Parent of a freshman here. Here's what I've liked so far:

-The folks who handled the transition to college did a great job. We attended events over the summer, and they even prepared us parent for the day we dropped off our kids.
- Move-in was so organized.
- My kid's dorm was nice.
-Campus is walkable. Even the train station is walkable.
-Campus is gorgeous- the trees, the architecture, the lake.
-My kid has been intellectually challenged in classes.
-Easy access to professors. Did have one class that had 100 students but professor knew everyone by name.
-My kid, who is a good cook said the food has not been bad at all.
-My kid has a solid group of friends. Really decent people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Socially - a total party school. Academically - He wishes he followed his sister to Gtown.

Wait, what? This thread is about W&M— a small state college in VA. What school are you talking about?

You are totally naive if you think small schools dont party

Plenty of small schools party. Plenty of kids at WM go to parties on weekends. But, if you list the top 100 “party schools” on the US, big, small and in between, WM would be nowhere to be found. For some kids that’s a plus. For some, party hard and big sports are the traditional college experience they want. Those kids don’t go to WM. And if they do, they are probably pretty unhappy.

I can't speak to W&M today, but we definitely had parties. Some on DCUM seem to think that doesn't happen and I'm not sure why. But we all were aware we were not at a top party school and I was fine with that. Still, it is quite a social school in its own way.

Nobody has said parties don’t happen. They definitely do. But “party school” and a school where there are parties on weekends are different. Party school implies parties are the primary reason kids are there. And education is secondary. This does not describe WM.

UVA is a party school but that's not the primary reason people go there

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Socially - a total party school. Academically - He wishes he followed his sister to Gtown.

Wait, what? This thread is about W&M— a small state college in VA. What school are you talking about?

You are totally naive if you think small schools dont party

Plenty of small schools party. Plenty of kids at WM go to parties on weekends. But, if you list the top 100 “party schools” on the US, big, small and in between, WM would be nowhere to be found. For some kids that’s a plus. For some, party hard and big sports are the traditional college experience they want. Those kids don’t go to WM. And if they do, they are probably pretty unhappy.

I can't speak to W&M today, but we definitely had parties. Some on DCUM seem to think that doesn't happen and I'm not sure why. But we all were aware we were not at a top party school and I was fine with that. Still, it is quite a social school in its own way.

Nobody has said parties don’t happen. They definitely do. But “party school” and a school where there are parties on weekends are different. Party school implies parties are the primary reason kids are there. And education is secondary. This does not describe WM.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Socially - a total party school. Academically - He wishes he followed his sister to Gtown.

If your Dc thinks W&M is a total party school they must wish to never leave their dorm.

+1. Poor kid must be thanking their lucky stars they didn’t attend UVA or UNC or— God Forbid— an SEC school. It isn’t even a “work hard, play hard” school. More like “work hard, have some fun with friends, maybe at a party, or maybe watching movie in the dorm or playing ultimate or nerfing and then going to Wawa” school. I literally LOl’d. So, thanks for the chuckle PP.

I think there's definitely a sizable percentage of the school that has a work hard play hard mentality. About a third of the school is in Greek life, and even more when you consider students in "frat-adjacent" orgs like club sports or MCOs that throw a lot of parties as well. However, it's very easily avoidable.

I'm a homebrewer and wine drinker so definitely not a teetotaler, but why is excessive drinking always seen as a positive in the college forum?

It is not by any parents who are informed about what drives car crashes and sexual assault in young adults.

and, sadly, hazing deaths, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Socially - a total party school. Academically - He wishes he followed his sister to Gtown.

If your Dc thinks W&M is a total party school they must wish to never leave their dorm.

+1. Poor kid must be thanking their lucky stars they didn’t attend UVA or UNC or— God Forbid— an SEC school. It isn’t even a “work hard, play hard” school. More like “work hard, have some fun with friends, maybe at a party, or maybe watching movie in the dorm or playing ultimate or nerfing and then going to Wawa” school. I literally LOl’d. So, thanks for the chuckle PP.

I think there's definitely a sizable percentage of the school that has a work hard play hard mentality. About a third of the school is in Greek life, and even more when you consider students in "frat-adjacent" orgs like club sports or MCOs that throw a lot of parties as well. However, it's very easily avoidable.

I'm a homebrewer and wine drinker so definitely not a teetotaler, but why is excessive drinking always seen as a positive in the college forum?

I had the time of my life at my big party state school. I think everyone I was friends with developed binge drinking problems. I was out almost every night of the week.

I have two sons and I prefer not to send them to big party schools like the one I attended. IMO, huge greek presence and/or huge drinking culture is a drawback.

They will find fun anywhere, yes--anywhere---but it will be on a smaller scale and less of the school. We have two neighbors whose sons barely eeked out a 2.0gpa this year...yeah, they are going to school to get a job--not gain an alcohol abuse problem.