I am deciding between Dickinson and Lafayette! For reference both are around the same cost for me and I visited both and loved. If anyone has info or experiences on either school it would be so helpful!!! Thank you!
What is your major?
Congrats to you on two wonderful admits.
What do you like about each and what do you see as the biggest drawbacks?
i am undecided as of now. thinking of something in either the environmental science or political science fields!
dickinson:
likes:
fell in love when visited
only heard good things
good lgbtq community
drawbacks:
worried there’s little school spirit
potentially too small
lafayette:
likes:
really loved when i saw it
checks basically all my boxes
a little bigger which i like (2800 vs 2000 students so not sure if this will make a difference)
seems like more school spirit
good club sports i think
drawbacks:
scared greek life/varisty sports run campus
I don’t think the difference in size will be impactful.
If one is too small, they likely both will be.
Seems Dickinson is your safer fit but if it’s too small, then your overall list probably skewed too small.
Do you have any larger acceptances - that maybe you want to reconsider?
Good luck.
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Have you tried reaching out to any students that you know who attend either school? Or perhaps reach out to the contacts of clubs that you’d be interested in joining and seeing if there’s anyone who’d be willing to chat with you. Talk with them about your concerns and questions and see if that moves the needle?
Both are fine institutions and well-respected, so I really think this is going to be a personal judgment call.
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I remember really liking Lafayette a lot when we visited a few years ago. I love how everything surrounds a central quad. I thought the campus was really nice and he new modern library was beautiful.
Never saw Dickinson but I think a little bigger is a good thing. I don’t think Greek life is overwhelming there.
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My D graduated from Lafayette a few years ago and had a fabulous experience. It seemed to me that Lafayette had that secret formula which allowed students to be challenged academically and still have time to develop close friendships, get involved in ECs, do research with professors etc. (not saying other schools don’t have the same mix but she definitely found this at Laf).
Greek life is present but from what I gathered it does not run the campus. One notable thing is that nobody can pledge until sophomore year. During freshman year my D developed a core of friends that she remained close with throughout college (and today). Some ended up joining Greek Life and many didn’t (some went to living and learning dorms as an alternative) and all had full and active social lives. You mentioned club sports and one close friend was on the club crew team (he never rowed before college) and loved that. She also enjoyed the Laf-Lehigh games which were big school spirit events. And FWIW she was/is not an athlete and developed close friendships through theater, orchestra, community service groups at Laf-- there seemed to be something for everyone.
We also looked at Dickinson and my D liked it but for some reason it didn’t resonate with her the same way (not sure if it was rational or not but she was definitely bothered by the road going through campus). That said, she has a HS classmate who went to Dickinson and really enjoyed her time there.
Congratulations. Your are choosing between two fine schools so there is no “right” answer. Choose the better fit. If you feel stuck see if you can revisit the two colleges. And once your decision is made, never look back.
If you have any questions that a parent can answer feel free to PM me.
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One of my kids had Dickinson as a final contender. She liked that it didn’t seem dependent on Greek life and sports, and liked the emphasis on internationalism. She also thought the campus was beautiful. Friendly people.
She did not like Lafayette, but my son, who is a bit of a “bro,” liked Lafayette a lot and considered applying. I personally think it’s slightly more academic than Dickinson. He felt he would enjoy the rivalry with Lehigh and liked the more sporty environment.
Both great choices, but I’d probably go with the vibe.
D’son will likely be a good choice for environmental science. It’s certainly a “green” school. This is from Princeton Review. Dickinson has a few noteworthy categories here:
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My kid felt the same way as @lindagaf’s D. Dickinson stayed in the running until the end. Lafayette just made the cut as one to apply to. But to be fair, both her D and my S had very similar lists and top picks, so they were both dialed in to the same vibe.
I know quite a few kids who have attended both schools and every one has loved their experience. I think it really comes down to what vibe resonates with you.
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thanks so much for responding! greek life running and controlling campus is def a worry for me because im not interested in joining a sorority. not sure if you know this, but were there non greek parties and events often?
I can’t say for sure. But it sounded like there were other social outlets such as clubs, living-learning communities etc. From what my D said Greek Life is present but not the only option on campus.
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Please let us know the decision.
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