My child was accepted into many schools with Dickinson and Lafayette being the top contenders. We are weighing the pros and cons but it can be tough to have perspective on such a big, personal decision. Can anyone offer insights or perspectives that might balance things out for us?
Hi! My daughter is a junior at Dickinson, so maybe I can help. Also, Lafayette happens to be my alma mater, though I doubt my ancient Lafayette experience would be very relevant to you! I did visit Lafayette with my oldest child and was back on campus for an alumni event a few years ago.
However, maybe if you share your priorities and concerns about the college experience I can comment on those aspects. Do you know what you want to major in, for example? Also, please read my older posts below for a perspective on my child’s experience at Dickinson.
Not an expert on either school but I applied to Dickinson couple of years back when I was applying to colleges. For Dickinson, based on reviews and college niche grading, it seems like one of those schools that has strong academics but lacking in most other aspect such as location and student life. Lafayette definitely is more prestigious and selective. Greek life also seems to be a bigger deal at Lafayette, not sure if your child is into that. I think cost is probably going to be the deciding factor. I would lean towards Lafayette but it’s not worth paying a substantial amount more.
Dickinson is strong in environmental sciences and sustainability, international business and security, community engagement. The college truly excels at friendliness and the personal touch. I’d agree that one distinction is that Greek life has traditionally been quite important at Lafayette, though I can’t speak to whether the emphasis has diminished in recent years since it has at many schools.