Lafayette Questions and Answers Part III (2013-2014)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Lafayette College
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<p>Hello everyone!</p>

<p>As the 2013-2014 academic year for Lafayette College begins today, I am opening up this new question and answers forum for all prospective students to engage in an up-to-date conversation about the College. While I encourage you to take advantage of the information on the Part I and Part II forums, it is best that all new questions be posted here, as those forums are older now.</p>

<p>Current students, alumni, parents, and anyone else is welcome to share their thoughts and experiences about Lafayette.</p>

<p>I hope that this forum is helpful to prospective students in the years to come :)</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>Taylor Brown
Lafayette College Class of 2015
B.S. Neuroscience</p>

2

<p>Hi Taylor: What is the acceptance rate for international student? is there any difference if an international student apply or not apply needs base aid? For the merit base scholarship, is the criteria/standard for internatinal and domestic student the same, or it is more competitive for internatioal student? Thanks</p>

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<p>Around 8-10 % acceptance rate for internationals, AFAIK.</p>

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<p>Hi Taylor: I’ve just read a student review of Lafayette from *****, which says life in Lafayette is boring because of the size of school, the lack of diversity and the town, to my surprise. So I’m wondering what others think about life (except academics) in Lafayette. Do most people spend spare time taking part in various social activities or simply stay in dorms killing time online? And what are the popular activities except sports?</p>

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<p>Hi Taylor: I am a student who is looking for interdisciplinary courses in Lafayette college. I wonder if there is any major or program involve interdisciplinary courses learning. Also, does Lafayette offer a various research projects for students? Thank you!</p>

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<p>Also, Taylor, I got to know from your lost post in 2011 that Lafayette offers some pre-med program. I wonder whether there is any difference between the acceptance of International students who study pre-med programs and those who are not？As I am a diabetes, I want to learn something about my own disease…</p>

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<p>Taylor, are you aware of any classmates who chose Lafayette for engineering over another LAC’s 3-2 program, particularly where the LAC with the 3-2 program may have been a better match for other reasons?</p>

<p>Many thanks!</p>

8

<p>Hi.
I am interested in geology and studio art. Can you tell me about the reputation of the two departments around campus versus Franklin and Marshall and Dickinson?</p>

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<p>I don’t know anything compared to F&M or Dickinson, but my roommate’s a geology major and says the department is fantastic. From what I can see, he’s not lying. The profs know the students personally, and help them out a lot. And they’re fantastic scholars, and great teachers.</p>

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<p>Taylor,</p>

<p>I see your a neuroscience major. Can you comment on on the psychology program there?</p>

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<p>I am wondering how Lafayette deals with gpa. My HS has very rigorous AP classes. Does Lafayette strip the weighting out of the chore subjects and only consider your unweighted gpa? Also, my “fluff” courses included AP and IB art which require HOURS of work. Does this count for anything? Thanks, I really want to come to Lafayette.</p>

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<p>I’m guessing Taylor can provide more insight, but this is what I understand from having gone through the process recently with my D pretty recently. The GPA reported on the class profile states that *All GPAs reflected here represent unweighted GPAs that have been recalculated using actual grades in major subjects for the first three years of high school." </p>

<p>However, when reviewing applications, we were told that the admissions counselors look at strength of HS schedule including advanced/AP classes and what type of electives you take. They also consider the classes you take and how well you do senior year. In addition, each HS sends a school profile in with every transcript so even if Lafayette is not familiar with your HS they should be able to get a good sense of your HS, its class offerings, and its students.</p>

<p>If Lafayette is your top choice, I’d be sure to have “demonstrated interest” in the school (which you may have already) through a campus visit, interview, etc. My D was able to shadow a student for a day which was great. You can also consider applying ED, but only if you are positive that Lafayette is your top choice.</p>

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<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>Sorry for the late responses…it has been a rather busy semester for me so far!!!</p>

