Warren Wilson College
Reviews

Unique

This college is very unique because of how dedicated it is to environmental and social justice. We have lots of hippies and anarchists and other fun people. Everyone has really strong opinions and they are driven to make a difference.

Exactly Where I Need to Be

Deciding to go to Warren Wilson is definitely an active choice. You go to this school because you want something more than the average college experience, and that is what Warren Wilson delivers. That being said, it isn't for everyone and some people have to come here for a brief semester before they realize that it isn't quite for them. But for people who make the Warren Wilson experience work for them, it provides the kind of education that prepares for life in a way that other colleges that don't incorporate work or service simply can't. Plus, once you're a part of this community, you are free to be exactly who you want to be and be supported by some group within the community. No one will ever say that people at WWC are not friendly. Sure we're opinionated and we tend to get riled up over every different political or social justice issue, but we greet everyone with a smile and always try to have good intentions.

Very Small World on Campus! Housing Lottery Frustrating. Close Proximity to Mountain Trails and River.

Housing registration process is extremely frustrating, and it is very hard to get into many dorms. Housing placement, thus, is essentially determined by luck. Some dorms are amazing, beautiful, and cozy, with a great sense of community. Others are dirty, outdated, small, and full of irresponsible sloppy stoners and drunks that yell all the time. Walls are generally too thin, no matter where you are. Short distances between dorms and classes can be very convenient. Cost of housing is too expensive for the quality of dorm life that can exist, especially if you don't get lucky with the housing lottery. The best part of campus housing is the short distance from the dorms to nice hiking trails and beautiful rolling pastures. The campus' backyard is essentially a gorgeous river valley (farm land, mountains, and river trails) and most students don't even want to be inside their dorms much anyways.

Quality of Teaching Varies Greatly from One Professor to Next, Limited but Unique Course Selection.

Half of the average student's time is spent on academics, while half is spent in work or class all day long. Most students feel so pressed on time and so exhausted at the end of the work day (due to the nature of the mandatory work study program) that it is difficult to get schoolwork done at the end of the day. Many students feel that academic standards are slightly lowered because the work program takes so much of the students' energy. The general education requirements are ususally the least rewarding parts of the curriculum. Thesis research and specialized courses for major requirements are very rewarding. Environmental Studies majors seem to have some of the best professors. "Integrative Studies" program is highly disorganized, so students of this major must be highly self-motivated. The experience that Warren Wilson gives you, in its entirety, is incredible; but the academics could certainly improve. Some professors are amazing and incredibly passionate, while others just need to retire. When you know which professors to take classes with, the academics can be profound and highly stimulating. However, online registration process is very frustrating; it is difficult to get the classes you want until you are a Junior or Senior.

Off-Campus Housing- No!

Off campus housing is not popular. There are plenty of quality dorms and a few on-campus houses for upperclassmen and seniors, and it can be hard to get a work contract if you live off campus.

Computers at Warren Wilson

wireless in the basements of dorms is pretty good, but sometimes unreliable. Printing on campus is very easy with the library or the computer lab.

Asheville Dining

The city of Asheville has excellent restaurants of all types.

Psychology

I've only started here as a freshman, but I am deeply impressed with our psychology department.

Spacious Rooms and Small Residences

The housing for sophomores and above is great at Warren Wilson. The Ecodorm is LEED Platinum certified, and all of the upperclassmen housing has less than 100 students per residence - most have under fifty. The rooms are more spacious than many other schools I've visited, and the accommodations are more than adequate.

Things Can Get Slow

Nightlife is pretty sub-par. Parties only happen on weekends, and even then they're normally pretty boring. Once in a while there are really good parties, but most of the time it's just bands and dancing. A lot of drug use happens on campus so you won't have problems getting inebriated. If you are 21, go into Asheville for a good time. There are also some clubs you can get into if you're 18.

The Atmosphere Is Liberal and Hippie

Despite Asheville being smack in the middle of the rural south, it is a fun city with lots of cool cafes and coffee shops. The people in the city are basically grown-up versions of WWC students; people who like the outdoors, and who aren't confined by society's rules of personal hygiene will love it here.

We Have None

We here at WWC do not have a greek life and that is beyond fine by me

None Whatsoever

This school is horrible when it comes to diversity. There are very, very few minorities. It can be a little alienating at first because there is this huge emphasis put on the fact that you are a minority here and anytime someone mentions anything dealing with your racial/ethnic group everyones head turns to stare at you.

