I am looking for general feedback about Allegheny College. My son is a current high school junior and starting the college search process. He is a cross country and track runner and is considering running D3. Thanks!
It’s friendly, students open-minded, most with interdisciplinary interests that may not fit neatly into just one major.
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I haven’t known anyone who has attended very recently, but over the years, I’ve known a number of folks who have gone there. All “launched” well. For the ones I knew who needed additional resources to succeed, they got them. My sense is that it is more nurturing than many.
It tends to be more regional-- it’s in the orbit of Pittsburgh. (Hey, maybe that’s why it’s so friendly!) A young man I knew from NYC was astounded that "everyone watches football on Sunday afternoon " and that it was a social event. I think that was his way of saying “this is really foreign to me!”
I would guess that if your son has visited, what he has seen is pretty honest and accurate. If he likes it, all the better.
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Yeah, I was actually going to mention it is very well known in Western PA and Northeastern Ohio. Including because it is very old for a non-East-Coast school, and also went co-ed relatively early.
These days it has a very good reputation specifically for the quality and flexibility of its undergraduate teaching. They definitely push exploration and diverse interests.
Generally, I would say it is well-recognized as the “top” classic LAC in its area. Of course if you go far enough West you get to like Oberlin and Kenyon, far enough east you get to Bucknell (or eventually the upstate New York and SE PA/Philly-area LACs). But that leaves a pretty big gap, and I think Allegheny, and many people in the area, see it as filling that gap.
I note Meadville is a classic historic small county seat. I always find such towns pretty charming, but obviously it is not a major metropolis. However, it is along the major highway (I-79) between Erie and Pittsburgh–closer to Erie, and Cleveland is actually a similar distance as Pittsburgh but a slower drive.
There is a lot of outdoor recreation in the area, including over at Pymatuning (a big lake on the PA/OH border), up on Lake Erie, and over the other direction in the Allegheny National Forest.
Anyway, I consider it a pretty desirable LAC if it fits what you are looking for in an LAC. Obviously it is not as crazy selective as better-known LACs in more popular regions, but plenty of smart kids go there and are very happy with what they get out of it.
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With respect to academics, Allegheny’s environmental studies program tends to be especially highly regarded.
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