WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY

Washington and Lee University
204 West Washington Street
Lexington, VA 24450-2116

Official telephone: (540) 458-8400
Fax number: (540) 463-8945

Website: www.wlu.edu


Options:
Screen last updated on: January 22, 2010
ACADEMIC CALENDAR
Semester/term begin dates: in early September.
Calendar system: 4-4-1 system (two semesters & one-month April/May interterm)
Month(s) in which new student orientation is held: Orientation for new students held in September.

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Majors with the highest enrollment: business administration, politics, economics
Majors with the lowest enrollment: environmental studies, East Asian studies, public policy
Average freshman GPA: 3 on a 4.0 scale
Percent of full-time freshman students who returned for sophomore year: 94%
Student:Faculty ratio: 8:1
Total faculty: 194 men, 112 women, 306 total
Full-time faculty: 144 men, 86 women, 230 total
Part-time faculty: 50 men, 26 women, 76 total
Graduation rate: 90% within six years

Washington and Lee University
REQUIRED UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM
General education/core curriculum is required: yes
Minor requirements: not required for graduation
Physical education is required: yes
There are religious requirements for graduation: no
Minimum GPA required to graduate: 1.9

PROGRAMS OFFERED
Special programs offered:
student-designed majors, double majors, dual degrees, independent study, accelerated program, honors program, Phi Beta Kappa, pass/fail grading option, internships
Minors and other miscellaneous programs offered:
Minors offered in African-American studies, East Asian studies, environmental studies, interdisciplinary study of poverty and human capability, university scholars, and women's studies.
Preprofessional programs offered:
professional
Education certifications are offered: yes
Education certifications:
elementary, middle/junior high, secondary
Cooperative programs are offered: yes
Cooperative education programs:
education, engineering
Combined 3-2 programs available:
3-3 law program.
Graduate schools/programs are offered: no
Qualified undergraduates may take graduate-level classes: no
Domestic off-campus semester-away programs: Spring term programs in Washington, DC and New York City.
Schools with which domestic exchange programs are offered: Domestic exchange programs with Bates Coll, Hampden-Sydney Coll, Hollins U, Mary Baldwin Coll, Morehouse Coll, Randolph Coll, Randolph-Macon Coll, Spelman Coll, Sweet Briar Coll, Virginia Military Inst.
Study abroad opportunities:
Study abroad in Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Morocco, New Zealand, Senegal, Spain, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
Other special or unique academic programs:
Teacher certification with Mary Baldwin Coll; education classes with university, Mary Baldwin Coll, and Virginia Military Inst.
Army ROTC: offered off-campus at Virginia Military Inst.
Navy ROTC: not offered
Air Force ROTC: not offered

LIST OF MAJORS
Bachelor's Degrees

  • Accounting/Business Administration
  • Anthropology/Archaeology
  • Art History
  • Biochemistry
  • Biology
  • Business Administration
  • Chemistry
  • Chemistry/Engineering
  • Classics
  • Computer Science
  • East Asian Languages/Literature
  • East Asian Studies
  • Economics
  • English
  • Environmental Studies in Geology
  • French
  • Geology
  • German Language
  • German Literature
  • History
  • Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Journalism/Mass Communications
  • Mathematics
  • Medieval/Renaissance Studies
  • Music
  • Neuroscience
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Physics/Engineering
  • Politics
  • Psychology
  • Public Accounting
  • Public Policy
  • Religion
  • Romance Languages
  • Russian Area Studies
  • Sociology/Anthropology
  • Spanish
  • Studio Art
  • Theatre

ADVANCED CREDIT/PLACEMENT
Credit placement options:
  • placement for CEEB Advanced Placement (scores of 3 or higher)
  • credit and/or placement for ACT PEP
  • placement for school's own challenge exams
  • credit for relevant military experience
  • placement for international baccalaureate

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

WASHINGTON AND LEE

UNIVERSITY

Applying to the University

 

Interviewing

We highly recommend that applicants have a personal interview. Therefore, we invite you to come to campus and have an interview with an admissions counselor. Following the interview, you are invited to take a student-guided tour.

