Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We toured Washington & Lee. In our child's assessment the 85% Greek membership and drinking culture was not acceptable. Very little diversity. It is difficult to get into, although after touring, I'm not quite sure why.

I'm not sure, either. What's the draw and how did they become so selective?

I really don't know. We put it on the tour list because it's the no. 1 SLAC in the south. We were doing UVA , Va Tech and VMI during the sweep. Nothing about it was appealing. Maybe because it was a hot and muggy day and few dorms at W & L have AC (turnoff for DC who had just spent a miserable summer in similar dorms at an Ivy). The tour officer was off-putting, going into great detail as to how difficult it was to get in ED1 and ED2 (this was two years ago, so maybe has changed). The buildings looked run-down. Lee's Memorial Chapel was pretty but I could see how minority students might find it uncomfortable there with Traveler's bones in the basement. DS wanted aerospace engineering so it was clear this was not going to be a good fit early on. The drinking culture starts thurs night and runs thru sunday night. I didn't like the fact that so much of the campus was Greek and it was expensive Greek. it was explained to me by someone who actually works there that this creates a "have" and "have nots" caste system on campus because even the minority /scholarship students can't afford to participate in the Greek life because it costs so much to join up. Even if they are full freight scholarship students, they can't afford the Greek fees. Also, the rents off-campus in the immediate down are ridiculously high because the owners know they can charge whatever they want and many are in unsafe condition. So students move even farther off campus Then we were told about the girl who had died flying through a car window when 11 kids were trying to get back to campus, drunk, after an off-campus party. that did it for us. Maybe legacies whose parents were really into Greek life want to go there. I don't see the magic at all.

Sounds atrocious! That civil war connection has not aged well!

Responding to your own posts. So cute.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We toured Washington & Lee. In our child's assessment the 85% Greek membership and drinking culture was not acceptable. Very little diversity. It is difficult to get into, although after touring, I'm not quite sure why.

I'm not sure, either. What's the draw and how did they become so selective?

I really don't know. We put it on the tour list because it's the no. 1 SLAC in the south. We were doing UVA , Va Tech and VMI during the sweep. Nothing about it was appealing. Maybe because it was a hot and muggy day and few dorms at W & L have AC (turnoff for DC who had just spent a miserable summer in similar dorms at an Ivy). The tour officer was off-putting, going into great detail as to how difficult it was to get in ED1 and ED2 (this was two years ago, so maybe has changed). The buildings looked run-down. Lee's Memorial Chapel was pretty but I could see how minority students might find it uncomfortable there with Traveler's bones in the basement. DS wanted aerospace engineering so it was clear this was not going to be a good fit early on. The drinking culture starts thurs night and runs thru sunday night. I didn't like the fact that so much of the campus was Greek and it was expensive Greek. it was explained to me by someone who actually works there that this creates a "have" and "have nots" caste system on campus because even the minority /scholarship students can't afford to participate in the Greek life because it costs so much to join up. Even if they are full freight scholarship students, they can't afford the Greek fees. Also, the rents off-campus in the immediate down are ridiculously high because the owners know they can charge whatever they want and many are in unsafe condition. So students move even farther off campus Then we were told about the girl who had died flying through a car window when 11 kids were trying to get back to campus, drunk, after an off-campus party. that did it for us. Maybe legacies whose parents were really into Greek life want to go there. I don't see the magic at all.

Sounds atrocious! That civil war connection has not aged well!

Anonymous wrote:Hamilton and Kenyon are quite similar. SLACS but not SJWs. Strong writing programs. Beautiful campuses. W and L is about as far right as you can get in a SLAC, which makes it almost by definition not a SLAC.

Anonymous wrote:Very odd to resurrect a three year old thread but regardless of the rankings, nobody views W&L as anything other than a middling regional LAC that caters to southern frat boys and woo girls.

Anonymous wrote:We visited both Kenyon and Hamilton but not W&L because my DD wasn't into the Greek scene. We both loved Hamilton and it was almost her ED. She's a writer and they have great programs, as does Kenyon. She liked Kenyon in general but hated that the town was so small. In the end she chose Oberlin, which had an amazing creative writing and cinema program and was bigger (750 per class) and has a great little town that is right next to campus.

Enjoy the visits! I loved the process!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We toured Washington & Lee. In our child's assessment the 85% Greek membership and drinking culture was not acceptable. Very little diversity. It is difficult to get into, although after touring, I'm not quite sure why.

I'm not sure, either. What's the draw and how did they become so selective?

I really don't know. We put it on the tour list because it's the no. 1 SLAC in the south. We were doing UVA , Va Tech and VMI during the sweep. Nothing about it was appealing. Maybe because it was a hot and muggy day and few dorms at W & L have AC (turnoff for DC who had just spent a miserable summer in similar dorms at an Ivy). The tour officer was off-putting, going into great detail as to how difficult it was to get in ED1 and ED2 (this was two years ago, so maybe has changed). The buildings looked run-down. Lee's Memorial Chapel was pretty but I could see how minority students might find it uncomfortable there with Traveler's bones in the basement. DS wanted aerospace engineering so it was clear this was not going to be a good fit early on. The drinking culture starts thurs night and runs thru sunday night. I didn't like the fact that so much of the campus was Greek and it was expensive Greek. it was explained to me by someone who actually works there that this creates a "have" and "have nots" caste system on campus because even the minority /scholarship students can't afford to participate in the Greek life because it costs so much to join up. Even if they are full freight scholarship students, they can't afford the Greek fees. Also, the rents off-campus in the immediate down are ridiculously high because the owners know they can charge whatever they want and many are in unsafe condition. So students move even farther off campus Then we were told about the girl who had died flying through a car window when 11 kids were trying to get back to campus, drunk, after an off-campus party. that did it for us. Maybe legacies whose parents were really into Greek life want to go there. I don't see the magic at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kenyon and Hamilton both have really strong writing programs. W&L is very strong in econ; it's also probably the most right-wing of all the "prestigious" colleges in the country.

