<p>I am an alum from long ago and my son will be a first-year student at Wes in September and all the data I have matches precisely with what JohnWesley is saying here. Certainly the incoming class of 2015 thus far seems to be composed of students representing a wide range of interests and opinions, and there is no one “type”. In addition to what has been said before, people should remember that the Admissions staff, who “casts” the “players” for each “role” in the many iterations of the “Wesleyan Experience” each year, makes sure that there is no one type. If you read the Wesleying blog, for instance, you will see many examples of the different kinds of communities and subgroups which exist now on campus as well as the new ones which emerge with each arriving first-year class. </p>
<p>Last fall, I took part in a focus group of eight parents of college-bound high school seniors. We were being asked about our impressions of the various schools our kids had toured over the past few months. Of course, I spoke about my son’s enthusiasm for Wesleyan and the fact that his second and third choices were Swarthmore and either Hamilton or Haverford. As the discussion went forward, I was stunned at the comments of a few parents on the line who remarked that they thought that Wesleyan was “too wild” and “extremely liberal”. </p>
<p>So where do they get these ideas? Some of the college guides are the source–like the so-called “Insiders Guide to the Colleges” produced each year by the Yale Daily News. It describes Wesleyan as “an ultra-liberal school where political correctness is not just commendable but necessary” and quotes a student as saying if you come to Wesleyan you’d better bring “weed–you’ll make lots of friends.” This type of over-the-top running commentary distorts what Wesleyan is and mischaracterizes what this university community aspires to being. Parents and prospective students, please do better research, through examining blogs like Wesleying, or the online issues of the Wesleyan Argus, or the many articles written by President Michael Roth, as well as what Wes students say here on CC–you’ll be in a better position to make an informed choice based on a wider pool of data!</p>