with a religious figure working at the school. “We’re not Liberty University,” he said to me. “I wouldn’t be here if that were the case.” I also attended a DEI-panel. The school is taking substantial strides to present the university as inclusive. We also heard the phrase “Honor Code” spoken from multiple folks.

Another buffet meal was served at lunch, which was okay but I was saving my appetite for the niche burger franchise right next to our hotel (that’s a whole other story.) I will say that W&L made an effort to underline the fact that the university has been accepting more and more public-school kids and outlined that in a data presentation. DC made many friends during lunch – the enrolled/undecided kids seemed eager to engage and make new Instagram connections.

The campus tour guides were crazy-friendly, wore the very best faces of the school and enthusiastically showed off dorm rooms (specious) and classrooms (also spacious.) DC ran into a current student whom the tour guide pointed out came from their rival high school. It was a great tour.

I asked numerous students about off-campus life. Accommodations are guaranteed for all four years but seniors are encouraged to live off-campus and the college assists with that process. Greek life is a big deal at W&L BUT unlike many other schools, no one gets left out. It’s not like big state where you could be shut out of a half-dozen fraternity/sororities rushes. Everyone ends up somewhere. All that said, multiple people flat out warned us to not be stumbling back to campus at 12:30/1 a.m. because the Lexington, V.A. police really REALLY frowns upon that. I got the impression that while the cops don’t really bother Greek life unless it’s an egregious issue, W&L is not a bar culture college by any means. While Lexington, VA is not a crime-ridden area (from what I was told) it’s a small town and the cops are driving around often through the night. The authorities do not want to see drunken students out deep into the early morning.

We did not get a strong sports culture vibe from the university. (“We mostly go to events to support friends playing.”)

The school is also very proud of its Study Abroad offerings, which many students take advantage of to break up their time in Lexington.

Oh, and also, Washington & Lee will meet full need for certain students that they want.

Admitted Students Day wrapped up with an ice-cream social. The university did a tremendous job showcasing what W&L has to offer. We came away extremely impressed with the overall vibe of the university. Typical college town, a few nice restaurants (The Southern Inn Restaurant and great wings at Palms) only a few hotel/motels (the quirkiest Hampton Inn we’ve ever seen) but it comes across as a safe place to drop your child for 4 years of schooling. Less than 2000 students remains a concern for DC, though, so we’ll continue to see through the process.

The next Admitted Students Day is Monday April 24, I believe. Worth a day if you can swing it.

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I am so glad you enjoying your weekend. My older S and his GF graduated a few years ago, but I found myself nodding along with everything that you said.

Both had a great 4 years there. Both did the study abroad, though GF’s Italy semester was cut very short due to the initial covid outbreak. Both were involved with Greek life, but I will say that my S is not one you would think of as a typical Greek person. I’m not sure how successful he would have been rushing at a big school (and I would have strongly discouraged him anyway). GF was also a tour guide! And I laugh at your description, because she is just a lovely, bubbly person and so easy to talk to. Both were employed in their fields after graduation in DC. GF definitely used the alumni network for hers. S already had an interview with his company, but he talked to some alumni that helped give him interview prep tips.

And the Palms is probably my favorite place to eat.

And no. It is NOTHING like Liberty.

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Headed there on 4/24. D23 not officially committed but most likely for prelaw goals - philosophy/poverty studies. We are one of those almost full need families - aid was amazing. Thanks for sharing all the intricacies of the school. We definitely needed to look deeper to see the full picture.

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This is actually pretty sizable compared to some other LACs. Bates, for example, resides on 133 acres.

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Plus VMI is literally next door, so there are actually around 4,000 students in Lexington.

My son is a sophomore and I think the OP has accurately characterized the school.

I would add that the opportunities are pretty breathtaking. Many students do research (paging @DramaMama2021 ). My own son was encouraged to apply for a research position studying coral reefs in Belize this summer – paid, to the tune of $500/week – which he got. He is an Environmental Studies and Earth Geosciences major.

