I'll Answer Your Lafayette Questions! Part I

Colleges and Universities A-Z Lafayette College
1

<p>Hey everybody!</p>

<p>Congrats to all of those who have been accepted ED! That is an accomplishment to be quite proud of. For those prospective students and parents still waiting by the mailbox for the decision, try not to go crazy. The college admissions process has a weird way of working itself out in the end.</p>

<p>Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Justin Sayde and I am a first year student at Lafayette. I was admitted regular decision as a Marquis Scholar, but had many other enticing offers of admission. In the end, after observing a few classes and speaking with a few professors, my decision became clear. I am a week away from returning to Easton, PA for my second semester and I honestly can't wait to go back. I really miss the "Lafayette Experience"!</p>

<p>Allow me to tell you all a bit about myself. I am from Bergen County, NJ and went to Ramapo High School. At Lafayette, I plan to major in English/Art History/Psychology (not too sure yet...possibly a triple major???). I live in Keefe Hall in the First-Year Wellness interest group. I am involved in some great programs on campus: Lafayette Activities Forum, Host to Prospective Students, The Lafayette Newspaper (the oldest college newspaper in PA!), Residence Hall Council Co-President. I am also considering joining the Division I fencing team next year and am applying to become a Resident Advisor. </p>

<p>I am not writing this to convince you to come to Lafayette or serve as a source of 'Pard propoganda, but rather to answer any questions CC posters may have about the college.</p>

<p>Please feel free to learn more about me from my Facebook profile if you have an account with the website. Also feel free to email me at any time with questions rather than posting to this forum: <a href="mailto:saydej@lafayette.edu">saydej@lafayette.edu</a>.</p>

<p>Finally, I understand that many CC posters will be attending one of the accepted students' days in the coming months or the Marquis Scholar Day (is that April 1st?). Since I am a tour guide, I look forward to possibly meeting some of you in the near future. I do give tours on a weekly basis, so if you haven't had the chance to check out the campus, make sure to set aside some time to do so and get a feeling for the campus!</p>

<p>Again, don't hesitate to contact me for any reason.</p>

<p>Later,
Justin</p>

2

<p>Question: What were your SATs and GPA in high school?</p>

<p>Question: What is there to do in Easton and do Lafayette students ever really use the city or do they pretty much stay on campus? </p>

<p>Question: Are there a lot of pretty girls on campus?</p>

<p>Question: What will typical Lafayette students do for a date?</p>

<p>Question: Is it true that freshman and sophomores are not allowed cars? </p>

<p>Question: Do a high percentage of Juniors and Seniors have cars?</p>

<p>Question: If I don't want to join a fraternity, am I going to be bored on Friday and Saturday nights?</p>

<p>Question: How has the workload been for so far? Is the academic environment at Lafayette very competitive?</p>

<p>Question: Have you been happy at Lafayette so far?</p>

<p>I know that is A LOT of information I just asked you. But I only ask because I am truly very interested in going to Lafayette. Feel free to respond to as few questions as you would like and answer them as briefly as you would like.</p>

