Wheaton College (MA) Reviews

The labs aren't often crowded, and...

The labs aren't often crowded, and the entire campus is wireless. Everyone should have their own computer.

Fresh Catch in the neighboring...

Fresh Catch in the neighboring town Mansfield has good fish and good American dishes. It's cheap, too.

The school is not strict at all.

We are very proud of our rugby and...

We are very proud of our rugby and ultimate Frisbee teams here on campus.

The people are friendly, and the...

The people are friendly, and the professors are incredible, educated, and responsive. It's a gorgeous campus, and there is a lot to get yourself involved in.

There is nothing to do. We have a...

There is nothing to do. We have a CVS, a Walgreens, and a sub shop. That's just about it.

The food is above average in...

The food is above average in comparison to other college campuses I've visited. We have two dining halls that offer separate menus at every meal, and a café that offers a variety of hot and cold beverages, sandwiches, and salads. The food staff is very friendly and accommodating.

There are many people of many...

There are many people of many different ethnicities, but most of them were born in the U.S. and don't know what the places their forefathers came from are really like. There is, however, a significant number of international students that add to this diversity. There is a lot of mingling among students, and there is rarely a substantial division among class or race because we all share the Wheaton community in common. There is a strong emphasis on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual rights, sometimes too much of it.

Wheaton has great facilities for...

Wheaton has great facilities for such a small school. The library is phenomenal and is a popular place to study. The student center (Balfour-Hood) has great food options but could use a better game room. There's also a decent enough gym there, too.

Housing is guaranteed all four...

Housing is guaranteed all four years at Wheaton, and the dorms are generally clean and the meal plan is worth it, so only about 5 percent of students live off campus. The ones who do rent apartments or small houses within five miles of campus.

The best parties at Wheaton are...

The best parties at Wheaton are thrown by students who rent houses in close proximity to campus. The best are obviously those within walking distance, which avoids the whole problem of finding a DD. Norton isn't much of a town, but there are a few bars that are popular among the 21-plus crowd. Campus nightlife is fun if you're an underclassmen, but off campus is really where it's at.

Getting around town is pretty...

Getting around town is pretty nonexistent unless you have a car. There a few things, like malls and restaurants, in the area where it is nice to have a car. The liquor store is really close, but you still need to drive. There's a bus that runs every half-hour or so seven days a week that goes to the local shopping center with a grocery store and then to the train station. The train will take you directly into Boston or Providence, which is really convenient. There's also a Saturday shuttle that takes you to other shopping centers in the area. Sometimes Student Life puts on the Boston-Providence connection where you pay a cheap price for a bus ticket into one of the cities, dinner, and a movie ticket—it's a sweet deal.

Parking sucks. Freshmen can bring...

Parking sucks. Freshmen can bring a car, but it might be tougher to get a permit. Public Safety tickets for everything. There are usually spots in the lot farthest away from campus, but upperclassmen have trouble finding spots closer to where they live on campus.

There's a variety as far as types...

There's a variety as far as types of people, socioeconomic status, dress style, and music taste. There's a handful of goths, handful of geeks, a bunch of jocks, some preps, a ton of hippies, and just people who don't really fall into a category. They're generally friendly when walking around.

Each department has its own...

Each department has its own strength. Professors vary widely as far as how much work they give or how hard of a grader they are. We're pretty well known for art history, English and psychology, but sciences are also really popular. You do have to work hard for your A though. It's the opposite of an Ivy League where it's tough to get in, but then there's major grade inflation. Wheaton's a little easier to get into, but you have to work to keep your grades up.

Having your own laptop is...

Having your own laptop is definitely beneficial, especially because there's wireless in all the dorms and pretty much everywhere on campus. However, there are plenty of computer labs in the library and other academic buildings with both Macs and PCs, although they do get crowded during exam time. There are also laptops on reserve at the library. The network sometimes slows down when lots of people play games that use up lots of bandwidth or when they stream videos, but it's generally pretty good.

It's typical New England weather,...

It's typical New England weather, meaning crazy and unpredictable, and there's lots of rain in the spring. Be prepared for all types of weather but definitely lots of humidity. It gets cold in the winter, but nice in the summer, and you're going to want to lay out in the Dimple to soak up the sun. Lots of kids will wear shorts and T-shirts once it turns 50, but some wait for it to heat up a little more.

The school is small, and there are...

The school is small, and there are very few reported crimes. Not to say it doesn't happen, but everyone feels very safe. The town is small, too, and everything is really centered around campus. People leave their doors unlocked a lot because they feel so safe. Public Safety does a good job at responding to calls, and they have blue lights with phones all over campus for students to use in an emergency.

Wheaton is in a small, little town...

Wheaton is in a small, little town in eastern Massachusetts. We have a CVS and Walgreens down the street within walking distance and three Dunkin' Donuts within a five-mile radius. That's about the best thing Norton offers if you don't have a car. If you want to go out to dinner or to a movie you have to get in your car and drive 10 minutes at least. The townies, as we call them so lovingly, don't really like us. To them, we are spoiled rich kids, which isn't entirely true. Thankfully, Boston and Providence are 30 and 40 minutes away, respectively, and are pretty easy to get to.

We do not have a Greek system at...

We do not have a Greek system at Wheaton. We do have theme houses, but they are nowhere near Greek life. These houses used to be the party places, but recent tightening of the Public Safety belt has—much to the student body's chagrin—dampened that.

I would definitely come to Wheaton...

I would definitely come to Wheaton if I could do it all over again. I have made some incredible friends and had equally incredible opportunities. But, I have had to work hard to make those things happen and even fight with the school a little bit.

Wheaton makes an effort to recruit...

Wheaton makes an effort to recruit people of different ethnic backgrounds and really stresses a tolerant and diverse community. But, this stretches only as far as ethnicity, religion, and sexuality. As one of the few conservatives on campus, I feel totally outnumbered, and this overwhelmingly liberal campus doesn't really care about what I have to say—I'm talking about students and professors. If Wheaton wants to purposely diversify campus, it should look beyond the confines of race and explore other aspects.

Upper campus dorms are nice. Lower...

Upper campus dorms are nice. Lower campus dorms are nasty—I would be afraid of contracting a disease. I lived in the freshman quad, and it was terrible. I live on upper campus now and am much happier.

I will admit that I felt much...

I will admit that I felt much safer in my first two years at Wheaton. Over the last two years, we have seen a few assaults, break-ins, and even arsons. Granted, we don't know if these were done by Wheaton students or by the (young) residents of the town, but they definitely made an impression on me, and I am more careful as I walk around. But, you can't be stupid. Lock your doors, don't go into dark areas late at night, and know your surroundings —actually follow through on those talks your father gives you.

There seems to be a large drug...

There seems to be a large drug scene on campus. I see mostly smoking, though, of all varieties.