Hi there,
I am an international student and I have been accepted into these three great LACs. I want to study Comp. Science, Physics, Mathematics and will most probably major in one of these, but I am also interested in English Literature, possibly a minor. The financial aid packages are similar. So now I am trying to choose between these three schools.
Any suggestions??
I would normally recommend Colgate. However, Lafayette is about an hour from Newark Airport and is a very good undergraduate engineering school, so it has more academically for you.
Oberlin is not as mainstream as the other two socially so the risk you won’t like it takes it off the table.
I think all things considered Lafayette is the best choice. Since you will probably want to visit NY, Lafayette is very close and transportation is quite easy. There are also two other great schools nearby, Lehigh and Muhlenberg.
@OnTheBubble I am not so sure about engineering, so how are the comp. science, physics and maths courses compared? thanks.
Which of the three schools has ABET accredited computer science? I believe only Lafayette. They are in general peer schools but Lafayette will be stronger in CS because of its engineering programs.
Oberlin is ultra liberal. Rural area and very cold winters. Great arts
Colgate is gorgeous campus, also rural area. Cold winters. Great placement for students.
Lafayette sucks. (Jk). Not a great area.
Easton is fine… I wouldn’t say it sucks.
There are more important reasons why Lafayette makes more sense.
@ClarinetDad16 what’s wrong with Lafayette?
@OnTheBubble is being ABET credited really that important? Hasn’t Colgate got a better reputation and is more selective?
Yes it is important. Colgate does not have a better reputation than Lafayette in certain fields of study.
Is Colgate overall more prestigious, yes a little but not in STEM.
Lafayette also has a much better location for an international student.
Colgate is in a tiny town but it’s a cute little town. About an hour away from Syracuse. Lafayette is in a depressed small city about 90 min from NYC. Both have lots to offer bur Colgate stronger for research opportunities, arts and business programs. Not sure which is better for math. Colgate has the better alumni network by far. But you have to be comfortable with the location as it is remote
My D is at Lafayette and loves it. Lafayette is very STEM oriented for a LAC as it has a strong engineering department. There are great opportunities for research with professors as well (my D stayed on campus the last two summers doing research in her major). My D has a friend who is a CS major and is very happy with the program (I know only because he in an international student who spent Thanksgiving with us). While Easton is not the most exciting town in the world, from what I understand it has improved a great deal over the last decade or so and there are plenty of restaurants, shops, bars, a small theater and it is just fine as a college area (I don’t know where posters saying negative things about Easton got their information but I was there two weeks ago and had a fun brunch in an adorable restaurant/bookstore with my D that was filled with a combination of students and local residents, I"ve been to a great pub, nice restaurants etc.). And Newark airport is easily do-able by bus. I would also argue that Lafayette’s alumni network is as strong as any and the school also has an outstanding career services group. And my D just got into a fantastic (Ivy) grad program in her chosen field.
We did not consider Colgate (too rural for my D) or Oberlin (due to location, not as STEM oriented) but they are both excellent schools as well.
A bit about Lafayette’s location:
Lafayette has a gorgeous campus overlooking the city of Easton. Within easy walking distance is College Hill and downtown Easton where there are many excellent restaurants, shops, etc. Commuting to NYC and Philly is easy - students can walk to the bus station for the quick 90 minute trips to the cities. Some people in Easton commute to NYC daily for their jobs so going for the day is not uncommon. Makes it great for interviews, internships, to see Broadway shows, take in a sports game, etc. Also easy to get to international airports. Easton is part of the Lehigh Valley which has approx. 800,000 residents. Lots to do in the area!
@nepalikta there is a far superior school in their backyard
He said he wants Comp Sci, Physics, Math -not Engineering so ABET not an issue. All 3 have different feel so if you haven’t visited or can afford to go back, go to their Open Day for accepted students.
