Do not become snarled in this confusing mess.

persona1011
Sat, 25 Dec 2004 00:16:14 +0000

Let me offer some clarification on a few things:

I have read over many posts after I went to show my brother the opinions regarding my college. To say the least, I am upset by the nonsense.

Many of you are very qualified students, and should have no problem with gaining admission at Washington and Lee. However, there are many illogical claims regarding the social life, and academic life at my school. If you are not a student at a particular university you cannot rightly make judgments based on any aspect of the school. It seems a bit odd for high school students that have not yet been accepted to comment to other perspectives about the academic climate being cutthroat. Also, a bit that really struck me as offensive was in regard to “democrats being pushed,” as one person posted. There is no atmosphere of hostility in regard to politics what-so-ever. If anything, the poster’s friend may have been drunk at a party when the “pushing” ensued–so the claims are unfounded.

Our academic environment is tough–very tough to be exact. The only students that do not seem to have difficulty come in three flavors: New England Prep School, Hermit, and the fine instance of a really gifted individual. Unless you fall into one of those categories, you will have to work like never before at this school. Of course, this is just a generalization and should not be taken to heart.

The social environment is AMAZING. I will admit that the frat/srat scene does dominate much of the social environment, but there are alternatives that exist. You should/will not be bored when you step foot on campus in the fall. I’ll leave some for the imagination…

We are a strongly republican campus, but the number of democrats has been steadily increasing over the past few years (to my understanding). Politics does not spark brawls or major demonstrations–but is definitely a solid conversation/argument starter.

A majority of Washington and Lee students are not 1.) stuck up 2.) legacy 3.) rich 4.) shallow 5.) stereotypes. I am a first generation college student from a family of eight.

However, we do need to work on expanding our minority population.

Basically, I just want to let the perspectives that read my post know that Washington and Lee is an EXCELLENT school. No school is perfect (and this is a truth that people should accept), and I cannot say that we are perfect. However, I chose this school over Hopkins and Duke (to name two) because I wanted an educational experience I could call my own. I did not want to share the limelight with a grad student, med student, or law student. I feel comfortable that I made the right choice, and I am very happy to be attending Washington and Lee.

Enjoy your senior year, and best of luck with admissions.