<p>As far as the financial aid thing above goes, I didn't get work study either. However, that was due to the fact that i'm a marquis scholar and all of that shindig is in grant money. So wherever i work, i get to keep everything.</p>
<p>I've talked to financial aid offices for other schools who all said that the money from work study goes directly to the student and they decide what to do with it, i don't think it goes straight to the school, might be different for laff. I'd call to make sure.</p>
<p>Ack, i hate college decisions....
Wesleyan, colgate, laff, or psu honors. bahh!</p>
<p>Watson Hall is pretty nice on the inside. The rooms are a good size, for sure. There is, however, no carpeting/air conditioning in that residence hall. There are lounge and kitchen areas for sections of the building. It is coed by floor, meaning that there are floors of males and floors of females (although I think I remember hearing that certain parts of Watson Hall are divided by sections). It houses approximately 130 men and women students. 64 of those spots are reserved first-year students, and 14 of those 64 spots are part of the "wellness section" (no drugs/alcohol). Watson is a great choice for students majoring in either engineering, biology, or chemistry because it is SO CLOSE to those buildings. It is also very close to the library. However, since it is on one corner of the campus, it is a little far from certain places on campus (Farinon, Pardee Hall).</p>
<p>Watson Hall is a solid choice for first-year students, and I know a lot of friends who chose to live in Watson for another year because they liked it so much.</p>
<p>I hope that helps. Sorry it was a bit late, but I have been recovering from a nasty virus over the past week.</p>
<p>Thanks, your "slow" reply was no big deal.....i just got over a virus myself so i know how you feel. I have a follow up question though, I'm an International Affairs major, any ideas on housing for that? Where do IA majors tend to gravitate? What residence hall is close to IA department buildings, or related fields like History and French? Thanks!</p>
<p>Students do not really choose residence halls based upon their majors. Engineers may wish to live somewhere near the Acopian Engineering Center (AEC), but that is about it! You will NOT find more IA majors in any particular residence hall, and you will most likely NOT be rooming with another prospective IA major. That's just how it works at Lafayette.</p>
<p>As a prospective IA major, you will be taking classes from many departments as you work toward satisfying your major. You will be taking gov/law courses in the Kirby Hall of Civil Rights, economics courses in the Simon Center for Economics and Business, history courses in our newly renovated history building (I do not even know its name, but it will be the old 718 Sullivan Trail building next to the Hall of Civil Rights!), as well as foreign language courses (FRENCH!) in Pardee Hall.</p>
<p>I would recommend either Easton Hall, Ruef Hall, Keefe Hall (tough to get in since there are only 16 "wellness" spots), or South College. Try to avoid McKeen Hall, Gates Hall, Kirby House, Watson Hall, Conway House, Kamine Hall, and PT Farinon House because of their distances from your academic buildings.</p>
<p>My wife said to tell you that if you aren't better by our visit to campus on April 22d you should let her know and she will ship up some mystical matza(spelling) ball soup which has magical healing powers. Dana's Dad</p>
<p>candyman92486 - Could you please tell me how the interview process works. When is it conducted. Formal or informal. Any other imformatation would be appreciated. Thanks</p>
<p>I'm almost entirely better. I almost have my voice back, too. We are still on for Saturday, April 22. That matzoh ball soup does sound enticing, though!</p>
<p>This is the information provided on the Lafayette website on the interview process:</p>
<p>Admissions Interview</p>
<p>Admissions interviews give prospective applicants a chance to speak about themselves in a one-on-one conversation with an admissions director. The interview lasts about 30 mintues, helping admissions staff form a clearer picture of applicants, and allowing applicants specific questions to ask about Lafayette. Please note, interviews are not required for applicants but are recommended.</p>
<p>On-Campus Interviews for the class of 2010 are now over. Interviews for the class of 2011 will begin on May 1 and are offered through December 29.
Interviews are conducted at the following times:
Monday Friday 9, 9:40, 10:20 and, 11 a.m., and 1:20, 2 and 3:20 p.m.
