<p>I hate to post any thread relating to politics since it such a touchy subject these days but we were talking to someone who lived in the NW and knew the schools our son was looking at (Linfield, Willamette, Whitworth, U. Puget Sound) and commented that Linfield was very extreme as far as being so far left that she wouldn't send her kids there. The rest she said didn't have that reputation. Our son really likes Linfield but is pretty conservative (fiscally). Would he be a fish out of water their and too annoyed? Our other son is at U. of Oregon and was harassed quite a bit about his political beliefs and it was the only thing he doesn't like about Oregon. Loves it otherwise.</p>
<p>I’m from the Pacific Northwest and I don’t think that Linfield has a reputation of being particularly left wing. Certainly not more than any of those other colleges you listed. Linfield has two campuses I think, one in McMinnville and one in Portland. McMinnville is a more conservative part of Oregon than Portland (compared to Portland, EVERY part of Oregon is pretty much more conservative), and I would say more conservative than Tacoma, where UPS is.</p>
<p>My daughter looked at Linfield about 12 years ago. I believe it was founded as an American Baptist school.
She remarked that it was awfully similar to her high school, by which I took to mean preppy & white.
They do have fraternities, unlike secular LACs in Portland & I would agree compared to Portland I wouldn’t consider Linfield full of radical liberals but I’m sure it is compared to George Fox. :)</p>
<p>i believe lewis and clark has the liberal reputation.</p>
<p>“Would he be a fish out of water …?”</p>
<p>A privileged white kid at a privileged white institution? A fish out of water? Perhaps I’m missing the point.</p>
<p>Reed, L&C & UO are what I’d consider the more liberal schools in OR; Linfield, no.</p>
<p>From what I know, Linfield does not have a reputation as being liberal. My DD3 just applied there. Ironically, my concern about Linfield is that the student body might be too preppy and conservative for her. In Oregon, Reed and Lewis & Clark are known as having liberal-leaning populations. I asked the Willamette admissions counselor where, generally speaking, the students at his school fit in the liberal vs. conservative spectrum and he said definitely on the liberal side.</p>
<p>Having visited all four of those schools, some of them multiple times, Linfield is by far the most conservative of them. Not even close…</p>
<p>Of those four Whitworth is by far the most conservative. The other three are pretty similar in “feel”, but I would say Linfield is probably the second most conservative after Whitworth. Reed, Lewis and Clark, PSU, SOU, and the U of Oregon are probably viewed as the most liberal in Oregon.</p>
<p>Glad to see that I wasn’t so off base. I was really surprised when this lady said that since we have been there twice and didn’t get that impression. Not sure why she said this but glad I posted this so it would confirm what we already thought. It’s good to have diversity but he still wants to fit it with the kids which it seemed he did.</p>
<p>I once had an interesting conversation with a high school principal about kid’s reports to parents on a high school dance. The principal observed that one kid could be having a grand time with friends (“Great dance!”) while another teen could be ten feet away being sexually harassed or bullied (“It was a disaster”). So, too, can a campus visitor have an assortment of possible interactions. </p>
<p>Linfield has a reputation for being a small, friendly campus – of a traditional sort (not too left or right). Definitely more traditional than Evergreen or Reed College. </p>
<p>A few years ago a spunky, naughty group at Dartmouth surprised a friend leading a tour group through the campus. The visiting teens and parents were amused/shocked to see a parade forming to celebrate “Drinking Time”. The “Drinking Time” video is on youtube and is hilarious. If your kid likes the campus, then I’d trust his opinion. </p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Drinkin’ Time](<a href=“Drinkin' Time - YouTube”>Drinkin' Time - YouTube)</p>
<p>Have visited Linfield several times with kids in tow, know recent grads, older grads, etc. It’s not in the same universe (politically speaking) as Eugene. My youngest visited nearly every LAC in the PNW except Whitworth and Linfield was by far the “friendliest” and most “clean-cut”. My D decided it felt too much like Texas. I think the lady who gave you that info had her Oregon colleges mixed up and was thinking of Lewis and Clark.</p>
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<p>yes, you are. OP asked about the culture on campus. This can vary by a huge amount for schools with the same cost.<br>
Linfield is less expensive than many of its local peers. While all private colleges have many applicants in the “privileged” catagory, this comment seems off-topic and snarky.</p>
<p>OMG! That youtube is hysterical! Watching with my son and I am crying laughing so hard.
Thank you for all the comments - except the one 
She must have been thinking of L&C. I will share this post with her so the rumors will stop. That’s how easy they begin!
He has 9 schools total and waiting to hear from 3 more and then he will try to sort out all the schools.</p>
<p>Good luck to him, SDiego! I hope he gets to choose from all 9.</p>
<p>I’m in Oregon. I agree the person must have gotten confused about Oregon colleges. I think most colleges (which some obvious exceptions) tilt toward liberal, but Linfield is certainly less so than L&C, Reed, UO, SOU, etc.</p>
<p>Bookmarked. Somwhat conservtive URM son, looking at Willamette, Whitworth, and University of Portland</p>
<p>The lady from Washington just emailed me saying she was confused and she called her friend whose daughter left and it was Reed.<br>
We just left Dominican U. of CA and now at Westminster in Utah. Coach offered him a starting position at Dominican (D2) and he really liked it. We will see what coach says today at Westminster. He really likes Westminster too. Seems he likes every place which makes it tough. I hope he will figure it out when it’s decision time!</p>
<p>SD Mom - Congratulations on all the good coach news!</p>
<p>I would love for you to post your impressions (positive and negative) about Westminster. My S has has been admitted there with a nice merit award but we haven’t been able to visit. Please let us know what you and your S discover there.</p>
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Yes, you missed the point, and revealed your own bias. Do you think that diversity is limited to skin color and money? In my opinion, that’s the very weakest definition.</p>
<p>Do you really think that every privileged white person grows up with the same political beliefs? How about the son of inherited wealth vs. the son of a man who built his own business? From the city, the suburbs or the country? North, South, East or West? Son of an immigrant vs. a Daughter of the American Revolution? The only conservative in a liberal family or vice versa? A gay Catholic?</p>
<p>Such a shallow statement, but unfortunately, it seems to be an acceptable form of prejudice in our society.</p>