Washington and Lee University Top Questions

The school is the perfect size, you know everyone by name at least and you can have a real relationship with the professors. The best thing about Washington and Lee is the cultivation of leadership. With all the extracurriculars, from the Greek System to IM's, Washington and Lee develops each student's character and allows them to be as involved as they wish. I spend most of my time in Newcomb Hall, the Commons or the Greek houses. I'm from a western state so most people have never heard about Washington and Lee. However, when someone does recognize the name they have only good things to say about our community. The best part of Washington and Lee, and what has shaped my college experience the most is that this school is what you make it. If you only sit on the surface and see W&L as a shallow party school, you'll never know what you're missing. The history of this school is what makes it so special, and by getting involved, students make that history and continuously shape our community.

My love for W&L is incredible, just like most of the student body. People love this school and have so much pride in it. However, it is a hard school socially. The Greek system puts a huge strain on friendships and confidence. There is a definite order of frats and srats from highest to lowest and it gets bad. Some people from higher srats won't talk to people in lower ones, and you always have to go to parties based on where your sorority is welcome. Besides that, people do generally love everyone else. The speaking tradition is great and the professors are amazing. The small size allows you to get to know everyone and I love that.

town needs more attractions. administration needs to remember that this school is based on tradition and maybe they should be a little more lax on the fraternities. after all, they've been here since the beginning. I will always remember the professors that show their love for W&L by getting to know each student and continuing traditions.

I am in love with Washington and Lee. I feel in love with it when I was a freshman in high school and I have loved it since. To me it is the best school in the entire world. It is the perfect size. I love the fact that my teachers know my name and that to them I am not just a number on their roll list. The acadeic environment and education is amazing but we still have fun at the same time, so really it is the best of both worlds.

The best thing about Washington and Lee is that you can meet professors during their office hours most of the time and, if not, you can arrange a meeting with them without any hassle. The school was too small for my personal tastes. I find that bigger and larger communities tend to have higher scales of competition and therefore better quality of people the higher the social stratosphere. How do people react when I tell them I’m from Washington and Lee? Well… it depends on the place. In Korea, when I tell people I’m from Washington and Lee University, they reply, “Ah, Washington University, that’s in D.C. (or Seattle) right?” I just shake my head and agree. In the Bible belt region (US), educated people recognize the name and associate it with a top tier school, likewise in the Northeast regions, but only in big cities. On campus I spend most of my time in classrooms or the gym. The rest of my time was spent at home or in my room. College town… well, Lexington had two bars when I went there I think they have three now. Most of the social scene happens in fraternity parties or extracurricular (non-alcoholic) events held by different organizations on campus. My opinion of the administration is mixed. The administration, as in non academic administrators only (which would exclude most professors), does what is in their best interests as any administration would do. Since everyone smiles a lot there it is hard to distinguish genuinely friendly and honest people and superficially friendly and dishonest people. The biggest recent controversy… well, one aspect that really appealed to me was that Washington and Lee has a student body hearing for any major judicial matter that might occur so most of it is public some others are private. However there are two catches to this. One is that you have to be socially active, by being in a frat or constantly read every weekly massive spam mails they send. Two, is that not every issue makes it to a student body hearing. From my perspective, a lot of “behind the doors” politics occurs that not everyone is allow to know about. There is a lot of school pride. Unusual? I guess it would depend on your perspective on things. I found the popularity of pink cloths amongst the males quite um… unusual. Don’t get me wrong, most girls can wear pink clothes and still be fashionable, and few guys can manage to pull it off every now and then. But I remember staggering home in a drunk one night seeing flocks of guys wearing very similar clothing all in pink. It’s a memory I’ll associate only with W&L parties and gay pride parades. Not that I have anything against either, but I would not go out of my way to join them. One experience I’ll always remember… ah… there were a few times I lost my wallet on campus. Most of the times the wallet was returned will all the money intact. It is a unique positive aspect of W&L, and maybe it’s a thing only found at W&L. What do students complain about… I don’t know. I what do students complain about? School work I guess?

It's not for everyone. Definitely visit. W&L looks amazing on paper but it takes a certain person to feel comfortable here. W&L students have a lot of pride for their school whether it be academics, athletics or the social scene. Don't come here if you're not willing to shout "I LOVE W&L" across the collonade.

