Hm. So kids actually go to NYC on the weekends? From what I hear about other LACs that are 90 minutes outside big cities, kids just stay on campus and enjoy the things that the college provides for fun. Or they make their own fun with their friends locally. And don’t kids have to study on the weekends a little?
Can you also provide an idea of how kids get to the airport? How far is the ride and is there a shuttle to get there from Layfayette?
@homerdog My D never went to NYC for weekends. Perhaps some of that is because we live in a suburb of NYC, but I think the real reason was was that she was completely engaged with social activities on campus and was busy with her academics and ECs on campus. She took a few trips to NYC with classes (ex. to Broadway shows with theater classes/theater productions, an opera with a music class, a museum with her dorm) but they were not overnight. Different kids have different experiences but that was hers.
I don’t remember how her friends got to the airport but I don’t think it was an issue. I believe Newark airport in NJ is the closest major airport. Someone in admissions might know the answer to if the school operates shuttles or else I believe the Transbridge bus in Easton goes to the airport.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about Lafayette you want answered from a parent’s perspective.
@happy1 Thanks for the info! That’s interesting about Newark. I was under the impression that Philly was closer.
@homerdog I’m not positive but I do remember friends flying in and out of Newark. It is worth checking into. I’d imagine that someone in Admissions would know.
I find it always funny when during visits, the tour guide says how great it is to be able to go to city such and such which is ‘only’ a short 90 minutes ride away. Yeah right…
@WilliamNYC I know. I went to Northwestern and Chicago is a VERY easy 30 minute elevated train ride and no one ever went into the city.
My son flies out of Allentown and then connects to philly or Newark. The direct flight from Newark or philly have not been any cheaper. My son in 3 semesters has visited NYC with friends over fall break both years and went to philly once as an outing with his fraternity. But other than that he stays on campus.
@homerdog you can check out the bus schedule here (have to add some spaces as CC doesn’t allow posting links):
www.transbridgelines.com / schedules/schedules-eff-dec-2017 / EastonEastDivided.pdf
From Easton bus terminal to Lafayette is 15-minute walk or 5-minute ride. The means is there; whether one likes to go to NY or not is, I believe, an individual choice rather than any other factor. Also international students do fancy NYC much more than American students 
My daughter flies home from Newark. She takes the transbridge bus if she can catch a ride with someone.
She has also gone to NYC maybe once a semester for a concert or something similar. But mostly stays on campus.
How many students have cars on campus? When I visited it felt like a lot; is it something of a necessity, or will you be able to leech of a friend if needed? I live within driving distance to Lafayette so I’m debating bringing my car.
My D had a car for her junior and senior year. Check with Public Safety to see if underclassmen can keep a car on campus. A car is a luxury not a necessity at Lafayette. The school does run shuttles into Easton to shopping destinations etc., people get rides with students who do have cars on campus, and I there now seems to be short term rental cars available. https://publicsafety.lafayette.edu/parking/
lehigh valley internation airport is 21 minutes away from lafayette college according to googlemaps.
newark international airport is 1 hour and 5 minutes away from lafayette college.
High I’m very interested in lafayette and i would be a comp sci major as well. I like the fact that it’s a liberal arts school which will allow me to take some other stuff to, but I’m very specifically looking for a program that’s AI/data science heavy. Would i be able to get that from lafayette? My second question is about hiring out of Lafayette comp sci as it’s a smaller school, would you say it’s pretty easy to get a job and are there grants available for start ups like some other colleges?
@Derek17 The CS department has a 400-level course on AI and the Math department will offer a data science minor soon. CS grads can usually get jobs as software developers at small and mid-sized companies around Philadelphia (harder if you are an international student). Every two year or so we also have a few students who get into Google. For startups you can check out the IDEAL center: https://ideal.lafayette.edu/ A group of CS sophomores / juniors are also building a startup: https://gopeer.org/ so you can contact them for more details.
In general your questions suggest that you are looking for a more career-oriented CS track, so do keep in mind that Lafayette is a LAC. The curriculum can provide you with a solid foundation, but we don’t offer any specialization major. It’s also harder to network with alumni (in CS) than it is at a national university.
Hi everyone,
Congratulations to those that got admitted! Laf is a nice school and I am sure you will do great here.
I’d like to share a piece of good news from me too! I got accepted to the Computer Science PhD Program at Carnegie Mellon University and will enroll there next semester. Obviously I am very thankful to the CS department at Laf for helping me achieve this 
Maybe that’s one more reason for you to consider the school 
In any case, as I have to prepare for senior stuff (thesis + graduation) and grad school, I will likely not be active on CC anymore, but I wish you all the best in your school selection!
Congratulations @ursawarrior, sounds like a very exciting (and busy) time for you. I’ve enjoyed reading your LC insights and info for prospective applicants. Thanks and good luck.