<p>Parent here of senior hs student very interested in Johnson Scholarship program at W & L. She is on target to be Valdictorian, SAT 2330, National Merit Semi (so far), very competitive public high school, normal ecs. Could any current Johnson winners speak to the reason they chose W & L over larger schools (her biggest concern). Thanks!</p>
<p>I'm obviously not a student, but I'm responding because D had similar concerns when she was searching. W&L was the smallest school to which she applied by far. In fact, her HS had more students. </p>
<p>Ultimately, what made the difference were her direct experiences. The alumni interview, contact with admissions and various administrators, the people she met during visits, etc. She remained uncertain about the size of the school, but the quality and enthusiasm of the people she encountered really won her over. </p>
<p>Being there, she now tells me frequently how much she loves it, what a great time she's having, the great professors she has, and so forth. She says her experiences have been such that she simply can't imagine why anyone would want to be at a larger school. Actually, she says she can't imagine wanting to be anywhere other than W&L. It's very different, she says, from what she imagined it would be like. I'm paraphrasing, but essentially, she's enjoying the friendly atmosphere and is taken by the strong sense of community and interactions with her professors. </p>
<p>One of her concerns was that she'd get bored. I asked her about it the other day. Her response was that she hasn't had any time to be bored. Between classes, friends, her clubs, and campus activities she's pretty much running all day. </p>
<p>As an aside, W&L doesn't strike me as a place that tries to be all things for all people, so it's important you take time to understand what it is and what it isn't. I think some of the general descriptions floating around out there are a little misleading. D is intellectually curious, very social, and the type that will try to take advantage of whatever is going on around campus. Most of her friends strike me as being similar. I think that's sort of the W&L "type" for lack of a better description. So, for her it's been great. We couldn't be any happier for her </p>
<p>The W&L board here on CC gets really quiet sometimes, but there's plenty of help if you have other than "chance me" type questions. </p>
<p>Good luck with your search.</p>
<p>FLVADAD- Thank you so much for responding! My daughter, like yours, wants to make sure that while she is intellectually challenged she also wants to have lots of social opportunities (lack of Div. 1 football an issue). Did your daughter attend on the Johnson Scholarship? Is there much interaction with VMI or do students ever trek to Charlottesville?
Thanks again!</p>
<p>Hi miltonmom --</p>
<p>My ds is at W&L on a full ride scholarship, though it's called something other than the Johnson. BTW, the Johnson program leads to all sorts of scholarships, so not everyone on scholarship is called a Johnson. He loves it there! Socially, there is really something for everyone. There are lots and lots of parties, but there are also two very large active Christian groups that have a lot going on, too. I was amazed at how many friends my son made in his first weeks on campus. It is really, really a friendly place -- more so than the large schools his parents went to.</p>
<p>If you'd like to pm me with more detailed questions, I'll answer all I can!</p>
<p>There is some interaction with W&L girls and VMI boys. Not sure about the reverse of W&L boys and female cadets. There were at least 2 senior W&L girls who married VMI cadets after the VMI graduation.</p>
<p>Greek Life is prevalent but it is not all about drinking and random hookups. None of the sororities ever allow men upstairs and they are only allowed downstairs until a certain hour. No alcohol or illegal substances are allowed in sorority houses at any time. This is a rule from each GLO's HQ as well as being a policy from the National Panhellenic Conference. Sorority house rules are stricter than dormitory rules. </p>
<p>What else is there besides studying and greek life? Outing club, many intercollegiate and club level sports, Campus Kitchens, Nabors Service League, volunteer tutoring in the local school system, Catholic group, various Protestant groups, Hillel....</p>
<p>Current parents of W & L students - we are planning a visit next weekend to VA to look at UVA, William & Mary and Washington & Lee, but found that the W & L students would be off campus for some sort of "reading" something
anybody know about this? my daughter really wants to meet some of the students. Did your kids look at UVA and do the two schools just attract totally different kids or what was the defining "thing" about W & L that made your students choose it. Thanks for the posts - very helpful!</p>
<p>Reading Days: a time for students to "catch up" on work. Or work ahead.
Except in our case it has always meant "Fall Break"- a chance to go home , to road trip somewhere,.. to chill out.</p>
<p>miltonmom- I'm a current W&L student who also looked at UVA and William and Mary. I absolutely hated WM (I know it's a great school; it just isn't for me for some reason), and UVA was a little too big for my taste, although I liked the school. There are a ton of cross-applicants between UVA and W&L and I think that my friends who chose to be a General rather than a Cavalier did so because of our small community. UVA just doesn't have the professor accessibility, small class sizes, and unique social system that W&L has. Y'all should try to come here this weekend if you can- it's Homecoming! Next weekend will be pretty quiet as a lot of people take road trips to DC or Charlottesville, or just go home. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>miltonmom, I sent you a PM.</p>
<p>flvadad--great to hear how happy your d is. my s is also loving the school, (on full ride) made bunch of friends on trip to dc, and everywhere else. doing well academically and says everyone here is so smart its fun to have that kind of environment. we were concerned about the conservative thing but seems to not be an issue. can't wait for family weekend, love the campus and lexington is so charming, the mountains are beautiful</p>
<p>Thanks for everyone's input - we'll postpone trip until early Nov. to make sure we catch students on campus. I've heard nothing but great things about the school and the happiness of the students. Again, your posts have made my daughter much more interested in the school (yeah!). Thanks</p>
<p>Anytime miltonmom! </p>
<p>lindz126, I'm likewise glad to hear everything is working out for your son. </p>
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we were concerned about the conservative thing but seems to not be an issue.
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<p>D feels like W&L's reputation as conservative, southern, etc. is overplayed, especially by those lacking firsthand experience. That's not to say those elements don't exist, but she feels that these are not the overarching themes of the W&L experience. She told me she understands the reasons behind it --she was guilty of it herself at one time -- but wishes people wouldn't be so quick to make those assumptions. </p>
<p>We're also looking forward to Parent's Weekend :)</p>