Wheaton College-Wheaton Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Harper

Wheaton is not as ethnically diverse as I would like it to be, but it is trying and it is better than many schools. The economic background of students is fairly diverse, not everyone is from the subrubs and many need financial aid, and the Wheaton is cheap for its level of academics. The school is not cliquish at all. Different people can hang out together, but obviously certain groups tend to hang out together, like sports teams. Students are poltically active and vocal. Most are on the conservative side of the political spectrum, but there are plenty of democrats as well as republicans. Students, rarely talk about finances and how much they plan on earning one day. Our end goal is much more focused on doing something we love or where God wants us to be.

Aaron

You have to come and see!!!! The floor is full of your future best friends belive me. Wheaton's housing for juniors and seniors is apartment style offering freeedom and privacy while connection to the community through events and worship.

Grace

The student body of Wheaton is fairly laid-back. I think there aren't really "four tables of students in the dining hall" because everybody seems to integrate with everyone else very well. The only type of student that would feel out of place is one who is not an evangelical Christian, since Wheaton focuses on that aspect- the integration of faith and learning. People don't really care what you wear to class or your socio-economic status. The campus is predominantly political right, but I am liberal and feel quite at home- people respect others' views.

Steven

Balanced politically. Generally wealthy. Not as concerned with careers as callings. A good group.

Mike

Wheaton students are from all over the place. Very diverse especially for a small school. Like I've said, the students at Wheaton are all Christian. There are a decent amount of nerdy kids/weird homeschooled kids at Wheaton who've been trapped inside there high-school youth group bubble and have no idea whats going on in life, they are just weird nerds who I have trouble interacting with. The athletes are all similar and tend to be the more 'norma' people. The footblal team has the reputation of being the loud obnoxious ppl on campus which is somewhat true. Also, we (football team) are always together so ppl think we are very exclusive.

Hannah

Not too much diversity, which is unfortunate, but people still love to talk about diversity. Overall in the student body I would say there's a big trend towards caring for social justice and international issues, alot of people are interested in these. There are definitely different groups: preps, jocks, football team (separate from other athletes), the HNGR students, and the underground partyers... probably there are others I can't think of right now.

Michael

Overachieving, evangelical Christians who obsess about being ridiculously in shape.

Nico

I think students at Wheaton are generally thought of as being white, middle-class, put-together (clothes wise), and smart, but people are actually pretty varied. You can always find someone with similar interests or backgrounds to hang out with, whether that is from a racial standpoint, or from interests in certain causes/sports/passions. Financially, students are all over the place. Some kids really struggle financially, and others are from wealthy families. I don't think that is a hugely noticable issue at Wheaton. Most students are kind of aware about politics, but you can always find those few who are super outspoken and opinionated. Honestly, there are some really conservative people and some pretty liberal people as well. You can find someone who agrees with you.

Michael

C'mon guys, loosen up a little. You're great people, but you have to learn to relax.

Nick

Wheat strives to promote diversity on its campus; however, it fails miserably at it. Instead, there seems to be a sort of inherent racist quality to the admissions process due to the obvious catering the administration does to applications of non-causcasion ethnicity. Due to the high cost of tuition and the virtual non-exisitence of financial aid there is a large percentage of Wheaton's student population that comes from wealthy families. Lastly, there is not a presence of LGBT on campus due to the strong religious affiliations of the school.

Sarah

Most of Wheaton's students grew up in the Evangelical subculture. They talk about AWANA, VeggieTales, and the songs from four-year-old Sunday School. Michael W. Smith's recent visit to campus was a big deal for students who had been listening to him their whole lives. They are also predominantly from the upper middle class, though that is gradually becoming less true. Many Wheaton students are interested in politics, and both sides of the political spectrum are represented. The majority are probably right-leaning, but the left-leaning ones are equally vocal. Many students are deeply concerned with a variety of global issues: AIDS, poverty, the modern slave trade, and more.

Kristi

Most Wheaton students are from middle to upper class suburban homes in the midwest. Almost everyone is a born-again Christian and has a true desire to grow in his/her relationship with Christ. A lot of students are involved in short-term missions over the summer or during spring break. We're all intelligent and have great goals for our lives. Many want to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, missionaries, pastors... the list goes on and on. But we're humble and friendly... oh and most of us are healthy and athletic... so don't be surprised when you see very few overweight people on our campus!

Toby

Wheaton tries to be intentionally diverse. There are kids from all over the US and even from all over the world. Many international students are missionary kids, but there are kids from probably over 25 different countries at Wheaton. Unfortunately because it is pretty expensive there tends to be mostly middle to upper class students there. The most unique thing about Wheaton is that although everyone is a Christian, you really see that there are different blends of Christianity all over the world. Everyone loves the same God, but it looks differently for almost everyone.

Amy

The student body of Wheaton has been diversifying over the years. The one consistent thing has been the 50/50 ratio of girls to guys (perfect for those with the ring by Spring mentality). Although you will find few LGBT students (at least those who are open about it...and there are some), the socio-economic and racial groups on campus are multiplying (praise God). From those committed to simple living, to those who drive their Hummer down the street for class, most students find a place in Wheaton's social scene. Out of all the sports teams, the football team is the most "tight" and exclusive (they sit in the same place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the dining hall...duped "the fish bowl").

Will

A lot of the students seem to make too big of a deal about racial issues. It's not that they are racist, in fact it's quite the opposite. There is such a hype about racial sensitivity that, rather than making race a non-issue, as I would prefer, it brings race to the forefront of thought by incessantly encouraging everyone to think about the racial implications of their comments or actions.

Charlie

AMAZING. sometimes i feel like i am best friends with everyone on campus.

Allison

Wheaton has students from all over the country and the world, giving you so many opportunities to learn about other peoples' backgrounds.

Andy

It's pretty WASPy around here, but other people fit in pretty well. The William Osborne Society (black culture club) is really active on campus, and their performance ensemble sings at chapel as often as the chapel band. It can be tough being from outside the midwest sometimes, but people are generally really accommodating. Sometimes people say things that are offensive and just don't realize how narrow their views are, but I think it sort of gets taught out over the course of four years. There are some people who are really sheltered in their first 18 years at home, but there are also people who have seen genocide first hand in Rwanda or lived with people on FBI watchlists in Pakistan. The campus is really diverse in terms of experiences, which is a lot of fun just getting to know people.

Line

The vast majority of students are white, middle-to-upper class Americans. Though, there is a high missionary and international student population that helps to balance things out. Most all are protestant and highly religious. There are rules here which are strictly enforced, so hardcore rebels are sure to feel out of place here, but there is a constant underground where one might find company. Minority students are celebrated and highly honored. This is a very let's-get-more-diversity place. Though there are many cliques. Most are based on organizations one is involved in (many are culture-based like Indian Culture Club, Koinonia, and North Korea Club), namely the football team, though others are by academics. Students who go abroad in the Human Needs and Global Resources program tend to stick together; so do students with similar interests, like the unofficial Anime Club, who watches anime together once a week.