<p>Aside from geography, rankings, and prestige (often a function of geography and ranking), are there any signficant educational differences between Whitman (which sounds great) and the usual suspects among the east coast LACs such as Bowdoin, Williams, Haverford, et al. (which are also great but harder to get into) - and for that matter the So Cal. LACs (Claremont, Pomona, Occidental) etc? I don't consider the geography, rankings, and prestige to be that important.</p>
<p>Well that is the right question! Put Whitman in the NE or SoCal, and you would have a significantly greater number of applicants. Whitman consistently ranks at the top in terms of quality of professors, students and departments. However, the location does matter - the northwest region and small town location has to appeal. (although D was convinced she wanted NE and urban but chose Whitman over higher ranked schools.) The location has an upside though too - the geology and environmental science profs take full advantage of the surroundings.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply. Whitman probably deserves a bigger following here than it has. My son and I visited and it is a beautiful place. Walla Walla is a nice town too - nice wineries nearby. What year is your daughter and how does she like it? Despite a relatively low number of applicants, Whitman seems to attract a very accomplished student body.</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman. I was relieved when right from the beginning of the year she said that she loved it and still says she can’t imagine herself anywhere else. She accidently referred to it as “home” over the winter break. One of the helpful transition tools was the Scrambles trip Whitman offers the week before school starts. She went on a backpacking trip and made great friends. She doesn’t know her major yet. What does your son want to study? Is he a current junior?</p>
<p>He is a senior. He was accepted EDII and we plan for him to go there with a nagging reservation about cost. It has everything we were looking for on paper - small classes, good academics, and a good tennis program. However, we received no financial help and we are not wealthy, just not poor. Finances are the only question - the first two years look good, then my daughter will be entering college. Yikes! We love Whitman but are hoping that it will be worth it - which, of course, depends a lot on my son. I continue to hear nothing but good things about it.</p>
<p>My top choices were Occidental and Whitman, which I considered to be virtually identical besides location (L.A. vs. small town NW). I chose the small town and haven’t regretted it.</p>
<p>Congratulations Bogney on his acceptance! I can understand the concerns about cost. My D has an on campus job for spending money and because of the small town and distance from cities, most of the fun to be had is free or cheap so she manages on what she earns. The biggest outside expense is flying her there and back to southern California, but we would have had that had she chosen elsewhere. What she talks about the most are the other students - she says they are really smart, hard working, athletic, & unpretentious yet know how to have fun. She says the discussions in class are amazing. I hope other students like Finnegar will chime in here to relieve you of any possible buyer’s remorse.</p>
<p>My son went for an overnight visit and loved it too. The kids seemed great. I am certain that he will be better off at a small LAC than a large state university, and I think that Whitman will be a great fit. He’s very social, bright (but not especially self-motivated which worries me), and a good athlete. He was rejected EDI from Bowdoin, withdrew apps from Occidental and Bates, turned down money from Ursinus, and got into his second choice (after Bowdoin - which was a reach we thought his athletics might bridge). Now that I am faced with paying for it, it is a bit daunting - but we do what we can for our kids!</p>
<p>Bowdoin and Whitman do seem to attract similar kids. D was waitlisted at Bowdoin, but withdrew her name after her April visit to Whitman. And I also hate to think of the money she turned down at other schools. Yup, the things we do!</p>
<p>Thanks for responding Kolijma and Finnegar. We are excited, not just anxious, about next year. Good luck to you both in your journeys (vicarious and otherwise) through college, and on the other side of that too! Sorry if I was whining a bit - we are lucky to be have such a “problem.” I am glad that someone recommended “Colleges that Change Lives” to me, which hipped me to Whitman in the first place. I am a Yalie, and had never heard of it before. Though I loved Yale, I tend to agree with the premise that a better education can be had where undergraduates are the focus. I will be investing heavily in that theory soon. Go Whitman!</p>
<p>When my son said he wanted to look at Whitman I too had never heard of it…but was thrilled he was willing to look at a college (finally!). It was absolutely the right place for him and he knew it immediately. (We did make him look at Macalester before agreeing he could apply ED.) I went to Oxy and am a huge fan of small liberal arts colleges because of how well they meet the needs of young adults at this age. Whitman offers all that Oxy did and more and with better air quality. My son graduates this May and has had an amazing experience at Whitman. I am delighted that my daughter is a first year there now, because it means I don’t have to “graduate” when my son does. </p>
<p>I worked in admissions at Oxy and then in prep schools on the East Coast and know a fair amount about small liberal arts colleges around the country. I think Whitman is still a hidden gem because of its off the beaten path locale and one of the benefits is that it draws students (and faculty) who really want to be THERE and this enriches the community in many ways. It is also a wonderfully unpretentious place. And it gives kids an education with intellectual depth and a sense of social commitment.</p>
<p>Mmaah: Thanks for the post. We liked Oxy quite a bit too, but preferred the small town over L.A. Also, Whitman’s tennis team is better though the new coach at Oxy seems enthusiastic. I think that my son will find the work load at Whitman a shock, but I am optimistic that he will adapt to the environment, which sounds quite different from his public school. He does not know what he wants to major in, or do after college, so Whitman will be a grand experiment for him. I am glad to hear that your family was enamored of it sufficiently to send your daughter too. I hope that your son’s post Whitman plans are shaping up well.</p>
<p>Kolijma,</p>
<p>I sure haven’t had buyers remorse, but travel (either to/from home or involving club activities) has become my biggest combined expense (just before books).</p>
<p>I understand that there are, or have been, school buses or vans to Seattle, Portland, etc. during the holidays. I hope that is still the case (or sign ups for rides with other students). We are from Norcal but have friends / relatives in those places if he can get there. I never came home for Thanksgiving during college, and S does not plan on that either - perhaps he will be adopted as a Thanksgiving orphan by more local family or spend it with Seattle relatives. With luck, on spring break he will be travelling with the tennis team. That leaves Christmas and summers for coming home, depending on relationships with new friends, etc. Certainly, the transportation won’t be as cheap as going to a school in L.A., but it should be tolerable - not much worse than heading to Maine from Norcal where his other favorites were.</p>
<p>Finnegar, I wasn’t referring to you with the buyer’s remorse comment, but Bogney since her son was accepted ED and it’s not uncommon to get an early binding acceptance and then wonder what his other options might have been. It sounds like you’ve been happy at Whitman!</p>
<p>There are school vans to Seattle and Portland at breaks. They do not go to either airport! There are good message boards to share rides, but the first year my D had transportaion problems - now that she knows more people this isn’t an issue.</p>
<p>The Oxy-Whitman comparison seems pretty valid. My D has a close friend at Oxy - they decided they were at “twin schools”, except he never had to trade the flip-flops for boots and she never had to worry about air pollution… He went to the beach, she took snowboarding as a PE class… He had nightlife beyond the campus, she had sunset bike rides in the wheat fields and cheap, cheap housing. Other than location, very similar schools.</p>
<p>If S can get to Seattle, he will be fine over Thanksgiving. Dragonmom, what does your daughter think of Whitman so far? Does it live up to its press in her view?</p>
<p>She’s very much at home there and is having a great experience. She did research last summer and is continuing this year in the same lab.</p>