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.

white white white

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.