<p>Trying to get a little action going on this board. I am actually a parent, but my S is very interested in Whitman. Would love to hear from other applicants re: what is attractive to them about the school.</p>
<p>Current students: What are your fave things about the school?
Any big down sides? Classes hard to get? Are dorms OK?</p>
<p>Anyone on the men's tennis or soccer teams want to talk about their experience?</p>
<p>Let's get some posts!</p>
<p>Whitman probably does win the "quietest board" award. Probably a result of it being a highly cooperative, collaborative school and tending to draw kids who are not so status/competetive oriented as some others on this forum. I can't picture many Whittie's following this board once they are there so you might need to post on some of the admissions website options.</p>
<p>My son is a very happy first year. He was drawn to the theater program, the quality of the community, the overall gestalt of the school compared to anything else he considered. He finds it academically challenging, fun, the dorms and food are good. He likes Walla Walla and pretty much everything about his experience so far. Can't speak to tennis or soccer. Campus is beautiful and everything seems to run very smoothly so, from a parent's perspective, Whitman seems like an excellent place for him to be.</p>
<p>Thanks mmaah - it just feels good to chat with someone about Whitman - since it won't be until April we get anything from the school itself!</p>
<p>I just wanted to pass on a note about the dorms. The dorms are generally held in high regard within the college reviewing services and the information about the website is pretty comprehensive regarding housing options. Nice to see some action on the thread. From the Whitman site...</p>
<p>High Level of Student Satisfaction: Students at Whitman are very satisfied with their experiences living on campus. In a 2004 survey of 400 students…
95% felt that living on campus was beneficial during their transition to college
95% felt that living on campus contributed positively to their educational experience at Whitman
96% said that overall they were satisfied with their residence life experience
99% either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement "I feel secure living in campus housing."</p>
<p>I thought I should elaborate on why I'm interested in Whitman. No matter how many strange looks I get (I love in central North Carolina) I'm enamored with the school. The academics appear to be top notch without being deathly competitive, the size is perfect for me, the library is exceptionally good, and the campus/location are enticing. I'm also very curious about the Rhetoric dept., as Whitman is one of the few schools I have seen that offers a major and a minor in Rhetoric. </p>
<p>My biggest concerns about Whitman are the cost and the relative lack of "prestige" where I live. As I am looking at law school, the second issue isn't that important. From my research, Whitman appears to be well-regarded by top-tier graduate schools. As for the cost, Whitman isn't more expensive than other schools and student loans are just something I'm going to have to come to grips with.</p>
<p>I'd love to elaborate (aka ramble on and on about Whitman) if you want me to. I like to think Whitman students are too busy on campus to flood this forum.</p>
<p>I think the things my S likes best are the collaborative rather than comp. nature you talked about along with the great outdoor program.
The cost is a definite barrier, however, so financial aid will be a big consideration. Hard to wait, but I think we're going to try to put the whole college thing out of mind until April</p>
<p>I'm form the midwest and loved the campus. Most of all, I lvoed the Outdoor Program, it's run by a guy who climbed Everst last year and he spent alot of time with me. I looked at all the top LAC's in the northeast and Whitman just seemed differnt but as reputable as Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, etc...What I didn't like was Walla Walla, seemed like it could get real small after a year or so and Portland and Seattle are 4 hours away. For that reason, it was my 2nd/3rd choice, solely because of location. I ended up applying, but had to withdraw when I was accepted ED to Colorado College. No regrets....but I would still recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a little isolation.</p>
<p>Whitman has an Indoor Tennis Center. I have no idea about the team but here's what Whitman says about the center. "The Walter A. Bratton Tennis Center, featuring four indoor tennis courts, is open year-round for varsity tennis and intramural matches." It looked pretty nice from the outside.</p>
<p>They were pretty proud of their tennis when I was there. As of November they are ranked 16th (Div III) and Phalkun Mam is ranked fifth overall. In addition to the Bratton Center, they have some really nice courts adjacent to Ankeny Field which is a quad like area around the dorms, library and some classroom buildings. Those courts are lit at night and when I was there, a bunch of folks were using them late into the night on a Friday!</p>
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I like to think Whitman students are too busy on campus to flood this forum.
