<p>My son has just received his first acceptance from Albright College in PA.
Anybody have a take on this school? Also interested in hearing about Elizabethtown College in PA. and Merrimack College in Mass.</p>
<p>Responses are much appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>Albright is a nice, solid school academically. I have heard that it is a very friendly campus. I don't know much about either Elizabethtown or Merrimack.</p>
<p>My son will be graduating from Elizabethtown in May. He has really enjoyed his time there. It's a small, friendly campus where professors really get to know the students - in class and socially. Elizabethtown is a quiet little town, but Hershey is nearby and so is Harrisburg. Baltimore is only about 1 1/2 hours away, Philly about an hour. Great merit aid packages for good SAT scores. Housing and food are among the best I've seen. He was able to get a good internship for this whole school year, and career services seem to have plenty of advice and job trips for the kids. I can't say anything bad about it. It has been ranked # 1 or 2 in USNWR under comprehensive colleges in the NE for at least the past 5 years or so.</p>
<p>I know girls that attend both schools. In fact, my daughters friend did one of those blogs for Albright in '03 - '04 when she was a freshman. She is now a sophmore and loves it. I read it when she was a freshman but couldn't find it just now when I did a google search. Her Mom did tell me that quite a few kids go home on weekends but not her daughter and she found plenty to keep her busy.</p>
<p>My son has a friend who's sister is a freshman at Elizabethtown. I saw her at a fall football game and she said she was having a wonderful time. She said the academics were challenging but that there's such a friendly feel and there are lots of traditions that make it fun.</p>
<p>Both girls (different schools, btw) were those wholesome friendly girls that you want your kids to be friends with.</p>
<p>We live 20 minutes from Albright, & quite a few kids from our high school go there every year as commuters. The ones I know like it. It's in an OK area of Reading, but there are very bad areas within a mile. If your daughter wants an area where she can walk safely to shopping & restaurants, this isn't it. Sorry.</p>
<p>See, this is why I like this board so much - the opportunity to get "local" feedback about the areas surrounding schools.</p>
<p>I grew up about 5 miles from Merrimack College and have family members and old friends who graduated - but that was a LONG time ago. My daughter attended a concert there last year, and a summer program this past summer so I have had a chance to see the school again recently. It has grown tremendously in the past 10-20 years. Lots of new buildings. Grounds and buildings are well kept. Decent local reputation for academics and job placement. Suburban location, about 30-45 minutes north of Boston. Not much in the immediate area - a Burger King across the street, and a small restaurant (maybe it's a Bertucci's - can't really remember)...supermarket, drug store, etc a short distance away. I do know that the concert my daughter went to sold out, so the students seem to be active on campus.</p>
<p>I agree with Carolyn, it's great to get "local" feedback on the areas surrounding the schools, as well as feedback from students who attend them.</p>
<p>pamvanw, thanks for the info about the area surrounding Albright. Although I have a boy, not a girl, the description of "very bad area" is a bit daunting.
We are from Northern VA, right next to DC, and are familiar with the variability of neighborhoods. Is the area you speak of crime-ridden and dangerous, or just of the unsavory variety where it's best not to be walking around at night? </p>
<p>scma--Your description of Merrimack matches our impression of it when we visited in December--very much a school on the upswing. I'd like to hear how students liked life there and if they were satisfied with the academics.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the info, guys. Keep it coming.</p>
<p>My son will also graduate from Elizabethtown College in May. He rates it as a very good school academically. Very small town, not much to do unless you go to Harrisburg, Hershey or Lancaster. Personal touch by professors who take a vested interest in their students. Good school spirit with athletics, competitive teams.</p>
<p>As far as Albright - that's not too far from where I live. It's not a "very bad" area but I wouldn't walk alone at night in the neighborhood. Crime is bad in the center of Reading, but the area of Albright College isn't too bad.</p>
<p>Thanks, Laxmom. Elizabethtown seems to be thought of highly. It sounds like its location in a very small town isn't too much of a drawback.</p>
<p>I wonder if there's another source where more info can be found about the towns and neighborhoods where small LACs are located--other than a generic Google search?</p>
<p>Anyone have any ideas?</p>
