Wesleyan University Top Questions

There are stoners, there are hipsters.. but there are also just about every other social group that one might want to associate with (yes even bros). Wesleyan is pleasantly diverse, at least in terms of the variety of social niches, and there is a little something for everyone. Look forward to offensively over-represented liberal thought and attempts to offend everyone in order to offend no one.

sometimes, but you'd probably find people like that at all schools. for the most part we're pretty normal. there's definitely a hipster group, but there's also a bunch of jocks, theater dorks, and science kids. it's relatively balanced.

eh, ish. I think most people are fairly normal once you actually talk to them.

We have a very diverse student body. We have a lot of hippies and hipsters but we also have every other type of student. And many of these students fall into several categories at once like jock and theater geek and community service worker all in one person.

Absolutely! Wesleyan is full of the filthiest hippies you could ever imagine, the most obnoxious New York-wannabe hipsters, and pretentious asses. Luckily there are a few good, normal people here and there but they are few and far between. It is 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} a liberal hippie school and has little tolerance for people who don't fit into one of the aforementioned categories.

Most of it isn't. You can find every type of person imaginable at Wesleyan from, yes, the pot-smoking crunchy kids, extreme right-wing conservatives, to eccentric and amazingly talented dance and theater majors, to alpha-jocks. However, most people are found in multiple categories. Basically, Wesleyan is just an amazingly accepting environment where everyone is free and encouraged to pursue whatever they want and be whomever they want. Also, sports are getting bigger at Wes and more people are attending games than previous years. And everyone is brilliant.

These stereotypes are true to a degree-- Wesleyan students do pride themselves on their uncanny and unusual ability to challenge social norms and ask questions that likely aren't asked outside of Wesleyan. However, the Wesleyan community is a lot bigger than the vegan/non war/ "liberal" students who are the face of Wesleyan.

There are definitely clusters of hippies, and activists, and heavy drug users, with some overlap. However, it is extremely easy to mix and socialize with people who don't fit these categorizations. There are a surprising number of student athletes for a school with such an unsung athletic department. The truth is, the one consistent thing about Wesleyan students is activity. Almost no one does just one thing well, and many people do a number of things excellently and passionately. It's really amazing anyone finds time to sleep.

Hipsters, yes. Hippies, not so much. I haven't found many weird Wes kids at all. Folks are pretty normal.

Haha, only to a point- its hard to stereotype people who pride themselves on breaking stereotypes! But really though, there are too many different types of people here to put them into one category. The only thing I've found so far that connects them all is that everyone here is incredibly interesting to talk to.

Like a lot of stereotypes, the ones concerning Wesleyan students are based predominantly on superficial impressions and aesthetic assumptions. I think, of all the stereotypes I listed above, the most accurate is this notion of a campus dominated by (politically) liberal thought. While there is a disproportionately vocal chapter of College Republicans on Wesleyan?s campus, I think it?s safe to say that most Wesleyan students cast a ballot for either Barack Obama or Hilary Clinton in the Connecticut Democratic primaries (with most support Obama). That being said, the school of ?liberal? thought on Wesleyan?s campus is by no means monolithic; there is certainly diversity, divisiveness, and dialogue amongst students. If there is one stereotype about Wesleyan students that I believe to be wholly accurate, it is that they are passionate ? passionate about whatever issues matter to them. So, whether it?s ensuring that the eggs at the campus grocery store came from free range, non-hormonal, breastfed chickens, or advocating better rights for our nation?s immigrants, Wesleyan students care about what they are committed to. Also, they?re high most of the time. Just kidding. Sort of.

There are definitely naked people, but probably no more than on any other college campus. Wesleyan is also pretty liberal, but probably not as radical or as hardcore activist as people are sometimes led to believe. The movie PCU was based on Wesleyan, but I think that the picture that it gives of campus was more true in the 90's than it is now.

Its a stereotype. No. It is the trend though, so many people come to Wes, not so inclined to be hippy or hipster liberal extremists, but eventually mold themselves into the little acid washed jeans that fit the role. That being said a lot of people you encounter in classes are normal down to earth people, who may even like republicans or have religious beliefs. Some of my favorite people at Wes were a lacrosse player, a devout ba'hai, and a science major. I really liked the openness at Wesleyan and the real diversity in the student body would really let itself show at most parties. So the diversity was not just in the classroom but in the social scene as well.

No. I had never even heard of Brown (I'm pretty gangsta). And I did a lot work...but I loved most of it so much that I didn't feel like I was working.