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<p>Definitely the case..too busy to write or call home, not too busy to work hard academically, and probably too busy to find WW oppressive. When we visited in October my son lamented that he had been so busy on campus that he hadn't been able to get out into the adjacent Blue Mountains that he had been introduced to on the pre-orientation first-year "scrambles." Between the outdoor program (very active and highly rated as someone else here noted) and the study abroad program I think Whitties don't feel too sequestered. They also have a pretty good network for rides and I know kids get to concerts, etc in Seattle, Boise, Portland when they want to..</p>
<p>Also, for ninja, the reputation of Whitman re rhetoric and law seems very well established, at least according to my lawyer niece. You could also probably get some data from the department or admissions on law school admits if you wanted/needed them...</p>
<p>And re financial aid--at least you will have geographical diversity on your side...</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman at Whitman and she loves it. Passionately, even. I agree with mmaah that the school is extremely well run. They focus on the student experience and it shows. The dorms are very nice (my D is in jewett). She had more than enough room for her things, and she has a ton of clothes. On the first day she rented a refrigerator, but took it back because each section in the dorm has a beautiful, full kitchen. </p>
<p>Little things add up to a great environment for students: Laundry is free, printing is free, the library is open 24 hours. Student health put a little care package in every student's mail box the first week of school, and let the students know they could go and spend the night in the infirmary if they were stressed out and just needed a quiet place to study/rest. Everyone on campus is so nice and seems so happy to be there -- it's hard to imagine a happier place. </p>
<p>Most of her academic experience has been extremely positive. She has a lot of work, but it seems manageable, and she has liked all of her classes and teachers. Given the small size of the school, some classes are not offered every year or every term, and some classes have only one section (not usually the main introductory ones or those required for majors), so there may be times when it is tough to get into a class. My D wasn't able to get into one class she wanted this term because only one section was offered, she was assigned a later registration time, and it turned out to be a very popular class. But first semester she had an early registration time and was able to get into a class that had very limited room. I think this would be the only drawback from my perspective, other than the cost.</p>
<p>I think for her it's the people and the atmosphere that make it so special. Highlights of her first year include being on the swim team (in a beautiful new aquatics facility), joining a sorority and soon an acapella group. So far, Whitman seems to be giving her opportunities to do everything she wanted to do in college. </p>
<p>We are from a big city, so it is very surprising that she likes Walla Walla so much. She enjoys shopping, and WW is not a shopper's paradise. But there is a Macys on Main St. There are not a big variety of restaurants in WW, but that is about the only negative thing I've heard from her.</p>
<p>Thanks for posting Rix! Now the hardest part is just waiting to hear....</p>
<p>orjr,</p>
<p>I also have a D who is a Freshman at Whitman, and also in in Jewett. When asked about her experience, my D says that Whitman is everything she hoped it would be, and then some! The expectations for students are high, so they are intellectually challenged but the classes are small and profs very accessible. Then there are the people and the traditions. My D. has made such good friends that she was sad leaving them for winter break. They managed to all get together to celebrate New Year together and she couldn't wait to get back for second semester. The school has fun traditions. Last term there was a game that was played for a month, day and night, on the main quad that involved the whole student body. The RAs had surprises for the kids during final's week and the Dean of Admisisons came to the dorm at night to read "bedtime stories". Makes me want to go back to college....</p>
<p>It sounds so great - and my S is getting tons of contact from the coach of his sport, has visited twice, etc. It's just a long wait to hear the outcome. I wish they had EA instead of ED! My biggest fear is that he would be accepted without enough financial aid to attend - that would be a heartbreaker. And while many of his other schools have competitive scholarship opportunities that you hear about earlier than April, with Whitman he'll find out the aid - both need-based and merit - the same time as the accept/reject decision. The good thing is I"m more anxious than he is because he is MUCH busier LOL
And flyboy - the men's tennis team is very good - will be national contender for DIII champs.
Thanks for posting!</p>
<p>man, i want to go to whitman so bad now.</p>
<p>What are your fave things about the school?</p>
<p>small classes; academic rigor.</p>
<p>Any big down sides? Classes hard to get? Are dorms OK?</p>
<p>Nope. As it was pointed out, we are too busy with school to complain much.</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.</p>
<p>P.S. Our library is amazing; open 24 hours, etc... :)</p>