<p>I know both are excellent LAC's would like some thoughts and experiences/percptions on both.</p>
<p>I visited both but only applied to Whitman. Reed’s very into the “quirkyness” (and the nudity, which doesn’t appeal to me), but there are a lot of drugs. Also, I just didn’t get the friendly vibes from students the way I did at Whitman–they weren’t unfriendly, but Whitman students are way nice and laid back. YMMV. The food’s better at Whitman, anyway. But Whitman’s in the middle of nowhere–Walla Walla Washington, which is good wine country and good for the outdoors, but boring. The school brings in a lot of entertainment, but it’s all school-based. Reed’s in the middle of Portland, Oregon, which (in my opinion) is a really nice city. If you visit, check out the downtown Powell’s Books, which is huge. So, you get the amenities of a city at Reed, which can make up for a lot. (In my case, Reed is 20 minutes from my house, so that also hurt it.) </p>
<p>My advice? Visit both and if possible, stay overnight. There are differences in the atmosphere that I think you’ve got to see for yourself. Reed didn’t work for me, but for a different student it could be perfect. Just seriously consider finding your own food–when I went there, I got two different entrees at dinner, and both were cold. But they have kitchens, and Portland has restaurants. Oh, and if you stay overnight, Reed has nice beds for you, but Whitman makes you sleep on the floor of a student’s room, which is better for knowing people but worse for your comfort. Bring a sleeping bag and pad.</p>
<p>Is the food at Whitman and Reed really that different? I mean, Bon Appetit caters ever LAC in the PNW…</p>
<p>^ Bon Appetit’s food is different school to school. I ate at Whitman and Carleton; Carleton had more selection, but I liked Whitman’s more…though people told me the food gets boring after a while.</p>
<p>I applied to both schools; got accepted to Whitman and wait-listed at Reed. I didn’t visit Reed, but my host at Whitman (who was from Portland herself) told me she even didn’t consider Reed. I think partly because of its emphasized drug problems and the famous workload. I get the impression Whitman is a much more relaxed place and has a slower pace of life. Walla Walla’s a nice town, but isn’t too interesting for most college kids; some Reedies say they’re too busy with class work to explore Portland often. I can’t really compare the two without claiming to have been to Reed, though…don’t think I ever will now, as a prospective student. :/</p>
<p>Yes, the food is different. I’ve had Bon Appetit more places than I can remember, and it does differ significantly, and the problems at Reed can be traced back to how the cafeteria is run, since the main problem I noticed was that the food at Reed was cold food. That has nothing to do with the caterer and quality of the food put into the school but reflects poorly on the way the cafeteria is run.</p>
<p>My daughter would have been able to use a state designated merit scholarship if she had attended Whitman but she wouldn’t even apply.</p>
<p>What I heard from her was - too rural/cold. Not too thrilled with the whole missionary thing either. She said she didn’t want to hear the name * Marcus or Narcissa Whitman* again as long as she lived after taking Pacific Northwest history in middle school.</p>
<p>Never had any problem with the food at Reed myself. I thought it was pretty yummy. Love the Dal. They could have more soup though.</p>
<p>I think what she did for food was eat in commons- use dorm kitchens and occasionally eat out. Lots of places in surrounding neighborhood. She had a fresh produce stand ( including fresh eggs) across the parking lot from her dorm, Trader Joes and an organic market is within walking distance & senior year she stocked the fridge in her thesis lab, since she often wasn’t back to the Birchwoods till 2 am.</p>
<p>Both great schools, but very different. You have to visit both, if you haven’t already. All depends on the fit. Before my visit I thought Reed would be the best fit for me, because I love studying and am not very athletic, although I love the outdoors. Turned out I liked Whitman more. I thought the Reedies were working too hard at being “different” and “intellectual,” although they did seem really smart and motivated. I wasn’t too interested in visiting Whitman, but I did anyway and ended up really liking the place. The students struck me a just as smart as Reedies but more laid back and less hung up on wearing their intelligence on their sleeves. More secure in themselves. Reed is famous for the workload, but I got the feeling that the kids at Whitman worked very hard too but just talk about it less. I found the atmosphere at Whitman to be less pretentious all around. One of my concerns about Whitman is the greek system, but it somehow seems kinder and gentler than the greek systems at other schools. In fact, Whitman is the only college in my list (other than a public safety) that has a greek system. This is just my view, of course, and like I said you need to visit these places for yourself. In then end, I could see myself happy at both places, and would be thrilled to be accepted at one or both. You also have to think hard about location. Portland is a great city with tons of stuff going on, and Walla Walla truly is in the middle of nowhere.</p>