<p>Thanks a ton.</p>

3

<ol>
<li><p>I got a 1600 on the "old" SAT and had a 4.0 GPA. I graduated as Salutatorian of my class. </p></li>
<li><p>There are so many things to do in Easton. Right down the "hill", there is a movie theater, so many places to eat, cool small shops, the Crayola factory...pretty much your typical small town fare. It is currently being revitalized, and many students go down into Easton on weekends with friends just to hang out and walk around. We also have the L-CATS transportation service which is free to students that runs on a typical bus schedule and goes to places a few miles from campus (Wal-Mart, Regal Cinemas, various malls/shopping centers/supermarkets). I take advantage of this service on weekends to stock up on junk food, mostly!</p></li>
<li><p>Quite the ladies man, are we? To be totally honest, the girls on campus are pretty damn smokin'. Surprising for a school in PA, but I do not kid you! Not quite up to the standards of a school like USC or University of Florida from what I have heard from friends, but not bad at all. </p></li>
<li><p>This is a great question...I have yet to really become involved in the date scene here at Lafayette myself (I am looking, though!), but my friends have had no problem "hooking up". Dates usually involve going to see a movie (either on campus or off), going to some party together, going out to one of the many Italian restaurants just off campus, or just hanging out in either his or her dorm room.</p></li>
<li><p>It is true...freshman and sophomores are currently not allowed cars on campus (there is just no room!). But as we speak, they are building a parking garage on campus that will hold an additional 360? spots, so I think they might allow sophomores in the near future to have cars. To tell you the truth, you really don't need a car. L-CATS service is great (and free!) and most things you need are either on campus or just off it! If you really need to get somewhere and L-CATS doesn't stop there, make friends with an upperclassman who has a car (it works!)</p></li>
<li><p>From what I know, maybe half of all juniors and seniors have cars. The other half either don't have cars or don't feel the need to have one (or don't feel like fighting for a space!) Take my advice: don't set your sights on bringing a car because it ends up being more of a pain than anything else.</p></li>
<li><p>I have no interest in joining a frat myself, but my social life does not suffer in the least. I have many friends who are involved in Greek life, and they are some really cool people. The Greek system is very involved in the social life of ALL students, and really integrates itself into campus life. Honestly, I was initially a bit intimidated by the 6 frats and 5 sororities on campus, but you learn to really appreciate their influence on Lafayette. Rest assured there is MUCH to do on weekends with friends that doesn't involve the Greek system, which you will soon discover...</p></li>
<li><p>Workload differs by major...I didn't feel overly stressed at any point, but others (especially the engineers) might disagree. It all depends on what classes you are taking a given semester and your professors. You take a lot of intro courses during your first year (I took Intro to Art History I, Intro to Psych., Literary Questions (first English course for the major), and First-Year Seminar: Monuments (a FYS is a requirement for graduation). Overall, Lafayette professors expect a lot from their students but are always willing to help students achieve their full potential. The enviroment is not uber-competitive, especially when compared to most high schools (my h.s. was terribly competitive). I know that some colleges, especially the Ivies, are grossly competitive. Lafayette is just not like that. </p></li>
<li><p>Can't you tell??!! I can't wait to get back in a week for the spring semester because I'm taking some really cool classes. It really is amazing how such a small college can have such a great selection of classes.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Well, that's all for now...I am very impressed by your interest in Lafayette, and wish you the best of luck during the college admissions process. Remember, I'm always here if you have any further questions.</p>

<p>Later,
J</p>

4

<p>Really, thanks a ton. Your answers were very helpful and you have definitely made me even more excited about the prospect of going to Lafayette.</p>

<p>But I have to say, you seem to like Lafayette so much that you failed to mention anything negative about it. Which begs me to ask the question... Is there anything you DON'T like about Lafayette? Thanks.</p>

<p>By the way, congratulations on your perfect SATs. I've always said that if a person has mediocre SATs it really tells you very little about the person's intelligence. However, when someone has a perfect score on the SAT that is really saying something about the person.</p>

5

<p>I think a perfect score on the SAT only means I perfectly took the SAT, and nothing more. Actually, I did get 1 math wrong and 2 verbal...not that perfect after all, but the curve worked out for me!</p>

<p>Negatives you ask???</p>

<p>Probably that freshman don't get all the class they want (priority goes to upperclassmen of course!). Also, the campus can seem a bit small at times (sometimes a good thing, sometimes not). Laundry costs $1.00 to wash and $1.00 to dry IN QUARTERS. The college bookstore is an absolute rip-off for anything and everything. The freshman meal plan you are forced to take is inconvenient at times (you miss meals constantly!). You will eventually get sick of the food. There are a few graduation requirements you may wish you didn't have to fulfill (a math course, two lab sciences, three humanities, a first-year seminar, etc. - thank goodness for AP credits).</p>

<p>If I think of any more negatives, I'll add them later. Those are the ones that came off the top of my head!</p>

<p>J</p>

6

<p>hi! I got a letter which confirms that the common app has been processed. It also contains a list of documents that have not yet been received. I submitted one of the documents (Intl student financial aid form) long time back but it is included in the list. I emailed the admissions office (Mr. Robin Davis) last week and have still not received a reponse. Please advise!</p>

7

<p>Hey rizkid,</p>

<p>You have to understand how busy it is in the admissions office right now. It is very possible that they have received the financial aid form you speak of since sending you the notice of missing application documents. It is also possible that it got lost in the mail or was misplaced in the office.</p>

<p>I would recommend forgetting about receiving an email response anytime soon (admissions is swamped with emails right now!). Instead, voice your concerns by phone by calling admissions at (610) 330-5100 sometime between 9am and 5pm Eastern Standard Time. The person who picks up should be more than willing to direct your call or even check up on your application directly on the computer.</p>

<p>I wish I knew more about the documents required of international students, but I'm sure that is all you have to do to rectify the situation.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>J</p>

8

<p>DS got a letter saying that had not received his recs so he phoned, altho we knpow they were sent - they were very nice -they apparently have lost them so GC will re-send.</p>

9

<p>Hi!
I was admitted to Lafayette ed, and I was wondering what the best dorms are and why. I visited the campus and stayed overnight in september, but I can't remember what the names of any of the dorms I saw were! Thank you so much!</p>

10

<p>safisher,</p>

<p>First off, congrats on your acceptance into Lafayette College! In response to your question...</p>

