<p>So, I applied to Arcadia sort of on a whim.. I just got my acceptance letter today (it's rolling).. However, I don't really know much about the school, except for the sweet British study abroad thing and that there is a castle on campus. Could someone give me some insight to the school? Thanks!</p>
<p>Used to be called Beaver College...and it used to be all-girls, so you can imagine why they changed the name to Arcadia.</p>
<p>I don't know much about it now, but it used to be pretty much a commuter campus. Since going coed, and building more dorms, it has more of the feel of a small LAC. I think it's still mainly kids from the Philly area and NJ and DE, but things could have changed.</p>
<p>I don't know anything about the curriculum.</p>
<p>You should go for a visit.</p>
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Used to be called Beaver College...and it used to be all-girls
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<p>Hahaha! You couldn't make this up.</p>
<p>Under its previous name, students were often blocked from accessing its web site. Apparently the previous name has some meaning that is not altogether innocent. But if that's the case, how do you explain Carnegie Mellon getting to keep its name?</p>
<p>I live about 10 minutes driving time from Arcadia. Don't know too much about its academic programs except that in the past I believe it was known for education and nursing. Over the past several years, Arcadia has been working hard to strengthen its liberal arts and other programs and get more recognition. The website, including the profile on frshmen students, will give you some insight on what to expect academically.</p>
<p>And yes, the college used to be all female and named Beaver College. After the school went coed, its name was changed to Arcadia. This not only was done because of the rather hilarious results that could occur if trying to find the school's website using a search engine but also because the school felt that as it invested resources to ramp up the strength, diversity and quality of its programs that a new name for a new era was appropriate.</p>
<p>The school is located in Glenside PA. While Glenside is refered to as a community or neighborhood by the municipalities in which it is located, in reality it is actually a post office designation that serves portions of Cheltenham and Abington Townships. Within each township, Glenside is a community but each portion of Glenside has a bit of a different "flavor" based on the township it is in. Not unusual for this area where postal districts can span municipalities. Both Cheltenham and Abington are mature suburbs of Philadelphia with broad socio-economic diversity. Arcadia is located in the south-west tip of the Cheltenham portion of Glenside and borders the Mt Airy section of Philadelphia. </p>
<p>10 minutes walking south of Arcadia is the Cedarbrook mall which provides diverse budget minded shopping. Across from Arcadia is a restaurant. 10 minutes walking north of Arcadia is a built up business section of Glenside with loads of small businesses and some strip shopping centers. 20 minutes walking north of Arcadia and you enter Abington. The Abington portion of Glenside offers more restaurants, shops and the Keswick Theatre which is a reknowned local venue that brings in nationally known musical performers, comedians and other performing arts including ballet and theatre. It is a real gem and it is not uncommon to see a performer there who the following month has an HBO special. As you get deeper into Abington, there is more shopping and restaurants and at the northern tip of Abington is the Willow Grove Mall which has more mid-level and upscale shopping available. Arcadia fronts on Easton Rd which is the main artery located on the western side of Cheltenham and Abington. There is a bus route that can take you from one end of Easton Rd to the other (from the Cedarbrook Mall up to the Willow Grove Mall). About 15 minutes walking north from Arcadia is the Glenside train station which gives you access to center city Philadelphia and a wealth of restaurants, performing arts venues and cultural attractions. While a car is a convenience, it is not a necessity unless you want to explore areas outside of the Easton Rd corridor and center city Philadelphia (and there are loads of other fun areas to explore within reasonable driving time). Travel in and out of the area, in the absence of a car, can be done by plane or train. The train from Glenside station can take you to Philadelphia's 30th St station which is also an Amtrak hub. Or you can get a train from 30th St to the Phila International Airport. The train ride to 30th St is about 25 minutes with an additional 20 minutes to the airport. </p>
<p>Hope this is helpful.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for your help! x)</p>