Whitman College

345 Boyer Ave, Walla Walla, WA 99362

http://www.whitman.edu/

"Styx" (2002), by Deborah Butterfield, sits on Ankeny Field.
"Styx" (2002), by Deborah Butterfield, sits on Ankeny Field.
[source]

School Description

Provided by Whitman College

Whitman College is committed to providing an excellent, well-rounded liberal arts and sciences undergraduate education. It is an independent, nonsectarian, and residential college. Whitman offers an ideal setting for rigorous learning and scholarship and encourages creativity, character, and responsibility.

Through the study of humanities, arts, and social and natural sciences, Whitman's students develop capacities to analyze, interpret, criticize, communicate, and engage. A concentration on basic disciplines, in combination with a supportive residential life program that encourages personal and social development, is intended to foster intellectual vitality, confidence, leadership, and the flexibility to succeed in a changing technological, multicultural world.

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Whitman College

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Whitman College is a co-educational, non-sectarian residential undergraduate liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington.

History

In 1836 the missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman established a medical mission and a school a few miles from the modern-day city of Walla Walla to serve the Cayuse Indians and immigrants on the Oregon Trail. After the Whitmans were killed in the 1847 Whitman Massacre, the Rev. Cushing Eells resolved to establish a school in their honor. The Washington Territorial Legislature granted a charter to Whitman Seminary on December 20, 1859. On November 28, 1883, the legislature amended the charter, changing the name to Whitman College and the school to a four-year, degree-granting college. The modern-day Whitman College has no religious affiliation.

In 1913, Whitman became the first college or university in the nation to require undergraduate students to complete comprehensive oral and written examinations in their major fields. Individual majors also require an extensive project in the form of either a written or multimedia thesis or a presentation or recital. In 1920, a Phi Beta Kappa Chapter was installed, the second for any college in the Pacific Northwest.

Campus

The campus includes streams, record-holding trees and numerous outdoor sculptures. It is built around Ankeny Field, which provides structure to the architectural layout, but also serves as a popular social destination on warm days. College Creek meanders through the main campus, forming ponds (most notably Lakum Duckum) and providing a habitat for Whitman's many ducks.

About 75% of the student body resides in school housing. Two of eight residence halls date to the early 1900s and several residence buildings are of neoclassical architectural design. There are eleven "Interest House" residences which are mostly of Victorian and classical design. Academic facilities are newer and of more modern design.

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Read the full entry on Wikipedia

Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location:
Northwest
Setting:
Small Town Setting
Type:
Private
Size:
Small (Under 2,000 Undergrad)
Mascot:
Missionaries

Students & Campus Life

Undergraduate Enrollment:
1,454
On Campus Housing:
Available
Full Time Students:
100%
Athletic Programs:
Available
> More Students & Campus Life

Expenses

Average Tuition:
$ 28,400
Students Receiving Aid:
87%
> More Expenses & Financial Aid

