I'll Answer Your Lafayette Questions! Part I

Colleges and Universities A-Z Lafayette College
321

<p>sleeplessinbost,</p>

<p>You are correct that, "The results of SAT Subject Tests are recommended, but not required for admission. Some academic departments will use scores from these tests for placement purposes."</p>

<p>I really can not answer your hypothetical situation because there is no possibility that one applicant's EC's, courseload, and even recommendations will be exactly alike. What exactly is a "good" courseload? What are "good" recommendations? It is too difficult to assign such a general term to unique application materials.</p>

<p>But for the sake of providing an answer, I'll "play the game". Those average SATII scores (by Lafayette standards) do not say much about Candidate #2's knowledge of those specific subject areas. Most likely, an admissions officer would note that the scores were provided and that Candidate #2 made the effort to actually take the tests. This would give Candidate #2 a slight advantage over Candidate #1, who did not even bother to take any SATII's. My guess, however, is that both applicants would have an equal chance of being admitted (70% or so).</p>

<p>SATII scores are treated as "bonus material" in one's application. They really can not hurt one's chances of admission (unless the scores are abysmal - below 500 by Lafayette standards). Just taking them shows initiative, discipline, and effort on the part of an applicant. It would seem that he/she was approaching the college application process with some level of seriousness.</p>

<p>I hope this helps,</p>

<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>

322

<p>so a student at lehigh gets arrested for robbing a bank</p>

<p>a kid at lafayette just got arrested for having dynamite in his checked luggage</p>

<p>i dunno which is worse.</p>

323

<p>Oh!
I didn't know that guy was a Laff Student. Wowza!</p>

324

<p>haha tnt or not... im still dying to go there</p>

325

<p>This comes from CNN website (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/25/dynamite.plane/index.html%5B/url%5D):"&gt;http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/25/dynamite.plane/index.html):&lt;/a>

[quote]
The Associated Press reported the man attended LaFayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I smell a Lehigh conspiracy here. LOL. Note the way Lafayette is written :-)</p>

326

<p>This post is meant to keep this thread from disappearing.</p>

<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>

327

<p>Hey, Justin are you still around? How do you find time to handle LafCol's heavy workload with all these questions you are answering? It's great of you to provide this service!</p>

<p>My husband and I are both Pards (hence the name Lafalum84). My son is a senior at a public hs in the Boston suburbs. He's looking at colleges and has his list down to: LC, Union, Colby, Stonehill & Providence (last 2 are safeties).</p>

<p>Besides my husband and I, my husband's brother and his wife also went to Lafayette. Hubby and I did Alumni Admissions Interviewing for a few years, but stopped when our kids were little. I was a bit disappointed, they accepted all the snotty kids from private schools and waitlisted the really nice kids who really wanted to go to LC for the right reasons. I'm not sure our input carried any weight at all! We also donate $100 to LC every year, it's not a large amount but because we've been consistant we're getting our names on a brick in front of the Library! We're quite excited about that, it's the closest we'll ever come to having a building named after us!</p>

<p>I know you aren't an admissions officer, but how do you think my son's profile looks fore admission? He had an interview with an admissions rep at a hotel in Mass this weekend, it was his first interview but he thought it went well.</p>

<p>Here's his stats:
Public High School, Boston suburbs, Top 10% (school only reports ranks by decile, but GC told me he is 6th percentile)</p>

<p>GPA:
Weighted (+.5 for honors) All classes: 3.95
UNweighted core academics only: 3.47</p>

<p>SAT:
V 740
M 630
W 710
retaking in November</p>

<p>Coursework:
4 years math (9 & 10 honors, highest class Intro to Calculus/coll prep)
4 years English (11 & 12 honors)
4 years lab science (10,11,12 honors)
4 years Spanish (9 & 10 honors, 11 & 12 AP)
3 years History (9, 10, 11 honors)
Social Studies electives 12th grade - AP Economics, 1/2 yr Contemp Issues Honors, 1/2 yr Sociology Honors - 12th
3 years phys ed/health
other electives - band 9,10,11,12 </p>

<p>Significant Extra-curriculars:
Eagle Scout, several leadership positions in Scout Troop
National Honor Society
CYO Basketball</p>

<p>What do you think?</p>

328

<p>Lafalum84,</p>

<p>Yes, I’m still here! Actually, now is a great time to ask me questions because all Lafayette students are on Fall Break until Wednesday. I am able to relax at home for a few days before getting back to work.</p>

<p>I have actually spoken with many Laf alums about the alumni interview service. We have all come to the conclusion that the Admissions Office does not take the advice of the alumni interviewers into consideration. The alumni’s job, it seems, is to “spread the word” about Lafayette and get prospective students excited about attending.</p>

<p>It took construction workers about two weeks to lay the bricks along the pathway in front of Skillman Library, but it seems to have been completed. The project turned out quite well. </p>

<p>Even though $100/year may not seem like much, I’m sure the college is appreciative of the gesture. Every donation counts!</p>

<p>It’s great that your son has shown an interest in Lafayette! I must commend you for not forcing the college upon him…by allowing him to discover colleges on his own, you are increasing the chances of him finding that “perfect fit”.</p>

