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BassoonMom
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Posted: Wed Oct 11th, 2006 02:04 am |
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My daughter and I made the treck to Walla Walla earlier this month. It was her second visit - she toured the summer before Jr year when we were in the area, but hadn't seen it with students there.
It's about 4 1/2 hours' drive from Seattle. You travel from mountain forests to broad agricultural valleys to near desert scenes and into rolling fields of wheat (or wheat stubble, at this time of year!). Lots of grapes, too, Walla Walla is home to dozens of small wineries. The downtown area borders the campus and is picturesque but not too out of student's price range. There's a Goodwill store as well as some very fancy spots. Grab a slice of pizza at a place called Sweet Basil or do some wine tasting while your student visits.
Driving onto the campus looked exactly like every college's viewbook pictures - golden leaves beginning to fall, bright sun, blue skies and a big "Welcome to Whitman" banner stretched across the street. (Turns out the weekend before had been Alumni Weekend - the banner came down later) The admissions people were uniformly nice and helpful.
My daughter visited a class , took a tour, had an interview and then stayed overnight in a dorm. Oh, and ate lunch and dinner with students. She said that everyone she met was smart, nice, "outdoorsy" and "just a touch nerdy".... which would be how she would describe herself, come to think of it. Everyone seems to participate in intramurals. There are Div III athletics, but no football team. This was a plus for her - twelve years in a town of "Friday Night Lights" is enough, I guess. About 30% Greek - relations between Greeks and independents are reputed to be very good. Dorm rooms ranged in age and style from basic to "pretty darned nice" but all the common areas were well kept and looked freshly painted.
The class was an upperdivision Politics class (one of her interests). The subject matter wasn't familiar to her, but she liked the way the students interacted with the prof and with each other. The library is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and you can check out a laptop to use there if you need to. There's a beautiful new student rec center and pool and a new academic building is under construction.
Clearly on my daughter's list - currently number one. The main drawbacks I see are that it's hard to get to - and that it's too hard to get into. Oh, and the little matter of tuition 
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beazer
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Posted: Wed Oct 11th, 2006 04:54 pm |
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My daughter is a freshman at Whitman and LOVES it. Loves her professors, has lots of friends, and says it's hard to choose what to do on the weekends from the wide variety of available activities. She's involved in music there (not sports) and is having a great time with that. Greek rush just completed, and she seemed unaffected by it -- went to some fun frat parties but hardly noticed the sorority activities. In other words, the Greek scene so far does not seem dominant at all.
We're still learning all the options for getting to and from Walla Walla. At breaks (the holidays and spring break) they run buses to Portland and Seattle. They can also fly directly in and out of Walla Walla, which is expensive but easy. And lots of kids drive home to Seattle/Portland and can take kids to airports in those cities. I figure it's got to be one of the most remote schools in the country, but it's turning out to be well worth it. Whitman is known for its happy students, and mine is definitely one of them.
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mmaah
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Posted: Thu Oct 12th, 2006 02:36 am |
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My son is also a Whittie "first year" and seems extraordinarily happy. Boys don't write or call much, but I may be able to give a more detailed report after Parent's Weekend later this month. Somehow the "remote" location seems to work in this school's favor in many ways. And the kids still get to cities when they need one. Overall, I would describe the school as unpretentious, rigourous, collaborative, and fun.
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WADad
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Posted: Sun Oct 15th, 2006 02:03 am |
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Trip report on Whitman College Fall Visitors Day:
We visited Whitman yesterday for their Fall Visitors' Day. I'll try to summarize our impressions in what follows.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day, with a clear blue sky and pleasant temperature. At the morning intro session, the college President mentioned that it is sunny 300 days a year in Walla Walla, which would be a big improvement for those of us from west of the Cascades. In later discussions it seems like the 65 overcast days are pretty much all in a row from mid-December to the end of February, so students miss some of the cloudy/foggy weather.
We attended the morning info session led by the President and Admissions Director, then our son attended a class while we (including my wife and younger son) explored the downtown area of Walla Walla, which is very close to the campus. We then heard a discussion of residential life, had lunch in one of the college dining halls, and then took a campus tour. After that we toured the Hall of Science and met with a Physic prof who was having office hours. We ended up listening to 3 a capella groups, which brought an end to a very full day.
