Washington and Lee University Top Questions

W&L has a student body that is very involved in extracurriculars especially the Greek System. We have what we call the "speaking tradition" on campus which is very comforting because everyone you pass on the campus is to speak to one another with a simple hello or acknowledgment.

Anyone who does not join a fraternity or sorority will be shunned from the social scene. Everyone at W&L is from the South. No one from different social circles interacts. You pretty much stick to your sorority/fraternity. Everyone is wealthy. Students are overwhelmingly conservative.

I hate to say it, but a low socio-econmic, racially diverse liberal would probably have a tough time here.

I am friends with different people from various parts of campus life, and have not found racial or ideological differences to be a problem. Most students do tend to gravitate toward people who are like themselves, and while I don't think this is necessarily a problem, the exchange among different groups could be improved upon. There are a lot of students here from the South, but I don't believe that this school deserves its die-hard Southern, "bring back the Confederacy" stereotype, since at the end of the day, people from the South are just like everybody else. Most people come from wealthier, upper-middle-class backgrounds. I don't, and I think I have been able to fit in just fine. People are very accepting of others, and nobody looks down on me or others who don't have a lot of money. I think most students in general can fit in here just fine, but some might have a struggle, like students who are diametrically opposed to the Greek system, or students who some might call "nerdy," because while people here are very smart, they are popular, polished, and social intellectuals, not the type who like to read about nuclear physics on Friday nights. It seems like 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students here are obsessed with politics, and are very passionate about their political stances, some fiercely conservative, and others (probably a majority) more liberal. I wish it wasn't assumed that people here are concerned with politics, because not everyone feels that way.

The school is not very racially diverse. The administration is trying to work on that, but there is still a ways to go. People tend to get fairly dressed up for class-- sweatpants and pajamas are frowned upon except during finals week.

Most students dress well and have a core group of friends, usually within their own fraternity or sorority, with which they interact. Most W&L students are from the South or, surprisingly, New Jersey. I am very happy with the W&L student body. I wanted a certain experience when I went to college and W&L is exactly what I wanted.

Most people at W and L, from my experience, are white, conservative, and christian, however they are plenty of organized groups and clubs with people of all races and religious/socio-economic backgrounds. I think that because of Washington and Lee's history with the confederacy that some black students may not feel comfortable here. Someone that is incredibly liberal politically may feel out of place. Also, people that do not live comfortable financially may feel out of place. Boys typically wear khaki shorts and a polo or athletic gear, and girls typically wear skirts and jeans with tops or athletic gear. If there were four tables in the lunch room there would be the outwardly southern boys and girls, one for people from other geographic regions in the US, a table for those from foreign countries and or of a different race other than white, and one of those that were uninterested in greek life. I also think that because of the incredibly conservative nature of this school, homosexuals may feel extremely out of place. Most Washington and Lee students are from very nice suburban areas, on a larger scale, there are a lot of students from Texas, Alabama, Virginia, New Jersey, and Maryland. The vast majority of students at W and L come from an upper-middle class financial background. Students are politically aware and active, especially because we hold mock convention. The majority of students are republicans. Students do not talk about how much they will most likely earn, but it seems to be understood that because we graduate from Washington and Lee, we have paved the way for a high salary in the future.

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W&L is not for everyone. Almost any day, you can see a student wearing a bow tie or sundress. Every student who comes to W&L had something amazing on their transcript. Whether they excelled in sports, music, quizbowl, speech, debate, or anything else you can name, each student brings that with them. Freshmen really get to share their experiences with each other as they live together and eat together, but even then freshmen also meet tons of upperclassmen through classes and the greek system. Even if a student doesn't go greek, the upperclassmen independants set up a few independant parties so freshmen never feel unconnected.

Most students here are preppy and southern. That being said, other groups are represented on campus and while it may be more difficult, they do find places where they fit in.