UNIGO SUMMARY
Washington and Lee is a small school with a distinct personality, blending Southern tradition, preppy mannerisms, devoted Greek-centric partying, and ambitious career-oriented classes into a single college community.
Students agree that it takes a certain type of person to appreciate W&L's unique character, but those who do become lifelong W&L supporters, and alumni networks reflect the strength of their school pride even after graduation. The neighboring town of Lexington, Virginia, offers little in the way of entertainment, so W&L students spend the majority of their time on campus, with a social scene heavily dominated by frats and sororities. Classes are usually small, and participation is typically required to pass. In addition to cultivating intellectual engagement among its students, W&L’s strict honor code creates an uncanny level of trust and security among the student body. The honor code extends to all aspects of student life (including returning lost wallets with the cash intact,) and penalties—-handed down by a student committee—-can be ruthless. Socializing is practically mandated by campus culture, and the small, everyone-know-everyone environment prizes solidarity over diversity.
UNIGO REVIEW
Washington & Lee University students are quick to point out that, while W&L might stand for “White & Loaded” to some, the school’s “small community with a clear identity” means much more than that. Set in rural Lexington, the campus reeks of old-Southern charm and provides a picturesque backdrop for the equally well-coiffed students. Says one junior, “Watching the painstakingly well-dressed students roam the historic Colonnade on their way to class, one could easily mistake the school for a movie set.” Indeed, W&L’s rich historical heritage, strong sense of tradition, and community ethos of “work hard…play harder” give it the kind of love-it-or-hate-it character that students either, well, love or hate. “I think many people are drawn to W&L because of its homogeneousness,” writes a sophomore. “It’s part of what makes W&L unique and, to a certain extent, successful. The identity is too strong here for someone who would want to change it.”
One thing nearly all W&L students rave about is their school’s learning environment. Many recall classes of no more than a dozen or so and hands-on lab and research experiences. Professors bend over backwards to connect with students, and TAs are virtually nonexistent. “[Faculty] are exceptionally intelligent in their fields, lucid in their lectures, and helpful/accommodating almost to a fault when students have questions or problems,” explains one current student, and he’s among the many who consider the “attention and availability of professors” to be “an incredible asset unmatched at other institutions.” But students unused to close classroom attention should be prepared to come out of the corners and join the conversation. “Participation is key,” warns a freshman, and students “are held accountable for [their] performance, because the professors pay attention to it,” says a recent alum. Some students complain that General Education requirements, a cornerstone of W&L’s liberal arts mission, can get in the way of more focused pursuits, but the varied and inventive offerings give students an appreciation of “learning for its own sake." The strict, student-enforced Honor Code fosters an unusual level of academic trust, to the point where most professors assign “take-home test and quizzes,” as well as “self-scheduled and unproctored” final exams.”
The Honor Code is just one of many traditions rooted in W&L’s campus and student body—and students who wind up in Lexington are usually the kind to take pride in carrying on the legacy. For instance, the Code extends past exam-time and into virtually every facet of student life, creating a strong sense of trust and safety. “People feel very safe here,” says one sophomore. “Doors are left unlocked, valuable possessions are left unattended, and people can walk alone at night.” Another key value at W&L is civility, and no better example exists than the “speaking tradition.” This unique mandate requires every W&L student, faculty member, or staffer to say “hi” to a fellow W&L-family member when passing on campus—or even off-campus—resulting in what one former student calls a “sense of friendly camaraderie.”
But for some, the civility can translate into an overwhelming “good ol’ boy mentality.” Says one freshman, “Preppy doesn’t even come close to describing the amount of Vera Bradley, croakies, J.Crew/Polo outfits…that are seen on campus.” The student body is predominantly white and Protestant, mostly coming from the South and East, although a fair number of international students add a degree of diversity. W&L gets a “reputation as primarily conservative,” according to one freshman, “but that is just because they are the loudest people on campus.” Social activism may be hard to find, but students are “politically aware and active,” according to one sophomore, and work hard to foster dialogue.
W&L students are expected to be “just as aggressive on the dance floor as in the library,” reports one recent grad. “Expect to stretch your mind during the day and blitz it away on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights,” cautions a junior. An “astounding percentage”—nearly three-quarters—of the student body goes Greek, leaving the “independents” responsible for finding their own way in a carefully-constructed campus hierarchy of frats and srats. But it’s hardly one-frat-fits-all, and students claim the numerous houses have something for everyone. “Fraternity parties usually range from cocktail social affairs to keg stands in the country,” says one sophomore. But the on-campus parties and small student body can lead to an almost claustrophobic social scene: “To survive at Washington and Lee you have to have thick skin,” advises one senior. “Gossip is rampant, and it is difficult to succeed socially if you are not ready for it.” Another side-effect of the Greek-dominated social scene is what one junior calls “terrible gender relations. Girls and boys are segregated in every sense of the word after freshman year (living in fraternity and sorority houses) and are drunk for 90% of their interactions with the opposite sex.” As a result, students have come to accept drunken hook-ups in lieu of actual dating, a reality that leaves them with mixed feelings.
Maybe the most important lesson students impart about the W&L experience it that it’s not for everyone. “Please, visit the campus before you decide!” urges one sophomore. “If you are not comfortable here, you may not thrive to your fullest potential.” But for those who feel a connection to the school, it’s an unparalleled four years. “One of my most recent and loving memories of Washington and Lee was when half of the senior class stayed for the night of graduation and went nude rope swinging into the Maury as a class,” writes a recent graduate. “It showed that after four years, our class had become unified and loved being with each other.”