<p>I saw that Earlham has extended their application deadline to April 1st, I wonder if the number of applications is down this year.</p>
<p>Also my son is planning to major in biology/biochemistry. He got a letter last week inviting him to apply for a departmental scholarship. Pretty simple one page application, an essay and 2 teacher recs.</p>
<p>If anyone else here is considering this major and haven't gotten a letter, you should check it out.</p>
<p>Extending to April 1, national answer day, seems pretty extraordinary to me, I have to believe apps are down. Getting 20 or 30 kids less than target can have a major impact on a school as small as Earlham. Beloit was 40 or 50 kids below where they wanted to be a few years ago, translated to something like $1 million of revenue, they had to lay off 25 or 30 people. The economy seemed to not have as big of an impact on apps to private schools last year as people were expecting, I wonder if it is showing up now.</p>
<p>I read that Earlham’s current freshman class is smaller than expected; that may be a factor.</p>
<p>This hurts my heart - I really don’t know what’s up with Earlham - we really loved it, and it remains at or near the top in my son’s choices. But isn’t it strange how mass psychology works? I hope people don’t turn it down because they think others are. Matter of fact, the cool thing about Earlham is that folks who like Earlham really follow their own hearts, not the trends. I am so impressed with everything I’ve learned about Earlham.</p>
<p>I doubt Earlham is any worse off than other similar LACs. To my chagrin, my son will turn Earlham down, but not because of what he thinks other people are doing. He just likes another school better.</p>
<p>I read in an article on Earlham’s website that last years freshman retention rate was around 81 percent. Not great by any means, but not as bad as some colleges. </p>
<p>Are there any Earlham students on here who could possibly give some reasons why so many students didn’t return?</p>
<p>Argan,
I am a freshman at Earlham, and I plan on transfering.
My reasoning for transffering comes mainly from my dealings with the financial aid office here. It has been my experience that the aid office cares little for an individual’s situtation, and their only concern is to balance the books. Aid at Earlham is down a lot and therefore I am being forced to look for a school that can afford to fund me.</p>
<p>Along with financial woes, a Earlham student has several social issues to contend with. The school advertises that it is a dry campus, this is a lie. The idea that this is a dry campus is a sad joke, and a blatant lie. Every Tuesday night is an event called “whiskey Tuesday” where students go to drink. Saturdays at 4 is the “hash”, where students run in the woods and drink beer. Along with the organized drinking culture, is the impromptu, boredom induced drinking. There is very little to do on campus, and therefore students resort to drinking. </p>
<p>Lastly, the academics at Earlham are very very easy. I can only attest to my freshman classes, but they have been very easy. I know several people who skip 50% of their classes and still manage 3.2 GPA’s. I have heard that classes get harder, but the culture on campus is definitely not academic oriented. The concern of the majority of students seems to be more, where do I get more weed or beer, then how will I do well academically. </p>
<p>This is a very short summary of the observations I have made here at Earlham. If you have any more specific questions feel free to ask, and I will answer them as truthfully as I can.</p>
<p>Thank you for the response, EarlhamTransfer, here and also in the Academics thread. It was very helpful.</p>
<p>While I am still considering Earlham, this does put things at least a little clearer. I definitely knew it wasn’t a dry campus as they state, but I wasn’t sure to what extent. </p>
<p>While academic rigor is variable for what I want, the limited options that Earlham has will definitely be a big factor. And from what you mentioned about financial aid, that could be a big problem for me to, seeing that I will need quite a bit to enroll. </p>
<p>As I said, it’s still a possibility. I still have some weeks to decide. </p>
<p>I’ll certainly let you know if I have anymore questions. Thanks.</p>
<p>EarlhamTransfer, our experience with Financial Aid at Earlham has been just the opposite of yours. They were quite generous with my D, both grants and merit money, and the people at the FA office have been helpful and friendly, without exception.</p>
<p>Earlham is officially “dry,” but where there are college students, there will be alcohol. If you need a perfectly dry campus, I suggest a fundamentalist Christian school; otherwise, to expect zero alcohol is naive. My D has commented that while there is alcohol, there are also plenty of students who don’t drink, and she’s never been pressured or made to feel outcast for being sober.</p>
<p>Academically, her freshman year has been about right. She has enjoyed her classes, and learned some interesting things, without feeling over her head. Remember if you’re a freshman or sophomore that most of your classes are introductory-level; as you get into upper-level classes with more specialization, they will get more and more difficult as you go along. What you’re doing now is not PhD work, after all.</p>
<p>I do not expect a dry campus at any of the colleges I’m thinking of attending, but the fact that some students have regular drinking escapades during the week does turn me off. </p>
<p>Do NOT think that is reason I seem to leaning towards Oberlin or Macalester. Until I get my actual financial aid from Earlham, I can’t make an opinion on that. But the biggest reason is availability of study. If I want to study Chinese or possibly music, Earlham doesn’t seem like a great fit for those two areas, seeing that they don’t even have Chinese and also a weak music program.</p>
<p>LasMa,