<p>Keefe - I currently live here. It is divided into living groups (small communities of people with common interests) and the entire building is substance-free. However, the "wellness" label does not stop people from drinking in their rooms on weekends with friends. Keefe is probably the quietest dorm which is great for studying, and has a large central commons area, kitchens, smaller lounges. Keefe was built in 1999, and is sweet living all-around! Larger rooms, A/C, and carpeting "seal the deal".</p>

<p>South - also has A/C, carpeting, and large rooms. South is known as the party dorm. It can get real roudy sometimes. Athletes tend to gravitate to South. Sweet lounges and kitchen areas on each floor. You have to move out during winter break and move back in for the spring semester (that sucks!) Most popular dorm on campus.</p>

<p>Easton - BIG rooms, but no A/C or carpeting. A bit far from the meat of campus, but a decent choice nonetheless!</p>

<p>McKeen - avoid...'nuff said. Close to Wa-Wa, but that's about it.</p>

<p>Gates - is now under renovation, and will probably be done by next year for you guys. Was a dump, but is undergoing a major facelift on the inside. Middle-sized room. Not the best choice I'd say.</p>

<p>Ruef - great floor dynamic, big rooms, no A/C or carpeting. Each roomie has a personal little walk-in closet area for changing. I still can't find my way around this building when visiting friends, but I'm sure you eventually get it!</p>

<p>Kirby House - for guys only, but is closed because it was built on a sink hole. It you are male you better be real comfortable with your own masculinity.</p>

<p>Marquis - all female dorm...don't choose it! I'm telling you from what my female friends tell me. They say that there is way too much estrogen in that building and that many of the girls are complete biatches. AVOID!</p>

<p>Fisher East/West, Rubin, Kamine - these are brand-new dorms that form the Sullivan Lane Complex. They are hot off the presses, so expect them to be in perfect condition! Rooms are a bit small, though, because they wanted to fit as many rooms in these buildings as possible. Also, the lounges are so small they might as well not be there. They are also located FAR off the center of campus. Bring your walking shoes!</p>

<p>Conway, PT Farinon - far from the center of campus as well, and a bit old and smelly. Fosters great first-year dynamic, though. You make great friends in these dorms.</p>

<p>Well, I hope my random thoughts help. For more info straight from the source, visit <a href="http://ww2.lafayette.edu/%7Ereslife/residence_halls_grid.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~reslife/residence_halls_grid.php&lt;/a>. This webpage shows exact specifications for each dorm (some do not house freshman, though). Click on any of the links in the column to the left of the page for some more information.</p>

<p>Oh, I am in such a weird mood right now (can't you tell?) Maybe I'm just happy I made it throught the first week of the semester, or maybe I'm just crazy. You decide.</p>

<p>J</p>

<p>BTW, which dorm did you stay in overnight? Do you remember?</p>

11

<p>safisher...is the reason why you ask about housing is because you have already gotten info on housing selection for next year?</p>

12

<p>Candyman , your thread is great and very helpful. I am a high school junior and I am on the college tour trail, narrowing down my choices. So far I have loved high school and have been very sucessful at a challenging suburban school. My credentials are well rounded and I won't bore you and others with my specifics. I get the impression that you did exceedingly well in high school and could have had your choice of a number of excellent schools. Without in any way negatively categorizing Lafayette was the scholarship the main reason you chose the school? I think if I stay on track I might be competitive for Lafayettes merit scholarships. However the choice may come down to an Amherst, Haverford, Middlebury versus Lafayette. What do you find unique about your college that leads you to recommend it over an Amherst etc? With all of the lacs promoting small classes, great educations why Lafayette is my question. Please try to be specific in lieu of something personally intangible as you loved the feel for you. </p>

<p>What preconceptions have come true and what have not. Isn't Easton a dump of a town with nothing to do and not particularly safe?</p>

<p>How much new building and renovation is under way? What is the endowment situation at the school?</p>

<p>The more I read and explore Lafayette the more I like . I look forward to your reply. Thank, Dana</p>

13

<p>alissaivers-
No reason I'm asking, really, I haven't gotten my housing packet yet. I was just curious. Have you gotten anything besides your letter?</p>

<p>candyman-
I can't remember the name of the dorm I stayed in, but it was near the Wa-wa, I think. It was right across from the statue of Lafayette. Thank you for your information, it really helped.</p>

<p>-Clara</p>

14

<p>Dana,</p>

<p>In response to your question as to whether the Marquis Scholarship ($16,000/year for all four years and other perks) was the main reason I chose Lafayette, I can honestly tell you that it was NOT the deciding factor. I took the scholarship into serious consideration, mind you, but it did not dictate my final decision. I received numerous merit scholarships from other "more prestigious" schools (take that as you will...) that amounted to more than $16,000/year, so please keep that in mind.</p>

