Prospective W&L Transfer; what's it REALLY life?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Washington & Lee University
1

hello all! I’m incredibly interested in transferring to Washington & Lee University, and I am looking for some honest answers about the W&L experience. The campus appears to be classy and beautiful, with impressive academics and a dignified community; is this true? I currently attend a fairly liberal LAC in New York, and grew up in a pretty liberal area (I’m a leftist), and I’ve heard that words like “liberal” and “yankee” are thrown around like slurs, and that the student body is mostly conservative. is this true?

also, how difficult is it to integrate socially on campus? is greek life the only way to make friends? I’m interested in playing a varsity sport and have already contacted the coach, so no worries there!

additionally, would any current students recommend transferring? is there lots of grade deflation? what is it REALLY like to attend w&l?

2

Read the student newspaper. Check out youtube videos, there are several “a day in the life” videos, as well as others.

3

I’m not a current student, but… there are a ton of students from the Northeast and the West. No one really cares where you’re from. No one really cares about your personal politics either. Students are on average more conservative than most selective liberal arts college, but “on average” is the key term. There are plenty of center-left and centrist students. There is, however, almost none of the strident leftist activism that is present at some colleges.

It’s hard to say about the transfer experience, as I’m sure this can vary from person to person. Greek life is indeed big; it’s hard to predict a person’s experience who chooses to avoid the Greek system.