<p>My daughter is trying to decide in the next few weeks whether she wants to attend Willamette or a public university in California. Her biggest concern at the moment is trying to figure out what the Willamette student population is like. Does the school have the same kind of "hippie" vibe as Lewis and Clark or is it more moderate? Are there jocks, fraternity/sorority-types or other types of students on campus? What kind of person do you think would fit in best at Willamette? What kind of person might feel out of place there?</p>
<p>We are in a similiar situation as son is deciding between UCSC, SDSU (rejected from UCD) and Willamette. We’ve been to Willamette 2x and have had an excellent impression: great teachers and staff, high academic quality, can easily graduate in 4 years, internships etc…Student body appeared busy and ambitious but not overly stressed. Very “normal” looking. From other posts I’d agree that it has a Greek community but not a crazy Frat party scene you’d see at larger state schools and also not as alternative as an L&C. A mix of athletes, musicians, student leaders etc…</p>
<p>CuriousSDmom-</p>
<p>We’re in a very similar spot. Unless there are any surprises over the next few days, my son is deciding between Willamette and UCSC. Willamette seems like a perfect fit, though we will not know for certain until we visit. Willamette will also cost us over $6k per year more, not including the cost of transportation from the Bay Area. Over four years I think we’re looking at a difference of over $30k. So the question is how much better is the fit (assuming the visit goes well), is that enough to justify an additional $30k, and can we even come up with the difference.</p>
<p>Hi. My daughter is a junior at Willamette. I would have to say the student body is pretty “normal”. She did mention that when it gets warm in the spring, there are those that walk around barefoot, but it is not the majority of the students. I’ve met several of her friends and they all seem to be serious students (not in a competitive way) who are active in clubs and sports. Many of them are abroad this semester, all over the globe. She is in a sorority, but I don’t get the sense that Greek life at Willamette is anything like at the big football schools. I think about 20% of the students are Greek. Some kids do drink and smoke pot, but it is not a big party school.</p>
<p>We are from California and so are many of her peers at school. Several in her social circle are from the Bay Area.</p>
<p>She has never had a problem getting classes that she needed. She will easily graduate in four years. She has had an opportunity to work on campus as a Lab Assistant for the chemistry department. I would have to say we think she is getting an excellent college education and she has taken advantage of the opportunities Willamette has offered (job, clubs, study abroad, scholarships). </p>
<p>That said, tuition has risen more than at the UCs during her time there. When she started at Willamette, her cost of attendance was within $100.00 of UCSC. Her merit awards were not increased over the years, so we are now paying more than we would be had she chosen a UC. We think it is worth it. She is well known by all the professors in the department and I think it is great that she is not one of hundreds in a lecture hall.</p>
<p>I’m running similar numbers - @5k-6K/year (including travel) more than UCSC. More if tuition keeps rising. Looking at Heloc over parent Plus loans. Graduating in 4 years keeps me optimistic that it may be worth it, although can’t be guaranteed. UCSC 4 year grad rate is 50%. After reading many blogs about UCSC I’m still ambivalent; son is a musician, but not either a science student (econ major) or an “alternative” type which seems like the 2 types of students UCSC draws, although a UC has more resources. Son will be skyping a UCSC sophomore- friend of a friend. I will post if I find out more info.</p>
<p>My son is a junior at Willamette who attended a large high school in Silicon Valley, CA. He ended up choosing Willamette over UC San Diego, Emory University, and several other schools. No regrets. He’s an English major interested in public relations. Classes have been small, with about 16 students in each, and he’s been able to find internships over the summer related to public relations. We’ve been up several times and have taken him and friends out for dinner; they all seem like nice, friendly students. He lived in a substance-free dorm last year and is sharing a university apartment this year. </p>
<p>He will definitely graduate in four years. In fact, if he wanted to, he could graduate after 3.5 years, which is what a friend of his is going to do (they both came in with some AP credit for several courses).</p>
