I have not chimed in to this thread because I don’t know WashU, and also finding the best fit is important, and that’s something only the OP can know. Just like Swarthmore and Grinnell, W&L will not be a good fit for every student. However there are a number of misconceptions about the school. At this point the school is just as diverse, if not more diverse than schools like Bates and Oberlin, which have more liberal reputations. There is zero need to persuade the faculty or the students of the virtues of diversity. The school is taking substantive steps to address it’s racist history and is not merely making superficial changes.
I believe students of all political persuasions would feel comfortable on W&L’s campus.
I would say both schools are blue dots in seas of red. I grew up in Missouri, and it most certainly is the buckle of the Bible Belt.
The one area that I would flag for the OP is the openness to LGBTQ students. There is openness, and acceptance but it is not the same as at liberal northeastern schools. So yes, there are gay members of my son’s fraternity, and there’s an annual Drag Ball, and there’s special interest housing for LGBTQ students, but it isn’t the same as, say, Williams. I have no idea what WashU is like on this issue.
If W&L is not a fit, then it’s not a fit – don’t go! Presumably, though, you thought it might be a good fit or you wouldn’t have applied and gone through the Johnson selection process. So just make sure you are making a well thought out decision.
Finally, I leave you with this:
Good luck with your decision, those are both excellent schools.