The drinking policy at Earlham is missleading, it is one of many advertisments that the school makes that they don’t follow up on. I do not expect that college campuses be completely dry, but I think it is wrong to advertise a dry campus and then openly allow such blatant drinking on campus. It is false advertising and wrong. </p>
<p>I lived in a dorm my first semester where we had many drinking related issues, there were two drunken brawls in the hallway, we had five fire alarms pulled by partiers, and every weekend with the exception of two there was damage done to the hall by the pertiers. For all of this damage all residents face a common billing as a means of punishment. Even if you do not take part in the drinking culture you are forced to pay the price for it. </p>
<p>I know that there are people on campus who do not drink, especially those people in the wellness hall, but the overwhelming majority of students do. I just want people to realize that Earlham is not telling the truth when they say it is a dry campus. To have all of the facts helps one make a informed decision about which college to attend.</p>
<p>ET, I’m sorry you’ve had such a negative experience at Earlham. As you seem to be on a campaign against the schoool, I’m just balancing it with the perspective of a student whose experience has been quite different.</p>
<p>argan: I’ve never looked into Oberlin or Macalaster, but both are fine schools from all accounts (and both probably have more alcohol on-campus than they advertise on their websites – all schools do 
). I agree that Earlham is probably not your best fit, based on your academic interests. But certainly, good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>I appologise if I come off as being on a compaign against Earlham.
I beleive that Earlham is a good place, and for many people can be a wonderful school.
It hasn’t been for me, and part of the reason why it did not work out was because I came to Earlham with some expectations that did not pan out. I am just sharing my experience so that others do not make as much of an uninformed decisions that I made. Earlham has not been the place for me, but that does not mean it won’t work for others. I know plenty of people who love it here, and I also know many people who don’t, the school is very hit or miss. Because the school can go either way for most people, it is a good idea to really get a feel for the school and try to understand early on if the Earlham will work or not.</p>
<p>ET’s experience pretty drastically different than that of quite a few students son and I met when visting campus–not students we connected with through admissions, just students who took the time to talk to us–and the son of a friend who just graduated (he absolutely loved his 4 years there). Their opinion–academics first rate; caring, attentive faculty; great off campus study opportunities; plenty to do on campus IF you get involved (my experience is that students who say there is nothing to do on a campus are sitting in their room waiting for something to happen–at any campus you have to go out and get involved–it actually seems impossible to me that where there are 1,000 18-21 years olds all in the same place there could be nothing to do); interesting, fun student body. On the drinking issue–students told us the campus was “pleasantly moist”–yes, there is alcohol, but probably less than at the great majority of schools, certainly there is not the kind of mass partying or abuse you find at other schools. On the financial aid–offer from Earlham is the most generous my son has recieved, so ET’s expectations just may not be realistic. There always will be some small percentage of students not happy at a school, but they might not be happy anywhere.</p>
<p>I visited Earlham with my child last year. Our tour guide was delightful. The admissions people were really nice and soo interesting. However, the school is in a smallish town and is right on a main road that is a busy street. The campus is flat. I cannot imagine the winters. I did not see any hill for sledding. The facilities were sort of showing their age and the computer lab was particularly minimal. There was a wonderful rec center, though.</p>
<p>I think you would have to be a certain type of person to embrace this place. I just felt it looked like it could somewhat dreary in Winter and the fact that it is sooo small in terms of student number is also a concern. I have no idea what their FA is like.</p>
<p>The poster who is telling us information about the school culture is a current student there and her experience trumps mine and anyone else who was there on a visit.</p>
<p>It is not my intention to bash or sabotage Earlham. I know many people who have loved this place, my own reasons for coming here were based largely upon the very good impression I gained from others who had attended, or currently attend Earlham. That being said, I find that some of the information that perspective students receive about the college may be misleading, and therefore my goal is to provide one current student’s perspective of his first year at Earlham. </p>
<p>You have to keep in mind that when you come to campus and go on a tour or information session, you are meeeting a very specific type of student, you are hearing a scripted message, and the school will only put is best foot forward. Earlham has many good things going for it, the professors for the most part are top notch, the school does a good job of teaching students to think critically, the study abroad opportunities are outstanding, and the people who work here are some of the most caring people I have ever met. All of this being said though, there are some issues with the school, and one cannot ignore these issues when deciding whether to attend the college or not. </p>