Admissions

Application Fee:
$ 45
Selectivity:
Highly Selective
> More Admissions

Degree Programs at Whitman College

Bachelor's Level Programs

  • Arts & Humanities

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    • English Language and Literature See more schools with programs in English Language and Literature
      • English Language and Literature
        A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples.
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      • English Language and Literature/Letters
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    • Film and Theater See more schools with programs in Film and Theater
      • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts
        A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions.
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    • Foreign Languages See more schools with programs in Foreign Languages
      • Classics and Languages, Literatures and Linguistics
        This general program focuses on the literary culture of the ancient Graeco-Roman world and the Greek and Latin languages and literatures and their development prior to the fall of the Roman Empire.
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      • French Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the French language and related dialects and creoles. Includes instruction in French philology, Metropolitan French, Canadian French, African and Caribbean Creoles, French regional dialects, and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
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      • German Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the German language and related dialects as used in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, neighboring European countries containing German-speaking minorities, and elsewhere. Includes instruction in German philology; Old, Middle, and High German; Plattdeutsch and other regional dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.
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      • Spanish Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Includes instruction in Spanish philology, Modern Castillan, various Latin American dialects, regional Spanish dialects, and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
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    • History See more schools with programs in History
      • History
        A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration.
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    • Music See more schools with programs in Music
      • General Music
        A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media.
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      • Music History, Literature, and Theory
        A program that focuses on the study of the historical evolution of music as a social and intellectual phenomenon, the development of musical instruments and techniques, and the analysis and criticism of musical literature. Includes instruction in music history research methods, aesthetic analysis of musical compositions, history of musical writing and notation, the development of musical instruments, the development of music theory, and the study of specific periods, cultural traditions, styles, and themes.
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      • Music Performance
        A program that generally prepares individuals to master musical instruments and performing art as solo and/or ensemble performers. Includes instruction on one or more specific instruments from various instrumental groupings.
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      • Music Theory and Composition
        A program that focuses on the study of the principles of sound manipulation as applied to the creation of music, and the techniques of creating and arranging music. Includes instruction in aural theory, melody, counterpoint, complex harmony, modulation, chromatics, improvisation, progressions, musical writing, instrumentation, orchestration, electronic and computer applications, studies of specific musical styles, and development of original creative ability.
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    • Philosophy See more schools with programs in Philosophy
      • General Philosophy
        A program that focuses on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. Includes instruction in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines.
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      • Other Philosophy
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    • Religion/Religious Studies See more schools with programs in Religion/Religious Studies
      • General Religion/Religious Studies
        A program that focuses on the nature of religious belief and specific religious and quasi-religious systems. Includes instruction in phenomenology; the sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, literature and art of religion; mythology; scriptural and textual studies; religious history and politics; and specific studies of particular faith communities and their behavior.
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      • Other Religion/Religious Studies
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    • Visual Arts See more schools with programs in Visual Arts
      • Art History, Criticism and Conservation
        Students of Art History study of the historical development of art as a social and intellectual phenomenon. Art History programs include the analysis of works of art, and art conservation, art history research methods, connoisseurship, the preservation and conservation of works of art, and the study of specific periods, cultures, styles, and themes.
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      • Fine/Studio Arts
        A program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Includes instruction in the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images); theory of art; color theory; composition and perspective; anatomy; the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio; and art portfolio marketing.
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  • Communication & Media

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    • Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
      A program that focuses on the scientific, humanistic, and critical study of human communication in a variety of formats, media, and contexts. Includes instruction in the theory and practice of interpersonal, group, organizational, professional, and intercultural communication; speaking and listening; verbal and nonverbal interaction; rhetorical theory and criticism; performance studies; argumentation and persuasion; technologically mediated communication; popular culture; and various contextual applications.
      See more schools with programs in Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  • Interdisciplinary Studies

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    • Mathematics and Computer Science
      A program with a general synthesis of mathematics and computer science or a specialization which draws from mathematics and computer science.
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  • Life Science

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    • Biology See more schools with programs in Biology
      • Biochemistry/Biophysics and Molecular Biology
        Students of these integrated, BS, MS, and PhD programs study the intricacies and complexities of biological systems at the submolecular, molecular, and supramolecular levels. Students also learn about the influence of the submolecular world on biological activity at the cellular, tissue, organ, and organismic levels. Coursework in this program includes instruction in biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology, molecular biology, and research applications and methods appropriate to specific topics.
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      • Biology/Biological Sciences
        Students in this program study general biology at an introductory level. This major provides students with a broad overview of biology and includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations.
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      • Environmental Biology
        A program that focuses on the scientific study of the origins, functions, relationships, interactions, and natural history of living populations, communities, species, and ecosystems in relation to dynamic environmental processes. Includes instruction in biodiversity, molecular genetic and genomic evolution, mesoscale ecology, computational biology and modeling, conservation biology, local and global environmental change, and restoration ecology.
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  • Mathematics and Statistics

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    • General Applied Mathematics
      A program that focuses on the application of mathematics and statistics to the solution of functional problems in fields such as engineering and the applied sciences. Includes instruction in natural phenomena modeling continuum mechanics, reaction-diffusion, wave propagation, dynamic systems, numerical analysis, controlled theory, asymptotic methods, variation, optimization theory, inverse problems, and applications to specific scientific and industrial topics.
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    • General Mathematics
      A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations.
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    • Other Mathematics
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  • Natural Sciences

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    • Astronomy and Astrophysics See more schools with programs in Astronomy and Astrophysics
      • Astrophysics
        Astrophysics studies the structure, properties, and behavior of stars, star systems and clusters, stellar life cycles, and related phenomena. Instruction in Astrophysics includes coursework in cosmology, plasma kinetics, stellar physics, convolution and non-equilibrium radiation transfer theory, non-Euclidean geometries, mathematical modeling, galactic structure theory, and relativistic astronomy.
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    • Chemistry See more schools with programs in Chemistry
      • General Chemistry
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena.
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      • Other Chemistry
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    • Geology See more schools with programs in Geology
      • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
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      • Geology/Earth Science
        A program that focuses on the scientific study of the earth; the forces acting upon it; and the behavior of the solids, liquids and gases comprising it. Includes instruction in historical geology, geomorphology, and sedimentology, the chemistry of rocks and soils, stratigraphy, mineralogy, petrology, geostatistics, volcanology, glaciology, geophysical principles, and applications to research and industrial problems.
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    • Physics See more schools with programs in Physics
      • General Physics
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods.
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      • Other Physics
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  • Social Sciences