<p>His GPA is just fine. His rank is great. Those SAT scores are fine as well…especially his Verbal score! To see how your son’s scores compare to the average admitted applicant’s scores, please visit the following webpage: <a href="http://www.lafayette.edu/admissions/requirements.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.lafayette.edu/admissions/requirements.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>If your son really believes he can improve his SAT, by all means, allow him to retake it! My only fear is the possibility of him going down significantly in Verbal…if that occurs, admissions officers may see that 740 as a fluke. He does have some room for improvement in Math (which can be studied for and improved quickly)…be sure he puts in some time practicing old SAT math problems.</p>

<p>I like all the Honors courses and APs in his courseload. I hope your son decided to take the AP tests for all of his AP courses. Keep in mind that 4’s and 5’s on AP exams will earn him course credit at Lafayette and place him out of many of our Common Course of Study requirements.</p>

<p>Those EC’s look fine as well. Be sure he explains his specific roles in each EC in as detailed a manner as possible. Just listing “National Honor Society” doesn’t mean much to admissions officers…he needs to tell them exactly how involved he was in NHS fundraising events, for example.</p>

<p>Lafayette seems to accept a good amount of applicants from the Boston suburbs…I have given tours to so many prospective students living just outside of Boston, and I have many friends from there as well. I think your son has a great chance of being admitted, especially considering his parents are Laf alums. I can’t tell you how much that helps an applicant’s chances of admission.</p>

<p>If your son were to apply ED by November 1, and were to put together a decent application (essays/recs), he would be in. It’s that easy. If he were to apply RD by January 1, I would give him a 70% chance.</p>

<p>If he is seriously interested in attending Lafayette, make sure he takes a campus tour, attends a group information session, has an interview, sleeps over for a night, etc. Each time an applicant makes contact with the college in any way, a note is made in his/her application. Our philosophy is this: the more times an applicants gets involved with the college, the more interest he/she is believed to have in attending the college. We want to admit students who will accept our offer of admission so that our “yield percentage” increases, thus increasing our rankings in the U.S. News and World Report Guide to Colleges.</p>

<p>If you have yet to log in an official visit to the college with your son, I would be more than happy to show you around and answer any lingering questions. Just get in contact with me via email (<a href="mailto:saydej@lafayette.edu">saydej@lafayette.edu</a>) or send me a Private Message through this website.</p>

<p>All the best,</p>

<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>

329

<p>Thanks for the quick response! You're the 2nd person to tell me my son should apply ED to LC. However, he has 3 top choice schools - LC is one of them - and hasn't decided between them. He has decided not to apply anywhere ED and I believe that is a wise choice for him. (I also applaud Harvard and Princeton for dropping ED, but that's another story). I just hope doing what's right for him doesn't keep him out of his top choice schools.</p>

<p>The "Stats Consult" advisor on CC said he should take the SATs again because they always take the top scores. I don't think his scores will change much, the first round was pretty much identical to his PSAT scores. But I think taking them again shows effort. He's also taking SAT II in Spanish and US History this weekend. LC is the only school he's interested in that's asking for SAT II, by the way. </p>

<p>He came to campus last April and had a Group Info Session and a tour, and he interviewed with an Ad Con this weekend. I don't want to drive 5 - 6 hours each way back to LC just so he can have another "contact" in his file, he told the interviewer that he's been there several times since both of his parents are alum. Actually, that's probably the only thing keeping him from making LC his top choice -- the nasty 5 - 6 hour drive each way. But at least we have relatives in NJ. Of course, we will have to come to LC at some point to see our brick!! :-)</p>

330

<p>Lafalum84,</p>

<p>I didn't mean to intimate that your son should apply ED...I only wished to point out the fact that he would greatly increase his chances of admission by doing so.</p>

<p>If he can't commit to any one school, then ED is not the way to go. It's really as simple as that!</p>

<p>As long as his SAT scores remain consistent the second time around, a second testing session couldn't hurt. Yes, Lafayette does ask for SAT II's, but they aren't really that important in the admissions process. They are used more for placement purposes/course credits once an applicant is accepted and decides to enroll. If your son has prepared at all for the SATII's using the Princeton Review books, or feels he has a solid base knowledge in those subjects, he should do just fine.</p>

<p>It seems that you made all of the necessary contacts with the college. I know how much of a pain the drive must be, but I hope the distance doesn't prove the determining factor as he makes his college decision.</p>

<p>All the best,</p>

<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>

331

<p>Thanks for your input, Jason. I didn't mean to sound nasty. The drive would not keep my son from attending LC, but it is one of many factors he is taking into consideration. </p>

<p>Many people have reminded me that the acceptance rate from the ED pool is higher than from the regular pool at many colleges, but the schools are telling us that's because the ED pool is usually higher quality. Several schools have told us that the final decision to admit/deny is probably going to be the same whether we apply ED or RD. I'm not sure that's totally true, but since my son is torn between 3 good schools, we'll go with RD. (Of course, Lehigh is NOT on his list! He's a good Pard kid!)</p>

