Three days after moving in for my second year at Whitman, I revisited the CommonApp website and created a transfer account. It has since sat inactive, but its sheer existence sparked many conversations about the unique prevalence of transfer fantasies among Whitman students.
Ask any Whitman student if they’ve thought about moving to a different school: chances are they’ll say yes, and increasingly so.
Impressively, Whitman’s retention rates are still considerably higher than its counterparts in the Northwest 5 College Consortium, whose members include the University of Puget Sound, Reed College, Lewis and Clark College, and Willamette University. However, Whitman’s numbers are catching up, and not in a good way. Whitman’s retention rate has dropped significantly in recent years. According to the 2017-2018 Common Data Set, the class that entered Whitman in Fall 2016 boasted a retention rate of a whopping 93.80 percent. However, each following report marked a steady decline in retention rates. In the most recent Common Data Set, which covered the 2022-2023 academic year, the cohort that entered in Fall 2021 managed to maintain only 88.30 percent of its students after their first year at Whitman.
These discrepancies could be chalked up to the effects of the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and the college, but data from other similar institutions would beg to differ.
The members of the Northwest 5 College Consortium, though they had lower retention rates to begin with, did not note these drastic drops in their data from the same years. For example, Reed College’s fall 2016 cohort reported an 88.14 percent retention rate in their 2017-2018 Common Data Set. In their 2022-2023 data, they saw their Fall 2021 entering class maintain 86 percent of their students. This is a difference of less than two percentage points compared to Whitman’s statistics, which fell by over five percentage points. Similarly, Willamette University and Lewis and Clark College both had a less significant decline in their numbers than Whitman. The only member of the Consortium that took a more marked hit to their retention rates was the University of Puget Sound, whose data fell nearly seven percentage points.
Of course, numbers aren’t everything. For insight into why these changes are taking place, I spoke with former Whitman students who transferred to other institutions and took a look at the other side of the coin, exploring why current Whitties who were going to transfer ultimately decided to stick around.
In many ways, Whitman’s limited student population is its greatest strength and most detrimental weakness. One student, who asked to remain anonymous, listed it as one of their reasons for transferring after their first year at Whitman. They chose to move back to their hometown and attend college there instead. The student compared the experience at Whitman to that of high school.
“The small size, to everyone knowing everyone, to there being drama and cliques,” they said.
This sentiment was echoed by a current Sophomore who opted to remain at Whitman despite nearly transferring last year. He noted his surprise in finding that his experience here has been so reminiscent of his time in high school, in a way that is everything but fun or nostalgic.
“I didn’t fit in well with any group on campus and in some ways, I found college to be similar to high school in terms of social cliques, which I didn’t enjoy,” the student said.
Another student expressed her dislike for the lack of variety in day-to-day activities, which she believes is caused by the small campus.
“Every day, I would go do the same things… see the same people… eat the same food at Cleve. It just got suffocating,” she said.
On the one hand, the small school dynamic can foster a close-knit environment you won’t find at larger institutions– it’s nice to walk around campus and exchange a smile with a friend-of-a-friend or to run into a classmate at Cleve and ask how they’re studying for an upcoming exam.
On the other hand, however, rumors are often spread before they are substantiated, causing undue harm and creating tension among students.
Whether this lack of anonymity and extremely interconnected network of students is an overall benefit or detriment to the community remains to be seen.
The social atmosphere of a small liberal arts college, especially one nestled in its own little bubble on the border of rural Eastern Washington, is unexpectedly complicated. These dynamics can create the feeling of existing in a fishbowl, where everyone seems to be hyper-aware of the happenings of other students’ lives. The small size of this school, especially when coupled with its relative isolation, is truly a double-edged sword.
The physical location of Whitman is another frequently touched-on topic when it comes to reasons for transferring. There are just over 30,000 people who live in the city of Walla Walla– it’s a town that’s smaller than the student population of many prominent U.S. universities.
The city can feel limiting or restricting, often for different reasons depending on a student’s background. Two of the students I spoke with hail from states other than Washington, which presents unique challenges. One expressed the struggles of traveling long distances to and from Whitman, a venture that can be very expensive and oftentimes complex (see: the rides listserv the week before winter break).
“Not having a car on campus as a freshman is a major setback,” they said.
As someone who loves the outdoors, they quickly became frustrated during their time at Whitman about not being able to go on excursions as much as expected, in part due to these transportation issues.
However, it is not only out-of-state students who have difficulties in Walla Walla. Another Whitman sophomore, who is also a lifelong resident of Walla Walla, brought this up during a recent interview where she discussed nearly leaving Whitman in favor of Western Washington University. From her own experiences, as well as conversations with peers, she has found that it is all too easy to “feel like you’re trapped”. These are common criticisms from students who moved from larger cities and are used to the hustle and bustle, so it is fascinating to hear these sentiments echoed by locals.
“There’s not much to do in Walla Walla,” the student said, “and anything you can do involves spending money”.
At the same time, though, it is important to recognize the reasons that many students make the decision to stay at Whitman.
The Walla Walla-based student said that the people– both students and faculty– here are a big reason that she ultimately stayed. Her close group of peers and their strong bonds are extremely important.
“At this point, I’m too close to my friends to leave,” she said.
She also appreciates the professors at Whitman and praises the way that they can make learning more “accessible” through their willingness to work with students and desire for them to succeed.
Another student found a “homey” community in Greek Life. Reflecting on how it has improved his experience at Whitman, he described his fraternity as a positive addition to his life.
“I’ve found a very thoughtful environment where there is always someone to talk to,” he said.
Since remaining at Whitman, he has also grown more fond of Walla Walla through a job that connects him with and helps him to be involved in local communities, thus feeling less isolated on campus.
Whitman has a very unique culture, both in positive and negative ways. For some, it is simply not worth the time and effort to try and navigate the environment of the Whitman bubble. While the number of students who feel this way continues to increase, the reason remains difficult to pin down.
The same thing that was the tipping point in one student’s decision to transfer could be the main tie keeping another student here. Everyone has their pros and cons, and it is often a delicate balance between them. As we watch some friends go off to chart a different path, it is important to evaluate our own so we can make the right choices for ourselves.
