D is 95% sure she’ll attend W and L in the fall. She was able to visit twice and loved the campus, the students, and particularly the professors. I was concerned about the pervasiveness of Greek life, but she’s actually interested in joining a sorority. (Go figure!) She was also selected as a Johnson Scholar - we are so grateful!
While i have not visited W and L, I do trust D’s judgment. However, it is a bit disconcerting to read the feedback on CC comparing W and L to the setting of Get Out and suggesting that the “right student” would be rich, white, conservative. I also worry that this stereotype, whether true or not, could negatively impact grad school admissions or employment opportunities.
I’d love to hear from students who attend W and L (or their parents) about their experiences - the good, the bad, the ugly, along with any advice or words of wisdom.
@TrendaLeigh my son is likely going to be attending W&L next year as a Johnson scholar. I am friends with a family with a current student and one who with a student who recently graduated so I have received a lot of feedback on the school.Feel free to send me a private message if you want to connect so I can share what I know.
I graduated from W&L a few years ago. The very high Greek participation means the Greek system is overall very inclusive. I very likely would not have gone Greek if I had gone to a school with a “normal” ~30% Greek student body. Although, each individual Greek house is not necessarily all that inclusive.
There are a lot of upper middle class kids, but there’s no real ‘class divide.’ The only real way I encountered the ‘haves’ vs the ‘have lesses’ was knowing that some people did work study while others didn’t.
Most students are quite centrist, whether center-left or center-right. It’s not the kind of place where people get into shouting matches over politics. All of the political talk I had with my friends of different stripes was either lighthearted banter, intellectual analysis, or jokes about the absurdity of it all. It’s true there’s not that much racial diversity, though there seem to be more Asians and Asian-Americans than in the past. There have always been Jewish students.
The Johnson scholarships are great in that they bring more really top-notch students and add real intellectual firepower to class discussions. As likely one of the brightest kids on campus, your daughter will be even more able to have some great intellectual tete-a-tetes with her professors. (I didn’t get the Johnson, but was an above average student. I really enjoyed those one-on-one moments with professors after class, during office hours etc). Good luck!
My daughter is a Johnson. We are white, but not rich (middle income) or conservative (progressive). She has been very happy at W&L–she has had amazing professors and made really good friends. She is in a sorority, but it is not her life; however, she does LOVE the socializing. Lexington is the perfect little town for her, and she is very satisfied there. I understand your concern regarding her prospects as a result of graduating from a school with the name Lee in it. Will it be akin to being perceived racist? I hope not, but I am concerned as well. Good luck.
Wondering if anyone can speak to the school’s COVID response. I just went to their dashboard and was surprised and disappointed to see that they had only tested 700-odd students to date. And the case number was quite high for such a small school. Do you think the school’s administration shares the area’s views of the virus? I.e. not taking it all that seriously? I contrast that with Vassar’s response, which is a similar sized school. they’ve run over 6,000 tests and have no active cases (from a high of 23 cases). W&L has only tested 771 kids, with 24 cases, and it looks like they have 21 active cases. What am I missing? This seems like a grossly inadequate response.
I’m not sure what tests Vassar’s COVID-19 dashboard includes or when their students moved in, but W&L’s dashboard has a separate section for arrival testing. While their ongoing test results reflect 774 tests since August 24th, they have also conducted 2,950 arrival tests between August 5-August 24. There were only 1 or 2 cases for the first few weeks of school, but currently there is a small cluster of cases. They are doing diagnostic testing, contact testing, surveillance testing, and wastewater testing, but may need to increase their surveillance testing in light the recent cases.
Thanks jd1993! It is good for people to set the record straight.
As a parent of a student at W&L, I have felt the administration’s response/reaction has been strong and my student has felt they are doing the best they can. Will that be enough, I hope so. Only time will tell.
cinnamon1212 - can you shed some light on:
“Do you think the school’s administration shares the area’s views of the virus? I.e. not taking it all that seriously?”
What “area” is not taking it seriously that you are referencing?
Glad Vassar’s response has been great. Happy to see they have limited or no issues. I hope that continues.
I felt people in Lexington (and surrounding area) were not taking the virus as seriously as people in NY. Having lived through March/April, people near me (upstate ny) are vigilant, and the state has tighter restrictions. We visited W&L in August, and hotels were full and (imho) not taking adequate precautions; people were dining indoors etc. To me, that meant that people in the area weren’t taking the virus as seriously as those of us who lived through a surge in cases.
