<p>Well, the marketing sort of worked. DS is thinking about applying to Washington & Lee after many lovely brochures and a free application, though it is not his top choice right now. He likes a lot of what he has read; excellent academics, a business school at a small liberal arts college, a close-knit student body, the honor code and speaking tradition, a different part of the country, good internships, the chance at a full ride scholarship. </p>
<p>He is not sure about the social life, the level of conservatism, rural Virginia, diversity, etc. Reading back at some of the W&L posts, its difficult to gauge, as there are so many different views about this.<br>
So we were trying to fill in our picture of W&L a little more. It will have to be vicariously, as there won't be a visit. We don't know anybody who goes, or has gone there, and they don't seem to visit this part of the country. Could you let us know any information or experiences with W&L, especially concerning students who may be diverse either racially or geographically (he's multiracial and comes from a very liberal background in the PNW, though he has been encouraged to figure out his own views).</p>
<p>You probably have seen my posts if you’ve gone back any way in the W&L threads. My parents lived in Lexington for years as part of a retirement job. My Dad was more connected with VMI, but use to socialize quite a bit with W&L profs as they were more liberal than the folks at VMI. My general impression is that the profs were more liberal than the student body who got dressed up to go to football games. Greek life is huge - 80% of the student body IRC. The frat houses seemed to leave a lot of litter on their lawns and generally strained town gown relationships. Lexington is a very pretty town. There are some outdoorsy things to do in the area - hiking, horseback riding, caves. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with applying, but he might well want to visit if accepted and it still seems like a good choice. I can’t speak to what it’s like to be a student there.</p>
<p>I’d suggest you post within the WLU college forum on CC, to get the best response. I don’t think you get a balanced view of any college on CC, though! It’s kind of a skewed, self-selected sample.</p>
<p>Our liberal daughter, born and raised in the PNW, is a very happy junior there. I’ll send you a PM with more info.</p>
<p>The Washington and Lee University Fact Book began as an official volume of the University’s Self-Study Report which was submitted to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in March 1978 as part of the re-accreditation process. In recent years, it has been trimmed to eliminate information readily available in other University publications. In 2010, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness developed an online version for increased accessibility to frequently requested, public, current and historical University facts and figures. Bound copies of Fact Books from years prior to 2009-10 are mainained in our office at 207 Early-Fielding and may be viewed upon request.</p>
<p>I don’t know where you’re from but your son should be aware W&L is pretty southern. Wonderful school, great education, harder to get into than UVA, but also incidents like fraternities getting in trouble because they did a skit in blackface. There will be some rebel flags on campus. This kind of thing sticks out to some kids, not to others, but anyone who did not grow up in the south needs to know what he/she is getting into. We know two kids from the north who didn’t make it past their first year at a southern college because they just were not comfortable with the racism.</p>
<p>mylb, your statement about two kids not making it and w and l " a southern college because they just were not comfortable with the racism" nice stereotyping. w and l is an amazing place and your loss if you do not like it! but, let me guess you think the elitist schools in the north are so tolerant open minded and awesome.</p>
<p>W&L is a very southern school, and it’s in a fairly small city. It has a very strong Greek presence (85% of men join fraternities). It’s 83% white. It’s pretty small. It has a reputation for conservatism among its students, but I don’t know how true that is today.</p>
<p>In my opinion, it might be a bit too much culture shock for a liberal multiracial kid from the PNW. But if the kid is self-confident and adventurous, it might be just fine.</p>
<p>MyLB – Southern does not equal racist. As I have pointed out numerous times on other threads, racist events have happened/continue to happen all over the country. Yes, call racism what it is – abhorrent – but don’t equate it with being Southern.</p>
<p>The kids from around here who have gone there have loved it and have been admitted to great grad programs thereafter…but they were all white, upper middle class, very conservative kids.</p>
<p>I have never understood the elitist attitude of so many people from nyc,boston etc… do everyone a favor and go to nyu , chill with the hipsters and feel like a well rounded person. meanwhile, students going to schools like W & L will, have an amazing four years , make some life long bonds and get an amazing education. your loss.</p>
<p>I have a friend whose son went to W&L for one year. He grew up in Mississippi and Texas. He found W&L to be too closed off and not at all accepting. Now I don’t know this kid very well (know his father and grandparents extremely well) and don’t know exactly what happened. But I do know that he never was able to find a niche. Transferred to Ole Miss where he joined a fraternity and has been extremely happy. It was said at the time that W&L was too snobby for him. He comes from a really wealthy family and joined one of the “better” frats at Ole Miss- so that would concern me.</p>
<p>You really need to visit every school that you are seriously considering. What doesn’t work for one kid might for the next. But especially when you say that you are very liberal- it seems to me that W&L is not a match.</p>
<p>You can also go with the attitude that it’s like doing a year abroad. I don’t have a problem with kids going to colleges where the prevailing politics/culture are different from your own. I think that can be a very valuable experience. You just need to go in with your eyes wide open. My parents enjoyed their time in Lexington, (and they had spent most of their adult life overseas), but they didn’t end up retiring there for keeps in the end.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses. DS is not set on going, just thinking about applying. He did apply to a school ED; now trying to figure out other options if he doesn’t get accepted. The one thing that will deter him from W&L more than anything is the small, rural town. If he does decide to apply, he would only visit if invited as a finalist for the Johnson Scholarship.</p>
<p>I know 2 kids who are high school seniors here and recently visited W&L. One is a recruit who was about to apply to WashU ED until he visited W&L. Now W&L is his top choice. He is a top academic applicant . He was not prepared to be as impressed as he was by the school.</p>
<p>Former Nor’westerner here quite familiar with W&L and environs.</p>
<p>Clearly it’s quite different from the Puget Sound region or the Willamette Valley culturally. You’ll have to determine if that difference is important to you. Certainly the university is full of high caliber students and some diversity (rural, suburban, small town…think affluent Atlanta, Dallas and Little Rock vs Martinsville, Winchester, Hattiesburg and Pensacola.</p>
<p>Yes, you may see many Confederate flags proudly displayed in dorm windows, but that isn’t illegal. Relatively poor town-gown relations. Not a lot going on in town unless you’re Greek. Investigate the Honor Code because it is an pervasive part of student life. One of the big controversies back in the day was the exclusion of women students from the Lee-Jackson Day Dinner. Private event so the university really couldn’t forbid it.</p>
<p>A more recent visitor (than most of the above posters) might choose the adjective “traditional” as opposed to “conservative”, and "east coast’ as opposed to “southern”.</p>
<p>It is an excellent school, rich in tradition, with a beautiful campus. I agree that a visit is necessary before your son would decide to attend, but certainly not to apply. I know several graduates, and several students from our area that have both considered and are now attending W&L. As has been stated, it is overwhelmingly greek, and a smaller school. Because such a large portion of the school is involved in greek-life it does lend its self to a more inclusive system where ‘there’s somewhere for everyone’ if you want to participate and often people who don’t necessarily think of themselves as the ‘greek type’ end up finding a group they align with. It can however be a little harder to find your tribe if that’s not your thing. </p>
<p>The students that I know currently attending are by no means carbon copies of each other in educational background, culture, dress, traditional vs. progress thought, etc. What they do have in common is they are all excellent students.</p>