Wheaton College-Wheaton Top Questions

Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

Kendall

Wheaton students are a lot more laid back than you'd think. They're down to earth but highly motivated. Wheaton students are very passionate about their faith and their goals, but yes they are very awkward, especially when it comes to dating.

Emily

I think there is a balance between type A personalities and those who are more relaxed and chill. We have a different kind of fun at Wheaton due to the covenant, but it is a more creative kind of fun. Most people are pretty smart. We aren't snooty

Paul

For the most part, yes. However, there is an underground party scene which rejects the puritanical way of living forced on students by the administration and board of trustees.

Allison

some students are very type A and disciplined, however, most of the misconceptions are the fault of the students who see others as having everything put together

Phil

the first 5

Amy

This stereotype is grossly inaccurate - Wheaton students are some of the nicest, most fun-loving people I know.

Alex

The Wheaton bubble only exists on an individual basis, there are a small minority of people on campus that don't realize how bad it can be a few miles down the road. As to the other stereotypes, there a few home-school Hannah's but it is a rarity, a few guys wear flannel and are awkward, but on the whole most are alright. There is a social life, but it is somewhat awkward and very innocent, which is how most of the people here like it.

Sarae

too some extent, but I wouldn't describe myself as an "A" type personality

Shelly

To a certain degree, I would say that a large portion of the students are very involved and care a lot about sucess.

David

Both of these are very false

Steve

There are many students that epitomize this stereotype, but Wheaton has worked hard to have more of a variety of people (especially in recent years) than many give it credit for. People are generally very nice-- even a little too nice, but it makes for a pretty happy environment.

Rusty

no, none of them are. Wheaton has real people living real lives in a real world.

Amy

1. There are many people who come to Wheaton the best in some area. There is something extroardinary that set them apart in high school. Often this thing is not just academic but extracurricular as well. It becomes almost a competition that you can never win at Wheaton because EVERYONE seems to be the validictorian, prom king/queen, captain of the football team, and star in all the musicals. This only feeds the type A personalities because they want perfection not only in what they do but in their status. 2. It is true that people want to be seen as put together however if you get to know anyone you'll see through the surface. Its true for any relationship really. I found a community at Wheaton where brokenness is not only accepted its encouraged. Some will go through Wheaton never allowing others to see them weak but they're in the minority in my opinion. 3. Totally depends on where your circle lies is. I've heard it said by another upper classman and would tend to agree with them that when you're in the dorms everyone thinks everyone else perfectly follows the rules of the covenant (Wheaton's rule book) but once out of the dorms a new world opens up mainly because servaillance of students isn't as tight. If you want friends that are a little bit more lax with the rules you can find them but if you want people that stay in the lines you can definately find them too.

Leslie

Well, "ring by spring" isn't that far off; people are getting engaged all the time. But there are also plenty of people still single like myself... ;) As for studying on the weekends, yes it's true. I admit that it's lame, and I admit that I've done it, BUT we also have a LOT of fun, and we have fun without being drunk.

Dave

To an extent. Wheaton's a complicated place - it places incredibly high emphasis on the spiritual growth, and it is a very evangelical place. But that doesn't mean all, or even most, of the students go along whistling "Amazing Grace." It's really a place of growth, and growth often means questioning a lot of very fundamental truths. It is true that some of the most quality people I've ever met have come from Wheaton, but don't think it's Christian rainbows and sunshine. There's a lot of reality at Wheaton.

Jeff

Yes...Most students enter Wheaton from conservative families, but by the time they come out they are more open minded. They might still be conservative, but they know why they are conservative and the reasons are probably better than their parents reasons. Most students though end up being moderates.

Jake

There are ten percent of our students who are homeschooled We are much more Republican, but a large number of students are Independent, and there is a spirit of dialogue and a sense that a Christian need not belong to a certain party. For those willing to get involved, there are a large number of events on campus, such as concerts and improv comedy shows, and there is plenty of stuff to do. I have found most people at Wheaton to be humble and likeable.

Rachael

As a student, I have not found the institution of Wheaton College to be overbearing or strict in any way. You agree to abide by certain rules when you enter and if you choose not to follow them, the college will work with you. There are a lot of very driven students at Wheaton, but the sterotype is very wrong. There is a huge diversity of students with tons of interests, passions, and skills outside of just school work!

Julie

No no no. This stereotype does exist for some good reason, I mean, there are students who fulfill the "Wheaton student" role, but as a whole, there are so many students here who are ready to put their social lives ahead of their academics, and there are students with a wide range of social beliefs. Although there are the students who seem to excel at everything the do, we are all aware of our faults...and most of us pretty willing to share them with others.

