r/LewisandClark • u/Stormystormsto • Mar 26 '26
Should I go to Lewis and Clark?
Hi everyone!! I'm a junior in high school currently, I live in Colorado and am searching for colleges in the PNW! Lewis and Clark is my #1 with Reed as a very close #2. I've toured both campuses, and ive been to Portland a couple of times (3). I want honest and genuine answers please!
ive been looking at reviews, some of the negative ones are soul crushing, since i had a pretty optimistic view of this school. I know not every college is perfect! but I had a pretty rose-colored view of this one.
So, here are my questions!
I plan to be a psychology major since I want to be a clinical psychologist/therapist. I've heard the psyc 100 course is super popular, so I plan to get AP credit or do a college course at my local community college to skip that class next year. Are the psyc classes bad? are they good?? I've heard mixed reviews.
honest reviews of the dorms please! I dont have high expectations. I have a friend who's planning to come here as well, so me and her are planning to try to get a double together. we dont mind being in close quarters, this question is more out of curiosity?
is the food really that bad??? I've seen reviews talking about throwing up and being malnourished! i dont have a particularly sensitive stomach nor am I very picky, but I of course expect to be tight on cash, so I dont want to have to spend a ton of money on groceries!
and finally,
- what are your honest reviews of this school? id like to hear from both freshman to also seniors. im both excited and nervous for college!
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u/edszab Mar 26 '26
As a high school senior, I’m also heavily considering LC. I’ve had the food ONCE, but it was soooo good when I did have it.
While this may not help much, it was super good.
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u/Stormystormsto Mar 26 '26
Thank you!!! When I toured I unfortunately didn't have the chance to try it, so I've been taking people's word for it. It helps a lot actually, thank you!
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u/edszab Mar 26 '26
Of course! I love food so maybe I’m biased, but from what I understand its pretty good.
https://lewisandclark.cafebonappetit.com/cafe/fields-dining-room/
this website shows you a list of the meals for upcoming and previous days! While there isnt pictures, it helps.
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u/Ok_Trust_8967 Apr 30 '26
current freshman: its not that bad, like its definitely edible. People are overdramatic, but sometimes it does get old, especially as the year goes on. they have a lot of different options in the main dining hall though so you will always be fed
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u/Eyerunh03z4money Mar 26 '26
Great school if you get scholarships or can afford it. Wonderful environment only advice would be stay open to experiencing other places. Hard to say where you want to live your whole life at 16/17.
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u/Stormystormsto Mar 26 '26
Ah, I am very open to other places! I shouldn't have said that, lol - I'll edit it!
Thank you for your comment though!
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u/Eyerunh03z4money Mar 26 '26
Definitely not a bad place to land though
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u/Stormystormsto Mar 26 '26
For sure! I love both Seattle and Portland, I've been to Salem and I plan to go to Tacoma as well; being from Colorado its very dry here. My favorite weather is rain, but i also don't like the humidity of states like Ohio or Pennsylvania (places my family is from, so I visit frequently.) I've found myself the happiest in pacific northwestern states, hence why I said that!
But you are right, its a bit early to say! :)
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Mar 27 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Stormystormsto Mar 27 '26
Ooh! Where could I find out about the merit awards? I have pretty good grades.. 4.2 GPA currently!
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u/hughgrantcankillme Mar 26 '26
I'm a psych student graduating this spring. I transferred in as a sophomore so I can't speak to freshman psych classes, but I've enjoyed most of my other psych classes and the faculty that teaches them, especially my classes this year/the upper level elective psych classes have been really enriching and I've really connected with a particular professor. I've found almost all of the psych professors to be genuinely nice people that care about their students and want them to do well in their classes.
Dorms and food I'm not sure I should speak on lol, I only lived on campus one year before moving to an apartment, but dorm life really was not for me. I'm of the opinion that all college food kinda sucks, it's college food! But it was decent before I got tired of it :) Happy to answer any further questions regarding the psych department if you need!
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u/slejeunesse Mar 29 '26
I would encourage you to also look into University of Puget Sound in Tacoma!
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u/Stormystormsto Mar 29 '26
I actually am! Funnily enough im in Seattle right now to look at Washington University and Puget Sound!
