Whitman College
Reviews

Athletics Are Really Great

Yes, Whitman has Division III athletics. But while this does mean that varsity athletes can't get scholarships for their athletics, that lack of scholarships really ensures that our athletes are participating because they love their sports. As someone who has been doing competitive swimming since the age of 8, and for whom a good swim team was essential to the college search, I couldn't be happier than I have been in my time as a varsity swimmer at Whitman. Even outside of the swim team (which is basically my family), I have been super impressed by the other athletics on campus. Not only are our teams excellent, both academically and competitively (we consistently have some of the highest GPA's among Division III athletics in the nation, and are consistently high ranking in the conference, and on a national level), they are an integral part of the campus community, and something that students really come together over. I love athletics at Whitman, and this view on varsity sports doesn't even touch the intramural and club sports, which, believe me, are both awesome and HUGE on campus.

Awesome even if you aren't one of them

I'm writing as an independent who never even considered pledging or being part of the Greek system. I have dozens of friends, both guys and girls, who are part of the Greek system and I really can't emphasize enough how non-cliquey the Greek system is. No one is looked down on because he or she is part of a particular house. The parties are great for everyone, Greek or indie. Bottom line, the Greek system is great if you want to take advantage of it and pledge to a frat or sorority but it's equally great just to stay indie and have Greek friends.

Outstanding Athletics Culture, Facilities and Support

Whitman has hands down the best athletics facilities in the Northwest Conference. Our fitness center, which is used by both Varsity athletes as well as the general campus community, rivals many DI fitness centers. Aside from the phenomenal facilities, the support from students, staff, and faculty is consistently excellent. As a Varsity athlete, I have never been to an athletic event without running into both professors and other Varsity athletes there to support their peers. This year, Whitman qualified more teams for National level competition than ever before. Men's and Women's tennis both won berths to Nationals, as did Women's Golf, and two Varsity Men's swimmers. All the varsity sports are on the rise! If you're considering participating at a DIII institution, Whitman is an unparalleled atmosphere in which to compete. Aside from the support from the campus and community, the school is required not to dock student-athletes who miss class due to competition or travel. Being an athlete here has been the defining experience of my four years! Oh, yeah, we have lots of club sports, including tremendous frisbee teams, rugby, lacrosse, cycling, water polo, men's volley ball, tennis, track, nordic and downhill skiing, and snowboarding. To top it off, we have dozens of intramural sports like flag football, soccer, dogeball, tennis, basketball, and softball, to name a few. Bottom line: no we're not a big time state school, but we take our athletics extraordinarily seriously.

Popular Library

Our library is the best. We jokingly say it's the most popular building on campus... which is kind of is! And not because people here spend all their time studying, it's just a great facility! There is plenty of space to study, tons of resources, places for group projects, and a great reference staff. Overall, it's the best place to study and to get information for classes and research.

Parking Doesn't Matter!

A lot of students don't have cars and it's a small school so parking is completely reasonable! Most students don't pay anything to park on campus. I would say overall it's not an issue and very easy to deal with parking, no matter your year in school or where you live.

Student Support Makes up for Lack of Transportation Options

Walla Walla's bus system is complicated and slow, but the town is small enough that most Whitman students can walk, bike, or catch a ride with someone else. Walla Walla is also really hard to get to, but students who have cars are very, very generous about offering rides out of town. Not only that, but Whitman offers a charter bus service to Portland and Seattle for Fall, Winter, and Spring break which is incredibly convenient!

Lots of Academic Support

The Academic Resource Center, located in Memorial Hall, is full of really useful tools to help students who have learning differences or who need extra assistance in a class. You can pick up planning guides, find unique study tips, and even get matched up with a student tutor for free! Furthermore, Student Academic Advisers (SAs) live in every first-year section and serve as guides through the transition process from high school- to college-level academics. My SA would do things like proofread my papers, help me develop my thesis, teach me how to conduct research, and help me plan and register for my classes.

Walla Walla Is a Small Town, So...

Most places can be biked to but there are also great bus systems and students are very generous about lending their cars. In terms of going home for breaks, students often carpool to airports that will give them the best flight price. Some students will spend the night at a friends home in Portland or Seattle and fly out of those airports, but Walla Walla also offers flights to Seattle and Pasco, Tri-Cities airport, offers many flights and is only a 50 minute drive away from campus. The school also offers bus transportation to Seattle and Portland over breaks.