332

<p>Lafalum84,</p>

<p>You didn't sound nasty at all. You should definitely be considering "distance from home" as one of many key factors in choosing the right college.</p>

<p>The schools are lying to you...the ED pool is usually quite comparable to the RD pool in terms of basic statistics (GPA, test scores, etc.). If anything, slightly less-qualified applicants will apply ED knowing they have absolutely no chance of getting in RD! Colleges like to admit ED applicants because they are usually the most enthusiastic about attending the school, and because they are required to attend (thus increasing a school's yield percentage).</p>

<p>Lafayette is no different from any other school with an ED option. We like having the ability to gauge how many students will enroll so that we have little chance of overenrolling when the RD candidates make their decisions.</p>

<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>

333

<p>hi candyman
this is an awesome post spread
i am a Chinese senior high stud.Chinese resident
and i will take part into a Lafayette session in shanghai this month
a bit nervous
although it is not a one-to-one interview.but i know my performance gonna be evaculated right?
i have never been to any info session or interview
so first time always worries ppl
so do u have any advise?</p>

334

<p>huashi8846,</p>

<p>There is absolutely NOTHING to worry about. You will not be directly evaluated by admissions officers in a group setting. If the admissions representative(s) notices anything especially promising about a particular prospective student, he/she may make a note.</p>

<p>Just be yourself and try your best to relax. If anything, be excited...this is your chance to learn more about Lafayette in a casual setting. Do not let your nervousness get in the way of you enjoying the presentation.</p>

<p>You may wish to introduce yourself to the admissions rep before or after the group session. Have a question prepared for him/her that does not require a simple "yes or no" answer or an answer that is readily available online.</p>

<p>Try to show off your knowledge of the school as you ask this question. For example, "I know that Lafayette has a very successful Division I men's soccer program, and I am very interested in trying out for the team. How do student-athletes say they handle the academic workload considering they have daily practices and games?".</p>

<p>Most importantly, don't try putting on a false front to impress the admissions officer. Just be yourself...I can't stress this point enough!</p>

<p>-Justin</p>

335

<p>Hi Justin,
I'm an international student and i'm applying to Lafayette this year. I wonder how good an international student needs to be to receive financial aid from Lafayette? (for example the SAT scores, SAT II scores, personal achievements, extracurriculas...)</p>

336

<p>roamer,</p>

<p>Please note that financial aid offered to international students is entirely NEED-BASED. Your SAT scores, extracurriculars, etc. will only help you be admitted to the college. The academic expectations are no different for international students...if you are interested in seeing the range of SAT scores for the incoming freshman class, please visit: <a href="http://www.lafayette.edu/admissions/requirements.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.lafayette.edu/admissions/requirements.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Here's some basic information on financial aid for international students, courtesy of the Lafayette website:</p>

<p>"Every foreign student seeking aid must submit the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA). The demonstrated need of an individual candidate is calculated from the ISFAA. A minimum $1,000 annual family contribution is expected. Competition for this aid is keen. Due to limited resources, Lafayette cannot offer financial aid to all foreign students who meet admission standards."</p>

<p>From personal experience, I know many international students with financial aid packages covering full tuition, room & board. It all depends on your family's current economic situation.</p>

<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>

337

<p>Sup Candy! Remember me?
Still doing the consulting hur??? For those of u who are wondering, Justin helped me out during my application process... and now i am in lafayette and havn't met the guy yet!
Nyway... just to clarify Roamer. Lafayette does give aid to internationals... They are covering almost all my expenses on campus, and I don't have "impressive" records... It's a decent place too... A little less diverse but impressive never the less. U should consider it...</p>

338

<p>Joash,</p>

<p>Yup, I'm still as busy as ever answering the questions of prospective students.</p>

<p>Why don't you stop by sometime? The walk from Watson to Keefe isn't that bad! I'm in Keefe 325, and chances are, you'll find me here if you decide to swing on over.</p>

<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>

339

<p>Hi candyman</p>

<p>I have been reading this thread and found it quite helpful. Great Work!!!</p>

<p>I am an international student from Bangladesh and have applied ED to Lafayette. I was wondering if u could comment on my chances.</p>

<p>Best SAT Score
CR -650
Math -780
Writing - 620
SAT II Physics - 720
MATH level 2 - 750</p>

<p>GCE A Level
Phy - A
Math - A
CHE - B
GCE O level
8 A in 8 subjects
overall rank - 12/290
Grade - A out of A (my school does not do GPA)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars -
Community Service CLub -
Tree Planting Campaign, Blood Donation, Raise money for Earthquake victims and Children Hospital
Sports - Table Tennis Single and Doubles Champion in school, interest in Soccer and Cricket
School Prefect
Currently teaching in a school</p>

<p>What would u say about my chances. Also i graduated school on june 2006(would tht be detrimental to my chances). i also applied for Finaid</p>

<p>Thnx
Musa</p>

340

<p>Also i have a CBT Toefl score of 287 with essay 5.(should I send these)
and I applied for engineering major(does this affect my chances in any way)</p>