Washington and Lee University

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD was accepted last year so we spent sometime on campus. Frankly her primary motive for applying was to compete for a Johnson scholarship. She was not selected although we were offered financial aid.

DD sat in on a class and we toured campus and spent the nite in town. My DW and I both liked it although I was a little concerned about my DD feeling like a have-not amongst the haves. My DD did not want to rush a sorority and did not like the location and feel of the junior dorms.

In the end my DD decided it wasn’t for her. My DW and I thought it would be a very nice place to spend your college years but we didn’t want to not respect my DD’s wishes.

Because of Lee, VMI literally next door, and the confederate flags it seemed to be a place that draws strong feelings. Spend some time on campus and you’ll get a sense if it is right for your family.

My DD was also accepted with a generous FA package. Felt the same as above. We parents lived it & it’s a beautiful campus but DD didn’t want to be “the poorest kid on campus” No thank you! I had to respect that as DD had other choices. Also the sorority women were scary.

I was probably THE poorest kid on campus back in the day. Didn’t matter to me much, though I remember feeling weird the first semester that my clothes were pretty crappy. I had an incredible experience there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Years ago, when it still was mostly male, it seemed to possibly be a sort of safety valve school for the mediocre sons of rich parents. Maybe things have changed. It is well ranked. But the last name “Lee” is not on trend...

Yes good point about it having a history of being all male....and Washington another white male...very bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Huge greek system, tons of drinking, tiny town. Very little diversity, very little.

Studies show diversity isn't all that good

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD was accepted last year so we spent sometime on campus. Frankly her primary motive for applying was to compete for a Johnson scholarship. She was not selected although we were offered financial aid.

DD sat in on a class and we toured campus and spent the nite in town. My DW and I both liked it although I was a little concerned about my DD feeling like a have-not amongst the haves. My DD did not want to rush a sorority and did not like the location and feel of the junior dorms.

In the end my DD decided it wasn’t for her. My DW and I thought it would be a very nice place to spend your college years but we didn’t want to not respect my DD’s wishes.

Because of Lee, VMI literally next door, and the confederate flags it seemed to be a place that draws strong feelings. Spend some time on campus and you’ll get a sense if it is right for your family.

Thoughtful post, thank you. If you don’t mind, did she get to the Johnson weekend? Was the financial aid significant?

She did not and her stats were competitive as she was above the 75% percentile with literally perfect grades.

The financial aid was what I would call good not great. Overall for the caliber of the school the net price was definitely competitive but other good schools, perhaps not quite as highly ranked, awarded merit whereas W&L awarded our family financial aid. I prefer the merit aid because it's a given. That said they would not negotiate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD was accepted last year so we spent sometime on campus. Frankly her primary motive for applying was to compete for a Johnson scholarship. She was not selected although we were offered financial aid.

DD sat in on a class and we toured campus and spent the nite in town. My DW and I both liked it although I was a little concerned about my DD feeling like a have-not amongst the haves. My DD did not want to rush a sorority and did not like the location and feel of the junior dorms.

In the end my DD decided it wasn’t for her. My DW and I thought it would be a very nice place to spend your college years but we didn’t want to not respect my DD’s wishes.

Because of Lee, VMI literally next door, and the confederate flags it seemed to be a place that draws strong feelings. Spend some time on campus and you’ll get a sense if it is right for your family.

Thoughtful post, thank you. If you don’t mind, did she get to the Johnson weekend? Was the financial aid significant?

She did not and her stats were competitive as she was above the 75% percentile with literally perfect grades.

The financial aid was what I would call good not great. Overall for the caliber of the school the net price was definitely competitive but other good schools, perhaps not quite as highly ranked, awarded merit whereas W&L awarded our family financial aid. I prefer the merit aid because it's a given. That said they would not negotiate.

She sounds like a fantastic student. Headed for great things, no doubt. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD was accepted last year so we spent sometime on campus. Frankly her primary motive for applying was to compete for a Johnson scholarship. She was not selected although we were offered financial aid.

DD sat in on a class and we toured campus and spent the nite in town. My DW and I both liked it although I was a little concerned about my DD feeling like a have-not amongst the haves. My DD did not want to rush a sorority and did not like the location and feel of the junior dorms.

In the end my DD decided it wasn’t for her. My DW and I thought it would be a very nice place to spend your college years but we didn’t want to not respect my DD’s wishes.

Because of Lee, VMI literally next door, and the confederate flags it seemed to be a place that draws strong feelings. Spend some time on campus and you’ll get a sense if it is right for your family.

Thoughtful post, thank you. If you don’t mind, did she get to the Johnson weekend? Was the financial aid significant?

She did not and her stats were competitive as she was above the 75% percentile with literally perfect grades.

The financial aid was what I would call good not great. Overall for the caliber of the school the net price was definitely competitive but other good schools, perhaps not quite as highly ranked, awarded merit whereas W&L awarded our family financial aid. I prefer the merit aid because it's a given. That said they would not negotiate.

She sounds like a fantastic student. Headed for great things, no doubt. Thanks!

Thank you.

Good luck to you and yours !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Years ago, when it still was mostly male, it seemed to possibly be a sort of safety valve school for the mediocre sons of rich parents. Maybe things have changed. It is well ranked. But the last name “Lee” is not on trend...

W&L has always been well regarded. Not a safety school for mediocre sons. Which means you know little of how the South traditionally viewed W&L. It was a regional college in the same sense Haverford and Bowdoin in the northeast drew heavily from a certain segment of the northeast's population with some coming from further afield for the excellent academics. Same for W&L except it was the Southern version.

