Matt
We are a small college. That means we stick together. Sure there may not be as many options as your average school of 20000 kids, but when you get right down to it, why would you want to be 1 out of 20000 when you can be part of a close knit college that cares about you? Call it "college atmosphere" or whatever you want, but there is no place I would rather be.
Andy
The only thing I wish I could change about Whitman would be adding more diversity of political thought. Not only are most Whitman students liberally-bent, they assume that everyone else around them is as well. But at the end of the day, Whitman students are conscious about being politically correct and encourage lively debate.
Charlie
Like I said, I don't do drugs and I hardly drink, but never feel excluded or uncomfortable at parties. I think what makes Whitman truly special is a common love of learning in the students. No matter what college you go to you can make your classroom experience good, but it isn't everywhere that people will get together to discuss the reading over a cup of tea before or after class. It isn't everywhere that kids want to do their homework because they want to- not for grades or to compete with other students, but to further their own knowledge.
Mandy
I love Whitman. I wouldn't go anywhere else if I had the choice! I've met some of my very best friends here, and I know reunions will be a blast!
Jesse
You'll learn the most about Whitman by asking students here questions; we all love to talk about Whitman, so contact someone! We really do love talking about Whitman, and it's very different reading broad opinions and hearing specific answers to your specific questions. Visit if you can, particularly during the year-- as I said, it's the students that make the Whitman experience, and you can only get a small sense of the community by reading about it online.
Alex
It takes buying into the small town and the community, but if you put a lot into Whitman, Whitman has a lot to give back to you.
Andy
It really is worth it to come to Whitman to see the baby ducklings in the spring, if nothing else! It really is a beautiful campus! The town is super cool too, it just takes some creative exploring to find the awesome parks, wineries (if you're over 21 of course), the farmers market, lots of little restaurants that are awesome. The campus is also super small, everything is within walking distance (nothing over 10 minutes, even from the farthest corners). Cars are unnecessary, bikes are nice, but walking can get you almost anywhere you want to go (except the movie theater in town - borrow a car for that one).
Aaron
Whitman is very academically strong, but it is not for those who are interested in academics alone. Whitman pushes you to get involved in and off campus, and in things you have never found interest in before. Whitman students usually try a little bit of everything.
Gabriela
Combines frinedly atmosphere with academic seriousness--competitive but still nice and welcoming.
Ryan
As an academically challenging school with an overwhelming amount of activities and a student body of type A personalities, it's very easy to get too stressed out. I know many people who took a semester off or transferred due to stress and many seniors are very burned out by the time they graduate. It's easy to take on too many activities and not realize it until you are pulling all nighters on a regular basis just to get everything done. Having so much to do can also be very isolating and many students end up being lonely. It's hard to form deep relationships because everyone is so busy. It can also be isolating if you are a republican, minority, or lower class student, though they are trying to improve on this.