I echo the comments about Greek life. There’s a place for everyone. It can actually contribute to the mixing of different groups, as members of different sports teams/groups etc belong to the same fraternity/sorority. Also the fraternities don’t magically turn kids into Animal House wannabes; those thoughtful kids who probably wouldn’t join Greek life at another school influence the Greek culture at W&L.

If you look at the various measures of student happiness, W&L is either #1 in the country, or one of the very highest ranked. This is telling.

This is my 3rd college student, and his experience has been the best by far of the three. I LOVE W&L!

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Current parent here… Great post and thank you for sharing your perspective!

A couple things to note for future readers… W&L has a long-lived, well-respected, student-run Mock Convention (https://www.mockconvention.com/) aimed at accurately replicating the Nominating Convention of the party out-of-power. So this year potential Republican candidates will be invited to campus by the Mock Convention committee (e.g. Mike Pence). A significant portion of the students get involved in this process regardless of their personal political leanings.

Any student organization can invite anyone of their choosing to speak on campus… W&L follows the Chicago principles of Freedom of Speech. (My kid particularly enjoyed the Bob Woodward event and Ben & Jerry’s founders but also Laura & Barbara Bush.)

As an example of the current student environment, an ultra-conservative speaker was recently invited to speak by the College Republicans and a conservative alum group and over 600 students and faculty signed a petition in protest of that speaker’s message. That is a significant number for a school this size, but it did not surprise me based on what my kid has observed. To be clear, I support conservative and liberal student groups and everything in between to be allowed to invite their speakers of choice… diversity of thought, religion, race, identity and life experiences are important to our family and we have been pleased with the way W&L encourages exactly this. We also have been pleased that while groups with opposing ideologies may speak out against each other, it is primarily done respectfully… this is not a campus of disruptive activists but, from our observation, more a body of centrists or left-leaning moderates with outspoken groups at either extreme.

I’m cross-posting with @cinnamon1212 :slight_smile: so will expand on academic and experiential opportunities. (Sidebar… is your son going on the coral reef study with Prof Greer? My kid loves her and would love to do that, but it is too out of sync with her major. She’ll be jealous.)

Back to topic, the advising, experiential opportunities and access to alum resources has absolutely blown our minds. My premed kiddo will have two study abroad terms during her undergrad, plus a summer research position in Africa after sophomore year and a CDC internship lined up for summer after junior year (all funded, some with stipend)… due to the fantastic advising and supportive alums. She had a research assistant position sophomore year and will be a TA in “a science” class/lab junior year. For any premed students out there, her biggest concern when making her college decision was if the rural location of W&L would afford enough opportunities for volunteering and shadowing for a premed kid… once again we have been beyond pleased… the community service groups are plentiful, she was matched with work in a free clinic summer after freshman year plus as a sophomore she shadows a doctor one day a week (observing outpatient surgeries and patient consultations).

I agree with the comments on Greek life… and will add that parties are open to all students, male and female, regardless of if they are members. (With a few exceptions for formals.) And sorority rush is pretty laid back… no need to buy a new wardrobe, for example.

OP, I’m pleased to read your student had a nice visit and wish them the best with their decision!

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Oh yes, we were invited to a dinner with a collection of poli-sci students who were active in the Mock Convention. They couldn’t stop talking about it. A few of them will be working up on the hill come September.

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In case anyone is interested, this chart indicates very little diversity at Washington and Lee.

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Perhaps you meant to say it shows the school ranked low on racial diversity. It ranked highly on location diversity, student age diversity, and faculty gender diversity. Lots of different factors comprise diversity.

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Thanks for sharing, but I think it is important to look at the details and also the trends. W&L has been very open about improving diversity, especially racial and socio-economic diversity, and they have been improving in those areas every year. Even as it stands it is in line with the majority of other SLACs.

One notable addition to the faculty that shows the mindset of the current Admin and Board…

And her personal quilting art is note-worthy, controversial, uncomfortable and thought-provoking…

(paywalled)

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Actually, W&L is not very different from other liberal arts schools in terms of racial diversity. I replied on an earlier thread (like, at least a year ago) comparing schools like Oberlin etc. I will see if I can find it.