You're thinking of Hampden-Sydney. Or Randolph-Macon.

[Anonymous]

The bad: Make sure your DC knows how isolated it is out there. It's a small school and the town is mostly older and very conservative. There aren't many choices for food or entertainment which is probably part of why drinking and Greek life are so popular.

The good: The campus itself is lovely with wooden deck pathways through the treetops (think Ewoks of Endor) and dorms that look like the are carved into rock faces. The school prides itself on their honor code, and no one uses bike locks on campus. If DC is outdoorsy, theres tons of amazing hiking nearby. Also, Foam Henge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foamhenge).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Years ago, when it still was mostly male, it seemed to possibly be a sort of safety valve school for the mediocre sons of rich parents. Maybe things have changed. It is well ranked. But the last name “Lee” is not on trend...

W&L has always been well regarded. Not a safety school for mediocre sons. Which means you know little of how the South traditionally viewed W&L. It was a regional college in the same sense Haverford and Bowdoin in the northeast drew heavily from a certain segment of the northeast's population with some coming from further afield for the excellent academics. Same for W&L except it was the Southern version.

You're thinking of Hampden-Sydney. Or Randolph-Macon.

DP. Growing up in DC and graduating from a cathedral school in the late 80’s I can assure you that W&L was viewed as nothing more than a safety and hardly in the same league as Bowdoin or Haverford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Years ago, when it still was mostly male, it seemed to possibly be a sort of safety valve school for the mediocre sons of rich parents. Maybe things have changed. It is well ranked. But the last name “Lee” is not on trend...

W&L has always been well regarded. Not a safety school for mediocre sons. Which means you know little of how the South traditionally viewed W&L. It was a regional college in the same sense Haverford and Bowdoin in the northeast drew heavily from a certain segment of the northeast's population with some coming from further afield for the excellent academics. Same for W&L except it was the Southern version.

You're thinking of Hampden-Sydney. Or Randolph-Macon.

DP. Growing up in DC and graduating from a cathedral school in the late 80’s I can assure you that W&L was viewed as nothing more than a safety and hardly in the same league as Bowdoin or Haverford.

Yup.

[Anonymous]

If you’re in state, I just don’t see a compelling reason to choose this school over UVA or William and Mary.

[Anonymous]

We’ve been assured. Feel so much better. Thanks dad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Years ago, when it still was mostly male, it seemed to possibly be a sort of safety valve school for the mediocre sons of rich parents. Maybe things have changed. It is well ranked. But the last name “Lee” is not on trend...

W&L has always been well regarded. Not a safety school for mediocre sons. Which means you know little of how the South traditionally viewed W&L. It was a regional college in the same sense Haverford and Bowdoin in the northeast drew heavily from a certain segment of the northeast's population with some coming from further afield for the excellent academics. Same for W&L except it was the Southern version.

You're thinking of Hampden-Sydney. Or Randolph-Macon.

DP. Growing up in DC and graduating from a cathedral school in the late 80’s I can assure you that W&L was viewed as nothing more than a safety and hardly in the same league as Bowdoin or Haverford.

I suspect your bias has little to do with reality. W&L along with Davidson always had a reputation for strong liberal arts academics in the South. The school didn't miraculously reinvent itself into a well regarded LAC in the last 20 or 30 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Years ago, when it still was mostly male, it seemed to possibly be a sort of safety valve school for the mediocre sons of rich parents. Maybe things have changed. It is well ranked. But the last name “Lee” is not on trend...

W&L has always been well regarded. Not a safety school for mediocre sons. Which means you know little of how the South traditionally viewed W&L. It was a regional college in the same sense Haverford and Bowdoin in the northeast drew heavily from a certain segment of the northeast's population with some coming from further afield for the excellent academics. Same for W&L except it was the Southern version.

You're thinking of Hampden-Sydney. Or Randolph-Macon.

DP. Growing up in DC and graduating from a cathedral school in the late 80’s I can assure you that W&L was viewed as nothing more than a safety and hardly in the same league as Bowdoin or Haverford.

I suspect your bias has little to do with reality. W&L along with Davidson always had a reputation for strong liberal arts academics in the South. The school didn't miraculously reinvent itself into a well regarded LAC in the last 20 or 30 years.

Yes but he graduated from a cathedral school so...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Years ago, when it still was mostly male, it seemed to possibly be a sort of safety valve school for the mediocre sons of rich parents. Maybe things have changed. It is well ranked. But the last name “Lee” is not on trend...

W&L has always been well regarded. Not a safety school for mediocre sons. Which means you know little of how the South traditionally viewed W&L. It was a regional college in the same sense Haverford and Bowdoin in the northeast drew heavily from a certain segment of the northeast's population with some coming from further afield for the excellent academics. Same for W&L except it was the Southern version.

You're thinking of Hampden-Sydney. Or Randolph-Macon.

DP. Growing up in DC and graduating from a cathedral school in the late 80’s I can assure you that W&L was viewed as nothing more than a safety and hardly in the same league as Bowdoin or Haverford.

I suspect your bias has little to do with reality. W&L along with Davidson always had a reputation for strong liberal arts academics in the South. The school didn't miraculously reinvent itself into a well regarded LAC in the last 20 or 30 years.

Meh....regional LACs with no national prestige. But the south will rise again....right?