Lol.....W&L isn't prestigious.....it's fratty and southern and has an unremarkable academic reputation. Hamilton really surprised us with it's lovely campus, serious but outgoing students and what I perceived to be a good balance between academics and social life. Growing up in DC I had never even heard of Hamilton but was very familiar with the rest of the NESCAC schools....which is odd. Maybe they draw more from NY/NE but I was very impressed.

Noticed same things re Hamilton. I'm a Democrat. I don't know from Washington & Lee.

Anonymous wrote:Actually, if you are looking at a Southern SLAC, Davidson is worth looking at. Much less of a Greek presence than W&L, and they have Divison I sports. Also, the town of Davidson is charming and is only 20 miles from Charlotte - whereas Lexington is in the middle of nowhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We toured Washington & Lee. In our child's assessment the 85% Greek membership and drinking culture was not acceptable. Very little diversity. It is difficult to get into, although after touring, I'm not quite sure why.

I'm not sure, either. What's the draw and how did they become so selective?

I really don't know. We put it on the tour list because it's the no. 1 SLAC in the south. We were doing UVA , Va Tech and VMI during the sweep. Nothing about it was appealing. Maybe because it was a hot and muggy day and few dorms at W & L have AC (turnoff for DC who had just spent a miserable summer in similar dorms at an Ivy). The tour officer was off-putting, going into great detail as to how difficult it was to get in ED1 and ED2 (this was two years ago, so maybe has changed). The buildings looked run-down. Lee's Memorial Chapel was pretty but I could see how minority students might find it uncomfortable there with Traveler's bones in the basement. DS wanted aerospace engineering so it was clear this was not going to be a good fit early on. The drinking culture starts thurs night and runs thru sunday night. I didn't like the fact that so much of the campus was Greek and it was expensive Greek. it was explained to me by someone who actually works there that this creates a "have" and "have nots" caste system on campus because even the minority /scholarship students can't afford to participate in the Greek life because it costs so much to join up. Even if they are full freight scholarship students, they can't afford the Greek fees. Also, the rents off-campus in the immediate down are ridiculously high because the owners know they can charge whatever they want and many are in unsafe condition. So students move even farther off campus Then we were told about the girl who had died flying through a car window when 11 kids were trying to get back to campus, drunk, after an off-campus party. that did it for us. Maybe legacies whose parents were really into Greek life want to go there. I don't see the magic at all.

So much stupidity and complete BS here it’s hilarious. DS wanted aerospace engineering so you went to visit a college that doesn’t offer it. What a car full of clowns.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kenyon and Hamilton both have really strong writing programs. W&L is very strong in econ; it's also probably the most right-wing of all the "prestigious" colleges in the country.

Lol.....W&L isn't prestigious.....it's fratty and southern and has an unremarkable academic reputation. Hamilton really surprised us with it's lovely campus, serious but outgoing students and what I perceived to be a good balance between academics and social life. Growing up in DC I had never even heard of Hamilton but was very familiar with the rest of the NESCAC schools....which is odd. Maybe they draw more from NY/NE but I was very impressed.

Noticed same things re Hamilton. I'm a Democrat. I don't know from Washington & Lee.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kenyon and Hamilton both have really strong writing programs. W&L is very strong in econ; it's also probably the most right-wing of all the "prestigious" colleges in the country.

Lol.....W&L isn't prestigious.....it's fratty and southern and has an unremarkable academic reputation. Hamilton really surprised us with it's lovely campus, serious but outgoing students and what I perceived to be a good balance between academics and social life. Growing up in DC I had never even heard of Hamilton but was very familiar with the rest of the NESCAC schools....which is odd. Maybe they draw more from NY/NE but I was very impressed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We toured Washington & Lee. In our child's assessment the 85% Greek membership and drinking culture was not acceptable. Very little diversity. It is difficult to get into, although after touring, I'm not quite sure why.

I'm not sure, either. What's the draw and how did they become so selective?

I really don't know. We put it on the tour list because it's the no. 1 SLAC in the south. We were doing UVA , Va Tech and VMI during the sweep. Nothing about it was appealing. Maybe because it was a hot and muggy day and few dorms at W & L have AC (turnoff for DC who had just spent a miserable summer in similar dorms at an Ivy). The tour officer was off-putting, going into great detail as to how difficult it was to get in ED1 and ED2 (this was two years ago, so maybe has changed). The buildings looked run-down. Lee's Memorial Chapel was pretty but I could see how minority students might find it uncomfortable there with Traveler's bones in the basement. DS wanted aerospace engineering so it was clear this was not going to be a good fit early on. The drinking culture starts thurs night and runs thru sunday night. I didn't like the fact that so much of the campus was Greek and it was expensive Greek. it was explained to me by someone who actually works there that this creates a "have" and "have nots" caste system on campus because even the minority /scholarship students can't afford to participate in the Greek life because it costs so much to join up. Even if they are full freight scholarship students, they can't afford the Greek fees. Also, the rents off-campus in the immediate down are ridiculously high because the owners know they can charge whatever they want and many are in unsafe condition. So students move even farther off campus Then we were told about the girl who had died flying through a car window when 11 kids were trying to get back to campus, drunk, after an off-campus party. that did it for us. Maybe legacies whose parents were really into Greek life want to go there. I don't see the magic at all.