Founded in 1749, Washington and Lee University is named for two men who played pivotal roles in the University's history: George Washington, whose generous endowment of $20,000 in 1796 helped the fledgling school (then known as Liberty Hall Academy) survive, and Robert E. Lee, who provided innovative educational leadership during his transformational tenure as president of Washington College from 1865 to 1870.
Washington and Lee University provides a liberal arts education that develops students' capacity to think freely, critically, and humanely and conduct themselves with honor, integrity, and civility. Graduates will be prepared for life-long learning, personal achievement, responsible leadership, service to others, and engaged citizenship in a global and diverse society.
There is nothing like a campus visit to learn whether W&L is right for you. Located in Lexington, Virginia, our campus is known for its beauty and historical significance. Picturesque yet vital, Lexington is home to fine restaurants, charming shops, and a lively arts scene.
Our proximity to the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains provides students abundant opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Charlottesville and Roanoke are within about an hour's drive, and Washington, D.C. is just three hours away.
Our mission is to make a Washington and Lee education affordable for all admitted students. All First-Year applicants, including domestic, international, and undocumented students, are eligible and encouraged to apply for our need-based university grants and merit scholarships. Transfer students are eligible and encouraged to apply for University need-based grants.
At Washington and Lee, we will meet 100 percent of your demonstrated need entirely through grants and student employment. No loan will be included in meeting any part of your demonstrated need. Also, the W&L Promise guarantees grant packages equal to or greater than full tuition to any undergraduate student admitted to Washington and Lee with a family income below $100,000 and assets typical for their income.
Washington and Lee is a QuestBridge partner college, a national organization dedicated to connecting its brightest students from low-income backgrounds with this country's leading higher education institutions.
First-Year Experience assists new students with their holistic development. We want students to feel welcome, be aware of and likely to use resources, and develop skills intellectually, emotionally, and socially. W&L is committed to recruiting and retaining a broad, inclusive student body, faculty, and administration who represent a wide range of interests, abilities, and cultures.
With over 120 student organizations to choose from and speakers, concerts, movies, and events throughout the year, life at W&L is never dull. And if the right opportunity does not exist, students are given the tools and encouragement to start something new.
College can be a big adjustment, and at W&L, we believe that there is a direct connection between what happens in and beyond the classroom. Beginning with the First-Year Program, we offer the guidance, resources, and support to help students succeed academically and personally.
Living in campus residence halls is an integral part of every W&L undergraduate student's experience. All first-years, sophomores, and juniors live in University housing in various group settings, including traditional residence halls, apartments, townhouses, and themed housing. Rising seniors typically secure living arrangements off-campus. However, a limited number of rooms are usually available for seniors who wish to remain on campus. Law students are not eligible for campus housing.
The Career and Professional Development Center complements students' educational experience by providing the guidance and resources needed to develop and implement their academic and career plans. Its comprehensive services emphasize collaborative relationships with employers, alumni, faculty, peer institutions, and the W&L community.
The Student Health Center at Washington and Lee University includes three departments to help students, be it counseling or providing information about health issues. The Office of Public Safety provides a safe and secure environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the University community.
The community of trust created by Washington and Lee's student-run Honor System is one of student life's hallmarks. W&L students hold each other accountable for honorable behavior, character, and integrity, actively participating in student conduct governance through six bodies.
Washington and Lee is a small, private, liberal arts university nestled between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains in Lexington, Va. It is the ninth oldest institution of higher learning in the nation.
In 1749, Scotch-Irish pioneers who had migrated deep into the Valley of Virginia founded a small classical school called Augusta Academy, some 20 miles north of Lexington. In 1776, the trustees, fired by patriotism, changed the school's name to Liberty Hall. Four years later, the school was moved to Lexington's vicinity, wherein 1782, it was chartered as Liberty Hall Academy by the Virginia legislature and empowered to grant degrees. A limestone building, erected in 1793 on the crest of a ridge overlooking Lexington, burned in 1803, though its ruins are preserved today as a symbol of the institution's honored past.
In 1796, George Washington saved the struggling Liberty Hall Academy when he gave the school its first significant endowment--$20,000 worth of James River Canal stock. The trustees promptly changed the name of the school to Washington Academy as an expression of their gratitude.
Washington and Lee University observed its 250th Anniversary with a year-long national celebration during the 1998-99 academic year.
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