:)

Warren Wilson admits it's not for everyone. If you are open to things you never encountered before and to ideas you've never dreamed of existing, then you will find an open community. Though many people here have opinions varying quite considerably from the norm, everyone is respected. At Warren Wilson you will work and learn and have fun doing it.

Few Facilities, but No Extra Charge for Campus Resources

what there is is free to students, from kayaking trips to computer lab printing to laundry machines to climbing walls, but the campus is small, and the school is tuition funded, so most things are small.

Reefer Madness

Wilson is known for its "open-minded"-ness. There is a lot of pot smoking and on top of that hard drug use is on the rise. Students here will be offered pot but it is never forced. If you don't want it people will still treat you the same. Substance-free housing is made available.

Be prepared to get Island Fever if...

Be prepared to get Island Fever if you don't have a car. Wilson is already a little bubble, but it's easy to get tired every now and then of on-campus activities that groups and dorms organize. It's helpful to have a car. Period. Freshmen have to take the bus, as first years aren't allow to bring cars. Advice: If you're a freshmen, make some friends with lots of upperclassmen and hope that some of them can help you out when you need rides if they've got cars.

Freshman can not bring a car,...

Freshman can not bring a car, unless they talk with the Dean of Students. Parking is fine. The Dust Bowl behind the gym is never really full, and the one by Holden is never full either. More people ride bikes here than drive.

The dorms are pretty nice....

The dorms are pretty nice. Freshmen housing is not the greatest thing on the planet, but the rooms are comfortable, and the dorms are very friendly. The upperclassman housing is pretty diverse, ranging from suit-style to old dorms with wood floors, to calm and beautiful dorms. All the dorms are small and personal.

The freshman dorms at Warren...

The freshman dorms at Warren Wilson are not very great and certainly aren't very desirable. However, they really aren't bad, and the rooms are decently sized. Besides the freshmen dorms, all the other dorm buildings are very nice. Dorland and the two Village dorms actually have their own bathtubs. We also have the eco-dorm that is LEED certified and very cool. Its only problem is that it is a bit of a walk from the main campus where classes are held.

There is very little crime on...

There is very little crime on campus. Most of the offenses committed on campus are tied to theft and damaging property. Very little crimes with a human victim are present on campus. If you lock your door, then there is very little chance that anything will be stolen.

Public transportation is pretty...

Public transportation is pretty good but not perfect. A bus runs every day except for Sunday, which can sometimes be annoying because Sunday would be a nice day to catch the bus into town to go to a café to study or have breakfast. Also, the bus doesn't come until 4 every day, which can also be annoying if you are done with class sooner than that and you want to go somewhere. But since WWC is kind of out in the country, it wouldn't make much sense for a bus to drive all the way out there just to pick up one student. The bus is free for students, which is great, and it runs late on the weekends.

The dorms here are almost always...

The dorms here are almost always about the people, but here's the basic run-down. So far as freshman dorms go, Vining is quieter and more relaxed, but it's also known for potheads and looks like a confusing prison of narrow cinder block when you walk through. It is known for being the nicer freshman dorm, but Sunderland is where you will meet a lot more people and get a chance to hang out en masse. Some are afraid of Sunderland for its reputation for being large (it's the biggest dorm on campus—150 students) and unruly. The split between these two dorms evidently continues throughout your four years. Schafer is beautiful but has a bad rep as a party dorm. The Village and the Ballfields are gorgeous but far, far away and isolating. Ballfield A has ridiculously insane parties. I recommend Sutton or ANTC depending on who is living there that year. They're really pretty and homey and hold 35 people.

Security is up in the air. Things...

Security is up in the air. Things do get stolen, so do what an intelligent person would do and lock your things up that you would hate to see gone. I feel pretty safe here, though, so no complaints there.

There are still some good parties...

There are still some good parties on campus, mostly in Schafer, but for some reason they aren't quite what they used to be. Lately the bigger parties tend to just consist of a bunch of drunk people dressed up and standing around listening to music. Some people attempt to dance, but not enough people are good at dancing to make the effort worthwhile. Smaller parties with a few friends who really know how to have a good time are a better bet. The club I hear about is a gay bar called Scandals, and I've heard it's a lot of fun. I'm pretty sure it's 18 and up, so practically everyone can go. There's also a bar called Pisgah Brewery that brews their own really wonderful beer. If you are 21, Pisgah is an excellent place to go. There are a few others bars and such, but not many places in Asheville stay open all that late, even on weekends.