The stereotype is that we're all outdoorsy earthy-crunchy hippies here at Whitman. While we do have an active outdoors program and beautiful, natural l areas close by to experience, there's plenty of people who aren't into the whole camping scene. The campus is fairly environmentally conscious but I believe that we're not really to the hippy level.

The community. I felt it when I visited and I knew I would get a great education in an environment when I felt safe, comfortable, and part of something bigger.

The most popular clubs and activities on campus would have to be the outdoor program, as well as theater, intramural/club sports, and student government. But there are so many other clubs and activities to participate in. I'm involved in peer listening, intramural soccer, and slam poetry. My favorite event so far was when we had a Drive-In theater on campus, put on by WEB (which is a club that puts on all kinds of events throughout the year). .

Nothing is really more popular than something else. Everybody at Whitman finds their nitch where they fall in love with some activity, club, or group....but then those kids that found their nitch will participate in other activities and groups just because they are interested or enjoy that other thing (or multiple things). It's not like Greek life is more popular than participating in the Theater program. In fact, members of the theater department are actually PART OF the Greek system! Same with Student government. The people that are part of Student government are also on the swim team, or the baseball team and other varsity athletics. From my stand point, I don't think there is one activity or group that is more popular to be part of than another. I feel like each group and organization is viewed equally by every student, and their membership overlaps regularly. There is a great culture at Whitman though. In all the dorms, people leave their doors open. So as you walk down the hall way coming back from the bathroom, it might take 15 or 20 minutes to get back to your room because you are stopping and saying hi to everybody in their rooms as you walk by. I really really enjoyed that last year, I got really close with some people just cause everybody's doors were open all the time. In terms of fun things to do for student activities...I really enjoy doing Fridays at Five...its when all the jazz groups perform in the coffee house on friday at five. It's a great way to unwind after the week is over and listen to great music while hanging out with some of your friends. There are also some awesome traditions at Whitman (some of which are secret!! I promise they aren't bad!! they are just secret and part of the fun is that they are secret!) But the ones that aren't secret I'll tell you about! For freshman students there is a thing called "storming the field". All the RA's of each dorm that houses freshmen put on the storming the field tradition the first night of orientation. Basically that is when all the freshman go outside and do a lap (or two) around their dorm's respective field and then the rest of the night is filled with tons of fun field games, root beer floats, snacks...and also leads into one of our secret traditions! so much fun, I wont ever forget storming the field. Other traditions include "riding sticks". We've got a sculpture on campus that looks like a horse made out of driftwood, and students regularly will ride sticks just for fun. But during the winter, right before finals it is a tradition for everybody to line up and ride sticks to some ridiculous music playing the background. It's great fun. Another great tradition is the Paul Allen Reading Room Challenge. We have a quiet room in our library. And the challenge basically is, is if you are the last person in the quiet room (usually in the AM) you get to sign a book on top of the fire place mantel and explain why you were up so late studying and what professor's fault it was...it's great to look back on all the pages and see all the ridiculous things written in there. We have fraternities and sororities on campus, and I am part of a fraternity. However, the greek system is by no means the center of attention or the "elite" group of people on campus. Being part of a greek house is just like being part of a club, or a sports team or another student group. It is just one part of something you do in college, but not the only thing. There isn't any negative stigma about the greek system, it is a very open group of people and people who are not affiliated are always over at the greek houses hanging out with their friends who live there. There is no culture clash between affiliated members and unaffiliated members...which may sound weird, but thats the culture that has developed at Whitman. Which is great! cause I can't imagine not having some of the friends that I have now just because they chose not to join the greek system.

Whitman is great, and i think most students agree, as evidenced by the very high retention rates.

It really is worth it to come to Whitman to see the baby ducklings in the spring, if nothing else! It really is a beautiful campus! The town is super cool too, it just takes some creative exploring to find the awesome parks, wineries (if you're over 21 of course), the farmers market, lots of little restaurants that are awesome. The campus is also super small, everything is within walking distance (nothing over 10 minutes, even from the farthest corners). Cars are unnecessary, bikes are nice, but walking can get you almost anywhere you want to go (except the movie theater in town - borrow a car for that one).

Whitman drinks a lot...some like it, but i wish there was a little less of it.

Beer Mile. SO FUN. A bunch of students streak around Ankeny Field at midnight one night before finals spring semester.

This is most likely very spotty and stream of consciousness so keep that in mind.

The only thing I wish I could change about Whitman would be adding more diversity of political thought. Not only are most Whitman students liberally-bent, they assume that everyone else around them is as well. But at the end of the day, Whitman students are conscious about being politically correct and encourage lively debate.

