Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, is a very small, very selective liberal arts college 2 hours from Richmond, and 3 hours from Washington DC. There's a lot to love about this institution, and there are some things that concern me. Their acceptance rate of 13% makes them one of the most selective institutions in the country. This is verbatim what we were told by admissions, and reminded of several times on the tour, so it appeared as if they were positioning themselves as such. I can only assume they are trying to distinguish themselves from many other liberal arts colleges in Virginia that might not be nationally ranked.

Here are some things I love: the university was founded by an endowment from George Washington, which I think is very cool. They are ranked #1 in career services by the Wall Street Journal. Washington and Lee is also ranked #15 in the nation for endowment per student. $19 million of that endowment is under student control. They are a top producer of Fulbright scholars - last year there were 15 - as well as Rhodes Scholars. They have an honor system they take very seriously; students can self-schedule final exams and they're often unproctored. To be clear, regarding the honor system: one strike and you're expelled. They mean business, and that's not a bad thing. I like the "speaking tradition" a lot: if you see someone on campus, you say hello! I think that's beautiful.

There is a 3-year residency requirement which is common with small liberal arts colleges, and most seniors live off-campus in town. 96% of the classes have fewer than 25 students. 22% have fewer than 10. Opportunities abound: there's a Washington term which is very popular for internships, there are 12 world languages offered, and 29 programs in STEM. There's also a 4-week spring term where students take one class. I love that. Since Washington and Lee is in the heart of the Appalachian mountains, the outing club is the most popular club on campus - $40 gets you a membership for life.

Washington and Lee has long been white, wealthy and southern. We were told that culturally, they're trying to move away from whiteness and wealth. But the bookstore was the fanciest one I have ever seen with huge, full-color ads in the windows for Vineyard Vines, Nike and other expensive brands. I'm not sure they see that this contradicts the message they're trying to send. It is still a very wealthy population at this school, but they have something called the Shepherd Program for the Study of Poverty and Human Capability, and Poverty Studies is the #1 minor on campus. There's just something ironic about that and maybe a touch concerning.

To be fair, when we met with admissions, they were extremely transparent and extremely eager to move into the 21st century. They said that culturally, we are not your grandfather's Washington and Lee. In fact, they have doubled the students of color in the past 5 years - that's commendable. There is a Hillel House, and they bring bagels in from New York City. Who can complain about that?

There is no doubt that the education here is phenomenal. I think that like some other prestigious institutions, the student body is going to feel a bit wealthy and privileged. The greater community is also going to feel very southern, as evidenced by a confederate heritage celebration in town when I was there. Perhaps that's just the south. I'm a northerner so it's hard for me to say, but it's something to be aware of. Academically, a student cannot do much better than Washington and Lee. It's a phenomenal education, no doubt. I don't know why this struck me culturally as more southern and wealthier but it did. I encourage everyone to visit themselves and draw their own conclusions.