<p>So I recently visited Dickinson and fell in love with it. Then I started looking more into schools like it and discovered the ridiculous amount of small LACs in the state. After looking at them all for quite a while I just feel like they all seem the same, at least from their websites. I want to be a history major, and I'm really looking for a school with a collaborative environment and a lot of passion for education (I am a nerd). I'm pretty smart; Dickinson would most likely definitely accept me but Swarthmore is considered a reach. Please comment below with colleges that seem to fit what I'm looking for in the PA area. I already know about their stats, I'm more interested in the different vibes of the campuses and the types of students that go. Thank you so much for helping!</p>
<p>Haverford, Bucknell (in the middle of no where though), Lehigh is mid-sized, For a safety look at Allegheny College</p>
<p>Check out Juniata. It is one of the Colleges That Change Lives.</p>
<p>Lafayette, Bucknell, & Franklin and Marshall all fit the bill. </p>
<p>I visited Dickinson, Lafayette and F&M with my D. We liked them all (She decided to apply to Lafayette ED and is there now and loves it). Our impressions were that Lafayette and F&M seemed a bit more STEM oriented which was what she wanted – but we felt the schools were strong in the humanities as well. Dickinson seemed to focus more on a "global education, spending time abroad etc. which might be a better match for someone else. Dickinson did have a new science center but we didn’t really get to see it. And it sounds strange and maybe petty but she didn’t like the streets going through the Dickinson campus. We skipped Bucknell because it was a bit bigger than she wanted and it was also further from our home. She knows people at all of these schools and they are all very happy.</p>
<p>While she liked F&M a lot (might have been her second choice), something about Lafayette just felt right to her so she applied ED to Lafayette and is there now. And as a student she finds it very collaborative (she and her friends have helped each other in subjects one is stronger in than the other). She is a rising junior and is spending this summer doing a research project on campus with a professor which has been great experience. She has developed close relationships with not only students, but also with a number of professors and from what I gather she will stop by some of their offices just to chat even if she is not currently in their class. She also has found it easy to get involved on campus and there is a wide range of things to choose from. The school spirit is a fun break as well (especially when they play arch-rival Lehigh) – a rivalry like this is unusual for such a small school. If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>I agree that many of the PA LACs seem the same, but the only experience that matters is the one that you have on a particular campus. </p>
<p>For history I really like Dickinson but you’ve already ruled that out. My next suggestion would be Muhlenberg, which has a dept with a nice spread of ten junior and senior faculty. There’s also St. Mary’s College on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay in MD. It’s Maryland’s Honors College, and about 1200 in size, IIRC. It’s a bit remote but it’s right on the water, convenient for sailing, boating, and crew. It’s particularly strong in colonial American history, and the town of St. Mary’s has been an archaeological site.</p>
<p>We recently lived in the Philly area and have walked around many of the LAC campuses. Nothing here but a feel.<br>
Elizabethtown: Pretty campus, small feeling, in a little PA town but has some interesting shops downtown. Ursinus: Artsy campus feel, very open campus. Bryn Mawr: Very stereotypical college vibe, intellectual, really liked this one. Lehigh: Set on a hill, beautiful campus in industrial town. Lafayette: Another beautiful campus, liked this one a lot too. F&M: Small school vibe; heard a bad report about the school from a parent… nothing specific, just wasn’t a good fit for their artsy D.</p>
<p>If I remember correctly, Colleges That Change Lives mentioned Allegheny, Ursinus, and Juniata.
I don’t think anyone has mentioned Gettysburg yet.</p>
<p>Thank you all so much, this is really helpful!!! Just realized I spelled match wrong in the discussion title, which probably doesn’t exactly prove what I said about being smart (but I swear I am, haha). jkeil911- I still do really like Dickinson, and I definitely got a feel that they had an amazing history program, but I’m just not sure that they would give me enough money. I’m still definitely applying though!! But thank you for all the other choices, it really helps in this super stressful time!</p>
<p>My D1 attended Dickinson and loved it. She also is smart and does not mind being considered a bit nerdy (vs. younger sister who is a true geek!). Are you looking for merit or need based aid? What do the net price calculators show? Another vote for Gettysburg, and we also like St. Mary’s College of Maryland. But I like Dickinson best of these.</p>
<p>Muhlenberg gave very good aid to my S’s friend so that is worth checking out as well. Not sure if it mattered, but he did apply ED.</p>
<p>According to the net price calculator, I would only get 16k in need-based aid from Dickinson, but my family would not be able to afford the remaining tuition 
I’m hoping I’ll be able to get either a merit scholarship from Dickinson or elsewhere, but I don’t want to expect that and then be disappointed. It just sucks because Dickinson was so amazing when I visited and I absolutely fell in love!
So far, the schools that will give me the best financial aid (according to the net priced calculator) are Swarthmore, Juniata, and Muhlenberg, but I’m definitely looking into all the colleges you’re suggesting!!!</p>
<p>One of the things I did really like about Dickinson was the distribution requirements that they had as their core curriculum. I don’t know if other colleges have that, but if any of you know of ones that do that would be really awesome!</p>
<p>Dickinson also has some good language programs, including Arabic, and good study abroad. I have a friend whose S took advantage of all of these and loved it.</p>
<p>The net calculators can be way off for some schools. So don’t assume that you will get a lot more at some of the other private colleges if your family cannot afford one of them. You may want to start looking at financial safeties also.</p>
<p>If you are willing to look one state to the west, Ohio also has some excellent LACs - Kenyon, Oberlin, Denison and College of Wooster. I know that Denison is generous with merit aid.</p>
<p>I’ve got to give props to F&M. It has a beautiful campus and has amazingly energetic students and professors.</p>
<p>I would suggest, Muhlenberg, Ursinus, and Gettysburg be added to your list. Muhlenberg is perfect for the nerdy type student. No Greek pressure, a great campus, school spirit, strong theater department and good academics and financial aid. Ursinus is similar and Gettysburg has a strong civil war department. Best of luck! </p>