September - December & May interview Schedule

Monday through Friday:

  • 9:15 AM
  • 10:15 AM
  • 11:15 AM
  • 1:15 PM
  • 2:15 PM
  • 3:15 PM.

Saturday:

  • 8:15 AM
  • 9:00 AM
  • 9:45 AM
  • 10:30 AM
  • 11:15 AM

June - August

Monday through Friday

  • 9:15 AM
  • 10:15 AM
  • 11:15 AM
  • 1:15 PM
  • 2:15 PM

Please call the admissions office several weeks in advance to schedule an interview.


Why an Interview

Interviews give the admissions staff a chance to meet you and find out more about your interests and goals, and interviews allow you time to find out more about the university and ask specific questions. Please arrive at the Gilliam House fifteen minutes before your interview time. If you find that you are going to be late, please call to let us know.

You do not need to bring anything with you to the interview. Some students like to bring a short resume, some come with lists of questions. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable! Interviews last between 20 and 40 minutes, and there is usually time for parents to speak with the admissions counselor before the tour starts.

When to Interview

You may schedule an on-campus interview as early as May of your junior year. On-campus interviewing concludes in early December.

Off Campus Interviews

If you cannot come to campus for an interview, you have the option of contacting an alumnus/a in your hometown and scheduling an interview there. If you prefer to interview at home, please call the admissions office so we can put you in contact with an alum in your area or please consult our list of Alumni Admissions Partners to see if an alumnus is available in your area.

Interviews are not required, only recommended. Your application will not be affected if you are not able to interview on campus or with an alumnus.

Dates and Deadlines

The following are important dates and deadlines for the freshman admissions cycle. Transfer students should refer to the transfer information page for dates and deadlines specific to the transfer process.

Early Decision I

  • ACT: October testing date.
  • SAT I & II: November testing date.
  • Application Deadline: November 15.
  • Notification: December 22nd.

Early Decision II

  • ACT: December testing date.
  • SAT I & II: December testing date.
  • Application Deadline: January 2.
  • Notification: February 1

For both Early Decision programs, students who are accepted are expected to send a $500 enrollment confirmation deposit and withdraw all applications for admission to other colleges.

  • Honor Scholarship Deadline: December 15. You must submit both the honor scholarship application and the admission application, including all portions of Part 2, at this time.

Regular Decision

  • ACT: February testing date.
  • SAT I & II: January testing date.
  • Application Deadline: January 15. This is the deadline for the admissions application, including all portions of Part 2, if you are not applying for an honor scholarship.
  • Notification: early April.
  • Enrollment Confirmation: May 1.

The Application

While you have a clear picture of the forms, test scores, and other materials which must be submitted in order to apply for admission, you may still wonder how those pieces of information are used to make an admissions decision. There is no formula or hard and fast rule for the selection process, but our reviewing of files is methodical and gives attention to all sections of the application.

The first priority in the admissions process is the daily record. Grades, class rank, and grade point average are only part of the daily record, though. In addition to these, we carefully review course selection and level of academic challenge. We encourage students to take Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, honors or accelerated programs.

Standardized testing is the one common denominator for all applicants. And while the scores are important, they are rarely the sole deciding factor in our decision process. You should keep in mind that each year there are students whose scores are well above our SAT I middle 50 % of 1280 to 1420, yet are not offered admission. High standardized testing scores do not necessarily take the place of a marginal high school transcript.

After the more academically based factors, we focus our attention on recommendation letters, extracurricular activities, the personal essay, and the interview. Washington and Lee is a campus the depends on student involvement. As review of a student's high school activities and interests give the Admissions Committee a sense of what a student may add to the campus community as a whole.

 

 


Data is copyrighted material under license to Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Alloy Education, which is reproduced on this website by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House. Material may contain updates provided solely by the institution to which the updated Data relates. Copyright © 2006-2010 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.


The information in the Campus Tours is provided and updated by third parties including the respective colleges and universities. While the colleges and universities are able to update the Campus Tours information at any time and this section, thereby, has the potential to offer the most accurate and up-to-date information available, the information is not independently validated, and no party associated with this website can accept responsibility for its accuracy.