<p>Hey,
I'm a current student from Walla Walla, so I can answer a question or two for you if you wish.</p>
<p>I live in the midwest and traveling to Whitman seems like its going to be kind of hard. What do most students do who are not from the west coast? When I visited earlier in the year we flew into Seattle, and drove, but since I will not have a car what should I do? I know I can also fly into Walla Walla, but it is much more expensive. What should I do?</p>
<p>How does the Greek system affect the social life on campus? Is there much of a divide between Greek and non-Greek?</p>
<p>Stroper- unfortunately Whitman is kind of isolated, and transportation can be difficult at times. You listed the only options I can think of, however, if you become a student it's much easier to get a ride from Seattle as there is an e-mail ride-listserve that you can access. You should probably consult the admissions office on your problem though.</p>
<p>noseemom- There are pretty much no problems between Greeks and non-Greeks. The Greek system here operates vastly different than from what you would find at other colleges. Most students, myself included, who pledge frequently enter Whitman with no plans whatsoever of joining a frat or sorority. Regardless, there are plenty of activities to be found on Whitman's campus. Events sponsored by Frats are fairly minor in comparrison to those put on by other organizations, and such events are not typically exclusive to members.</p>
<p>Thanks, Sharrow</p>
<p>hey, I will be visiting this week so I will probably get a lot of my questions answered then but I'll post here too in case you feel compelled to answer one some or all of my questions: ( I realize this is long, you don't have to even try if you don't want!)
city/student life
I have yet to decide on whether or not I want a big or small city/school. I am scared since it is a little late in the game to making this decision, but that is why I am visiting UW this week also.
Anyway, do you come from a more urban or rural area and how was the transition to Walla Walla for you? Do you find the small town and small student body to be stifling or stimulating?
Is there a lot going on on campus to keep kids busy, or do they generally drive a long way for entertainment?
Do kids really regularly take advantage of the outdoor opportunities, hiking, climbing, skiing, maybe camping?
How is the weather? I have heard it is sunny nearly 300 days a year, does this mean Walla Walla is really hot and that everything is brown?
I have heard many students have cars, will it be tough to not have a car or should I bring one?
What is the breadth of the political spectrum and what political persuasian do kids tend to be? Is this an overwhelming political atmosphere?
Academics:
I've heard Whitman is very rigorous and this appeals to me, just how hard is it? Is your gpa higher than the number of hours you sleep a night, because that isn't something I am looking for!
Is the intellectual atmosphere really intimidating? or more forgiving?
Is a double major in four years an outlandish notion?
Have you studied abroad? If not, do you plant to? where? <this question is more for fun :)
what is your major? What are your plans after graduation? <that was also for fun </p>
<p>Anyway, I am sorry to overwhelm you with questions, I am just freaking out that I have to choose a school in like a month! thanks for reading this far!</p>
<p>Yeah---I'd like to know everything that catsmeow stated above. That would be really helpfull in my decision. I would especially like to know about the academic aspect...how hard is Whitamn really??</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I'm from Walla Walla so there wasn't too much of a transition for me. The student body isn't really that small (I visited Bennington College and it was like a cult there due to the school's size). There are a lot of activities on campus, more than I could ever imagine there being growing up in Walla Walla. There are concerts, plays, lectures and pretty everything else in the form of entertainment. Some people refer to a "Whitman Bubble" existing on campus, where students are content to spend their days, without venturing much into the city of Walla Walla (though they really should).</p>
<p>Lots of kids are involved in Whitman's Outdoor Program, led by Brian Sheedy (the guy climbed Mt. Everest). If you enroll you can also go a freshmen retreat (a short trip) before school starts. There are also many opportunities to do all you listed (hiking, climbing, skiing, camping) on various cheap excursions that are offered during the year.</p>
<p>The weather is pretty nice. Walla Walla experiences the four seasons fairly distinctly, but it doesn't really get warm until about July and even then lawns rarely turn brown. </p>
<p>It is not necessary at all to have a car, as you don't have to travel far for anything, and most of your time will probably spent on campus. There is a grocery store three blocks away, and downtown Walla Walla is about the same. And if many students have cars, you can just bum rides from them.</p>
<p>I'd say Whitman is overwhelmingly liberal, but at the same time respectful of other people's political beliefs. The atmosphere, on the other hand, is not overwhelmingly political at all.</p>
<p>Whitman is pretty rigorous, but not impossible from my point of view. It can be difficult near mid-terms and finals, but if you stay up on you work; the academics can be very manageable. Balancing your social life into this equation can be quite hairy though at times. I not quite sure what you mean by "intellectual atmosphere," but I guess that should answer your question. I don't know about the double major question, you should probably ask admissions on that one.</p>
<p>I haven't studied abroad yet, because I'm still a "first-year" student. I'm going to try and study someplace with a good art program, as I'm a studio-art major. I might study in Sri Lanka though. After graduating I plan to attend a graduate arts program.</p>
<p>I hope this helps. At any rate it helped me procrastinate in my reading that I have to do.</p>
<p>wow! thank you so much for your help. I am seeing the campus in the next couple of days and I hope that I fall in love with it as I need to find a school that I love quick since I have like three weeks to pick a school. But yeah, thank you for your time!</p>
<p>Would Whitman reflect my hard work that I did in high school? I have over a 4.6 GPA right now. i want to go to a shcool that i will be surrounded with other intelligent people who value hard work and studying. (but who can have fun too :) ) Is whitman the place for me? (i visited in the summer, so i didnt get to see the students)</p>
<p>is there a lot of drinking?</p>
<p>It sounds like Whitman might be a good choice for you. Everyone here got amazing grades in high school, and most of us work really hard here to do well. It is definately a challenging school, there are no easy A's here, so we have to work to succeed. But there are also a ton of fun activities on campus and parties going on. I guess the old "work hard, play hard" plattitude applies to Whitman students really well.</p>
<p>There isn't what I would call "a lot" of drinking. Some people drink a lot, as some people anywhere do. But drinking is not a problem on our campus, and there are definately many students who do not drink at all and feel perfectly comfortable in the social scene here. Alcohol is available, but not pushed on you if you don't want it.</p>
<p>How attractive are the students that attend Whitman?? When I went on my tour I did not get a chance to really see too many students...the campus was dead for some reason....i don't remember. I know this is superficial, but I would just like to hear your opinion.</p>
<p>How is the social atmosphere? Since it is so small I had concerns about it being to much like high school, is this a reasonable assessment?</p>
<p>Even though this is a fairly assinine question, I'm going to answer it: The general consensus between myself and my fellow students is that Whitman is posessed of an unusually attractive student body. It's kinda bizzare, actually.</p>
<p>I don't think the social atmosphere here is anything like high school. It's not like we're all stuck in the same building all day with the same lunch break and all that crap. Sure, it is small and you will get to know most everyone within a couple of years. But I consider that to be a plus, as I don't feel like I'm walking around in a crowd of strangers. I know my classmates. But small school does not = high school atmosphere.</p>
<p>Is unusually attractive student body = good looking...or unusual looking kids?? I assume you mean that the student body is good looking and that is surprising, but I am not sure how to read that comment....just spill your guts...say what you really want to</p>
<p>don't be dense, you know exactly what i meant... if i had meant unusual looking, that is what i would have said. what i said, and what i meant, is that we're all fairly attractive people here, and it is striking.</p>
<p>I just sent in my deposit to Whitman and am so excited. I was wondering what cell phone providers have the best coverage in Walla Walla?</p>