<p>Since everybody is apologizing for not visiting Whitman, I just thought I’d suggest that everybody should. There is an airport in Walla Walla which makes getting there pretty easy. OK, it’s not at easy as UChicago, but it’s not as formidable as everybody thinks. Whitman is a wonderful place. </p>
<p>The student body is engaged, accepting, very active, gregarious and intelligent. The academics are rigorous, but students don’t just study, they find time to do a bunch of other stuff. The outdoor program is very active, music and theater thrive, and lots of people play intramural sports. Walla Walla is a charming little town. There’s so much going on at the campus and immediate surrounding area that students don’t feel isolated, and they make lifelong bonds with each other.</p>
<p>Lastly, let’s discuss weather. It’s not nearly as rainy as Seattle, and not nearly as cold as the midwest. It does snow (off and on) but melts after a few days, except in the Blue Mountains where you can get to downhill skiing in an hour. The sun shines for at least part of the day throughout much of the winter, official tally is 300 days of sunshine.</p>
<p>Sounds like you’ll probably stay east of the rockies. You’ve got many great choices, you can’t go wrong. I just wanted to encourage people to actually visit Whitman.</p>