<p>As a French major and member of the GLBTQ community at Whitman, I’d thought I’d share some of my thoughts:</p>
<p>-While the French department at Whitman is not huge, I’ve had 3 (of the 4) professors who teach upper-level French courses. They’re all extremely intelligent and also, for the most part, excellent teachers as well. The lit classes, I feel, have been the most exciting for me, so I think you could hardly go wrong majoring in French at Whitman. Also, the French department and La Maison Francaise (the French interest house) do a good job of planning activities (films, cafes, lectures etc.) throughout the semester. </p>
<p>That said, I didn’t come into Whitman as a French major; I had originally intended to major in Politics, but found that many classes were already filled up by the time freshman pre-registration came around. There are posts elsewhere on CC warning students to choose a school for a particular major, so I would also look into the strength of other departments you’re interested in. FWIW, I’ve heard good things about the chemistry department if you’re thinking about taking some science classes.</p>
<p>-From my experience, Whitman students are huge social liberals, and as a result the GLBTQ population is super well-accepted on campus. I’ve never encountered or heard of any kind of discrimination against GLBTQ students by other students or the administration. In fact, Dragfest, a drag-themed dance sponsored by Coalition Against Homophobia, is one of the biggest events on campus during the year. I wouldn’t worry at all about being gay at Whitman or Grinnell, it sounds like. The only downside, and this goes for both schools, is that the dating pool will inevitably be shallower than perhaps desired.</p>
<p>-I’m not particularly outdoorsy, but I’m also in the minority. One of the nice things about Whitman’s location is that it’s close to all kind of outdoor venues, and The Outdoor Program does a really good job of scheduling a least one excursion every weekend (generally hiking/kayaking/rafting during the spring and fall and snowshoeing/skiing/snowboarding during the winter). Renting equipment is also super easy and relatively inexpensive for students. The OP also runs the brand-new rock climbing wall and does fun stuff like kayak polo in the pool. </p>
<p>-I can’t really comment too much on financial aid other than to say that Whitman has been very generous with the need-based aid to me. My situation is much different than yours though, so it’s hard to say. Luckily, the people in the financial aid office are all sweethearts, so in any case, I would advise you to talk to them if you have any questions.</p>
<p>Overall, I would agree with the other posters who suggested that you apply to both schools. Barring an ED application (which I would not recommend in your situation), there’s no reason not to be able to compare FA offers, visit, talk to current students etc. I think you have an excellent chance at getting into Whitman, so I would definitely encourage to look into applying. </p>
<p>If you have any questions feel free to send me a PM.</p>