Also the percentage of students of color is increasing fairly rapidly, so their trajectory is a positive one.

eta I can’t find the thread and don’t want to do the research all over again. Here’s a link showing the current 1st year class is 22% students of color.

And, the percentage of Black students is 5%, identical to Oberlin

Affirmative Action Must Be Upheld – The Oberlin Review.

https://www.wlu.edu/the-w-l-story/leadership/office-of-the-president/issues-and-initiatives/community/diversity-and-inclusion/

That W&L link is 3 years old; plus it delves into the things it’s doing to address diversity and inclusion.

It behooves anyone with any interest in the school to dig a just a little deeper to get a more accurate picture of what the school is like today, vs the stereotype.

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About a third of 2027 accepted class was POC.

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You all seem to think I was attacking W&L; I wasn’t. There’s no need to be so defensive. I was just presenting some data which may or may not be important to anyone considering the school.

Sorry to have caused so much upset.

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No worries and no upset. :smiley: Just clarifying for anyone who didn’t take time to open a link or review current information. It is only natural for anyone with personal experience to correct what may, at a glance, be misleading.

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It’s an interesting link, and consistent: it ranks Oberlin and Bates (two LACs with a liberal reputation) the same as W&L. That is, below average.

But linking it here could be misleading, implying W&L was very different from other similar schools, when in reality, it is not.

Now, what we can probably agree on is that all these schools need improvement!

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I’m not sure this is accurate. Washington and Lee is almost 80% white.

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[deleted]

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74% of undergraduates according to College Navigator.

For comparison, here are racial/ethnic diversity percentages for some popular more selective LACs among Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, and White undergraduates, listed in order of largest to smallest group at each school (so the order may not necessarily be the same from one school to another):

School Racial/ethnic diversity
Amherst 39/15/15/10
Bucknell 75/7/5/4
Carleton 54/10/9/6
Claremont McKenna 37/16/14/5
Colby 57/10/8/5
Grinnell 52/8/8/4
Hamilton 65/10/8/3
Harvey Mudd 26/24/21/5
Haverford 52/12/11/6
Kenyon 69/7/4/3
Macalester 55/10/8/5
Middlebury 59/10/7/5
Oberlin 61/8/6/5
Pomona 34/17/16/9
Rhodes 64/9/7/6
Swarthmore 33/17/14/8
Vassar 55/13/11/4
Washington & Lee 74/7/4/4
Wellesley 34/21/14/8
Wesleyan 54/12/8/6
Williams 50/13/12/5

However, SES diversity is likely to be where popular more selective LACs tend to be very different from the overall population of college students or high school students (much more so than racial/ethnic diversity).

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The “New Class Profile” linked above indicates that only 22% of undergrads identify as “domestic students of color.” But whether it is 78% or 74%, W&L is one of the whitest liberal arts colleges on your list,having twice the percentage of white students as Pomona, Swarthmore, Wellesley, Harvey Mudd, Claremont McKenna, and almost twice that of Amherst. And it is significantly less racially diverse than most the schools listed, including Oberlin and Bates (the two mentioned by the poster.)

So I think it reasonable to say that it is “different from other liberal arts schools in terms of racial diversity.” Maybe not every one, but it is skewed way toward the overwhelmingly white end of the spectrum.

Perhaps, but I was addressing a particular claim about racial diversity.

Regarding SES, according to USNWR only 10% of students received pell grants, and according to the Chetty study, W&L had the third richest median parental income among 65 peer institutions, and was second to last in terms of families from the lowest quintile.

The study is a few years old now, and maybe things may be changing, but at that time it think it fair to say that W&L’s student body was among the richest and whitest in the nation.

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According to 2023 W&L admitted student details, 31% identify as students of color, 20% from underrepresented backgrounds. Sure, not amazing numbers, just that the school is trying, which was the original point. It APPEARS that the administration is moving in the right direction and that’s the sense and spirit that we received this weekend.

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