In many ways Whitman is very similar to other top quality Liberal Arts Colleges we have visited or that I am familiar with: emphasis on undergraduate education, small class sizes, distribution requirements, beautiful campus etc. So rather than dwell on the commonalities, what follows is my summary of the principal differences between Whitman and other top-50 LACs, as far as I can discern them:
- All first-year students take a year-long core course, called Antiquity and Modernity. They study Greek & Roman authors and Judeo-Christian texts in the fall term, and primarily European authors from the Renaissance on in the spring term. All first-year students are studying the same texts at the same time, which helps bond them together. The classes are limited to 15 students, and there are 4 papers required, which serve as the primary writing requirement at the college.
- There is a very active Outdoor Program, which takes Whitman students river-running, rock climbing, skiing etc. in the local area where outdoor activities abound. There is a rental shop that has outdoor equipment available.
- The Theater program seems to be exceptionally strong, especially for a college of this size (1500 students more or less). They put on 8 major productions per year, plus a number of other one-acts etc. We talked with a high-school classmate of my daughter's who is a Theater major at Whitman. He was very enthusiastic about the program and has been very happy at Whitman.
Other observations:
- The physical plant seems to be in very good shape. There are many new buildings, and the older buildings are in very good repair. My son said he thought the dorms looked really good, and we have looked into many dorm rooms at many LACs.
- Walla Walla is fairly isolated. It is a town of 30,000 in a primarily agricultural area. Until the past 10-15 years the agriculture was mostly things like onions, wheat and fruit. More recently the Walla Walla area has become one of the premier wine-growing regions in the Northwest, which has brought in higher-income agri-tourism.
The downtown area has a collection of boutiques, restaurants, wine tasting rooms, art galleries, etc. There is a Macy's and a Safeway within easy walking distance of the college. The Marcus Whitman hotel, at 11+ stories, is by far the tallest building in town. Most of the other buildings lining Main Street are 2-story brick buildings.
But talking to students the consensus seems to be that there is so much going on on campus that they don't really get into Walla Walla much or miss out too much on big-city activities. There may be some self-selection involved.
- Diversity is not one of Whitman's strong suits. The student body is primarily white and from the Pacific Northwest.
- The students seemed extremely happy with Whitman. The food in the cafeteria was excellent compared with other college cafeterias, and the students didn't think the Visitors' Day food was much different from normal. Overall the kids seemed really nice -- not preppy or nerdy or freaky looking (I know appearances are superficial, but that is my visual impression).
- There is a lot of intra-mural sports activity. The campus was full of I-M football games on practically every green space at 5pm on Friday afternoon, and earlier in the day there was a frisbee golf game winding its way through campus.
I'll conclude with a brief story about our campus tour. Our tour-guide was definitely the best of any of the 6 or 7 LAC tour guides we've had -- he was enthusiastic, outgoing and was clearly having a lot of fun. Many of the students were in the middle of a zombies versus humans game (http://www.whitties.net/forums/zombies.cgi). Our tour guide was a human, trying to avoid being eaten by a zombie. He ended up getting ambushed by 3 zombies as we left the math building, but he seemed to take it in good stride. As we walked around the campus our tour guide was greeted by many other students, and several students came up to the tour and said things like "Come to Whitman - it's great!" So it seems to me that despite the serious academic work at Whitman the students are able to have a lot of fun at the same time.
My overall impression is that, if the geographic isolation (and places like Williams and Middlebury are isolated, too) and lack of diversity are not deal killers, Whitman would be a fabulous place for a liberal arts undergraduate experience. Our son, who is the one who really matters in this, said he is happy he's applying to Whitman.
Last edited on Mon Oct 16th, 2006 04:11 pm by WADad
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jocelynDAD
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Posted: Sun Oct 15th, 2006 02:02 pm |
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WADad:
Excellent review, thanks 
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CarolynLawrence
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Posted: Sun Oct 15th, 2006 04:17 pm |
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| Adding my thanks as well. Excellent review. After reading it, I think we will try to get up to Whitman with my son at some point. Whitman seems to be one of those schools that students truly love ---
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zinqueen
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Posted: Tue Oct 17th, 2006 03:47 pm |
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Carolyn, if you end up visiting Whitman you'll have to let me know. I'm not far away 
I personally don't know much about that school because my older son wanted a school that had engineering so we never looked at Whitman. I do remember the salut. of my HS went there and I think she loved it.
