This is actually a pretty big deal-breaker for me. I am seriously considering applying early decision (this sunday), and this is the last major factor I have. I come from a pretty conservative community and would really like a (mostly) liberal college environment. I especially prioritize women’s’/race/LGBT rights. I have had some mixed responses to this question, so I thought I would ask here.
Liberal compared to what? Compared to Wesleyan? Lord no. Compared to your conservative community? Probably yes. Most likely the majority of students are registered Democrats. At the same time, it doesn’t have the diversity that other schools do. If womens/race/LGBT rights is your first priority then you might be happy at F&M; you would probably be a little happier somewhere else.
If that is a deal breaker for you, I wouldn’t make F&M your top choice. It’s certainly not a conservative school per say, but it’s not liberal in the sense of most liberal arts schools. Sure, most students are voting for Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and it’s rare to find a registered Republican, but they’re not really passionate about women’s/race/LGTB issues. There have actually been many issues related to racism on campus this year, with students posting derogatory comments on Yik Yak about minorities, ransacking minority students apartments, and throwing beer cans out of frat houses on young Muslim children. Classism is also extremely prevalent on campus.