<p>Hey! I have a few questions to ask 
I heard there’s not much diversity, is that right? Do are most students there come from upper-middle class?
How’s Whitman’s pre-med program? I’m sure Whitman has great academics, but how about its reputation for grad school? Do you think Whitman is underestimated, I mean ranking and prestige wise? Thanks!</p>
<p>cynigtt, Cookie606 will be able to give you a fuller answer about the diversity at Whitman since she actually attends, but I want to give you my 2 cents on a couple of your other questions. My son is a sophomore there and we aren’t upper middle class, my son attends because he receives merit aid and has work study jobs. He doesn’t feel out of place in any way. I think there is quite a lot of socioeconomic diversity, Whitman really works at getting diversity of all types onto campus.</p>
<p>Secondly, I do think Whitman is underrated, I’m always surprised that it is ignored in so many CC conversations. My S was accepted to 5 other schools who are ranked in the top 20 of USNW rankings, he decided on Whitman because, like Cookie606, he loved it. I thought that he might not be as challenged academically there, but that has not proven to be the case. His HS stats put him in the top 25% of admitted students, but he says that he is definitely working very hard to make good grades and is nowhere near the smartest student in his classes. Graduate schools are very aware of Whitman’s preparation of undergrads, Whitties routinely go on to the best grad schools in the country.</p>
<p>Cookie606, you are a great example of the terrific people that gravitate to Walla Walla, and do so because it is full and happy experience. Bogney, glad to hear that all is going well for your S and I wish you the best outcome for your D!</p>
<p>I hope I get in… Haha. Sounds amazing.</p>
<p>Bogney and bopambo: Aw, shucks! Thanks. Glad your sons are happy, too</p>
<p>I’m not sure about the financial situations of most students, to be honest… Most everyone has scholarships, though, I know for sure. And it’s usually clear that they’re very important to us. I don’t really feel comfortable judging which class everyone is in, y’know? However I will say that I do feel like there’s a whole range of people though and it’s clear that the backgrounds are very diverse. Maybe there’s data online somewhere to give a better answer? I think in the end we’re all just poor college students that will jump at any event with free food and where we come from doesn’t matter in that sense. And there is so much free food everywhere!</p>
<p>There’s not really a “pre-med program”, though there is a track and it’s very easy to follow. We do offer a Biochemistry Biophysics and Molecular Biology which is a popular major for pre-med. The adviser for that major is also the pre-med adviser and he is just amazing and so knowledgeable! Also people will major in Biology. But to be honest, after a few months here’s I’ve realized that most Pre-med students here claim to be majoring in a humanities… like English or Psychology, which is out of the ordinary, but very cool! I’m thinking about majoring in Sociology and pre-med, in case anyone cares!</p>
<p>I haven’t been thinking of grad school myself, but from what I’ve heard I think Whitman’s reputation is alright. Lots of students talk about all the connections they’ve found through Whitman, but I can’t really go farther than that. Sorry! I know that most Science students I’ve met plan on going to grad school and seem content about Whitman’s reputation. Whitman also does a good job of making you prepared for further education because there are helpful resources everywhere.</p>
<p>Do you play tennis at Whitman now?</p>
<p>I don’t play tennis too often. I played IM tennis for a couple weeks, and sometimes I go out with friends, but I think I might play club next semester because I miss it. Varsity sounds like a big commitment, though.</p>
<p>I’m popping this back up because the info is valuable.</p>
<p>What do you think about the theatre department?</p>
<p>Aw, to be honest I can’t go very far with this one. I’ve been forgetting to attend all of the plays I have tickets to (whoops). And I don’t have any close theatre friends. But I know lots of people are involved and there’s shows going on all the time. And from what I hear, they’re really great. Honestly, I feel like all the programs here are small, close-knit passionate and motivated. However, the best way to answer this question more directly would be to talk to an actual theatre student.</p>
<p>Thanks for the question. Sorry I don’t really have an answer!</p>
<p>According to my friends, who are very involved in the theater, the department is very student driven. Students can be directors, stage managers, actors, and etc. For every teaching position, there is a student assistant who does a lot of work. The department is very open to the campus without any prejudices; it is not limited to just theater-major students but also other majors. For instance, my friend who is thinking of becoming a biology-major is starring in an upcoming play. There are also different shows every year, which allows a lot of opportunities for students to be involved in. Lastly, with different directors for different plays, students are able to learn different styles. </p>
<p>As for me, I really enjoy the plays. I really like how as a student, the admission tickets are free. I also love watching shows directed by students: lunch box shows and and the instant play festivals.</p>
<p>momsings… Whitman is always ranked VERY high on lists for “Best Theatre Programs”…</p>
<p>Thank you for the information everyone. Son has applied and wants to major in theatre!</p>
<p>Glad to hear it momsings! Best wishes everyone.</p>