<p>Allow me to momentarily skip the "Why Lafayette?" question so that I may entertain your more straightforward questions.</p>

<p>Lafayette has one heck of an endowment, most of it coming from prominent alumni who feel they owe some form of gratitude toward the college for making their years here memorable. Doesn't that say something about Lafayette? I am not sure as to the exact amount, but even if I did know it, it would not accurately "stack-up" against some other schools. You see, Lafayette is small (2,200 students!), and our current endowment places us in the top 2% of schools in the nation in endowment per student. Please read that last statement very carefully. It means that Lafayette has the pecuniary resources to constantly expand student resources. For example, the complete renovation of Skillman Library cost $22 million. In addition, four new residence halls were just completed and an additional parking deck is almost finished. This semester, crews are working hard to completely renovate the interior of McKeen Hall and to convert an old frat into a new home for the History department. Whenever you visit a college and see construction/renovation of some kind, take it as a great sign that your money, and the money of others, is being put to good work!</p>

<p>Easton, Easton, Easton...it ain't THAT bad! It is a bit dungy, but no one ever feels unsafe because we all follow a simple rule: never go out alone. That rule applies to all college towns. It's just common sense. As for what there is to do in Easton: movie theater, small gift shops, great Italian/Thai/Chinese restaurants, Crayola factory, Wa-Wa, coffee shops, etc. It is currently under great restoration (Easton is putting its tax dollars to work!) and is fast becoming more student friendly. I take the L-CATS transportation service on many weekends to nearby Phillipsburg, NJ to stop at Wal-Mart and the local malls.</p>

<p>Dana, I am all for keeping it real. I know you don't want me to beat around the bush with idealistic responses to the ever-present "Why [fill in the blank with any college or university]?" question. In order for you to appreciate my answer, you need to attend a few classes that interest you and witness the dynamic between students and professors. Professor here care about their students and want to see them reaching their full potential. They hold office hours (of course), but most professor also give their home telephone number to students. They love their respective fields, and it shows in the way they interact with students. Keep in mind that they are here at Lafayette, a small liberal arts college, because they WANT to teach undergraduates. Of all the LACs I visited, the professors here at Lafayette impressed me the most...and remember, you are going to college primarily for an education.</p>

<p>Lafayette, simply put, is all that I have imagined...and then some!!!</p>

<p>Oh, did I mention the campus is damn beautiful? It is easy to feel comfortable here at Lafayette when you are surrounded by majestic, yet eclectic, architecture and sculpture. You can tell we take great pride in our school from the moment you step on campus.</p>

<p>Please keep in mind that Amherst, Havorford, and Middlebury are great schools as well. I actually have friends at each school, all of whom could not imagine being anywhere else. College is an amazing experience, and whether or not you end up at Lafayette, I wish you only the best in college and beyond! </p>

<p>J</p>

15

<p>Candyman:</p>

<p>That was a great reply. You are so nice to take the time to respond to all of us seeking information. I look forward to my campus visit to Lafayette this Spring. Dana</p>

16

<p>I have an important question: how can I check my application status? Thanks in advance. ;)</p>

17

<p>Hey HiLine,</p>

<p>The only way to check on the status of your Lafayette application is to call admissions directly at (610) 330-5100 between the hours of 9am and 5pm on weekdays. Lafayette does not have a system set up to check the status online (like some other colleges) simply because it poses too many potential issues.</p>

<p>When you decide to call, either a student or admissions representative will pick up and will be able to look you up to check that all is well.</p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

<p>J</p>

18

<p>Thank you for your suggestion.I wonder whether I can e-mail them or not.International phone calls will cost.And if I call them,what should I say at first?</p>

19

<p>HiLine,</p>

<p>You seemed a bit worried by the whole proposition of calling (or emailing at <a href="mailto:admissions@lafayette.edu">admissions@lafayette.edu</a>) to check up on your application status. Admissions expects to receive calls from applicants daily asking those kinds of questions. Your question, thankfully, is an easy one to answer.</p>

<p>If you do not wish to call due to the cost, email is an alternative. Just don't expect a prompt response...admissions inboxes are full to the brim! It could take a day or even more to get a response because they are so busy evaluating applications.</p>

<p>I think it is worth incurring some cost to check up on the app, especially since it is so important to do so. When, and if, you decide to call, just tell them you are an applicant and that you wish to check on the status of your application (ask if they have all the required papers, for instance). You will be asked for your name, most likely, so that you can be looked up on the computer.</p>

<p>Good luck, and try not to lose your cool...I know the college admissions process can be stressful, but don't let it get to you!</p>

<p>J</p>

20

<p>How much do senior year grades matter at Lafayette? I really blew it. I don't even have an excuse for bringing down my senior grades. The rest of my app is good though.</p>