Students at Whitman are predominantly white (and from Washington or Oregon). That being said, there is a prominent Latino population and there are a lot of international students here, as well as a bunch of east coasters and Montanans and Californians. My freshman year roommate was from Romania! And two other girls in my section were from Mongolia and Vietnam. Whitman students, no matter their race, are an extremely open bunch of people. Admissions is really trying to diversify the student body, and I think that anyone would have no problem fitting in. The campus is very open--there's a great LGBTQ group. Students at Whitman tend to be middle to upper-middle class and fairly liberal, but there are definitely exceptions to this rule.

Classes at Whitman are small and intimate - an average class size of 15. Your professor will know your name and hope that you participate in discussion, as will your classmates. Although there are those students who prefer to quietly listen, they are not as numerous as they might be elsewhere. Courses tend to be challenging. You will spend most of your waking hours during the week either doing work or thinking about doing it. However, professors are always available when you get stuck. The time you spend on work is usually rewarding, especially if you choose classes that interest you. Whitman students learn quickly how to prioritize their time so that fun doesn't get sacrificed in favor of tomorrow's homework. Overall, a Whitman education is not geared toward getting a job. Students are here to learn for the sake of learning, a pursuit that usually makes them excellent graduate school candidates and well rounded individuals later in life.

Whitman has a super close community, and that isn't limited to the students. Professors here are downright fabulous, they actually want and do get to know their students (which is just one of the perks to a small school). They will have barbecues and study sessions at their houses, and a lot of senior students will go out together to the local bar with their professors. Since the school is small, you get to know the other students (in your year and others) or recognize them around campus at the very least. And the upperclassmen are often super helpful with giving advice to younger students.

Sometimes. I fit three of those, being a fairly intelligent, quixotic, Euro-mutt Caucasian. Generally though, I feel like people that talk about Whitman are a little unfair about the richness and lack of diversity. Oh! And we're known for being nice, too! That one's completely true. I've never met a more courteous, kind collection of people.

Yes they are, and they are also working on expanding diversity which is pretty great!

Every professor I’ve had at Whitman has known my name (and my major, hometown, and extracurricular interests, most probably). Many of them will meet with students for a meal instead of just going to office hours, or have a class over for dinner around midterms or finals. I babysit and dog-sit for a number of my professors, and they come to the shows at the theater, choir concerts, sporting events, and concerts on campus. You get used to seeing professors as whole people, not just professors, and they see students as whole people with lives outside the classroom. Going to class is key, and class participation is usually of paramount importance and counts towards final grades in many classes. Students tend to be far more collaborative than competitive, and share ideas with one another, offer help in areas where they are strong, and ask one another for help in areas where they are weak. Learning for learning's sake is encouraged, as is both depth (in your major department) and breadth (drawing from other areas) of knowledge.

Something for everyone. Plenty of drinking. Also there are always dry functions for those who don't drink. Frats are semi popular and on the rise.

Walla Walla itself doesn't have a huge scene for the college age crowd, but Whitman compensates for this by having a lot of on campus activities, from concerts to speakers to a Renaissance Fair. Usually there's so much to do on a weekend that it's hard to choose!

As a bisexual girl who came out during her freshman year, I can say that Whitman is very accepting. When I told my friends, they were happy for me. That might be because most kids at my school are pretty liberal, and sometimes maybe a little too P.C., or unwilling to offend. I should say that at times during my freshman year I was very frustrated by the level of complacency at my college. I struggled to find passionate, creative folk who could get pissed off when need be. It was a bit of a quest, and after a semester of active searching I did find those people, and they are here, but I should tell you it's a bit of a schlep. That said, the kids here are extremely kind, focused and intelligent. Often health-conscious, environmentally conscious, and outdoorsy. They are starters and joiners, so new projects are always cropping up all over the place.

No--there are definitely people who like to hike and camp and go on outdoor trips a lot, but there are also students who just aren't that inclined to the out of doors. You'll find many different types of people here. Since it is a smaller school, there isn't a ton of dating as in you meet someone and they ask you out. People tend to develop long-lasting relationships. CORE is a writing intensive course that introduces to classic thinkers of the Western world (and now maybe Eastern with Encounters). It is simply not true that everyone hates CORE. Personally, I loved it, and I know a ton of people who liked it, too (even science and math majors). Since CORE is taught by professors of all disciplines, sometimes you'll be stuck with someone who doesn't really deal with literature, and that's unfortunate. A great thing about CORE is that it unites the entire freshman class and it is a great point of conversation for people getting to know each other.