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    • Anthropology See more schools with programs in Anthropology
      • General Anthropology
        A program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective. Includes instruction in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs.
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    • Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies See more schools with programs in Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies
      • African-American/Black Studies
        African-American Studies focuses on the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of the African-Americans. The program focuses on the African-Americans of the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean but also including reference to Latin American African-Americans.
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      • Asian Studies/Civilization
        This four year program focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the peoples of the Asian Continent. Asian Studies programs include the study of Asian diasporas overseas.
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      • Latin American Studies
        A program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the Hispanic peoples of the North and South American Continents outside Canada and the United States, including the study of the Pre-Columbian period and the flow of immigrants from other societies.
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      • Other Ethnic, Cultural Minority, and Gender Studies
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    • Economics See more schools with programs in Economics
      • General Economics
        A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues.
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      • Other Economics
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    • International Relations and Affairs See more schools with programs in International Relations and Affairs
      • General Political Science and Government
        A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies 0f specific political institutions and processes.
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      • Other Political Science and Government
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    • Psychology See more schools with programs in Psychology
      • General Psychology
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods.
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      • Physiological Psychology/Psychobiology
        A program that focuses on the scientific course study of the biological bases of psychological functioning, and their application to experimental and therapeutic research problems. Includes instruction in functional neuroanatomy, neural system development, biochemical neural regulatory mechanisms, neurological biophysics, memory storage and retrieval, physiology of cognition and perception, physiological bases of psychopathology and behavioral disorders, psychopharmacology, comparative psychobiology, and specialized experimental design and research methods.
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    • Sociology See more schools with programs in Sociology
      • Other Social Sciences
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      • Sociology
        A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems.
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Students

General

Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 100%
Part-Time 0%
Men vs. Women
Women 50%
Men 50%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian 71%
Other 16%
Asian 8%
Hispanic 3%
African-American 2%

Geography

In State vs. Out-of-State
Out-of-State 62%
In-State 38%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
Washington 38%
Oregon 19%
California 12%
Colorado 3%
Idaho 3%
Percent of Students International: 3%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 56%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: Yes

Athletics

Member of: NAA, NCAA
Sports Include: Basketball (Northwest Conference)
Baseball (Northwest Conference)
Track (Northwest Conference)
Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) Expenses  
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 28,400    
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
$ 240    
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
$ 3,000 9%  
State and Local Grants:
$ 2,033 16%  
Institutional Grants:
$ 11,546 78%  
Student Loans:
$ 2,898 47%  
Any Aid:
  87%  

Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)

Acceptance Rate: 47% (Highly Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 82%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 620, Math: 620
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 720, Math: 700

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 45.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Not Required
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Required
High School GPA: Required
High School Rank: Recommended
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Required
TOEFL: Required
Test Scores: Required

College Advice

Yahoo
DD
DD

Question: Whitman College and Oregon State University?

Does anyone know what these are like?
34 months ago

Best Answer

I'm in Eugene, OR, and I know something of these two. As for Whitman, take a look at the web page for Loren Pope's little book, "Colleges That Change Lives". Whitman is one of the 40 schools that he raves about. http://www.ctcl.com/colleges/whitman/index.htm His book is a lot better than the web page. I bet your HS library has a copy; if your school has some sort of college counselor, I'm sure she'll have a copy, too. Definitely worth reading. I'd also add that Walla Walla is a wonderful, clean and beautiful small city. I have been there and liked it a lot. Oregon State. Up the road 40 miles. PAC 10 university. Big school. Corvallis is sort of the classical college town. There's other businesses there (like Hewlett Packard), but the U dominates everything. Like all large schools, you won't get much individual attention like you would at a small school. On the other hand, large schools offer everything, which small schools cannot. Depends on what you want. These two schools are very different. If you like one a lot, you'll hate the other. Because of this, you definitely should visit both campuses. (Pope's book has good advice on how to do this visit right.) After you visit, your decision will probably be easy.

Photos

  • "Styx" (2002), by Deborah Butterfield, sits on Ankeny Field.
    "Styx" (2002), by Deborah Butterfield, sits on Ankeny Field. [source]
  • [source]
  • The Memorial Building, built in 1899, houses administrative offices.
    The Memorial Building, built in 1899, houses administrative offices. [source]
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Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA 99362
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