Last edited on Tue Oct 17th, 2006 03:49 pm by zinqueen
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mmaah
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Posted: Sat Oct 28th, 2006 08:12 pm |
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We had a completely gratifying Family Weekend visit at Whitman so I can now contribute some observations about campus life. My son is a very happy first-year. He says he is "working way harder than I ever worked in high school" (and he worked hard there but it was often drudgerous work). He is also having a great deal of fun (theatre, radio station and community service) and still seems to get enough sleep and says the food is good. (We ate in the dining hall for lunch one day and I agree.)
Academically, he seems to value quality of the work, the discussions, and the teaching. I was impressed with what seems like an excellent balance of focus on writing, attention to thinking, and integration of creative elements into the work. Whitman across the board seems to emphasize written communication and real world applications of academics (eg: undergraduate research conference annually, writing as both an admissions criterion and a focus in dorm advising and Core instruction.) He is taking a world literature course and current student projects were featured in both a student center gallery and the newspaper--so what is happening in the classroom is shared and seemingly enjoyed and respected in the community. The common Core readings also unite the students (sometimes of course it is common loathing--but at least they are reading and critiquing classics of the western canon). There is also a healthy dialogue about what is "left out" of Core and attention to this in other distribution requirements. I was also impressed with the range of classes first-year students are typically taking and how very common it is for upper classmen to be double majoring in interesting combinations like Biology and Music; Environmental Science and Theater....The music and theater programs are, as others have said above, exceptionally strong and active, also very well supported by the surrounding community (oldest symphony orchestra west of the Mississippi is in Walla Walla and the College provides their performance hall; school has multiple theater spaces, theater spaces and 8-12 major productions a year; first fall major production had a full house of student and community on a Thursday night). The quality of the teaching seems to ignite student’s interest. My son, who was never a math/science fan, has fallen in love with astronomy and decided to add a one unit course on reading music! Definitely this school is a playground and workshop for the liberal arts
Socially, the campus community is extraordinarily relaxed, warm and rich with opportunities for kids to find their "niche." My son actually lamented that there is so much happening on campus that it has kept him from getting off into the beautiful, nearby Blue Mountains. I was particularly struck with how open, friendly and good humored all the students I met were. And I have confirmed from parents who have visited at other times that this was not just some “showcase” phenomenon. People seem to be doing a lot of random fun-loving things and are very inclusive. The Greek community is there but very low-key and events all seem to be open to the entire campus so they seem like a slightly more adult version of high school social service clubs and a way to organize affinity housing groups. There is also an array of “interest” houses; mostly homes adjacent to campus where small groups of sophmores and juniors live. Dorms seemed well organized and very liveable with a good RA program.
Overall, students at Whitman seem to be thriving. It would not be a good choice for a student who wants urban edge or fast-forward fashion. But for those who would self-select a beautiful natural environment, friendly small city and thoughtful campus community Whitman could be a great fit.
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rainstate
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Posted: Fri Dec 1st, 2006 06:36 pm |
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We are residents of Western WA. Both of my boys applied (circa '98 and '03) and were admitted to Whitman. It IS a terrific school, but neither chose to attend because to each of them an important part of the college experience was / is actually living in and experiencing another part of the country, getting to know people from different parts of the country . . . Walla Walla is very different from Seattle, but as was noted above, Whitman has a very large regional population, including enrolling a number of kids from their actual Seattle area high school each year. (So they both ended up at small LACs in other parts of the country; one in OH and the other in IA).
For #1, an additional strike against Whitman (again this was way back in '98 and hopefully the situation has greatly improved since then) was the fact that his opportunities for both private drumset music lessons and individual practicing were severely limited. The instructor lived in OR and only came up to Whitman two Saturdays a month and the drum practice room was literally just a small closet that the drumset barely fit into. (The music director that he and I chatted with was very nice, though, and the other instruments were much better represented in options for private lessons.)
