Washington and Lee University | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Gwen

Class: Freshman
Major: English
Gender: F

High School: public
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

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.

Academic Life

A high point is the experience in the classroom. The teachers, especially in the humanities, really want you to learn, and this is evident in their curriculum and their office hours. They are very available. The sciences are also helpful and engaging, but the classes tend to be bigger, probably due to essential classes for the MCAT, etc. Although I'm an English major (and a freshman), I'm researching this summer with a biology professor, which is a really unique experience. I am taking an anthropology class with 5 kids, and it's really engaging and interesting. Obviously, with such intimate class sizes, participation is key. In every class I'm taking, it's at least 25% of the grade. This makes you do your homework, and it forces you to think critically. The English department is very conducive to students who want to double-major, or who are going pre-med or pre-dent, etc. They want you to receive a well-rounded education that will benefit you in the future.

Student Body

W&L's student body is primarily composed of fraternities and sororities. I have friends who are unaffiliated, but the majority of the student body is involved in Greek life. The most casual attires girls wear includes Nike running shorts and a t-shirt, if they choose to work out promptly following class. Other than that, polos, button-downs, dresses, etc are commonplace. Lily Pulitzer, Vineyard Vines and Tori Burch could stay in business solely off the female population at W&L. Guys are out of an ad from either Nautica, J.Crew or Polo as well. While upon coming to W&L, I thought virtually everyone would be conservative, there are a healthy number of liberal-minded students. The ideal date or boyfriend is the i-banker. Nobody cares about football or basketball. I have a handful of guy friends in varsity sports, but I can count the number of sports functions I've attended this year on one hand. And when we go to home football games, girls wear sundresses, and guys wear suits.