Please call (610) 330-5100 at least two weeks in advance to schedule an interview. </p>
<p>Just to reiterate, interviews are both informational AND evaluative, so make a good impression. Even though they are conducted informally, make sure to dress up nicely and come with questions to ask of the admissions officer. The questions you ask should not have answers which are readily available in the college literature.</p>
<p>Just be yourself during the interview, and make sure you communicate your enthusiasm for the school. If you are lucky enough to get an interview on campus, consider yourself one step above those applicants who could not schedule one.</p>
<p>I hope this little bit of information helps.</p>
<p>there's off-campus interviews as well though, right? because I never had an on-campus interview at lafayette, but I'm pretty sure I interviewed for the school.... hmmm</p>
<p>You are correct! Lafayette College does offer off-campus interviews, usually conducted by a Lafayette alumnus. I regret not having mentioned that in my response to cobia210. If there are no admissions officers available to interview you, or if the admissions office believes it more convenient for you to be interviewed by an alumnus in your area, an off-campus interview will be arranged.</p>
<p>Keefe Hall is known as the quietest residence hall on campus at nights and on weekends. Even though it is co-ed by room (males and females room next to each other), and there are only 16 spots reserved for first-year students, that might be your daughter's best bet.</p>
<p>The rest of the residence halls are quiet during the week for the most part. On the weekends, your daughter should expect some noise coming from adjacent rooms. It really depends on who is living in a certain building any given semester.</p>
<p>Conway House and PT Farinon House are both co-ed by floor and house about 30 first-year students each. Those might be good choices as well.</p>
<p>Just make sure your daughter avoids South College due to excessive noise, especially on weekend nights. The same goes for Gates Hall and McKeen Hall.</p>
<p>Great questions! As an RA, I will get FREE room and board. This means that I will not have to pay for my SINGLE room. The partial meal plan which comes with the position includes 10 meals a week and $300 flex per semester. I plan on increasing that amount of flex by a few hundred dollars because I run through flex quickly!</p>
<p>In addition, RA's get an additional stipend. This dollar amount is determined by years of experience as an RA. I imagine we will receive a check every month or so, but I really have no idea how much this amount might be.</p>
<p>Of course, the position requires a great deal of responsibility and commitment. The application process is VERY intense, and very few applicants actually get the position each year. If you think you may be interested in becoming an RA starting your sophomore year, check out this webpage <a href="http://ww2.lafayette.edu/%7Ereslife/become_ra.php%5B/url%5D">http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~reslife/become_ra.php</a> for a little explanation of what it means to be an RA.</p>
<p>hey I have a question: how many AP credits do I need to "pass" as a sophmore in Lafayette? (I think have 8) And even if I do, do I need to take required freshman classes such as College Writing?</p>
<p>candyman, thanks for your quick reply. I realize that you are not yet an RA, but how much work do you think an RA has? Do you think he would have time to be seriously involved in other ECs and maintain a (very) good GPA?</p>
<p>It seems that you have quite an interest in possibly applying for the RA position...that's great! I have heard from other RA friends that the job can be a very rewarding experience.</p>
<p>The amount of "work" an RA has really depends on the floor you are in charge of. RA's of first-year students usually are faced with many questions during the first few weeks as their residents get acclimated to their new environment. RA's of upperclass students face different issues, but the position can be just as intimidating!</p>
<p>All RA's are expected to attend monthly RA meetings with the Office of Residence Life staff. In addition, RA's must attend meetings with their Head RA every few weeks to keep everyone informed of floor developments. As RA, one is also expected to plan and prepare at least one floor program a month for their residents to get involved in. This program could be anything...maybe a simple pizza party study break/movie viewing or even getting tickets for the floor to see a performance together in the Williams Center for the Arts? The ability to send out "mass" emails helps the RA complete this responsibility.</p>
<p>The RA must also keep the floor updated on events happening on campus by hanging up fliers and posting various reference materials on their bulletin boards. Also, every other week or so, an RA must "do rounds". This means that he/she must walk around a few predetermined buildings late at night to make sure everything is in order and no one is doing anything stupid. Afterwards, the RA must sit at a desk in the duty office for a couple of hours in case he/she is needed for some emergency. Most RA's get a ton of schoolwork done while "on duty", as real emergencies are few and far between.</p>
<p>As an RA, you have to be able to speak to anyone about anything. Obviously, you would have to get along with all of your residents to a certain extent. It is important that they feel they can trust you with ANYTHING on their minds.</p>
<p>RA's are usually very good students. As an RA, I still plan on maintaining a 4.0 GPA while also participating in various extracurriculars (writing for the newspaper, student gov't, tour guide, DI fencing, etc.) It is VERY possible to do it all, but you have to stay on top of the time and KEEP ORGANIZED.</p>
<p>Your job as an RA is important, but not quite as important as your academics. Schoolwork in college ALWAYS comes first. Keep that in mind.</p>
<p>In order to graduate from Lafayette College, one must fulfill the requirements for at least one major program and satisfy all parts of the common course of study. Since you need 32 course credits to graduate (do the math: four courses a semester, eight semesters = 32!), eight AP credits would make it possible for you to skip an entire year of school.</p>
<p>To tell you the truth, I really have no idea how the process of skipping a year works. I was actually considering skipping a year myself because I came into Lafayette with a decent amount of AP credits, but have since decided against it. There are so many cool courses I wish to take that I do not think I could take them all in only three years! Also, I am thinking of double-majoring, which would most likely require that fourth year to complete. If I decide to study abroad, I could do so for one semester or an entire year! Three years just doesn't seem like enough time once you get here!</p>
<p>If you are worried about the family finances, and would like to skip a year for financial reasons, that makes a lot of sense. If you are really serious about coming into Lafayette as a sophomore, I would recommend calling up the Registrar's Office for more information by calling (610) 330-5090 or emailing <a href="mailto:registrar@lafayette.edu">registrar@lafayette.edu</a>. </p>
<p>As for the other part of your question, I do believe that you will still be required to fulfill the common course of study, which includes ENG 110:College Writing. However, you can place out of ENG 110:College Writing by getting a 4 or 5 on either English AP exam. Actually, many Lafayette students are unable to enroll in a College Writing course as first-year students due to limited capacities, so if you would have to take it as a sophomore, it wouldn't be that big of a deal.</p>
<p>I hope this information is of some help to you. If you need me to explain anything in greater depth, post away!</p>
<p>candyman, how easy is it to maintain a 4.0 GPA at Lafayette? Is there grade inflation? Are there bell curves in certain classes? In short, how tough are the academics at Lafayette?</p>