<p>The academic profile of students at Willamette is very similar to that of students at UC San Diego. You can check this out by looking at the Common Data Set information for both schools (I posted this in another thread this year). Socially, my son says there’s a large range of students. It’s hard for me to generalize, and so this is completely anecdotal based on my son and his friends, but I’ve been struck by the fact that he and almost every one of his Willamette friends have established relatively long-term serious relationships. He has visited his girlfriend’s family in southern California, and we’ve had her to stay at our home in Northern California too. We’ve learned that his has occurred in the families of several of his friends, also. Compared to all his other high-school friends who went off to college, this is sort of unusual. </p>
<p>Willamette has provided a classic liberal-arts college experience for my son, with an emphasis on education and friendships – if money were not an object, then I’d recommend it over UCSC.</p>
<p>What do the students think about Salem? It was cold and foggy the day we visited and the town was not very interesting. Are there lots of outdoor explorations?</p>
<p>Willamette has an active outdoor program. Check it out here: [Campus</a> Recreation: Outdoor Program | Willamette University](<a href=“http://www.willamette.edu/dept/campusrec/outdoor/]Campus”>http://www.willamette.edu/dept/campusrec/outdoor/). They offer outings every weekend: hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, beach combing, etc. Forty minutes to the West is wine country and the ocean – forty minutes to the east are hiking trails and waterfalls.</p>
<p>As for Salem, it’s an ordinary-looking town, but the students seem to feel they have everything they need within a short walking distance. Want to see a movie? The theater is just a few blocks away. Want to go out for breakfast? There are several great choices: The Sassy Onion (which claims --and rightly so! – to make the best French toast in the world); Croissant and Company (which bakes fresh chocolate croissants early each morning); the Beanery on Liberty Street, and others. Shops like the Gap for jeans or Macy’s are also just a few blocks from the campus. You can also just head out for a stroll along the Willamette River during the day and maybe catch sight of the school’s crew team at practice.</p>
<p>If you get bored with Salem, you can catch the train right across the street from the campus and spend the day in Portland, returning later that evening.</p>
<p>I second the Sassy Onion, and Adam’s Smokehose is an excellent BBQ joint.</p>
<p>AnneC63 - Definitely less of a hippie vibe than Lewis & Clark, but still some hippie-type people. We have an annual music festival called Wulapalooza where pretty much everyone channels their inner flower child, but I would say that we have more of a mix of people than that! I think what’s so special about Willamette is that everyone has a place. There are hippies, jocks, fraternity/sorority members, and people who are mixes of all three! Willamette students tend to not fit so neatly into boxes. </p>
<p>The student body is wonderful. I’ve found some of the most compassionate and dedicated people at Willamette. Seconding something another poster said, many Willamette students are incredibly ambitious. In addition to academics, we involve ourselves in an array of extracurriculars and dedicate lots of time to each one of them (I believe my current count is five, and I know the average is pretty close to that). It’s challenging, but somehow I never feel like I’m stressed out to the point where I can’t handle it. Willamette students know how to work hard and play hard. </p>
<p>1collegekid - As a current Willamette junior who is studying abroad in London (and missing huge American breakfasts terribly, though everything else here is completely amazing), I would also recommend Sassy Onion, as well as the slightly further away Word of Mouth. Salem is by no means London or even Portland, but it’s a cute town. Overall, I’ve found that everything I need is right there on campus, but there are options for escaping (try a walk through Bush Park, a movie during $5 Tuesdays at Cinebarre, or a chai tea latte at the Gov Cup). As a previous poster said, Portland is accessible by train and also by Willamette-planned excursions for a minimal price. I don’t visit as much as I expected to when I enrolled, though: you get busy and campus really is a very comfortable place to be. I have taken my car and some good friends and driven to the coast - it’s only a little over an hour away, and sometimes you just need to see the ocean.</p>
<p>Willamette does have an active Greek life, and all three sororities have houses. I’m in one of them, even though I was reluctant about Greek life in the beginning! And that really tends to be the norm with the sororities and fraternities at Willamette - very few of us ever would have thought of joining a Greek organization before coming to Willamette! I think it’s a very relaxed atmosphere full of high-achieving campus leaders. The party scene exists, but is definitely off-campus and not at all crazy. </p>
<p>We do get some nice early autumn/late spring sunshine where it’s common to see students lounging out by the Mill Stream and playing acoustic guitars and ukuleles. But, if you’re looking for nice weather, Salem isn’t going to be your ideal place. It’s Oregon - what did you expect? ;)</p>