<p>As a current freshmen who is very involved in theatre at Whitman I just wanted to say how great the theatre program is here. Challenging, but not overwhelming, the professors and staff are fantastic and very devoted, and the other students are motivated and talented. Theatre here will keep you very busy, but anyone who has done a show knows that. I chose Whitman because of the schools I applied to I felt like this program would challenge me the most (the “real world” is after all very competitive), and that has been the case, I am growing and getting opportunities to grow too. It is not a department where it is impossible to get roles if you are not a theatre major and I have really enjoyed getting to work with so many very different people. Whitties as a whole seem very willing to try theatre and especially in the lower level acting classes you find a variety of people. Liberal arts colleges, and theatre for that matter, are sometimes rumored to be female dominated, but I really haven’t noticed this. In one of my acting classes there were more fellas than girls; that was a first after high school! People here work very hard and are often very focused, but there is no mean spirit of competitiveness. I have found other cast members to be very mature and supportive and happy to show me the ropes. </p>
<p>My advice for choosing a school if you think you’re going to be spending a lot of time in the theatre department is to visit. Many liberal arts colleges and performance arts schools offer audition based scholarships (including Whitman…coming up this spring). This is a really good opportunity to meet the faculty, see the facility (ours is newly remodeled and very comfortable to work in), and get an overall feel for the school. Not to mention that most of us don’t want to pay as much tuition as we are asked to do- even with merit and need based aid- and every scholarship helps. Anyways, best of luck to you! If you have anymore questions feel free to ask!</p>
<p>Thanks, NorthwestLAC! it is terrific to get this information. We came to Whitman last February, did the tour, and sat in on the beginning acting class. One of the students was very friendly and showed us around the stage afterwards. If I remember correctly, the remodel wasn’t complete. We are coming again so he can interview/audition for the scholarship. We were impressed when we were there last year, but it is great to hear what actual students involved think. I appreciate it, immensely. Are you a theatre major?</p>
<p>A mom here…</p>
<p>Just spent the last couple of days doing a tour of colleges with DS - a HS junior. We were all surprised to find out he liked Occidental and Pomona - instead of the larger research institutions. He’s interested in physics and possibly other engineering areas. He’d prefer to be in a cooler climate with better air. </p>
<p>He’s especially interested in the Occidental 3/2 program…I understand Whitman offers a similar program. Any insights on this program.</p>
<p>And of course in general…how do you like the town, how are the research/intern opportunities. How far to the nearest ski slope?</p>
<p>I can answer the ski slope question. Whitman students ski at a great regional ski resort in the Blue Mountains ([Ski</a> Bluewood Home](<a href=“http://www.bluewood.com/pin/]Ski”>http://www.bluewood.com/pin/)), it’s an hour away from Walla Walla. My son has a car and so do several of his skier buddies, so they give friends rides and split the cost of gas. The college offers skiing as a recreational sports class and provide transportation to the students, I think they also occasionally run a bus from school up to the slopes on weekends, and public buses take skiers from the Walla Walla area up the mountain, details are on the Bluewood website. Skiing is great right now, son said the powder was fabulous on Sunday. There are also many other skiing options at larger resorts within a 4 to 5 hour drive in all directions.</p>
<p>Opps, I was wrong about the public ski bus going through Walla Walla, it looks like it goes directly from Pasco to Bluewood. From what I can tell skiers without cars get to know skiers with cars and hitch rides. Son said there are quite a few Whitties he sees on the slopes. Now I hope someone can answer the 3/2 program question.</p>
<p>Thanks bopambo.</p>
<p>Thanks for the insight, everyone. :)</p>
<p>Dietz199: I don’t know too much about the program, but my understanding is that after three years, students can transfer to Duke, Columbia, WashU, Caltech, or UW to study engineering. ( [Combined</a> Plans](<a href=“http://www.whitman.edu/content/catalog/combined-plans]Combined”>http://www.whitman.edu/content/catalog/combined-plans) ) Sounds pretty cool to me, though I don’t personally know anyone doing that just yet. Perhaps it’ll be more clear to me when I become an upperclassman. In any case, I feel like the Science classes are all good here. Like everything, they are -much- smaller and more close-knit than you would find in a larger school. Teacher-student communication is also much more casual and all professors are approachable. Although it seems the student body has more focus on Bio/Chem/BBMB (Biochem, Biophys, and Molecular Bio) there is still a good amount of Physics majors. It sounds like a good program to me! I could have gone the more “Straight-forward” route with the sciences at a bigger university, but I feel like the liberal arts education I’m getting here makes my college feel a lot more fulfilling. Not to mention the wonderful people I live around that are so interesting individually! I (obviously) support him in his liberal arts interest, whether or not he ends up at Whitman.</p>
<p>As for the climate, it’s definitely still cool here, now in February. But from May-September it does get really hot. Luckily most people do not stay here over the summer. Praise air-conditioning! I hear Walla Walla doesn’t actually have the best air, but it feels clean and crisp to me. I like that it’s dry here - I do not like humidity, which is what makes the air feel dirty to me. Running through the parks and neighborhoods are very nice.</p>
<p>Yes, bopambo is right about the ski trips. I see people going up to the mountains every weekend. There are tons of skiers here, and people really enjoy the courses they offer. It’s not to get credits for recreational activities. I’ve probably said this earlier in my topic, but I love Walla Walla. It’s a great little city and I think it’s perfect for college. There are things to do, places to go, but not as distracting as a big city. Everyone here is so nice - Walla Walla was voted the friendliest city in America by USAToday! I see research/internship opportunities all over the place. The best way to find information about this, however, would be to contact specific people in areas you’re interested in. I can’t guarantee anything, but I do know that many students are involved with these things. Obviously, opportunities and openings fluctuate.</p>