I have actually only visited Whitman once (in'98) as very busy #2 (in '03) took advantage of the fact that Whitman opened a Seattle area office a couple of years ago thus allowing him and other west-siders to interview with an admissions officer over here. (I think the "Seattle office" is actually his Whitman admissions office e-mail account and a special phone line in the adcom's Seattle area home; everyone that I know who interviewed with the Seattle-based adcom in the past couple of years has done so at a local Starbucks. But the fellow is a full admissions officer. . .he does official school visits in Western WA and mas the table at the college fairs and then heads back to Whitman during the intensive reading period.) Interviewing over here and not visiting Whitman prior to applying did not negatively impact #2's app, nor that of some other students that we know at Seattle area schools; in fact, son and other students we know who did not visit but just did the Seattle interview were offered admission with nice merit awards. (The students we know were from my sons' school and from 3 other different Seattle area high schools in the last two admission cycles).
On the other hand, it was a real puzzle the following year (applying fall '05) when the #1 student at our high school was not admitted to Whitman -- she was a very strong student in a rigorous curriculum, a very interesting, thoughtful, and sincere person and very, very busy with multiple sports (where she also had leadership role); she also had a couple of 4-year from-the-heart community service commitments. I know that she had great recs from her teachers and her counselor. Her mom told me that they did not get over to Whitman, nor did she ever interview -- even here in Seattle. I think the fact that she did not interview at all torpedoed her, especially since Whitman opened the Seattle area office to make it easier for west-side students to set up interviews; that not interviewing made Whitman doubt her sincere interest in enrolling should she be admitted. I think she would have blown them away in an interview . . . I slightly knew the mom, but did not know the daughter at all . . . Well, our school had a interview workshop and she volunteered to be interviewed in front of the group by a long time alumni interviewer from MIT. It was a real WOW! interview -- I could only hope that my kids were as thoughtful and interesting as she was in her replies. With so many other students from the Seattle area, and our school in particular, applying -- well, I think her lack of concretely demonstrating her interest really stood out . . other very busy local kids had made time to visit the campus and/or at least interview in Seattle.
Whitman is one of those great colleges where no extra hoops are required for merit award consideration; just send in your app.
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CarolynLawrence
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Posted: Tue Feb 20th, 2007 10:30 pm |
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My son, husband and I visited Whitman College in eastern Washington State last Saturday. Whitman is a liberal arts college with 1500 students.
Location: Whitman is located in Walla Walla, Washington, a small town in southeastern Washington. It is about a four hour drive from Portland, Oregon, a bit longer from Seattle, and two hours to Spokane Washington. There really isn't much between Portland and Walla Walla besides the Columbia River valley and miles and miles of high desert landscape.
Walla Walla was apparently quite prosperous at the turn of the century, and therefore its side streets are filled with some very impressive victorian style homes. The main street in town is also quaint, with shops and restaurants in turn of the century buildings. We arrived on a friday afternoon, and there were lots of people, including college students, out walking around the downtown area. The town has benefited in recent years from the growth of wineries in the surrounding area, so it has a kind of gentrified feel to the main street. The outskirts of town, however, are filled with the strip malls, chain restaurants and chain stores that have become pretty ubiquitous across America. Walla Walla is located in a flat valley surrounded by wineries and farms, but you can see the Blue Mountains in the distance. They were snow capped when we visited, but Walla Walla itself tends to be much drier than Seattle or Portland.
There is an airport in Pasco, a good 35-40 minute drive from campus, with connections through Salt Lake City, Seattle and Portland. The school runs shuttles on school breaks to the airport.
The campus: Whitman is located just a few very short blocks from downtown Walla Walla - definitely within walking distance. It is surrounded by a residential area of Victorian and craftsman style houses. There is a large Odd Fellows retirement complex abuting one corner of the campus. There is no main "entry way" to campus - on one side, the campus abuts a major road with some dorms located right on the road. There is a second, less traveled road that runs through the campus, dividing the main part of campus from some academic buildings and the student center on the other.
The campus is quite attractive. It is very flat, but there is a pretty little stream that runs through part of the campus. There is lots of sculpture around campus as well. The buildings are a mix of older red-brick buildings and some newer 70[s style buildings. In the center of campus is a huge open space that obviously is where much of the socializing and sports activities take place.
The facilities and buildings were all well-kept and attractive. The dorms we visited were very well maintained. One building offered split doubles (two students in two rooms connected by a door), the other offered more traditional doubles. Laundry machines are free. The library is very attractive, with a fire place. The tour guide mentioned that dorm floors tend to do a lot of social activities together, with scheduled activities often.