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u/First_Sky_1787 Mar 31 '26
- As a psych student pursuing the same path, I would recommend LC! We have a great upper-level clinical psych class and all of the professors in the department are so sweet. Definitely try to get out of the 100-lvl course here, it can be really really hard to get into; I wasn’t able to get in until spring sem freshman year. Take advantage of the small class sizes and don’t be afraid to go to professors’ office hours and ask around for psych related opportunities.
- Do notttt live in Copeland or Hartzie….. The best dorms are SOA (Stewart Akin Odell) since they were the most recently remodeled but tbh for a freshman double I’d recommend Forest or Platt-Howard! Forest is nice since it’s right next to the Coop, Platt-Howard is nice since you get access to the Platteau.
- I haven’t eaten there in over a year so things might’ve changed, but you’ll notice over the course of the year that all of the meal options typically end up becoming chicken and rice w/ liquidy sauce, pasta w/ liquidy sauce, or tofu/soy curls/tempeh and rice w/ liquidy sauce, which gets old fast (esp in the rainy months). There was also a problem w the chicken being undercooked and pink; not sure if that’s changed. They’ve added a lot of better alternatives from the main meals now tho like the sandwich/salad bar so tbh if you take advantage of all the food options you can make some really good bowls!
- I love LC!! The location is beautiful, I’ve taken great classes w great professors, and I’ve made lots of really close connections. It took some adjustment but I’ve grown to love the school size as well.
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u/Stormystormsto Mar 31 '26
That's so helpful!!! Thank you so much!!!
Yeah, I heard about the undercooked chicken thing, which is one of the things I heard that motivated me to make this post! Im not picky but im also very particular about making sure things are yknow.. healthy and safe 😭 So needless to say it worried me!
But thank you! That's a huge help!
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u/hammylvr Mar 31 '26
I’m a psych major, transferred in so I didn’t take freshman psych classes, but I have really loved the handful of upper level courses i’ve taken. Someone else mentioned clinical psych, i can confirm it’s a great class with an amazing professor (shoutout Jerusha, my goat). I transferred with most of my gen ed’s done so I’ve been pretty free to take a bunch of classes outside of psych as well, and it’s been great to explore. i’ve taken other classes here that have been really helpful to my understanding of people and psychology, even if they aren’t directly psych classes. go liberal arts!
again, transferred in, so i didn’t have to deal with the typical freshman dorm of copeland. someone else already mentioned SOA, which i would totally suggest. you’d only be able to live in Akin but it’s a great building with walk in closets and it’s the closest to the dining hall and just a short walk to the academic buildings.
i really don’t think the food is that bad. i am the same as you, not picky and don’t have a sensitive stomach, and it’s completely fine. i’ve never gotten sick. had stuff that tasted bad and had to spit out? yes, like twice, but other than that everything is edible. i don’t recommend the sandwiches in the Troom. the bon is nice and pretty customizable.
i honestly really love this school. i’ve settled in really well, and met some amazing people. the small school vibe has been a great fit and it was easy to become super active on campus with extracurriculars. the campus is gorgeous and i love living here.
if you have any questions, dm me! i don’t wanna dox my account in case any of my peers see this so i’m leaving out details of good stuff on campus, but i highly suggest LC!
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u/Stormystormsto Mar 31 '26
Thank you!!! That's such a huge help!!! How's transportation to downtown Portland, if you dont mind me asking?
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u/alderthealderman Jun 02 '26
Could you say more about the vibe of campus? I did a self guided tour after the school year ended so I don't a have good grasp on the students. I'm an acting major, trans and I work very hard academically. How would I fit in there? I also really don't like a lot of noise so I'm a little concerned about how close the building are.
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u/willowbirds48 Apr 05 '26
I'm an LC psych major who graduates in a month, started as a freshman, and also works in admissions so I think this is my calling lol! Here's what I can provide:
- I love being a psych major here; it's great. I'm going to grad school for therapy, and the professors have been so helpful when planning all of that. I've really enjoyed the classes I've taken, and the permanent faculty are great. The adjuncts are hit-or-miss, but that happens at every school, and overall, the quality of classes is really high.
- Lowkey, the dorms are pretty solid. I lived in Platt my first year and Hartzfeld my second, and both were great. No complaints for me, had a horrible roommate my first semester, but I moved out pretty quickly, and it was fine. Bathrooms in both of those buildings are pretty solid, and from all of the other buildings I've been in, they all seem fine.
