University of Mary Washington Top Questions

Our schools is predominately a white, middle to upper-middle female class. The biggest criticism of our university is the lack of diversity we have, but that does not stop the students from creating various clubs and organizations geared towards cultural diversity. Being a minority myself, I found this an issue at first, but you learn that there is more to a college than which students come from which ethnic background. Our school is constantly striving for diversity. One of our biggest events is our Multi-Cultural Fair, an all-day event where students display a variety of cultures through food, dance, performances, etc. Additionally, we try to bring popular artists to increase diversity as well. A couple years ago, the rap band The Roots came to perform, and this past spring Lupe Fiasco did a tour of Virginia and stopped by our university.

I think that UMW has a great student body but there tends to be certain types of people that are attracted to the school, especially anglo-saxon females from within the state of Virginia. I think that UMW needs to broden its student body and I would really enjoy having more people who are from out of state.

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Most of the students are middle-upper class, white, and live in VA. However this does not mean everyone has the same personality and interests.

ok im bored now, see above for a general overview

The student body at UMW is pretty casual and laid back- most people wear jeans to class. There are a few girls who dress up, but they look like they're trying too hard. Most of the students are from Virginia, since it is a state school. Freshman year can be hard because a lot of students go home for the weekends. Now that my friends and I are older, everybody stays at school most of the time.

UMW is a fairly diverse campus. We had a large exchange program with Korean students this year, and several students from Afghanistan. There is not a particularly strong black or hispanic population among students. I feel that the socio-economic status of most students is average. Black and hispanic students might feel out of place if they're used to being surrounded by others of the same ethnicity, but in no way are they made to feel out of place by the student body. Most students wear casual clothing to class, though some wear sweats or pj's. Different types of students do interact. There is no sort of clique or segregation at the school. The four tables in the dining hall would seat different types of students. Most UMW students are from northern Virginia. Students are very politically aware and active, although the campus definitely leans toward being liberal. Most students do not talk about how much they'll earn in the future.

We aren't terribly racially diverse and that's something we certainly need to work on. There is religious diversity on campus, and our LGBT group is very active. They have many events every year. I know people who need financial aid and people who have their own Ferraris. I think African Americans would feel somewhat out of place, but I hope that changes soon. Students wear anything from sweatpants to dresses to class. Different types of students do interact; I'm friends with people I would probably never have been friends with in high school. Many UMW students are from Virginia, but there are also a ton from New Jersey and New York. Students don't really talk about how much they'll earn one day, but that may be because I interact primarily with freshman and sophomores who usually don't know what they'll be doing yet. There are a lot of politically aware students. My political science classes have been my biggest classes and many people have had a lot of interesting and constructive things to say. Our Young Democrats and College Republican groups are very large. We lean left but there are many conservatives as well.

The students are not very diverse. However, the school as a whole does seem very warm and friendly. It's a relaxed atmosphere where students can wear sweatpants if they really want to. Students appear active in politics and hot issues, such as abortion. The school seems to be mostly from Virginia, white people, mostly girls, and probably are most in the middle-upper middle class.

Our "liberal arts college" focus has grabbed the attention of a special kind of person which makes up our student body. There is no one factor that can label the kind of students which attend the university but they are all passionate about their special interest whether it is in religious groups, cultural differences, community service, political views or sports. There is something for everyone at UMW to be involved in, and if we dont have it you can start it. The majority of the students at UMW are white. The school is not racist but does have low multi-cultural diversity, which is being worked on. What ever race you are does not limit the amount of friends one can have on campus, the classification of courses or clubs you can partake in. We have no religious affiliation or one overlaying political view. All views along the spectrum can be found to be represented at UMW. With the campus being as small as it is you become friends with the majority of students by the end of your 4th year.

The students are as i said before, are generally quite liberal. If you're more conservative or religious you may feel out of place, especially since this liberal sediment is readily present in the administration as well. However, there are strong Catholic, Baptist, and other Christian Centers located right next to campus. Just be ready to feel like the administration is completely out of touch with you, especially if you're coming from a Catholic/Christian school. Most students are fairly well off, and wear jeans, polos, t-shirts, sweats, ect. to class. Do be prepared for one or two students in every class who have bright pink hair or their hair in dreadlocks. And don't think that you're going to have some gourmet, or even decent food, because you're not. The two food services on campus close very early (one stops making new food at about 6:00 the other around 8:00) and are just barely edible. Many people move off campus and buy their own food as early as sophomore year.