The students: I've toured other college campuses on a Saturday morning, and usually I find it is the worst time to visit because you don't get a sense of people up and around. Whitman, however, buzzed with activity at 10:30 am on a Saturday morning (and it was a Saturday during a three-day weekend holiday at the school so many students were off campus). There was a lacrosse game going on in the center field mentioned above, students riding bikes, students in tennis whites going to play tennis, a group of students taking a disaster preparedness course, etc.
Our sense of the students were they were mostly middle to upper class mainstream type of kids. We didn't see many guys with long hair or girls with piercings in unusual places. We did see lots of kids heading off to sports activities, and the admissions office confirmed that 80-90 percent participate in some sort of sports, be it intramural club teams or varsity teams. The students at Whitman reminded me of the students at say a Franklin & Marshall or a Dickinson or maybe a Williams. Mainstream, nice kids.
According to our tour guide, 30% of students belong to one of Whitman's frats or sororities. Rush is at the start of freshman year. She was in a sorority herself and said that sororities don't make a huge deal of rush - most girls who want to be in a particular sorority are invited to join. She did indicate that the fraternity rush system is more traditional, with off-campus rush activities. She and two other students I talked with said there is a fair amount of drinking on the weekends, but not much use of drugs. They all said there is no pressure to drink.
Academics: Whitman is strong academically, with particularly strong programs in the sciences and social sciences. The theater department is excellent, producing more plays than any other liberal arts school in the country each year. Students are required to take a first year, year long course in ancient and modern thought. Since my son didn't sit in on a class at
Whitman I can't directly comment on what the courses are like, but comments from students and parents who attend lead me to believe it is an academically rigorous place, with a great deal of individual attention from faculty members.
Pro's: Nice, safe location; strong academics; beautiful campus; great school for those who enjoy sports.
Con's: Isolated location (although the school supposedly does a good job of bringing in on campus speakers/special events); not much to do locally. Transportation is a bit of a hassle - it would take longer to get to Whitman from our home than it does for my daughter to get to Chicago and take the bus to Beloit.
Other comments: Whitman is a terrific school but my son felt it wasn't for him. He didn't like the emphasis on sports (he couldn't believe there were kids up playing tennis at 10:30 am on a Saturday when he himself was just barely cracking open his eyes), fraternities, and he just didn't click with the typical Whitman student. He also felt it was too isolated, even though he thought the downtown area was cute. My husband and I, however, both thought Whitman would be a place we'd be happy to send one of our kids - it just feels wholesome and safe.
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entomom
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Posted: Tue Feb 20th, 2007 11:29 pm |
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| Thanks for the great review of Whitman and WW, from the time I've spent there, you've pretty much summed it up. I know three kids who are at Whitman right now, one is a cross country runner who went to state last year, another is a highly competitive ski racer and the other turned down several eastern LAC's so that he could stay in the west because of his interest in outdoor activities (skiing, kayaking), so that fits with your assessment of athletically minded kids. The situation reminds me a little of Dartmouth, as the town is very nice but also small and isolated. Last edited on Tue Feb 20th, 2007 11:30 pm by entomom
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sweetkidsmom
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Posted: Wed Feb 21st, 2007 04:09 am |
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Last edited on Fri Mar 16th, 2007 08:24 pm by sweetkidsmom
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Astrid (Moominmama)
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Posted: Wed Feb 21st, 2007 03:14 pm |
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| When we stopped in at Whitman while on a wine weekend a few years ago, my daughter was totally impressed by the fact that the library was open 24 hours a day.
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beazer
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Posted: Wed Feb 21st, 2007 04:32 pm |
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Your report sums Whitman up pretty well, Carolyn. My daughter is a freshman there and loves it (I'm sure she was still asleep when you were there, though -- 10:30 on a Saturday is practically the crack of dawn for her). She doesn't do any sports except for the occasional broomball game with her dorm section at the local ice rink. She wants to be a psych major and is also very involved in the music department, which is of high quality and very active. My D is inspired enough by her piano teacher and theory classes to be thinking about double majoring now.