Best Time of My Life!

This school is as great as it sounds. People focus on academics and make schoolwork a priority but aren't afraid to take a break and have fun. While the location may seem isolating, it helps to foster the strong community that is one of most striking features at the school. Students are actively involved in campus life and work hard to make the school the best it can be. Only downsides I've noticed are the lack of diversity and the gossipy nature of some people because the school is so small.

Difficult, Engaging, and Interesting

Whitman professors do everything they can to make classes interesting, engaging, thoughtful, and occasionally entertaining. They're incredibly smart, passionate, and dedicated to their students - they are extremely accessible. There is no lag period between coming to Whitman and being engaged in academics. As soon as you get here, you'll be writing papers, thinking critically, doing experiments in lab and for group projects, perhaps even going to the roof of the science building to look through our on-campus telescope (we have another huge one north of campus), or taking soil chemical measurements for your plants in the rooftop greenhouse. You'll be working hard, but you'll also be working with your peers and under the watchful eye of your professors who are there for anything if you ever need them.

Challenging and Useful

The academics at Whitman are a great balance between challenging and fascinating. There are large differences in class difficulty and enjoyment, but most classes have very interesting and intelligent professors who truly care about their students. The small community makes class discussions great.

Dorms Are Great!

Whitman students are lucky to live in the dorms they live in. The dorms vary a lot among residence halls, but many have divided double rooms that are fairly large (Lyman and Prentiss). Some students prefer to sacrifice room quality for a more social living setting (Jewett), but either choice tends to leave students happy with where they lived. I rarely find someone who did not like his/her freshman dorm room.

Pretty Good

Whitman gives great financial aid, both merit and need based

I Love Where I Live

Whitman does an awesome job both providing excellent living spaces and selecting roommates. The survey I filled out was akin to a dating profile, they really try to put you in the right spot, with the right person. And the facilities are great; large rooms, plenty of storage, great location literally steps from class.

Easy

The student health center is fantastic and the campus is completely safe. Whitman really cares about its students and it shows in this area

Don't Sweat It

There are plenty of places to park on and right around campus. There is no seniority system and permits are not required, you can park anywhere. I've never had an issue finding a place for my truck.

Not at All

As long as you aren't a danger to yourself or others security will leave you alone. Whitman is about fostering responsible individuals and knows that we are adults, so they give us a lot of leeway because they know we can take care of ourselves.

Great, Could Have More Options

The cooking here at whitman has spoiled me and I l dread the day I have to start cooking for myself.

Challenging, Beneficial, Interesting, Intense, Serious

My classes force me to use my mind in creative and thoughtful ways. The professors expect a lot from their students so naturally the students respond with many hours of studying, essay writing, lab work, and more. I feel as if my education has given me not just knowledge, but the ability to learn.

Decent

everything is pretty decent. not great, but not bad

There seems to be more crime on...

There seems to be more crime on campus this year than in the past, mostly as a result of townies harrassing students at night or stealing from dorms. However, the dorms are now only accessible with a student ID to swipe in, and there seem to be more security guards on duty on weekends. I've still never felt I needed to lock my room. Pretty much everyone leaves stuff in the library unattended (laptops, purses, books), and I haven't heard of any problems with that. If you walk with someone at night, it's really not a huge deal, and I've always felt very safe on campus.

Campus is small, and the alcohol...

Campus is small, and the alcohol and drug policies are very lenient. However, there have been a lot of thefts (of bicycles and belongings in unlocked rooms) and a few muggings recently, and some have complained that there is inadequate street lighting and security staff.

There are some very good, but...

There are some very good, but expensive restaurants. Other than that, there aren't many good inexpensive places. I would recommend Pho Sho, which is a bit of a walk but cheap and quite good. There is also a good farmer's market, with local produce.

Whitman feels like a very safe...

Whitman feels like a very safe campus. There have been reports of small thefts, but if you lock your door and keep an eye on your stuff the thefts can easily be avoided. Whitman also has a security center that you can call if you want an escort to walk you home.

Whitman is fantastic. I absolutely...

Whitman is fantastic. I absolutely love it. The people here are incredibly smart and genuinely nice and outgoing. The classes are stimulating and difficult. You definitely have to study, and it's very cooperative among your peers, not competitive. It's laid-back for sure. The admissions office looks for well-rounded kids, and this school is full of them. Everybody has fascinating stories of what they did or where they came from. I love it. This an amazing school.