<p>There are frequent shootings in the bad area that I mentioned & lots of drug problems, & gangs. Albright is nice, & I wouldn't hesitate to have a student that commutes there, parks in their on campus lot; then drives home to the suburbs. IMO most resident students don't just stay on campuses - they wander out to local establishments. Son or daughter, I wouldn't want my kid doing that in Reading. I am uncomfortable driving through Reading during the day. We used to frequent the outlets in town. Now they are virtually all shut down, due to lack of business...due to crime.</p>
<p>I have to say the reason the outlets in "downtown" Reading closed was due to major lack of business, not so much the crime. With Vanity Fair and Designers Outlet at the other end of town, along with the malls, there was no need to go into the city area. I do agree that Reading is not a good place to go but the section where Albright is located is not that bad. If you are leaving campus, you don't have to go through Reading to get to the malls, restaurants, etc..just go a few blocks and you're on the bypass.</p>
<p>Lack of business came about after the increase in crime. Buses used to come in droves, & go to both Vanity Fair & the city outlets. There were cute little corner delis & street vendors selling hot dogs. That was in the 80s & early 90s. A couple of years ago, someone was shot on the corner right across from the Old Navy Outlet. There was also an incident at the Giant shopping center right next to Albright. If your student has a car, that is correct, you can be at the bypass in 1 minute, Fairgrounds Mall in 3, & Berkshire Mall in 7. There have also been problems at the Fairgrounds Mall...although I still go there on occasion. Berkshire Mall is fine. The whole area around Target is great with lots of chain restaurants. (10 minutes) The Vanity Fair Outlet area is fine, & Viva Restaurant is fun for all ages with their music & bar. However, I'm assuming the student would want to walk places, & I really wouldn't want my 18 year old to walk anywhere around Reading. Albright is a nice, welcoming school, with a good reputation for some programs, but given these 3 choices I'd pick one in a nicer location.</p>
<p>I've gotten the impression over the last 4 years that Elizabethtown is a very quiet, safe little town. People in town at stores, restaurants, etc are very friendly. I'll never forget the day we first dropped off our son, then headed out of town on the main street to visit Hershey Park. We were stopped at a traffic light (one car in front of us, 3 or 4 behind us), and when the light turned green the driver in front of us didnt' move - it looked like he was distracted by something on the floor. Being Jersey drivers we were about to beep the horn, but realized that no one behind us seemed bothered by the fact that we weren't moving. So we sat through that green light, and fortunately went on the next one. That's the feel I get about E-town, it's very laid back and relaxed.</p>
<p>I think Reading's main crime problem has stemmed from drug trade. A relative in law enforcement told me never to be surprised when some rural, small towns have higher crime than you expect - gangs will move drugs anywhere & everywhere.
In fact, I think I remember maybe 5-10 yrs back seeing stories on drug trade that moved thru I-81 (possibly from Baltimore) through York, PA. Also, moved through Allentown via I-78, though that may have been NYC gangs moving it down the highway.
I do agree that Reading outlets have suffered alot recently, but that may have to due with economy & increased competition with other outlets in nearby states or further upstate PA.</p>
<p>One of my daughter's friends went to Albright. Albright is the type of college where a car is helpful. There are some very nice Pocono ski resorts within an hour's drive and if your student is adventuresome he should be able to finds other interested friends there. These ski resorts are nice for college kids. They are quite a few college students and disc jockies often broadcast from the loudge bar. Albright also is very good promoting sports. This is the type of college where if your student plays a sport he can find a team. This IS important. Oftentimes a team is how many h.s. kids define themselves. I think it is a shame when a student enjoys a sport in h.s. but can't participate in college. My take on Elizabethtown is it is a little more exclusive.</p>
<p>But the Reading Phillies are still fun! My husband and son go out once a summer to watch them. I've tried to go through Reading (we live near Allentown) to get to Lancaster but the traffic really stinks so we now go the other way (south, then West)to get there.</p>
<p>once the 222 bypass is finished, it won't be so bad (to get to Lancaster). BHG, how do you feel Etown is a little more exclusive? Just wondering....</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure Albright is up on the hill, not far from where the Moss Street shopping outlets were. They all closed. I heard that area is really bad, and you always hear crime stories on the news happening in downstown Reading.</p>
<p>Elizabethtown has a better reputation locally. The 222 bypass is coming along but there are huge back-ups at the light where it funnels down to 2 lanes. (especially on the weekends, or if they're working on it on a week day) Don't try it yet !</p>