Hey guys,
well I’m accepted to both Washington and Lee with Johnson Scholarship and University of Richmond with Oldham Scholarship.
I’m a Japanese, very liberal, and poor (very important factor).
I want to study journalism, and WL’s program seems great. But I have concerns about living in the greek based environment at WL.
Let me know which school you recommend and why…
I am seriously deadlocked
From what I hear they are both great schools! My son was accepted to Richmond too, and it is at the top of his short list. (He will be deciding between three schools, and Richmond is one of them.) I have heard that Washington and Lee is rather conservative, so if you are liberal, you might like Richmond better. From what I know, Richmond is pretty middle-of-the-road, politically. Also, Richmond is in a beautiful setting and gets very good reviews here and elsewhere. So I’d recommend Richmond! Best of luck with your decision. 
You should be honored that you received that from W&L. There is no comparison between the two schools. W&L is a legitimate top school while Richmond is a very good school but not on the same league.
Go to W&L. No question especially for that major.
You will be successful at either place, but W&L is better.
Thank you so much for your replies…
How about the greek life there? I am very worried about it… I don’t know if I can fit in as I am not rich…
The University of Richmond’s journalism department has had two Pulitzer Prize winners in the last two years
Richmond. In a city, Greek life not as severe. Not as isolated. W&L is a special school that appeals more to a niche, IMO.
PLEASE go visit them both one more time. Both are excellent schools, but they need to be excellent schools for YOU. I don’t think you can make a mistake in choosing Richmond, but you need to find out if W&L is the better choice.
Washington and Lee’s social life is completely dominated by Greek life. There was an interesting discussion about this on the parents forum that I think would be helpful when determining just how much frats and sororities influence W&L’s social sphere. It was comparing W&L to Bryn Mawr, which is a different discussion technically, but I think the points made are still pertinent. 80 - 90% Greek life participation in a small school will have control over the way the social climate operates at said school no matter what. Check it out here: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1760524-greek-life.html
As for the political climate…well, considering that half of their name comes from Confederate general Robert E. Lee, I think it’s probably a pretty conservative atmosphere, haha. All kidding aside, I think you’d be outnumbered when it comes to political views.
I’m actually considering Richmond as well, and even their Greek influence seems a little much for me. I’m also wondering if me being low-income at a school where most kids come from affluent families may affect me socially. Seems like we’re in a similar spot. I’m trying to contextualize my reservations by reminding myself that college is about academics first and experience second, but it’s hard.
Personally, I would recommend Richmond. W&L is a great school academically, but judging from the awards you received you’re already a very intrinsically motivated student who will do well at either school. College is what you make of it, and I don’t think Richmond is so far removed academically/rankings-wise from W&L that you have to sacrifice your entire college experience for the sake of prestige.
Best of luck, maybe I’ll see you in Richmond next year!
If you’re very liberal, I’d choose UR. The administration is fairly liberal. UR’s greek life is also unique in that there are no frat houses- they live interspersed with everyone else and have cottages where they host parties. There is no pressure to join and if your friend joins and you don’t, its not a problem. You’ll still be friends. There are also plenty of events on campus for those who do not want to party. We have an organization called CA alternatives, which hosts events on the weekend that are strictly substance free. They’ve hosted open mic nights, a carnival night, game night, international night, etc. UR also has a excellent journalism program. In addition, no one here cares how much money you have- that seems to be a misconception about UR, but its simply not true.
The oldham scholarship is particularly special (im an artist scholar, which is full tuition, not full ride like oldham). As part of the scholarship, you get a one-time $3000 stipend (Im using mine to take an intensive summer italian course), priority registration (this is really helpful, especially if you are trying to get into upperlevel classes), guaranteed housing on campus (which is important if you choose to study abroad), and free tickets to all concerts and events hosted by the modlin center, including the ones downtown (performances this year include wynton marsalis, turtle island quartet, preservation hall jazz band, etc- you can see the full line up from this year on the website).
My S is also accepted and has the same question but he does not get the full FA. Right now we don’t think the Greek life is that important. You have to create your own social life and make your own friends. Focus on the study and things you are interested and you will find your friend in the same class, club, … We haven’t visited W&L yet, it is too far away. Not sure if my son would attend W&L because we think Grinnell might be a better fit for him.
Think very hard if you want to go to Washington and Lee. Though it may have perceived prestige, if you want to learn how to conform and be an elitist then Washington and Lee is for you. It is uber conservative and diversity of thought is a rare occurance. Also, pay attention to their stats on diversity of students as well. They say they build character but don’t be fooled - if you don’t fit their mold and you lean in to liberal thinking, you will find less acceptance and more isolation. This university is about belonging to a club. I had a son who went there and he was no better for his time there. Beware of what’s behind the curtain.