bugs Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 I have waited four years to be able to contribute something to this particular board and it is now time! (This is really thrilling.) My graduated daughter and I completed our first college tour a week ago. We visited Whitworth in Spokane, WA. Many from our church attended this school and have only great things to say about it. Though she has still not decided about a degree, it does offer a Health Science B.S./B.A. program as well as film studies for a potential minor, which are her general interests. Neither my daughter nor I asked questions about academic specifics because she is still undecided. They are a private Christian LAC with high rankings with U.S. News, Princeton Review, etc. All professors (and admin?) are required to sign a statement of faith, but the school allows for faculty from all Christian denominations (this is a Presbyterian sponsored college). Students are not required to be Christian. They believe in open intellectual inquiry guided by Christian scholars. Folks that I know who have lived in Spokane refer to it with fond memories (I think especially in the fall and winter when E. Washington still has clear, albeit cold, skies, and we have our gray rainy season.) Less than 2400 students attend Whitworth, and the administration is okay with that. They do not plan to expand. Freshman to sophomore retention is just over 89% and 85% of students graduate in 4 years. The school has a competitive NCAA Division III athletic program, but they offer no athletic scholarships. They do offer scholarships in music, theatre, art, journalism, forensics (i.e. debate), and Young Life, as well as academic scholarships. That is enough from their glossy pamphlet and fancy website. The general vibe of the school was that of a family. In fact, that theme was mentioned several times by students and staff. The faculty is involved in the students’ lives mentally, spiritually, emotionally. Our tour guide told us her advisor was her other mom. My daughter attended a class where the professor was trying to come up with a date the students could come to his house for dinner. I am not sure how many times a year this happens, but the college encourages students to invite a professor out to coffee (on the campus) and the school takes care of the bill. The campus felt warm and inviting. Freshman and sophomores are required to live on campus. I don’t know if it is every day, but at least on Tues and Thurs there are no classes at 11 am. This allows students to attend chapel if they choose. From 8 – 10 pm all resident halls offer some kind of program for the students to participate in if they choose. Programs could be a Bible discussion, or baking, or games. If a student does not like what is offered in their dorm they can go to another hall. There is one cafeteria and a couple of other meal outlets (including Starbucks – yah, this is Washington). Whitworth feels that one of their strengths is their study abroad program. Over 45% of the students take advantage of this feature by traveling during Jan Term or taking a full semester (or two, or three). I understood that tuition, room and board, was included in these trips but the student would be required to pay a/p ticket and fees. This is another draw for my daughter. My daughter graduated this year with an AA and her high school diploma. What the admissions person told me is that academically they would consider her a Junior/transfer student but a freshman in terms of dorms, etc. They do have decent transfer scholarships, just a little less than she may have qualified for if they had considered her a freshman. Like I said, this was our very first campus tour (I never went on one when I went to college too many moons ago), and we loved it! If we could afford it, I think it would be a great fit for dd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Thanks for your college visit report, Deborah. I wasn't familiar with Whitworth, so it was fun hearing details about a new to me college. Best wishes to you and your daughter! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 What a coincidence! We are headed to Spokane in November for other (non-college) reasons, and I just today signed up for a campus tour at Whitworth while we are there. Thank you for the nice review. We are going to check out Gonzaga too, hopefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I applied to Whitworth many moons ago. I did not attend but I have fond memories of my interactions with my regional admission rep. He was so kind and caring. I lived in CO and he came to my house. I cannot remember the details of why he visited me but the feeling of being cared about was strong. Pleasant memories. Now that I am more mature and have definite outside interests (kayaking, hiking, etc) and have developed a deep affinity for rainy, overcast weather, I wish I would have given Whitworth and Washington a better look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugs Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 What a coincidence! We are headed to Spokane in November for other (non-college) reasons, and I just today signed up for a campus tour at Whitworth while we are there. Thank you for the nice review. We are going to check out Gonzaga too, hopefully. I wish you as wonderful a time as we had. We walked around Gonzaga for about 45 min. It is a lovely campus; it is more architecturally varied than Whitworth giving it different visual appeal. I applied to Whitworth many moons ago. I did not attend but I have fond memories of my interactions with my regional admission rep. He was so kind and caring. I lived in CO and he came to my house. I cannot remember the details of why he visited me but the feeling of being cared about was strong. Pleasant memories. Now that I am more mature and have definite outside interests (kayaking, hiking, etc) and have developed a deep affinity for rainy, overcast weather, I wish I would have given Whitworth and Washington a better look. It's good to know Whitworth's character extends beyond its physical border. Eastern Washington, where Whitworth is located, has a climate similar to CO (well, where I lived in Ft Collins). The rainy, overcast weather is on the west side of the Cascades (where I live now). But all of Washington is an outdoor enthusiasts' dream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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