Stephanie

Although there is a lack of diversity on many levels, you would be surprised at the variety of backgrounds and viewpoints that Wheaton students are coming from. I was a bit tentative about coming to Wheaton at first; I felt that I wouldn't fit in or be accepted by my peers, as I come from a more liberal background, listen to only secular music and have visible tattoos and piercings. Although the majority of people are quite different from me, I've always felt accepted and have made many friends here.

Kendall

The stereotype has some truth. Wheaton kids are good people, nice and friendly, smart and Christian. But they aren't perfect, and it is important if you come here that you have close friendships in which you can be vulnerable and admit your weaknesses. This will prevent you from believing in the Wheaton stereotype and feeling the pressure to be perfect.

Anna

No.

kate

Luckilly, these stereptypes are NOT true, something I was relieved to find out when I came as a freshmen. Yes, you do have your home school Hannahs, yes, you do have about 2 girls on campus with the whole long hair, scrunchie, long jean skirt thing, but for the most part, most of the people are pretty normal. Because people from Wheaton come from all over the country (my 6 closest friends are all from different states, from the east to west coast) and from all different amounts of a Christian upbringing, there are many different types of Christians. As for the not having fun at Wheaton... I'll admit that there are times that I get a little bored on a random Friday night. Becasue the weather is so cold in the winter, your choices of what to do are limited. There are parties, although not really advertised. If you want to find them though, you can. You'll be a part of what is known as the wheaton underground, lol. Mostly you just need to get creative. You can always go to Chicago. Its about a 40 minute train ride from school, and with the train station literally a block or two down college ave, its sooo convenient. Basically, Wheaton is what you make of it. If you want to party, you can, just don't get caught. If you don't want to party, you'll never have to even see it.

Elizabeth

We are definitely more conservative than the average state school, and we do have rules, but they are often portrayed as a lot more harsh than they are. Wheaton students are still normal people. People think that all Wheaton students marry each other, usually while we are still in college. That is not even close to being true. There are definitely Wheaton couples, but lot of people date outside of Wheaton or not at all, and very very few people get married before graduation.

Rachel

Some of them are. Wheaton kids are definitely smart, and most of them work very hard. However, I was surprised to find that not all of them fit the conservative mold. There are lots of different people at Wheaton, and everybody does their faith differently. Some are typical Christians, some are very atypical, and they all seem to get along, which is very cool.

Paige

Somewhat, yes. Well, everyone is petrified of going into relationships because they're afraid of getting married to any potential love interests. And yeah, while Wheaton is pretty evangelical, a good portion of the students have sampled the dark, seedy underbelly of the Wheaton Underground (tm)

Justin

1) We definitely have fun, but within the rules. People do wild things, but within the bounds of the Covenant (or at least very close to it). 2) We're broken and sinful like everyone else, but we're sincere about being Christians. 3) A decent portion of us end up questioning our faith at some point, and students and faculty are understanding about it and want to help answer our questions.

Andrew

On campus you’ll find students very convinced of their faith, rather unsure, and severely doubting. In my experience, there hasn’t been any true stereotype for Wheaton students. There’s a strong belief on campus that Wheaton students are outgoing, type A personality overachievers, and that is true to some degree. There certainly are many students that go above and beyond the prof’s requests, but not everyone is that way. Most students are motivated to academically succeed, but there are always those who are simply happy with passing.

Josh

to some extent

Shane

Some of them. Most people are type A and are the oldest children in their family (or are only children). The majority of campus is republican, and probably 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} are Christians. however, not everyone is nerdy, not everyone is extremely purposely driven. I myself am one of several students who do not consider academics to the highest goal of college. And not everyone is cynical, not even all of the seniors.

Summer

These stereotypes epitomize what a lot of Wheaton students hope to be, yet we must recognize that we ALL fall short in some way. We are not all perfect and we are definitely not all perfect in all areas of our lives. I've learned to strive for the best but don't be someone I'm not.

Alex

Fairly.

Carson

somewhat but not completely

Will

Even though the on campus view of other Wheaties is that we've got it all together, if you talk to almost any Wheaton student, they will tell you that they have deep struggles of their own, and we all have doubts, and the great thing about Wheaton is that once you take the step and admit your struggles, everyone reaches out to help you. It's a wonderfully supportive atmosphere.

Austin

Although Wheaton's atmosphere can lead to shallow appearances of success, the stereotypes are largely accurate. Wheaton students are studious, more athletic than most, and I have found many to be wondeful people.

