"When Patty Went to College" presents a humorous look at life in a women's college at the turn of the 20th century. Patty Wyatt, the protagonist of this story is a bright, fun-loving, imperturbable young woman who does not like to conform. Patty enjoys life on campus and uses her energies in playing pranks and for the entertainment of herself and her friends. The book describes her many escapades on campus during her senior year at college.

Jean Webster (1876-1916) was an American writer and author of many books including Daddy-Long-Legs and Dear Enemy. Her best-known books feature lively and likeable young female protagonists who come of age intellectually, morally, and socially, but with enough humor, snappy dialogue, and gently biting social commentary to make her books palatable and enjoyable to contemporary readers.