The student body is mostly white & middle class. The school's trying to push diversity, and we do have a number of Asian students on campus, but mostly people are from around Virginia. We have a large number of LGBT students on campus, and PRISM (People for the Rights of Individuals of Sexual Minority) is one of the bigger groups on campus. We're a pretty liberal campus, but there are definitely conservatives and republicans to spice things up, and you don't really notice political stuff on a daily basis anyway.

everyone here is upper middle class and white. thats basically it. very few representatives of any other races.

Pretty standard college group. UMW is mostly kids from Northern Virginia and are middle to upper class and think they are gods gift to the world. Many more are out of staters from NJ, NY, and PA. Pretty much what you expect from college, people away from mom and dad try to figure out who they are. Some kids start smoking, but illegal drug use seems really low. Get a few more oddballs at UMW than schools that have more of a reputation as preppy, nerdy, or spirited. You get all kinds here, but seem to be alot of really smart people who probably could be more if they tried.

There are definitely a lot of people at MW that can be close-minded, but for the most part I think it's a really accepting place. There isn't a lot of racial diversity, but students are still aware of issues. There are a lot of really motivated, creative people who get involved in political issues -- I'm just not one of them. But most are very smart, upper middle class white kids from Virginia who really do want to make a difference. The LGBT community has a strong presence at UMW with PRISM and different events like The Vagina Monologues. Very cool. There are kind of a lot of arrogant Northern Virginia kids -- I'm one of them.

I have to say we are pretty well represented in the different racial, religious, and LGBT. We have a Black Student Assocation, Women of Color, a Jewish Student Association, an Asian Student Association, a Latin-American Student Group, PRISM (LGBT student group), a Baptist Ministries, Catholic Ministries, the Canturbary Club, and many more. It is a majority white campus, but there is much diversity and openness among most of our students. We hold a huge Mulitcultural Fair on Campus for the community in the Spring and some of the biggest events on campus are run by one of the above mentioned groups. Because we are a smaller campus, all students interact with each other despite racial or religious differences. If there were four tables in the dining hall I would say there would be: a table with a big group of Freshman, a table with sports girls, a table with sports guys, and then a table with everybody else. The sports teams stay pretty unified, and freshmen seem to travel in pacts. We are pretty well represented in the left, right, and center with both a large Young Dems, Republicans, Libertarians, and Anarachists groups on campus. Students come from all different backgrounds, but are probably majority middle class students that compete for financial aid and hold an on-campus job. Students are passionate about their field of interest, so I guess if it is a lucrative field they'll make bank, but otherwise I've never heard anyone say how much they expect to make...

The UMW student body cuts across all manner of social divides from fashion sense to political beliefs. Nonetheless, the students interact across these differences seamlessly. This one freshman that I know managed to befriend almost everyone on campus this past year. I'm working on it. If you feel like you are having trouble meeting people, dye your hair a weird color. You will know everyone within a week.

most students wear sweats and t-shirts. i dont think any type of student would feel left out at UMW.

The people are awesome. The girls are super nice, intelligent, and very hot. They are also almost all daddy's girls. The guys are about 1/4 asshole, 1/4 nice guys who don't ever leave their rooms, 1/4 gay, and 1/4 just the coolest people alive. However, it's cool, because people get along, and respect each others differences. It's very easy to make friends at UMW

-Racially, UMW is pretty... well, white. We sport a pretty generic campus of white kids, in the middle to upper-middle classes. A lot of kids are from VA, although I know plenty from NJ, NY and the New England area. -Most students wear nicer clothes to class, I'd say. Guys get away with a polo shirt and jeans for the most part, and girls always look nice in skirts, jeans and a nice top. It's not like some southern schools where guys wear a shirt and tie everyday, but it's also a far cry from the t-shirt wearing schools that may exist. -Four tables of students in "Seaco" dining hall: (1) Art oriented people, or those who are majoring in art, drama or music. These people tend to be less main stream, and are comfortable with that. They are usually quite polite, and are very helpful from my experience. (2) Athletes- these are the kids that wear their "UMW (Sport name here)" shirts and sweats everywhere around campus. They tend to more or less run the social scene on the weekend, throwing the parties etc. Although they may sound stuck up or unapproachable, from my experience the athletes are great people. I'm friends with tons of them, and I don't play anything besides intramurals. Get to know these kids, you'll be glad you did! (3) Popular Girls- There are a select few groups of these girls who think that they are better than the other women on campus. Guys overall tend to ignore them, because we recognize their arrogance, and unfriendly nature. These girls will become the school-bicycle later on, meaning that every guy will "get a ride" if you know what I mean. They'll lower their standards after a year or two of no attention. Girls, be warned not to be one of them! (4) Non-athlete and average college kid. These kid make up a great part of the population and are some of the best kids to know. They'll be from all kinds of social backgrounds, but will always be seen around, from in class to parties off campus. These kids are a sure-fire group that you can get along with.