Washington and Lee University Top Questions

This stereotype is not totally false. A lot of people are rich, white, and Southern, but W&L has its fair share of Northerners and kids from all over. Diversity is somewhat lacking, but it's increasing with each class.

I think the predominant stereotypes of Washington and Lee students are accurate.

I would say the stereotypes are mostly accurate, but there is a growing minority that are the exact opposite.

yep

Washington and Lee is definately a small school, in the best way possible, and it does have a Southern feel. While some students have money, there are plenty of people there who are not rich or Southern. I would say the party atmosphere has definitely decreased during my four years at Washington and Lee (from 2004-2008).

No. While the vast majority of the kids here are from rich southern families, there are some people from all over. Can't really disagree about the snootiness Yes. Alcohol is a huge problem.

There is some truth to any stereotype. I would say there is a bit more racial diversity than one would expect, given the school's reputation. Still, the majority of students are white and conservative. Anecdotally, I would say there are a lot of wealthy people on the undergraduate campus, but the University, and the Law School, both tend to be generous with financial aid. One of my friends comes from a pretty economically deprived background in western Maryland but got a full scholarship to W&L for his academics.

for the most part, yes; however, as all seterotypes are, it is blown out of proportion.

Yes. But to be extensive, the princeton review additionally names several cliches that still hold relevance: "Preppy" "Exclusive" "Country club-esque" "Republican" "Heavy drinking school"

pretty much, but W&L is working hard to diversify and incorporate students from all over the country, we're on the brink

Yes

Some of these stereotypes were once acurate, but as the times are a-changin', we are starting to see a lot of these stereotypes phase out and a much different face of Washington and Lee emerging.

Some individuals choose to follow this mantra, but the school has become a lot more diverse in the past four years and now you can see individuals wearing their favorite local team jersey to class after a big win. Also, the social scene is not as preppy as everyone makes it out to be. It is a close knit community so the variety of individuals is not that extreme, but it is encouraging that the school has encouraged individuals to not fall into a sample mold and to independently seek out their own opinions and views.

The school is definitely small, and that has its pros as well as its cons. You choose to be as involved as you like, but it is almost impossible to stay out of the social bubble. Although the students tend to dress similar, by no means are they close-minded: classes are typically discussion-oriented, and no student holds back his personal opinions. The professors are just as diverse in their own opinions as the students, but they allow the class to be non-judgemental and are open for new ideas. There are just as many liberals as conservatives, and rarely will you find someone sticking to just one idea--students range all across the political spectrum.

Of course.

The school is diversifying more and more, which might be a bad thing.

Only superficially, if you get to know the university and the students there is much more to our community.

somewhat.

Yes

To some extent. Every school with a Greek system is going to have a lot of money, drinking, and social hierarchy. But I feel like W&L is slightly worse than other schools. Some people feel that they can't even talk to another based on a srat or frat label. If you feed into this, then it will be terrible. But if you don't let it get to you, then it isn't much worse than any where else. Also, it is a very white school. But there is a decent amount of diversity of thought, which I think is more important in a college anyway. And lastly, the drinking is huge. It is not necessary to drink, but it is huge, especially during Spring Term. That term most people drink during the week as well as during the afternoons.