Their testing plan does seem reasonable, and like Gen1111, we are just hoping it’s enough to get them through the rest of the semester!
As far as Lexington is concerned, I imagine it must have been quite unlike what you have experienced in upstate NY. We were there in August as well for move-in and from what I heard hotel precautions were definitely hit or miss depending on where you stayed. Lexington’s low case numbers (a little over 50 as of today) might also have played some part in what you observed. VA went into Phase 3 July 1, and thankfully Lexington probably only had 30-40 cases depending on when you were there in August.
Wishing your son all the best! W&L is such a wonderful school, and my kids have absolutely loved it there!
@cinnamon1212 I am a parent of a freshmen. I have been impressed with the way the administration has handled Covid precautions. My son is having as good of an experience, as is possible, under the circumstances. Feel free to PM me, if you have any questions about our experience so far.
@mjsemom thank you! My son will be applying ED there, and I really appreciate current parents’ perspective on how the school is handling things. You all have set my mind at ease and for that I’m very grateful.
Another parent of a freshman here…I agree that W and L has a solid plan and approach to Covid. While some parents feel the restrictions might be too onerous and there have been some inevitable missteps along the way, I believe W and L is listening to students and parents, adjusting as needed, and doing their best to navigate a very difficult situation.
D loves Lexington, enjoys her classes (especially the ones still taught f2f), and has made good friends already, even though she’s in a single. I cannot wait until she’s able to take advantage of all W and L has to offer, but I couldn’t ask for a better start given the craziness of 2020.
Just hoping they make it through the semester! She does NOT want to come home.
I would appreciate learning more about your kids’ experiences since your posts at the beginning of this school year. My D is seriously considering W&L and has been connecting with current students and professors via zoom, but she doesn’t think to ask about my concerns with covid and expectations for next year. Have you continued to be pleased with the administration’s handling of covid precautions, testing, etc.?
Imo, the admin is damned if they do - or don’t - when it comes to COVID. They have taken it seriously - and testing has been ramped up this semester. I wish they had taken a more collaborative approach, rather than implementing what seems to be a fairly punitive model. My D, however, has not expressed these concerns - my impressions are second-hand from other parents.
While I realize some students have had a rougher time, D has found plenty to do - lots of outdoor time, spinning classes, swimming, clubs, etc. It also helps that - knock on wood - she has not been quarantined and has mostly mostly in-person classes. She has been told that campus life will likely be more or less back to normal by Fall, although masks may still be required and large gatherings may still be limited. I’m cautiously optimistic.
More generally, she’s enjoying her first year on campus. She calls every Friday to discuss the articles she’s read that week; it’s exciting to see her develop a more nuanced, insightful view of the world. Her love of learning is blossoming again, after four years of high school where she tended to focus on grades, tests, etc.
She had a few “meh” profs last semester - I think they were both visiting - but she is enjoying every class this semester. Even though she’s typically pretty quiet, she’s found a great group of friends and seems to be thriving socially. Given the COVID situation, she really couldn’t have had a better start to her college career - and I do think it will only get better next year. As a mom, it does my heart good; I’m happy for her and feel confident she made the right decision.
Has your D been able to visit in person? Happy to answer any additional questions - feel free to PM me.
DramaMama2021 -
Continue to be happy with the way they have handled all things. We are pretty easy going group (son- sophomore and both parents) so we take it as it comes. President Dudley has children who attend other LACs. I think both of his kids do. His messages whether it is video or emails seem to have a large dose of empathy for all as he and his family are dealing with it like all of us. He is trying to keep the small residential college experience what it should be with the hand that has been dealt.
As TrendaLeigh mentioned, Covid testing ramped up this semester. Some stricter policies have been in place at times but they do this to keep on top of it all as best they can. Seems like our student’s classes are more in person this semester (maybe 60%+ last semester and 80%+ this semester). That is good! He is involved in different activities and recreational opportunities so things slowly getting better.
Can’t say enough about the school - profs, admin, classes, students, activities, etc. Hope it is a good fit for your dauughter! PM me if you have any specific concerns or if I can help in any way.
Just came across this thread again… Following up on my posts from March, my D is thrilled to be a Gennie and can’t wait for move-in, Pre-O, etc.! Getting her dorm assignment last week ramped up the planning, shopping and excitement and made it more “real”.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences both in this thread and PMs.
and for that I’m very grateful.
Have you continued to be pleased with the administration’s handling of covid precautions, testing, etc.?