There is a lot of personal attention from the professors-you're not just a number. While Lexington isn't the most exciting town, the Greek system provides enough to do that you are rarely bored.

Anyone who goes to Washington and Lee can be proud of it. School pride is an amazingly big deal here. Everyone knows each other, and you will always be helped if you need it-- whoever you may hang out with. It's extremely friendly... we have a tradition of saying "Hello" to everyone, and it makes for a very friendly atmosphere.

I honestly wouldn't change anything about our school. It is the perfect size as far as I'm concerned...it may be a little small just in the way that everyone knows everyone else's business, but it doesn't really bother me. It just comes with the territory. It's in a very tiny town, but it's not really that bad. Roanoke and Charlottesville are only 45 minutes away and Lexington is a great place to live.

W&L is a place that has really allowed me to grow in ways that I wouldn't have expected. The small size of the college allows for you to explore options that you wouldn't think about doing at a larger University, and more importantly succeed in these endeavors. The liberal arts environment not only allows the students to explore different academic fields, but also carries over into life outside of the classroom. I am a member of a Greek organization who participates on multiple varsity sports teams and also plays an instrument in the orchestra on campus, and I don't feel obliged to define myself by any single one of those commitments.

There are lots of great things about W&L. I chose it because it's a small, conservative school in the south that has an excellent academic reputation. Sometimes I feel like it's too small because everyone knows everyone else's business, but at the same time I enjoy the strong community atmosphere. When I tell people from up north where I go to school, they don't know much about it unless they are familiar with southern schools. People who do know the name, however, are very impressed and tell me what a great school it is. I spend most of my time on campus in my apartment or in the sorority house. I would say Lexington is a decent college town. There are lots of places to eat and some cute shops. I do wish it were closer to a large mall though. The residents in Lex are very nice and seem to embrace the students well. I don't have a strong opinion about W&L's administration either way - I think they do a good job. The biggest controversies on campus are usually related to off-color humor or rumors. There is definitely a lot of school pride at W&L - there is a strong "good ol' boy" mentality. People often point to our Greek system as rather particular to W&L. The majority of students here are Greek and the organizations have a strong presence on campus. The best part of W&L is the strong friendships I'm developing here. People here are friendly and outgoing. I know the people I meet here will be in my life forever.

W&L has a great balanced environment. The school maintains a scholastic motivation in studying hard and learning but also students enjoy partying and having a good time. Students often to the saying, "Work hard, play hard." One of the most overlooked attributes of W&L is its incredible location in the Blue Ridge Mountains - Shenandoah Valley. Students definitely take advantage of the surrounding area through hiking, paddling, swimming, biking, etc. Lexington is a small and slow town, but it has everything to support the student body. There are very few good bars - and almost zero student bar scene. Most parties take place a student off campus houses, most of which are located in the country surrounding the city. There are also parties at the fraternity houses. The relationship between students and the locals varies. One of the largest complaints from students is with the Lexington police department. The police don't have much to do so students must more careful. There is a great relationship between students and professors. Professors are always easy to meet with and you actually get a chance to know them.

W&L is in rural Lexington, VA, so there isn't much to do besides go to frat parties, which I enjoy. There is a major gender relations problem on campus, and I think it has to do with the dynamic of Greek life, to a certain extent. Guys and girls generally don't interact outside of frat basements, and this leads to at best an awkwardness on the Hill, and at worst, objectification of women, and sexual assault. That said, I have experienced exceptions to this problem, and I do have guy friends with whom I feel comfortable. One aspect about W&L I love is the honor system. Everyone has to act like a gentleman or a gentlewoman, and lying, cheating, and stealing (an honor violation) has one punishment: expulsion. Students leave laptops, books, clothing, etc. around, and I haven't known of an instance in which anything was taken.