Emily

I think Wheaton has the right amount of rules. There is no curfew and no dress code so I don't feel at all restricted in my daily life at Wheaton. The rules that are there are there to make the Wheaton community a safe place to learn and grow together. Having a dry campus is great because you can bet that most of your friends are not going to be out drinking on the weekends. We can have just as much fun together without getting drunk. It just leads to a closer, safer campus community feeling so I trust people more readily here than I think I would elsewhere. As to the trying to be perfect stereotype, I think it's true sometimes. Being real is hard, especially in an environment full of type A, overachievers who were all the "smart kid" in high school. Almost everyone I know was one of the best in their high school class as far as academics go. Freshman year that threw me a little bit. I felt very mediocre and unsuccessful at everything. Once you find your place and find your friends I think that doesn't matter as much. I've gotten involved in some groups on campus that I love and found my group of friends who love and accept me and now I wouldn't go anywhere else for the world. It just takes a little time and it requires you being real and then other people will be real back.

Alex

some yes others are just pressure from students and not knowing how to handle it

Marie

No. Not at all. Students here are just as confused and scared as students at any other college. They experiment and screw up and often times need all the help they can get. Although many are Christian, not all are, and even those who are can be seriously struggling with their faith.

Becky

The first one: no. The second: Sort of, for the socailly shy, yes; but for the outgoing kids, no. The third: No, I was not at the top of my class, they want students who are well rounded indivuals. In fact, MANY students were not the over-zealous top-of-the-class indivuals.

Chris

Not really. The stereotypes represent a minority which stands out.

Dave

Wheaton has its fair share of type-A workaholic overachievers, but for the most part people are really chill and down to earth. Although there are the rare few students who get into a hissy-fit over the chapter in their Bio text books about Evolution, most people are fairly open-minded to what science teaches us about our world. Politically, the spectrum is much broader than I anticipated.

Laura

No more than any other stereotype. Some students at Wheaton fit that mold. Many, however, don't. We've got a far more diverse body culturally than we give ourselves credit for.

Erik

Not at all. We do abide by more rules than other colleges do, but that doesn't mean we don't have fun. There are some really wild people at Wheaton, if you stay up past midnight you might find out.

Harper

Relatively, but there is a diverse amount of students from across the country and world that provide a diverse environment. The type A attitude is overrated, every good school has that mentality somewhat.

Aaron

These sterio types are assumptions based on misunderstanding the focus of Wheaton. This assumption stems from Wheaton's focus on worshiping God through the mind. Coupled with high intensity acedemics this focus can be mis-seen as nerdy book worship. Wheaton is in fact not entirely focused on books (lol) trips into the city, which only takes about 30 mins and 4 or 5 dollars, and events on campus give students too much to do and the problem is less of finding something to do and more of choosing between so many sweet things! The worship atmosphere on campus is not suffering because of acedemics, WHeaton offers great floor brotherhood and acountability. Campus worship events are well attended and vibrant displays of the love for God that permeates the campus.

Grace

Yes, we work hard and are involved in many activities. However, we do have lots of fun (yes, even without the drinking and sex) and are generally not distant/unapproachable at all.

Steven

- No Dating life: This stereotype is relatively true, but not because the opportunities aren't available, but because many Students have Christian value systems that shy away from dating for fun, or sometimes even for the purpose of searching for the right spouse- for a season at least. - Pray a lot: In a recent servey done by the college newspaper, only about 35-40 percent of students said that they daily spend time in prayer. However, corporate gatherings abound, and the freshmen and sophomore classes are bringing up the average significantly. Though it varies from year to year, Wheaton will always be a place where prayer warriors abound. - Smart: Accurate. The classroom discussion is always rich and insightful. These students address the biggest issues of our day with intelligence, honesty, and even wisdom.

Mike

no, its a lot more rough around the edges than you'd expect. Since I live around Wheaton, I knew the reputation it had as the premier Christian college in the country. Everyone is aware of Wheaton's relatively strict community covenant with rules such as no tobacco products and no alcohol. However, more kids struggle with that stuff than you think. I thought coming in, kids in general would be less into that kinda stuff and more into Jesus, and for the most part they are, but there is certainly a population among the students who engage in normal party school type activities. Ppl call it the 'underground'.

Hannah

I would say that generally most students are type-A and real driven, but it is not uncommon to see students fighting this tendency and even changing because they want to go against the tide and they realize that they can't change the world. I would say that outsiders' view of students as boring, uptight, and strict is not accurate. There are definitely some wild and crazy people here. Partying happens here, too, but it is very underground, nothing too out in the open.

Michael

Yeah, pretty muchly....