I feel like many of the respones in this thread are using their own preferences to advise the OP. And some of the information is inaccurate. For instance, all of these schools are in locations where there will be winter, so they’re not so different in that respect (Colgate will be the coldest, with the most snow, Lafayette the least so). Second, ABET accreditation does not matter for CS – most of the top CS schools in the country are not ABET accredited. Third, calling Oberlin’s location rural is misleading – it’s about half an hour away from the Cleveland airport, and just a bit further away from Cleveland itself. No, Cleveland isn’t NYC, but there’s a lot going on there.
And we don’t know that any of these are important to the OP. So, perhaps we should ask: What’s important to you, what are your preferences (besides the strenght of the programs)?
I don’t really know that much about those particular programs at these schools. Some things you can do is look at the departments, and see how many faculty they have in each, and also the class schedules, to see how many courses they offer, and how frequently. There’s a thread on CC where ucbalumnus compiled a lot of the info about the CS course offerings at LACs.
FWIW, I’d say that overall Oberlin and Colgate are the stronger of these schools (stronger in different areas), and Lafayette a bit less so. It’s probably true that Colgate and Lafayette are stronger in the STEM areas (but you should investigate the particulars of these programs further).
It’s definitely true that Oberlin is more liberal – but that may be a positive or a negative, depending on your preferences. Colgate and Lafayette are more preppy and greek-oriented. Again, how you feel about those depends on your preferences.
Personally, I’d go with Oberlin of these three (but it fits my preferences better).
Caveat: I just got back from visiting Oberlin (and several other schools in Ohio); my son is interested in studying Physics. I haven’t seen Colgate or Lafayette.
@ClarinetDad16 – If you are here just to “dis” Lafayette because you prefer another school in the area that the OP is not considering then I would argue that you are not adding a whole lot of value to this thread. You have not provided one fact to back up anything you have claimed is wrong with Lafayette while many others here have first hand knowledge of the school. It is great that you like Colgate, but that is no reason to spew incorrect/outdated/unsubstantiated information about other schools.
@happy1 you are clearly objective - as the parent of a Lafayette student.
Thanks so much for the kind words.
@ClarinetDad16 And I was quite upfront about that so the OP could take any comments I made in that context.
I really feel for international students trying to make these decisions from a distance. These are three great colleges, with great success sending students to graduate school, so it comes down to ‘fit,’ which is hard to determine without visiting. Here is my assessment based on my daughter’s college tours last year and talking to alums of these colleges. (I am not an alum nor do I have a student at any of these schools).
Oberlin - Very liberal, lots of marijuana use, very laid back student population. 30 miles to Cleveland, OH (major airport) but people don’t go into the city much. Amazing music conservatory if you would like to take lessons or hear a concert. Can feel very isolated.
Colgate - Top majors are business and finance, graduates earn the most money of the three, lovely rural area, but nearest airport is 45 miles away (and Syracuse is not a major airport for international flights), lots of athletes. (I know the least about Colgate and my daughter did not apply.)
Lafayette - Has an engineering school and more STEM majors overall. Top majors are Social Sciences; Engineering; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Psychology; and English Language and Literature/Letters. It is less than 90 minutes from 2 major cities (NYC and Philadelphia) which is convenient for international flights. Close to a larger city of 100,000 (Allentown).
In my humble opinion, although Lafayette is the least well known of the three, it sounds like it fits your needs best. It is the most science oriented, but with a strong English department, and it is close to two major cities for off campus visits. Arranging flights from NYC will very convenient for you.
Also, you are getting the most comments from the Lafayette crowd - so they must be friendly, helpful people!
Good luck - they are all great choices!
I agree 100 percent with @VAOptimist (and I say this as someone whose kid had a less than positive experience with Lafayette Admissions). If you cannot visit the three schools, Lafayette seems like the safe bet and an excellent choice regardless, for all the reasons listed in #18.
It’s a very good school, especially for STEM subjects, has a beautiful campus, and is good with job placement after graduation. And Easton IMHO is a much nicer little city than Bethlehem. (I add that since for some reason that isn’t clear to me, there are Lehigh partisans here only to bash Easton and Lafayette.)