13.56% Acceptance rate
41% Yield
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Interesting - a heavy % of ED/QB - 58%.
Assuming all those were ED and attended, then 209 was about a 23% yield which is actually pretty good - especially given some like mine, might have gone but the cost was just too high.
This school shows really well….not to mention it’s a beautiful school.
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Unless you care about diversity.
22% students of color as they define it ain’t great. I’ll take a look at its competitors because I may be wrong, but that seems hard to do.
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True - when you’re in the South - but you have - 8% are QB students - so let’s say they’re taking 30+. Than 40+ Johnsons. There’s a lot to be said - and 22% are domestic students of color. 9% are international. Davidson, as an example, isn’t much different.
US News does a diversity index so third party. While W&L doesn’t have a great score, they’re bunched with Connecticut, Dickinson, Union, Gettysburg, Lafayette, St. Olaf, Kenyon, Holy Cross, Bucknell and more, etc.
It may not be the school for everyone but they’ve certainly accomplished a lot and they are very generous to those in need.
Of course, today, we don’t know how the Supreme Court ruling impacts diversity.
It’s not for me to defend them (I truly enjoyed our visit and discussion with a Poli Sci professor (and family) who approached us, thinking we were lost…..but I think it’s a wonderful school (one of many) for folks to consider, especially those who need generous need.
Any minority candidate (at any school) should likely speak with a student ambassador to get their experience.
2025 Liberal Arts Colleges Ranked by Ethnic Diversity | US News Rankings
As much as I rail against them, I’m somewhat hesitant to rely on USNW rankings of anything for anything, but giving this the benefit of the doubt, I’m more fixed on the schools above than in the neighborhood; which are most of them.
You don’t have to be a minority to value diversity, by the way. But I’m sure the school is great for those for whom it’s not a big deal.
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I am white so I can’t understand living as a minority, similarly to my being a Jew (there’s often not many Jews).
But even at a Southern public that is less diverse, there are still many minorities. It’s not that there is no diversity. And there’s been minority students who have spoken glowingly about their experience there - and I’m sure that’s the case at many schools.
At the same time, and I’ve seen it throughout my life including my current workplace, even when there is diversity in numbers, many often associate within groups containing their ethnicity.
Of course, many colleges are out there and prospective students need to choose which is best for them. I’m not here to defend or promote - I was just commenting on the stats provided - and I am impressed by the amount of financial support they provide to students.
It’s quite impressive.
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It is, but I’ll say it again because I think you’re missing my point; diversity isn’t about the minority kids’ experience. It’s about everyone’s. White kids benefit from diversity as well.
We chose our independent PK-8 school and our boarding because we wanted our kids to experience a diverse environment, and so did they, because that’s the world they will grow up and grow old in. It’s a very different experience than that which they would have had in their very good but very white LPS.
Not saying everyone needs to share that view and don’t expect many/most (?) to agree, and I also appreciate what W&L is doing to make it more approachable for kids who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to a great school like that for financial reasons. But for our family at least, diversity is high on the list of things we’ll look for in a college experience. I don’t think we’re alone.
But good on W&L.
I appreciate this. We lived in diverse So Cal while my kids were very young. When my company moved to Tennessee, we moved, like most young families, to the top school district in the state. Our county school system are very white, something we didn’t take into account.
My son quickly found the two Korean kids at his school. My kids were often the only Jewish in their grade, if not school. We believe we made a mistake and should have moved to Nashville proper. Of course, hindsight is 20/20. Of course, W&L is far more diverse than our schools.
It is a diverse world and I appreciate your perspective.
Twenty years ago W&L was like 92% white. And a lot of the non-white students were international. So 22% domestic students of color is a remarkable change.
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