Whitman College
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Economics-Mathematics and Statistics double major
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Caucasian Heterosexual Male
Summary
I [have a leadership position] in the Whitman Consulting Group, I’m a student-athlete, I’m in a fraternity, and I’m in the Whitman Investment Company.
Background
Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Private school in the Bay Area, CA with a graduating class of about 90 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Economics-Mathematics and Statistics double major
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I [have a leadership position] in the Whitman Consulting Group, I’m a student-athlete, I’m in a fraternity, and I’m in the Whitman Investment Company.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience?
For me, the Whitman Consulting Group made me like the school more. The people that attend Whitman are a very specific group of people and you’re not always going to fit in with them or feel comfortable, so that made me feel like I had a space where I enjoyed being. In my opinion, if you focus on business here, you should keep that quiet. For example, the Economics department is more focused on theoretical material, but there are a few individual professors who want to push that business agenda. With the school as a whole, you have to tread lightly when discussing business or something that’s capitalistic.
Academic Experience
Can you describe the weekly coursework for your major?
It depends on the classes you take in my major and I take at least one Economics class per semester to make sure I can graduate on time. Mainly, I have a lot of problem sets either from the book or online. For most of the Economics and Math classes I’ve been in, the exams are the major grades.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
The Math department does a very good job of teaching the subject. The department is a little scattered right now because they’re looking to hire new people. They’ve had a lot of professors come and go in the last couple of years, so that has made them scattered. I appreciate the theoretical side of economics, but I do think they should have more applied stuff because, after all, that’s where most people are trying to end up. It would be nice to see where this would work in the real world and how to apply certain skills.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
There’s a friendly competition and it’s also collaborative. I haven’t been in a classroom for my major with more than about 20 people, which makes going to office hours really easy. That also makes asking questions in class really easy because you’re going to know everybody in the class. You’re always going to have a few friends there so you feel comfortable. It’s also competitive in the sense that everyone that goes to the school is really smart, so it seems like they’re getting the subject pretty easily and people are competing to see who can be the smartest in the class.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re extremely accessible. You can email them and meet with them at almost any time. Sometimes they’re busy with class, meetings, and family stuff, but 95% of the time they’re extremely available. They’re all very open to helping you where you’re lacking.
How have the academics at Whitman prepared you for the real world?
I think just the rigorous course load, the difficulty of the work, and the responsibility that they place on you. But also, the friendly vibe with the professors makes it so you learn how to build those connections. The alumni network is extremely close. Right now, I’m on a Slack channel with 450 alumni and they are posting a lot of job updates. I think the school prepares you for the real world in terms of building relationships and thinking critically to solve problems. But, I also have issues because if I go into finance, I’ve only taken one corporate finance class and I’m not going to be able to compete with someone who has taken lots of finance classes at a big state school.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I had always thought in high school that I would be a business major in college, and when I decided to go here, I learned that there was no business major. I picked Economics because it was the closest thing to business available. With being an Economics major, you have to take some Math courses, and I ended up taking those courses and liking them so I added that to my major.
How is managing both your sport and your coursework?
It’s difficult, but it’s definitely doable. I found that I got a better GPA during the season than not because it helps you get on a schedule and forces you to be productive and efficient with your time. It’s difficult, but you just have to put your head down and grind for a bit.
Reasons to Attend
1) The strong academics.
2) The tight-knit alumni network.
3) The community and culture of the campus.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) The size and campus culture could be a reason you would not want to come here depending on who you are.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Jewett Hall with one roommate. I have to say I think the school does an extremely great job of pairing you with roommates because I am still friends with my old roommate. I have a lot of friends too who loved their roommates and paired up with people with similar personalities.
Sophomore: Fraternity house
Junior & Senior: Off-campus house with six other people.
How was transitioning from your hometown in the Bay Area, CA to Walla Walla, WA in terms of location?
It was kind of a shock. The town here is small and it’s a little boring. You can make fun out of it if you get creative and it’s really good for outdoorsy people. The town can feel unsafe sometimes, like my house has been broken into twice. [There are about 103 crimes per square mile in Walla Walla, more than triple the national median of 31.]
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
The level of safety on and around campus is extremely high. The school makes sure we have everything we need to feel safe. We have great campus security and we have RA’s and SA’s for every dorm room who are looking out for everyone.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
In the winter, I like to go skiing. Then I also like hanging out with friends and going to parties. Parties usually happen at a fraternity house or an off-campus house. The nights that parties happen vary but they tend to happen Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
What is the impact of Greek life on the weekend options at Whitman?
Sometimes they have parties and sometimes they don’t. At Whitman, I personally don’t think that Greek life is a big thing. It’s just an extracurricular to get your hands on and you don’t have to be in it to have fun. If they’re not throwing a party, it’s not the end of the world because somebody else will be. Nobody can exclude anybody from anything. Also, the safety at fraternity parties is pretty high because there is always an ID checker at the door letting people in and there are at least three to six sober roamers at each party with their phone numbers posted on the walls, so if anybody has a problem, they can call them.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at your school? Is there anything you would change if you could?
Personally, I think I would do better at a larger school. I think the weekend options are kind of boring. But, I think it’s also good because that helps you build closer relationships with a group you’re comfortable with as opposed to going out to places and seeing people that you’ve never seen before.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
Through my sports team and my fraternity. Most of the people I’ve lived with here were on my team. It’s really easy to make friends here since it’s so small. You just have to put yourself out there. I have friends who are in fraternities and who aren’t and who is on sports teams and who is not.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Whitman?
I think how much you like it depends on your personality. It’s a very small community so word of mouth travels extremely quickly. It feels like everyone knows everything about you, but at the same time, then everyone looks out for you.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
It’s extremely common to see diverse groups of friends around campus. Whitman’s a very inclusive environment. [The undergraduate population is about 7% Hispanic, 2% Black, 6% Asian, and 64% White.]
To what extent do people in Greek life and not in Greek life mix socially?
People mix a lot. I have a lot of friends who aren’t in Greek life and that’s common.
How do you like the size of Whitman in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [There are about 1,500 undergraduate students at Whitman.]
I think this depends on your personality. I personally think it’s too small. It’s made me a bit more of a recluse because you do the same thing each week. I think seeing the same people every day gets a little boring. I know people who love the size and the interconnectedness of everyone, though, so it really depends on your personality.
Do you think people are generally happy with their choice of Whitman by senior year? Do you think people leave loving Whitman?
I think most people I’ve talked to are glad they are where they are currently.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
For me personally, the alumni network has connected me with a handful of people I never would have expected to meet. They’ve all given opportunities to keep my network growing. We have these sponsored events called Whitties Helping Whitties in bigger hubs, like San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland. It’s an opportunity for alumni to go to a networking event and meet students. From what I’ve seen, the network is tight-knit and they like to take care of the students.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
It depends on what you’re going in for. They’re very helpful with helping you search for jobs, fix up your resume, and make a cover letter. They’re also very good at connecting you to places that you’re interested in.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
Yeah, in a lot of the classes that I’m in we use a lot of Excel, Stata, and R Studio.
Financial Aid
Have you used financial aid? If so, how easy is the office to work with?
They’re extremely easy to work with. They’re very responsive. You can email them and they respond the same day as long as it’s within business hours.