<p>I have a tour scheduled in the near future and I plan on applying. The only thing that worries me is supposed animal house mentality that I have heard about. I have not decided against going Greek or drinking, but will I be ostracized if I do not?</p>
<p>There are several threads about this. You won’t be ostracized for not drinking, but you will be (and you generally won’t enjoy your time at W&L) if you have a real problem with underage drinking in general. If you can go out with a group, dance, have a good time, then you’ll have fun whether you drink or not. If you dislike underage drinking and have a problem with people who do, you will still have a group of friends and things to do, and you can have a good experience, but you will be marginalized in the general W&L society.</p>
<p>It’s not whether or not you drink, it’s about your attitude.</p>
<p>Is there any truth to the rumor that 60% of females are sexually assaulted in one form or another every year there? I read it somewhere, and I was wondering if there was any truth to it.</p>
<p>I am not blind to the problem on college campuses of sexual assaults. I wish that Lexington were immune to the problem, but no campus is. </p>
<p>However, the claim that 60% of the women are sexually assaulted each year is preposterous.</p>
<p>A few things to think about:</p>
<p>The typical college campus is 60% female, which means that there are 1.5 women for every 1 male. That has exacerbated the problem of brutish behavior by college men since there are quite simply not enough guys to go around. W&L maintains a 50/50 ratio of men to women - which helps in maintaining more equality socially. </p>
<p>The school also has a very small environment - the people you see at parties are the same people that you see in class an and on campus - which also helps.</p>
<p>Finally, W&L does have a tradition of honor. I am not so naive as to think that is a safeguard against all harm, but it does help a little.</p>
<p>In short - all college campuses have a problem with sexual assaults - but I think that W&L is no worse than other colleges, and there is some reason to think that it might even be a little better.</p>
<p>It would be helpful if some current students would comment on this.</p>
<p>I’m a current student.</p>
<p>I don’t know specific numbers but I do know that there are groups on campus [at least one of which is an all-male group] that discuss the issue of sexual assault and related topics and work to oppose it.</p>
<p>Animal House mentality? Perhaps to a very small extent. The academic demands are too high to forget about schoolwork and just go party every single night. People have their priorities in order here. Work gets done before partying and we have a good mindset for that. Everyone here is extremely smart and focused, even if they don’t give off that vibe. That said, yes, things can get wild on party nights and a lot of things are forgotten the next morning. But like the person above said, if you are “that guy” or “that girl” the night before, people will know the next day, and that definitely discourages a lot of things. An important thing to point out is that there is a safe ride system here so drunk driving and getting home is not a concern every night.</p>
<p>Again, like the people before me said, there is a lot of drinking here and alcohol is very available. But if people say “You want a beer?” and you say no there won’t be a problem. As long as you’re OK with the party scene, you’ll fit in well… you don’t have to drink.</p>
<p>Definitely try to do an overnight and you’ll see what it’s like here. I love it.</p>
<p>For the record, I have visited the college this past weekend and absolutely fell in love with it. Any concerns that I had with the university, its social scene, and Lexington are gone. In fact, I now intend to apply early decision for the November deadline, and I cannot imagine going to college anywhere else.</p>
<p>yeahhh Gatsby18!</p>
<p>Great decision if I say so myself. I’m a current student here, and just to let you know, my freshman roommate was not a drinker. She didn’t drink and she thought that people would bash her for it. Well, no one really cared. Actually a lot of people (myself included) commended her for it.</p>
<p>I haven’t had any problems with sexual assault while I’ve been here if that comforts you in anyway. This is such a fantastic place, though. Whenever I walk to my classes down the Colonnade, I just think to myself “wow, I can’t believe I get to go to this school!”</p>
<p>I promise you won’t regret it!</p>
<p>
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<p>You don’t know what you’re talking about. The rape rate at Washington and Lee is actually twice the national average. 18 percent of female students surveyed had experienced rape or attempted rape.<br>
[Rockbridge</a> Report](<a href=“Journalism and Mass Communications : Washington and Lee University”>Journalism and Mass Communications : Washington and Lee University)</p>
<p>take that, and all statistics with a grain of salt. W&L isn’t full of rapists running around. People get drunk at parties. Alcohol lowers inhibitions. I personally know of several people who consider a guy trying to make out with them on the dance floor as “attempted rape” or “sexual assault” even though all they had to do was turn around and it was stopped. The whole sexual assault campaign is good in that it makes people realize they need to be more responsible for their own actions, but a lot of things can get overblown. We are an incredibly safe school- tell me one other school you’ve been to where students leave their dorm room doors wide open, their laptops unattended in public areas on campus, and take their final exams unproctored whenever they want.</p>
<p>Tangentially related question: clothing. I keep hearing about popped collars, Lacoste, Lily Pulitzer, Vineyard Vines, etc.</p>
<p>Well, we are not wealthy by any stretch (which is why DS applied for the Johnson Scholarship). Our idea of reasonably priced clothing is NOT $195 tank tops. (Please pardon the question, but how super-smart can students be if they’re willing to pay that kind of markup for a logo? ;-))</p>
<p>As it happens, I work in the apparel industry, and I buy my kids’ clothing at the company store and at in-house sample sales. (I get a lot of stuff free, too. That’s one of the few perks associated with working for an apparel company.) Our brands are household names (think Michael Jordan in skivvies), but (with a few exceptions) they aren’t ultra-posh, prestigious, or preppy. Nonetheless, my kids (who are oblivious to labels and logos) will be wearing this stuff to college, I guarantee!</p>
<p>Will they be made to feel weird and out of place at W & L if they aren’t wearing overpriced Lacoste polos? (My employer owns a polo company called Outer Banks, and that’s largely what my kids wear – along with Champion basketball shorts. [I’m the ecommerce copywriter for ChampionUSA.com. We own a LOT of Champion stuff, most of which I got either super-cheap or free.])</p>
<p>As I say, we’re FAR from wealthy (much less preppy), and I wouldn’t pay $195 for a tank top, even if I could afford to. (I know what the markups are!) Would my kids fit in at W & L, with their sample-sale tees and polos and shorts? Will they be judged by their clothes? If so, fuhgeddaboudit!</p>
<p>Thanks…</p>
<p>A mere middle-class mom</p>
<p>Some people are label obsessed, as at any school. At W&L, as long as you look nice, it doesn’t really matter what you wear. I had nothing designer when I went to the school, and by the time I graduated, the few designer stuff I owned mostly came second hand (roommates), or from thrift stores, or designer resale places like Plato’s Closet.</p>
<p>We visited W&L twice during the last 2 summers. What a beautiful place! Obviously hard to get a grip on the greek life affect. Know some graduates who work on Wall St. and loved their experience at W & L ! From our brief time there we can draw several conclusions: 1) this is a remarkable school that stays with you for a lifetime, 2) it would be an honor to attend, and 3) it’s not for everyone BUT for those who can adapt, it could be a life changing experience.</p>