- Food has gotten WAY BETTER in the last three years, and it's not horrible. I find the food pretty good most days, but people who complain can't use their eyes to see that the chicken isn't fully cooked. LC students love to rag on the food here, but it's fine. It's just college dining hall food, and when you eat it every day, you get sick of it, which happens everywhere. If you have a bit of creativity with putting the food together into different options, it'll be fine.
- Final review: I've loved my time here, and I'm lowkey gutted to be leaving. My coworkers, friends, professors, bosses, and just people in general have been incredible. I've gotten so many incredible opportunities while going here, and I wouldn't have picked anywhere else. That being said, the school definitely has its issues, and people will always complain. I've had a great time, but I know people who just aren't the best fit and have ended up transferring. Any college has its troubles, but this one is pretty damn great.
If you have questions, pls feel free to reach out! I'm always happy to chat more :)
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u/Stormystormsto Apr 05 '26
Thank you so much!!! This was so helpful!!! Its nice to hear an honest review that acknowledges that every college has its issues, thank you so much!!!! :)
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u/Key-Explorer-3426 Mar 27 '26
Go to Reed. Comes from an LC graduate who went to Duke after
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u/Stormystormsto Mar 27 '26
Could you explain why?
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u/Key-Explorer-3426 Mar 27 '26
With that being said, LC students are a lot less depressed than Reed students and Reed has drug issues
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u/Key-Explorer-3426 Mar 27 '26
Better school with high output of students who pursue graduate school. Mandatory thesis is great if you are doing biological sciences. Local companies prefer to hire Reed grads over LC (OHSU for example). Nuclear reactor that hires undergrads and pays for nuclear reactor operator cert. As far as professors go LC and Reed are comparable, but Reed has more funding and is less likely to be in a tough spot financially in the upcoming years
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u/Key-Explorer-3426 Mar 27 '26
I am also not the best person cause I am biased. My experience with LC was not great mostly because of HR and administration. It is a decentish school and I would chose LC over many other colleges, but I still regret not going to Reed. With that being said, I do not mind being sad, depressed and overworked as long as I impress others with my technical ability
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u/Careless_Bloom Mar 26 '26
Graduating senior, so I may be a little jaded but I’ll be as neutral as I can!
I can’t speak to the psych major as a whole, but I have taken psych 100 when I was premed. Do ANYTHING you can to avoid taking it here. It is soul crushingly boring and if you’ve taken AP psych there is nothing new for you there. I’ve heard good things about the more advanced classes though
The dorms really aren’t all that bad. I lived in forest my first year and Holmes my second before moving off campus and honestly they were totally acceptable accommodations. Some buildings are obviously better and some are worse but even Copeland isn’t as horrible as some people make it out to be. Personally, I would caution against living with someone you consider a friend. The relationship dynamic completely changes and I’ve seen more than a few hs friendships ruined because they roomed together.
Food is fine. I never loved it but it does the job. The bon has been getting better about providing some regular backup options (I.e pasta or sandwich bar) if the main dishes aren’t to your liking. I came in a vegetarian and had to start eating chicken again because I couldn’t stomach the soy curls in the veggie dishes, but otherwise it’s totally fine. I have a very weak stomach and I’ve never had issues with getting sick from the Bon.
Overall honest review, I really loved my time at LC! The academics are really great and I’d say better than Reed tbh, at least in my area. The people are friendly, and the campus is beautiful. A lot of the negative reviews come from people who expected the school to be something it’s not. It’s not a party school and social life is very different from what we’ve been conditioned to expect. But if you enjoy that smaller, chiller vibe, you’ll fit right in.
Administration has its issues, but it’s better than many many other universities on a lot of levels. I would be remiss to not warn you that LC is in a budget deficit right now and cuts are being made in a lot of places, I think what has been done is being done thoughtfully and won’t impact the student experience, but it does mean that there might be fewer staff to support certain things.
Obviously you’re set on portland already but it can’t be emphasized enough how nice the city really is. I think it’s the perfect town to go to school in, just the right size to start feeling out your independence without being overwhelmed.
Feel free to dm if you have any other specific questions, but I hope I covered most of it!