<p>Sunnyshen—There is a lot to do at Lafayette, and I think the answer to your question can be summarized in three parts. First, Lafayette students are heavily involved in the many organizations that are on campus. We have over 250 organizations, so if you ask students what they do over the weekends, you might get several different answers. For example, I have a friend who is in the Lafayette Outdoors Society, so he might go on a hike. I have another friend who is captain of our quidditch team (yes, we have a quidditch team), so she might have a match or a practice on the weekends. While our students are unified as part of the Lafayette community, we all have individualized experiences depending on what opportunities we choose to pursue. These organizations also sponsor all kinds of events/film-screenings/activities open to all students.</p>

<p>The second part of my answer is about recreation activities for all students. These are run largely by the Lafayette Activities Forum (LAF). LAF does a great job sponsoring programs throughout the year. For example, they have live music down at The Spot, our student run night club right off campus. They also have a spring concert every year (this year was Macklemore), and they also sponsor trips to NY and Philly. Additionally, LAF brings comedians and magicians to campus, so that’s fun for everyone as well. There is a whole slew of events that they hold all year long, so those events compliment those run by the other student-run organizations very well. I find that students are rarely bored.</p>

<p>The third part of my answer is simply Easton. Easton is a great college town with a lot to do. The most popular feature of the town is the Easton Farmer’s Market, the longest continuously running farmer’s markets in the country. It is essentially like a street fair every Saturday in the fall and spring, and they have all kinds of freshly baked goods, locally grown foods, and other products. The farmer’s market has many special events as well, such as a Garlic Festival, Salsa Making Competition, and a “Peach Party.” Many students like to go down there on the weekends. Also in Easton is the State Theater, which has many performances by traveling performers/productions. It is a great place to see shows (I plan on seeing comedian Lewis Black there this November), and is also home to the Freddy Awards, which are awards that are akin to Tony Awards but for high school musicals. Its production actually won an Emmy a few years ago, which is pretty awesome! Easton also is home to the Crayola Factory, which is always a fun place to tour. Finally, it has a vibrant downtown with lots of restaurants and a movie theater. </p>

<p>Overall, between the city of Easton, student clubs/organizations, and events sponsored by LAF and other clubs, there are MANY things for students do on/off campus. If someone is bored, it is because they simply have not reached out. In fact, 96% of our students live on campus for all 4 years, which I see as a true testament to the fact that Lafayette is a very active and vibrant residential community.</p>

<p>Taylor</p>

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<p>loveticco—</p>

<p>If you are looking for an emphasis on interdisciplinary education, Lafayette is truly an EXCELLENT option! Here at Lafayette, we encourage the different departments to interact both socially and academically. One of the reasons why so many students are able to get involved in research is because of the opportunities created by interdisciplinary projects. For example, check out this article below about a product called the Gameglowb that students worked on—<a href=“http://www.lafayette.edu/about/news/2013/06/03/interdisciplinary-student-team-creates-technology-startup-business/”>http://www.lafayette.edu/about/news/2013/06/03/interdisciplinary-student-team-creates-technology-startup-business/&lt;/a&gt; It is a demonstration of how Lafayette has a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary work. This is a “stand-out” point for Lafayette, and this is especially true for our engineers, since at many schools engineers tend to isolate themselves.</p>

<p>At Lafayette, many majors themselves are interdisciplinary! For example, the neuroscience major (my major!) is an academic program jointly run by the biology and psychology departments. Students can also create their own major, or choose from our many already-designed interdisciplinary minors. For a complete list, check out this link!</p>

<p>[Interdisciplinary</a> Programs · Academics · Lafayette College](<a href=“Curriculum Offerings · Academics · Lafayette College”>Curriculum Offerings · Academics · Lafayette College)</p>

<p>Also, students often take courses outside of their home department (without majoring/minoring) and enjoy them a lot. I remember taking an intro to film and media studies class that was a lot of fun for me, even though it was completely outside my discipline.</p>

<p>Something else I would like to note is that we try to maintain academic diversity at Lafayette. Every incoming class is roughly 25% natural science, 25% social science, 25% humanities, and 25% engineers. This helps to support the interdisciplinary research projects that occur between the academic departments. </p>

<p>Finally, I want to mention a new building under construction–The Oeschle Center for Global Education. This building, planned to be completed by Fall 2014, is the epitome of interdisciplinary focus. It is going to be a central hub for interdisciplinary projects, and you can read about it below!</p>

