<p>Anyone a student at Dickinson, an alum, a prospective student, a parent... or anyone that know anything about Dickinson. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I've heard mixed reviews so far. Thanks</p>
<p>Younger S and I will be visiting this weekend from the left coast...he has a formal interview on Monday, plus is spending the weekend to chill with the sports team he is investigating.</p>
<p>Elder D is at F&M, and her problems with the dorms and significant off-campus housing %-ages (reviewed on CC in another thread) and some unfinished public facilities (library upper levels, etc) have raised flags about that school in our eyes.</p>
<p>We toured the school last Spring, enjoyed the visit, appreciated the amped-up marketing that the Pres is leading to help raise awareness of the school, regardless of the anti-marketing spin we have read from concerned faculty who feel "it just isn't done in academe..."</p>
<p>Care to comment on the "mixed" aspects of what you have heard? We have not heard anything negative (or, to b]put it in PC language, to raise converns) about D-son. I'd be happy to ask the embarrasing Qs while we are there...heh...</p>
<p>My son is a freshman and we could not be more impressed. Classes are interesting and challenging and most of profs seem to eally care, The campus is beautiful. The limestone buildings give the campus a light and airy feel and everything is very well maintained. Most importantly there seems to be a lot of school spirit as kids seem to really love thieir school.</p>
<p>Terrific time, weather was accommodating, and we also spent time with D (Jr at F&M) and went down to Gettysburg to see a sporting event (in S's field of interest).</p>
<p>D-son, where S spent Friday nite with some of the team members in his sport, and seems to have the best physical plant of the three we looked at, in terms of dorms, the few classrooms we saw, the main dining hall, and I guess most everything else.</p>
<p>F&M appeared small, by comparison, to the other two campuses. The foot print is indeed the smallest of the three (D calls it "just a big block"). This footprint will change over the next 5 years if their plans go forward to acquire some neighboring warehouses and convert them to student housing (across Harrisburg Pike, next to the athletic facility). D squired S to some Frat parties on Sat nite, and he thought the folks were the same mix he experienced the nite before at Dickinson...frankly I was not surprised by that reaction.</p>
<p>Dickinson, by virtue of being closely abutted to a nice part of downtown Carlisle, benefits from this more than F&M, which abuts a lesser economic section of Lancaster. We experienced two great meals in "white table cloth restaurants in Carlisle (Empire Restaurant and Il Piatto, both right off campus). We did Indian cuisine in Lancaster so it would be hard to compare.</p>
<p>Campus spirit that catrina mentioned above-hmmm...hard to distinguish between the three. The sporting events we attended at G-burg and D-son were equally attended by attentive fans.</p>
<p>Bottom line for S is the physical attraction to the architecture of D-son over the red brick theme at F&M (G-burg a blend, but set on more of a plain, very few trees by comparison). I bet the academics would impact him the same, so it comes down to his impressions and how he would fit in with the team, the coach and that stuff.</p>
<p>A worthwhile trip, reaffirming my positive impressions of Dickinson and perhaps placing it further ahead of F&M anf G-burg.</p>
<p>I have read, but am unsure, that Dickinson has roads through its campus? As in, actual roads?</p>
<p>So does Dartmouth, for that matter, but I doubt if anyone based a decision on that aspect of the physical plant.</p>
<p>It's not a big deal, unless you want the only car traffic to be faculty members, maintenance workers, or prospective students and their parents!</p>
<p>I've been there during both "rush hours" and can't say it is bothersome. </p>
<p>The school maps will certainly show this better than I can explain it.</p>
<p>Sorry if my question/remark seemed a little naive. Obviously I'm not able to visit Dickinson or any of my colleges; I'm wondering about the campus and whether or not it's safe; and whether it's feeling like it's too much of a closed campus (disallowing for the colleges set in isolated areas like Grinnell) or if it's somewhat free... If this makes sense... The pictures on the Dickinson website didn't really enlighten and I'm unable to view their video.</p>
<p>I think I understand what you mean...</p>
<p>Franklin & Marshall, which is on its own land, seems more isolated...anyone walking on campus is there for one reason...F&M-related work or study. The same can be said of Gettysburg College (the two that seem linked in my mind with Dickinson), which is set on the side of the town but in such a manner that anyone strolling through the grounds would be presumed to have a G-burg affiliation.</p>
<p>Dickinson has a somewhat main street that separates one of the residential campuses from the main campus...West High Street. Its intersection with College Street is perhaps considered nearest the central point of campus...the HUB (the main dining hall, mailboxes, administrative center for campus activities, etc) and the Library are right there, so there is a lot of foot traffic at that location. This map might help:</p>
<p>West High comes into Carlisle from a Western residential area, so the traffic coming by is, even during rush hour, modest. Crossing the street at any time is not a major effort...two lanes each way.</p>
<p>People walking down these streets cannot be PRESUMED to be students. North and West of the campus are residential areas, and those people would, if they decided to walk into town, be coming through campus. The vast majority, though, would be college-related walkers. Also, when I was walking through the town of Carlisle, I sensed a high number of students on errands or shopping who also were walking around town. You would most certainly NOT see that at F&M, which is too far off from the downtown area. G-burg would be in the middle of that spectrum, as it is a bit further from campus byt an easy walk. So I would say that Dickinson has a nice juxtoposition with the town of Carlisle. There are some nice restaurants within easy walking distance, a couple of attractive pubs, also.</p>
<p>Hope that helps, IzzyJ.</p>