Pacific Northwest LACs

<p>My East Coast D is interested in several LACs in the Pacific Northwest. These schools are virtually unheard of out this way, so I'm hoping those of you who live closer can tell me what I won't find on the website:</p>

<p>What kind of students tend to choose these schools (preppy, artsy, non-traditional, etc.)?</p>

<p>What is the reputation and vibe of these schools?</p>

<p>The schools:</p>

<p>Univ. of Puget Sound
Willamette
Lewis & Clark
Pacific U.</p>

<p>We've already checked them out on paper for admissions stats, cost, programs, etc. Thanks for any feedback.</p>

<p>All of these are great schools! They have a very liberal outdoorsy vibe</p>

<p>Rich, white, wet. Just kidding, but not totally incorrect. I would say Pacific’s academic reputation is a step down from the others. Lewis and Clark is the most non-traditional of the four probably more eclectic, more liberal plus closer to Portland big city amenities. Pacific and Willamette are more isolated in small cities. UPS is in Tacoma, and it’s not that hard to get to Seattle. Willamette and UPS would perhaps be described as more preppy, but that is in the Pacific Northwest context of REI/EddieBauer fleece and rain gear.
Looks like you screened out the PNW religious schools, but some are less dogmatic than others, esp. Seattle U, Gonzaga, maybe University of Portland.
Also what about Whitman, a very similar school, other than it is in the more remote Walla Walla, and it’s not wet.
Any particular major that has attracted you to these schools?</p>

<p>Thanks for the feedback!</p>

<p>@jtmoney, my D picked these schools because they are all small LACs with D3 swimming. Good observation re: religious schools…we did weed those out as my D is Jewish and prefers a more diverse mix. Whitman is too remote, unfortunately. I told D she should be only an hour or less from a major airport to make travel back east easier.</p>

<p>I think she can deal with PNW preppy better than East Coast preppy (she’s philosophically opposed to the Abercrombie brand). She’s something of a hippy and likes the outdoorsy vibe and alternative music scene of the PNW.</p>

<p>Re: her major – Psych and Gender/Women’s Studies with a Music Minor.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t count out Whitman, it’s more selective than the other schools on her list but it meets all your criteria, the swimming teams have been really good in the past several years. Walla Walla is a very charming friendly small town. The campus is vibrant and very active, and stunningly beautiful. </p>

<p>As the mother of a “Whittie” I’ve learned some travel secrets that make getting there much less daunting than it looks initially. Pacso is 45 minutes away and has a bigger airport with many more flight options than the teeny Walla Walla one does, meaning students can avoid having to fly to Seattle to change planes. There is a shuttle bus that picks up passengers at the Pasco airport and delivers them to downtown Walla Walla, 3 or 4 blocks from campus ([Grape</a> Line - Travel Washington - Bus Service from Walla Walla to Pasco, WA](<a href=“http://www.grapeline.us/]Grape”>http://www.grapeline.us/)). There are a lot of students who drive from Portland and Seattle, so after getting acquainted with classmates, it becomes very easy to fly into the big hubs and hitch rides to campus with friends.</p>

<p>Here is an exchange from another forum that may be of value. Question from prospective student:
"I adore Whitman but I am worried about feeling trapped in a small town. As a student, do you consider being in Walla Walla an advantage or a disadvantage?</p>

<p>Answer from current student:
“Advantage! Walla Walla may be small relative to a big city, but I think that works to its benefit. It has its small-town charms (family-owned businesses in particular), the college provides great opportunities for students to leave (Outdoor Program trips, club conferences, etc), and everything is within walking distance (including grocery stores, parks, and a surplus of great restaurants). Being on campus constantly really separates you from the outside world, and I never notice that Walla Walla is relatively small until I leave–I’m usually too busy on campus to notice”</p>

<p>Parent of a recent Lewis and Clark grad here. DD loved the place. She frequently went down to Portland on the (free) bus and enjoyed the very hip atmosphere. There are frequent student led poetry mashes and some on campus cafes where students regularly perform.</p>

<p>We have a family friend who graduated from Pacific last year and had a good college experience. He used his AP classes to cover many required course credits and graduated in 3 years. He was actively involved in a campus music group and liked the academics and social life. He is very serious and not at all hip or hippie-ish, I don’t know if that reflects the leanings of the student body as a whole.</p>

<p>We also know a young woman who graduated from Willamette last year and totally loved it. Salem isn’t a very exciting place, unless you’re into politics, but the campus seems to keep the students very well engaged. There is an active outdoor program, the kids seem open and accepting and Portland isn’t very far away.</p>

<p>All these places have different feels, so visiting will be very clarifying.</p>

<p>My S is a swimmer at UPS–he loves the team, the coaches, and the school. You should have your D look up the top times at each school for the last few seasons (if she hasn’t done that) The strength of the swim programs is quite different for the 4 schools you mentioned. She could see where she fits in best.</p>

<p>In the Northwest conference (where your 4 schools are) the top swim programs are Whitworth, U of Puget Sound and Whitman.</p>

<p>My D went to Willamette-- she was not a swimmer. She loved the school though</p>

<p>Send me a PM if you have specific swim progrma questions</p>

<p>Thanks, this is all very helpful! Like I said, these schools are almost unknown out here, so info is hard to come by outside of websites and guides. We had hoped to visit this summer but will have to settle for accepted student days, assuming acceptances and finances work out :)</p>

<p>My D is currently attending Willamette and was considering swimming but decided not to-became involved in many other things instead. A few of her friends swim there and they love it-the swimmers are great friends with one another but they do not exclusively hang out with swimmers. Willamette was my D’s last choice-before she went to visit it. She had been accepted at Wesleyan, Berkeley, Macalaster, Lewis and Clark, and on a whim, had applied to Willamette. We went to visit it 3 days before the National Decision Day (or whatever it is called that is usually May 1) and fell in love with everything about it-the campus, location (across the street from the state capital) and has been happier than anyone of her friends from HS. When they all got together this summer, they were all complaining how many adjustment problems they had and my D just sat quietly and thought, hmmm I didn’t experience any of that! She ended up bringing 4 friends home for Thanksgiving (we live 4 hours from the college) and will probably bring more home this year. I know that any small school will provide her with excellent experiences-Willamette is a hidden gem.</p>