Washington & Lee vs Wm. & Mary vs UVA vs Georgetown - Political Science

College Search & Selection
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Thanks for letting us know that you personally aren’t bothered by the L in W&L. I don’t believe anyone here was arguing that W&L was the only institution in higher education or even American life in general that has to deal with the legacy of slavery and white supremacy, but thanks for pointing that out as well.

I was not the first person in this thread to touch on the problems with keeping the name, and as to whether it is “off topic,” that is probably actually a good learning opportunity for the OP: many, many people find the name offensive (very justifiably, imo; not just because of the man himself but for the decision to keep it, knowing what we know now), and they can expect “off topic” reactions to it.

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@Yonkers6thBoro is 100% correct that any idea that Lee was not stridently racist is either a baldfaced lie or an incredible ignorance of history. There have been hundreds of pages written about Lee’s racist beliefs/actions that cover from decades before the civil war up until the year of his death.

Please stop spreading this misinformation that Lee was an uncomfortable defender of slavery/racism during the Civil War. It is patently untrue. Lee was a proud racist, a proud slave holder, and a proud white supremacist. He was as irredeemably evil a man as we have in American history.

I can’t believe anyone would send their child to Himmler University, and I can’t fathom why people keep insisting W&L is a great option for minority students. The simple fact that the powers that run the university, in 2022, have not yet changed the name is basis enough to state they cannot possibly believe there is anything wrong with keeping the name of one of the foremost defenders of slavery in the schoo’s name.

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I didn’t say I’m not bothered. Thanks for putting words in my mouth.

I said I disagree with your assertion of the school. i assume the school does not believe in slavery or the beliefs of Robert E Lee - just like UVA doesn’t believe in slavery nor my company believe in exterminating people.

You’ve seen people take action in the last year - removing statues, etc. that they’ve found offensive. We did that in TN where they still lionize the first grand wizard of the KKK…they removed his statue last year - but guess what dude still has a state park named after him. Is someone racist because they enjoy it?

A college name is a brand and that brand has equity. You will argue, @Eeyore123 would argue - there’s a negative equity and you are entitled to your opinion. However, others may feel like that name, while having tarnish, has a lot of strength and meaning for its graduates, etc. And I’m sure that plays a huge part.

You didn’t see the Washington Redskins change their name forever until the pressure go so huge - and you know why? The name had value, equity. Nor the Cleveland Indians. You still don’t see others under attack like the Atlanta Braves changing.

There are many statues of confederate soldiers in the Capitol, grounds we as Americans support with our tax dollars. And many other instances around the country.

If students - black, white, Hispanic, Asian or otherwise choose to go to W&L and it’s the place for them, then great.

If it’s not for you, that’s fine too - and you should perhaps check other products you buy, places you visit, etc. because you might not love everything you see.

I won’t put words into your mouth - and I’d appreciate if you don’t put them in mine.

Thanks

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That response reveals much more about you than any of the students at W&L. Impugning the character of every student there due to your uninformed bias helps me understand the logic you apply when making a hiring decision.

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It’s interesting how this thread has meandered way off topic about which of the schools would be the best educational opportunity for the OP.

To the degree that diversity is a factor in a quality educational experience, I’ll just point out that the 20 African American students that W&L brought in last year, as pointed out by an earlier poster, represent 4.2% of the incoming class because W&L is so small. The other 3 universities under consideration each have an African American component which is 6-7% of the overall student population. It’s not like any of these 4 is a beacon of diversity or even representative of the overall population of the country in general.

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This has seemingly gone off the rails. I wasn’t asking for anything more than opinions or 1st hand knowledge about school, programs & opportunities. Particularly if you/your child had options amongst the collective schools. I appreciate all feedback and look forward to my son’s decision.

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The biggest difference of the four schools is that W&L is really small. This can be a positive or a negative depending on your kid. W&L also backs up to VMI (Virginia Military Institute) which also can be a positive or a negative. My eldest son (hs class of 2016) spent a summer in high school at W&L for a governor’s school program and decided not to apply because he felt it was too small and too isolated.
He got into UVA, W&M and Georgetown and would have chosen UVA if he didn’t get into the school he went to. It looks like your son likes the red brick, white column look as that’s what UVA, W&M and W&L all have in common!
My advice to you is to make time to go to the accepted student days - they’re in person this year. That’s the only way to really get a feel for a place and see if it will be a good fit.

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Update…got denied to GT. Seems like he’s between W&L & UVA. Headed to W&L for accepted students day this weekend, then UVA in 2weeks. 100% agree he cant go wrong…its now just about fit & perspective for him. Thanks again for all the feedback.

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My daughter will be at WL admitted students day Saturday also. She is also considering UVA and found out last night she got into Georgetown SFS. Big decisions. She also has the Johnson at WL which is exciting. Looking forward to Saturday.

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Thank you for returning with the update. I hope your son enjoys the visits. He can’t go wrong with either of these schools!

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My god, u won the lottery. I sure hope she takes the Johnson. Unless you have similar elsewhere, it’s just too good. Some pass and go full pay elsewhere. Unless your last name is gates or Buffett, I’m not sure how. But they do and it’s a personal call of course.

Congrats to her. Obviously a real winner !!!

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Thank you! She (and we) realize just how lucky she is!
She has amazing choices, including UMich and USC.
She’s a triplet so the Johnson is huge for us!

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Triplet!!! Bless you. :kissing_heart:

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Well…W&L visit was amazing. Beautiful campus and really liked the undergrad opportunities presented. Said he could see himself there. Today he went to UVA admitted students Day on the Lawn. 5yr Masters opportunity in his field and larger school environment were intriguing. Made his decision 100% about where he felt most comfortable as the financials were very similar. UVA Bound!!!

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Wahoowah! :orange_heart::blue_heart::orange_heart::blue_heart:

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Well done to you both! You for getting him this far, and holding your nerve through this process, and him for being open to new information and then trusting himself. None of those things gets enough credit for how consequential they are. I love this part, when you can actually see maturing happening right in front of you.

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