<p>Earlham is isolated, there are very few trips off campus, either come with a car, or be prepared to feel very isolated. I come from a small town, and attended a boarding school in a isolated area, and I still find Earlham to be limited and claustrophobic at times. It is not hard to get involved in student activities here, the trouble is finding people to be in your organization, the majority of clubs are groups of 5-6 friends, this is not a bad thing, just something to consider. Athletics are accessible to anyone who is interested, the teams do not preform well, but are supported by an awesome group of students who loyally cheer them on, called the Quaker army. The dorms on campus are new and nice, with the exception of Horner and Bundy. Professors are accessible and eager to help out, most have been here for a while and have a zeal for their teaching at Earlham. They believe in the mission of the school, and want both the school and the students to succeed. This being said there are issues that the school is facing.</p>
<p>The last two issues of the Earlham Word features articles on poor retention rates, and lack of financial aid funding. A troubling statistic that the school faces is that around 180 of the students who enter as freshman will leave before graduation, 20% will leave by the end of their first year. Earlham has had this problem for years and had had little success in fixing it. Earlham has until this year been need blind, and have tried to meet the needs of most of the freshman, but unfortunately admit too many people who need aid, and are unable to fulfill the need of all of the freshman. After talking to upper clansmen, I have found that the funding one gets from the school usually drops as one rises through the classes. Earlham tries very hard to rope one in freshman year with generous aid, then cut it as time goes on. </p>
<p>It is possible for one to have a great time at Earlham, the students are over all very nice and outgoing. At the some time though, the statistics can’t be ignored, for as many people who love Earlham there are almost an equal amount of people who find that Earlham is not the place for them. Transferring colleges is not an easy process and I do not wish it upon anyone, therefore I have been trying to offer students on this board with the information that one can only get from being a student at the college, and one cannot gain from a visit or chats with alumni. If I come off as being against Earlham, that is a mistake on my part. I believe in the mission of the school, I am a strong supporter of Quaker education(having graduated from a quaker high school). Finally, let me reiterate, Earlham is a great place for many people, just not for everyone, tread with caution, and good luck with your decisions.</p>
<p>ET, I just wanted to let you know that even after your first post I thought you gave a direct and honest answer. You even said the professors were great, but gave a truthful answer to what I wanted to know. So I just wanted to thank you again in case you felt misunderstood.</p>
<p>ET, I appreciate your candor; I’m sorry that I came off as snarky. I especially thought that your last post was balanced and thoughtful. Earlham is just like every other college on the face of the earth: It is not perfect. And it definitely is not for everyone; it appeals to a very particular type of student. Perhaps more than most schools, good fit is critical at Earlham. That may be part of the retention issue – inevitably, some students will end up there for whom it isn’t a good fit and never would have been; maybe you’re among that group. </p>
<p>The isolation can be a problem, no question, but short of picking up the school and plunking it down in Indianapolis, there isn’t much that Earlham can do about that and I feel it’s a little unfair to blame them for it. From what I’ve observed, they try very hard to make sure that there’s alot to do on campus. I’ve heard from my D some comments similar to yours about the clique-iness of some of the student clubs. Her major involvement is with one of the largest and most high-profile groups, so she hasn’t had that experience, but I know it does happen. But it’s something that prospective students should look at carefully – will they be content with the on-campus offerings for recreational/social life? If abundant off-campus opportunities are important to someone, Richmond probably isn’t going to work. </p>
<p>I will take issue with your comment about athletics, only in this sense: Earlham does not present itself as a big-time varsity sports school, and their win-loss record is readily available online. If that’s important to a prospective student, Earlham shouldn’t even be on their list. </p>
<p>I agree with your assessment of Earlham’s strengths – academics and mission. I believe that it provides a high-quality education, especially for a school its size.</p>
<p>Again, I’m sorry that it hasn’t worked out for you. I wish you every success in finding a place that works better for you. :)</p>
<p>180 students who enter as freshman do not leave before graduation. Earlham gets approx 300 freshman per year, it has a 75% graduation rate, that tells me that 225 students graduate, 75 don’t. If 180 left, that would put the graduation rate at about 40%. Their freshman retention rate was a bit low this year, approx 81%, but historically has been about 85%, which is similar to similar LACs. So, the poster’s statement just is not true. I have said this elsewhere–at not other school did my son and I find students as engaged in and passionate about what they are doing as at Earlham. I realize that that type of environment may not be for everyone, there will always be a % a kids at every school who do not belong, but I’m not sure that says anything negative about the school. By the way, my son has chosen not to attend Earlham, so I don’t have any vested interest here. I just think, based on visiting, talking to a lot of people there, and talking quite a bit to a kid I have know for years who graduated last year and his parents, that it’s a terrific school.</p>
<p>Financial Aid, it’s been a big problem for me as well. especially when I got the email informing me that I was in a “conditional admission” which means I could only be admitted if my family are eligible to cover the remainning cost besides a little fianancial aid. SO I still have to pay $25,000 in order to get in!</p>