The size, the professors, the parties are all aspects of W&L's culture that make it truly outstanding. I love my school, despite the greek system's rigid social structure. Groups are pretty stratified yet I believe if there were no greek system, smaller cliques would form anyway and I would not benefit from the AMAZING parties and close bonds I have made with the girls in my srat. Academically and socially W&L has been incredibly enriching to my life.

w&l is very unique for the honor system in particular, which creates an environment that lets you schedule your own exams, leave valuables sitting around on campus safely, and never lock your dorm room. the students get to run a lot of the government of the school, and preside over the honor system themselves, not the faculty and admin. the propensity to dress up on campus is also rather unique, especially at football games when men wear brooks brothers jackets and bow ties and women wear bright sun dresses...which both genders also wear to class on a regular basis... w&l is also predominantly greek, which makes us all sound like uber-preps, but in reality there's a greek organization for everyone (there's a frat for the nerds and a frat for the frat lords, a sorority for girls who wouldnt otherwise be in a sorority), and even those who go independant arent left out, since all the parties are open to everyone, no matter what frat they're in.

The school is perfectly sized for intense academic learning. However, this size leads to a tightened social scene. Washington and Lee is a well-known school among the right people. It is definitely a stepping stone to financial sucess - especially from the school of commerce. However, there is much competition in this path, so I picked a liberal arts major, which has been an incredible decision. The faculty are great - all intelligent and willing to help. There is an incredible party-side to the school despite it being small. However, the administration has been strangling this social scene, including kicking off fraternities, and monitoring drinking. This has led to a conformist social scene, which although still good, has dramatically changed for the worse since I've been at the school. Overall, it is an incredible school. I have experienced great academic learning, and gained the greatest friends of my life in the best social setting of any school I've ever visited. However, the school is looking to improve its academic standing, which equals an attack on the previously untouched and free social scene. The school will not be the same 3 years from now.

The best thing about W&L is the fact that there is a sort of community. Since we are so isolated from other areas the school is very much a community where most people have at least heard of each other. If I could change one thing it would be to increase the diversity, the lack of diversity here is profound and has a negative impact on campus. I feel that the school is very small but it is nice for the reason I listed earlier, it makes it a community rather than an aggregation of students. Most people don't recognize the name W&L until you get into the business world, many of the people I have talked to that recognized the school were professionals. I spend most of my time on campus split between doing work in the science building and having fun at the greek houses. The entire town of Lexington grew around W&L and VMI so the college is the main thing in the town. The W&L administration really cares for its students and is wiling to work with and help students with whatever they need. The biggest recent controversy was something in our school newspaper called "The Bracket" in which students were slandered by other students using mysogynistic and homophobic terms. There is a lot of school pride here but it doesn't center around sports. Washington and Lee is a very unusual school as so much of the school centers around greek life, I would suggest you visit, preferably staying with a student, before coming here as its not for everyone. The one experience I will always remember is when the Dean of Students gave me a ride home from the airport. The most frequent complaints are that there is too much emphasis on greek life, not enough diversity, and that some really terrible people attend this school.

The size of the school is perfect. It's a ton of fun. The classes are really tough, but rewarding, and the teachers are really helpful. You can go to them for literally any problem you are encountering, in or out of the classroom. People in the right circles know that dubyuhnell is an extremely prestigous school to go to. I love the quote, "It's okay you've never heard of w&l, you wouldn't have gotten in." Lots of people make jokes about how no one can get the name right. It's not William and Lee, Washington and Mary, or William and Mary, and it's not In D.C. either.

I came to W&L because it was a small, prestigious private school not too close to any major cities. I enjoy the close relationships I have with my professors, who all know me by name and are incredibly friendly and approachable. Additionally, the honor system allows flexibility in exam scheduling and ensure that I feel safe and that my belongings are undisturbed on campus, which I appreciate. One unusual aspect of W&L is the spring term (currently six weeks, soon to be four weeks) during which students take 1-2 classes, study abroad or leave school early to take part in internships and summer jobs. This particular aspect of the school is a pleasant experience in that the classes, while intense and demanding as per school standards, are scheduled with a great deal of freetime to enjoy one's social life. The opportunities to study abroad during this time (an opportunity I am currently taking advantage of) are extensive. Furthermore, spring term typically lasts beyond the end date of most other schools, but with our options, we may in fact enter the area of summer jobs along side our fellow college students.

I love the small classes and getting individual attention from teachers; they really care about us. If you like knowing everyone and knowing everyone who walks by you then you would like W&L. Everyone at W&L is really nice and we always say hi to each other even if we dont know each other.