She's not in a sorority and few of her friends rushed, so the Greek system is not an overwhelming presence. The frats give creative parties that are open to the whole community, which gives kids a place to go have fun without having to know the hosts (I'm fairly anti-Greek and it hadn't occurred to me before that this could be seen as a service to the community). My D says her classes are interesting and the workload is challenging. There are more activities on campus than she can find time for; they bring interesting speakers and good bands in on a regular basis. The theater department is very good and puts on several plays a year. We saw the comedy improv group perform and they were quite funny and clever. There are three acapella groups that are all good too.
My D hasn't minded the small town or the isolation, but she grew up in an urban area and was happy for a change. She loves the beauty of the campus, which is immaculately maintained. The school runs buses to Portland and Seattle at breaks, and there is an active ride board via email through which kids can find and offer rides. The Walla Walla airport is nice but it's become expensive to fly in and out of there.
You're right about the homogeneity -- the school does not feel very diverse though I know they are working hard to increase ethnic and economic diversity. Most of the kids look pretty much like my daughter (who, of course is lovely, but not artsy, flashy, or pierced). This is fine with her; she went to an extremely varied high school and figures she'll live in a diverse area again later. Her sister wanted a different environment and wouldn't have been happy at Whitman. So, as always, it's about fit.
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CarolynLawrence
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Posted: Wed Feb 21st, 2007 11:30 pm |
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Beazer, Thank you for sharing your daughter's experiences, and reminding us that there's always another side to every campus. As you know, I think Whitman is a terrific place, and have recommended it many times (including just this morning to another student!). I was disappointed when it didn't click with my son - my husband and I would have been very happy to see him there!
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rainstate
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Posted: Fri Feb 23rd, 2007 01:19 am |
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There's usually a good contingent of of kids from our Seattle high school that apply to Whitman each year, with several accepting their offers of admission. I would have been pleased if either of my boys had decided to attend Whitman; but, realistically, it didn't stand a chance with either of them because it was too close to home and both of them wanted to experience a different part of the country (even though Eastern WA and Western WA are quite different from each other).
There are two great things about the application process at Whitman. 1) Merit awards are given out based on a student's single / original application. 2) Assuming that it has not changed since last year, students applying via paper can submit a graded paper in lieu of writing a brand new (required) essay for the Whitman supplement. (When # 1 applied back in '98, he did not have this option; applying in '03, #2 was thrilled to not have to write another essay.)
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outwest
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Posted: Sun Mar 4th, 2007 04:35 pm |
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Say, how come I didn't know about this site? A friend on another board pointed me to it when I asked if anyone knew anything about Whitman.
And, there you are Rain!
Whitman is somewhere my DD #3 wants to visit this April.
Is this site for parents and not students then? She might like to ask questions.
Whitman sounds nice, actually.
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CarolynLawrence
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Posted: Sun Mar 4th, 2007 05:36 pm |
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Hi Outwest, I just sent you a PM - look in the right hand corner of your screen, next to the "Login/Logout" section to read it.
Students AND parents are most welcome to ask questions and participate here! So, please tell your daughter to feel free to ask away. This is a great group of folks, and a friendly and safe place to discuss colleges.
Carolyn
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mmaah
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Posted: Mon Mar 5th, 2007 02:09 pm |
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This is actually a repeat of a report I wrote earlier after a visit to Whitman, but I thought I'd insert it here since it speaks to some of the topics on the thread above:
"We had a completely gratifying Family Weekend visit at Whitman so I can now contribute some observations about campus life. My son is a very happy first-year. He says he is "working way harder than I ever worked in high school" (and he worked hard there but it was often drudgerous work). He is also having a great deal of fun (theatre, radio station and community service) and still seems to get enough sleep and says the food is good. (We ate in the dining hall for lunch one day and I agree.)
