How political is the environment at Wesleyan University? We are party / candidate / position neutral (we have opinions, they just don’t fit in one category). Descriptions on niche are ‘Unique, passionate and intellectual’, ‘weird and diverse’ and ‘politically active’. We are going to visit but I know you really can’t get a deep feel on a 2 hour tour. Also, what is the social scene - Greek life, party scene, athletes rules or is it more of an intellectual feel? I’m sure there’s both, didn’t know if one is dominate. Thanks.
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Wes parent here. There is minimal Greek life (there are three “fraternities,” only one of which has Greek letters, and they are all co-ed) but lots of clubs/groups that spawn social life. It’s not a “rager” kind of place; it’s more of a house party/hang out place. Athletes aren’t in any way dominant, and while there is certainly some social separation, there’s also plenty of overlap (my very very non-athlete kid is dating an athlete, for example).
There’s a really wide range of kids there, and it’s very welcoming. I agree with the overall descriptions from Niche, with the caveat that I think “weird” is good. Students are smart and curious, often with double majors that show a wide range of intellectual interests. The student body is largely left/progressive, but there are plenty of students with other perspectives, and there’s lots of heterogeneity even within the left/progressive space. The president (who is not from the left) is very big on freedom of expression, exchange of ideas, etc.; he’s been very outspoken amid the current administration’s university crackdown.
I think a visit will help; it has a distinct vibe that appeals to some and not to others.
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You’re visiting at a good time. School is in session; the main quad will be transformed into Corwin Stadium, the temporary football stands; and from Wednesday through Saturday nights there will be something waiting for you at the College of Film and the Moving Image (CFILM) student-run film series. But even without knowing all of that, one stroll around campus will probably convince you of the variety of people attracted to Wesleyan. I was a guest lecturer recently and the thing that struck me was that if there were a single primary belief shared by everyone, it was in being kind and helpful to those around you. I saw specific instances of it time and time again during my visits.
There was a recent thread in the Wesleyan forum where it became clear after a few posts that Middletown is probably the best example of a college town in the entire state of Connecticut: it’s diverse, it’s clean, relatively safe and relatively lively for a town its size. People drive in from the surrounding towns. Main Street consists almost entirely of small businesses that never seem to get crowded and it’s all within a few blocks of campus. I see people strolling up and down College Street all the time.
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And dozens of great restaurants on Main Street, featuring food from all over the world!
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An oft asked question about Wesleyan around here. There are a few posters on CC, and at least one college counselor I know, who insist that Wesleyan is like the Sproul Hall Plaza at Berkeley during the 60s every day. It’s not.
It’s not a neat and tidy little pre-professional college comprised mostly of buttoned up kids whose dream in life is to get an offer to join the auditing team at KPMG. There are schools like that but Wesleyan isn’t one of them, nor are any of the other NESCACs. But it’s not a crazy place and you don’t need to be a politically strident person to live and fit in on that campus. In fact, I’d say most kids there, or at least a good many, are not politically strident (though most of them have a POV and will share it if you ask). This trope of the crazy protests with people screaming in your face and breaking things is, as applied to Wesleyan, wildly inaccurate. My D was very happy there for 4 years and is also politically inclined in the way you describe yourself and your kid to be. So, no matter what anyone else says, believe me: that’s not an issue unless your kid is absolutely phobic about those things, in which case I’d say steer clear of New England LACs.
I’d say as much as any of the NESCACs the athletes and the non-athletes blend there. My D was an athlete at another highly selective LAC and the divide there was much, much, much more pronounced. It was there that I learned about the acronym “NARP”, which they frequently used.
My D didn’t feel Greek life at all at Wes and, while there is a old school pocket of Wesleyan that echoes its former all-male history, it’s not the first place I’d look for a fratty-feeling college.
It is, though, plenty social and a place where your kid will form life-long bonds if he/she sinks their teeth into the life of the college.
Lastly, I think the Niche adjectives you shared are all apt descriptions of Wesleyan. It’s not a quiet place but it is a serious and passionate place.
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I resemble that remark!
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