Academically, he seems to value quality of the work, the discussions, and the teaching. I was impressed with what seems like an excellent balance of focus on writing, attention to thinking, and integration of creative elements into the work. Whitman across the board seems to emphasize written communication and real world applications of academics (eg: undergraduate research conference annually, writing as both an admissions criterion and a focus in dorm advising and Core instruction.) He is taking a world literature course and current student projects were featured in both a student center gallery and the newspaper--so what is happening in the classroom is shared and seemingly enjoyed and respected in the community. The common Core readings also unite the students (sometimes of course it is common loathing--but at least they are reading and critiquing classics of the western canon). There is also a healthy dialogue about what is "left out" of Core and attention to this in other distribution requirements. I was also impressed with the range of classes first-year students are typically taking and how very common it is for upper classmen to be double majoring in interesting combinations like Biology and Music; Environmental Science and Theater....The music and theater programs are, as others have said above, exceptionally strong and active, also very well supported by the surrounding community (oldest symphony orchestra west of the Mississippi is in Walla Walla and the College provides their performance hall; school has multiple theater spaces, theater spaces and 8-12 major productions a year; first fall major production had a full house of student and community on a Thursday night). The quality of the teaching seems to ignite student’s interest. My son, who was never a math/science fan, has fallen in love with astronomy and decided to add a one unit course on reading music! Definitely this school is a playground and workshop for the liberal arts
Socially, the campus community is extraordinarily relaxed, warm and rich with opportunities for kids to find their "niche." My son actually lamented that there is so much happening on campus that it has kept him from getting off into the beautiful, nearby Blue Mountains. I was particularly struck with how open, friendly and good humored all the students I met were. And I have confirmed from parents who have visited at other times that this was not just some “showcase” phenomenon. People seem to be doing a lot of random fun-loving things and are very inclusive. The Greek community is there but very low-key and events all seem to be open to the entire campus so they seem like a slightly more adult version of high school social service clubs and a way to organize affinity housing groups. There is also an array of “interest” houses; mostly homes adjacent to campus where small groups of sophmores and juniors live. Dorms seemed well organized and very liveable with a good RA program.
Overall, students at Whitman seem to be thriving. It would not be a good choice for a student who wants urban edge or fast-forward fashion. But for those who would self-select a beautiful natural environment, friendly small city and thoughtful campus community Whitman could be a great fit."
And re getting into and out of WW: You can fly directly into WW airport on one of 3 daily flights from Seattle and it is a 10 minute cab or drive to campus. It also seems be be quite easy for students to get rides home to many West Coast destinations or to get to larger cities on weekends.
Meanwhile, I'm sort of hoping WallaWalla and Whitman stay under the radar since it seems to thrive on being somewhat out there and off the path.
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outwest
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | CA |
| Posts: | 552 |
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Posted: Thu Apr 12th, 2007 03:14 am |
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After a 5 hour drive from Tacoma, Washington, we visited Whitman yesterday. Talk about a college that's out in the boondocks! We're talking hours (all five hours) from no where. It isn't listed as a rural campus for nothing. Maybe it is because we are from Southern California, but it amazed me that professors would want to live in Walla Walla. It made me wonder what the turnover could be and if that statistic is available somewhere. Getting anywhere looks to be a royal pain although they said they have shuttles to the major airports in Portland, Seattle and Spokane at every break(4.5 hrs/5hrs/2.5hrs respectively). If you don't take a shuttle they do have a small airport near Walla Walla (30 minutes), but it is very expensive to fly in and out of so they said most students take the shuttles.
The weather, on the other hand, is wonderful. Compared to Seattle it was much warmer and drier. The Spring was fully in bloom there. The college itself is great, the down town area cute, but not that cute (they did have a Macys and a few other department type stores). Our tour guide was very perky. I think being perky must be a tour guide prerequisite at all these colleges. The college is beautiful (okay, really gorgeous) and the students look intelligent. The food was terrific with lots of variety.
Their outdoor program is incredible and they get the students out of that bubble if they want to go. They had outdoor activities scheduled every weekend (kayaking, hiking, boating, rock climbing-you name it), but they also have things nearly daily during the week in the afternoons (practicing the water sports like kayaking in their large pool, for example). The blue-something mountains are beautiful and just East of the campus. They take them there for some of the outdoor programs. We didn't see much in the way of sports going on, but they did have a beautiful pool and weight room with dozens of machines. Most of the sports are Intra mural. They have a division 1 ski team, but otherwise it is div. 3. Academically it seems really strong with excellent programs. My daughter visited a geology class and was very jazzed with it. The students seemed to be happy and the activity boards were crammed with things to do on campus. I wonder if the fact that it is so rural makes the on campus life so vibrant? Last edited on Fri Apr 13th, 2007 05:07 am by outwest
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