<p>[Photo</a> Gallery: Lafayette Breaks Ground for Oechsle Center for Global Education · About · Lafayette College](<a href=“http://www.lafayette.edu/about/news/2013/04/08/photo-gallery-lafayette-breaks-ground-for-oechsle-center-for-global-education/]Photo”>http://www.lafayette.edu/about/news/2013/04/08/photo-gallery-lafayette-breaks-ground-for-oechsle-center-for-global-education/)</p>

<p>Rumor has it that a new interdisciplinary science building is going to be built soon as well, thanks to a generous 20+ million dollar donation that Lafayette just received! </p>

<p>Between our interdisciplinary coursework, research, and facilities, it has been made clear to me that providing an interdisciplinary education is something that Lafayette considers very important. Lafayette would really be a great place for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions! :)</p>

<p>Taylor</p>

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<p>loveticco—Generally speaking, one’s intended course of study does not influence their odds of acceptance. As long as you can demonstrate your passion to the admissions directors, it will not matter what that passion is. We strive to find all kinds of students. If you need any further clarification, please ask :)</p>

<p>Taylor</p>

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<p>LucieTheLakie—I do not know anyone at Lafayette who was looking at a 3-2 program when applying to colleges. I have done some research on these programs myself, however, and here is my take on it…</p>

<p>A 3-2 program seems to be a good way to obtain both a liberal arts and an engineering degree. A unique combination like this may help you in the job market. However, what I don’t like so much about it is the fact that your liberal arts education and engineering education are separate. One of the benefits of going to a school like Lafayette is that your liberal arts and engineering programs are integrated—you are studying the liberal arts and engineering at the same time. Lafayette has a strong engineering division, but that division is within a liberal arts context. If you read my previous post, you will see that this allows our engineers to work alongside humanities/social science students. Employers are aware of our interdisciplinary philosophy, and this immensely helps our engineers in the job market. In fact, we have employers recruiting students as early as the first semester of their junior year, and we have a 99% professional employment rate among our engineering students!!!</p>

<p>All in all, a 3-2 program seems like a great idea, but its downfall is in the fact that your education programs would be separated. By having your liberal arts and engineering programs combined, you will learn how to incorporate the liberal arts into your engineering career. This is what makes Lafayette unique, and it’s a major reason why our students succeed.</p>

<p>If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask :)</p>

<p>Taylor</p>

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<p>blueskiesabove,</p>

<p>While I know we have an art major at Lafayette, I am not very familiar with programs in studio art. I encourage you to explore the art programs at [Art</a> · Lafayette College](<a href=“http://art.lafayette.edu/]Art”>http://art.lafayette.edu/). If you have any specific questions, I can get in touch with an art major and get back to you, so feel free to send me any specific questions if you have any.</p>

<p>As for geology, I would say it is one of our most impressive (and in my opinion, under-emphasized) departments. While I don’t know anything about Dickinson’s or Franklin and Marshall’s geology departments, I have spoken to many geology majors here who love the professors and the programs (as sixstringsrocker mentioned above). To explore the specific degree options and facilities, please see the link below.</p>

<p>[Geology</a> and Environmental Geosciences · Lafayette College](<a href=“http://geology.lafayette.edu%5DGeology”>http://geology.lafayette.edu)</p>

<p>Our geology department has a large number of students compared to other colleges (I do not remember the number off-hand), and they pursue many post-graduate options. Some work in geology research, while many others double major (their most popular 2nd major is Gov-Law) and incorporate their geology knowledge into a variety of careers.</p>

<p>I would also like to note that Lafayette has study abroad programs designed specifically for geology majors—one in Hawaii and another at the Galapagos Islands, which many students rave about.</p>

<p>If you would like specific information about our program, please email Dr. Dru Germanoski, the department head, at <a href=“mailto:germanod@lafayette.edu”>germanod@lafayette.edu</a>. </p>

<p>Hope that helps!</p>

<p>Taylor</p>

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<p>DHsearch,</p>

<p>As a neuroscience major, I can tell you first-hand that the psychology department is outstanding! In my opinion, the most important fact to mention is that psychology is a NATURAL SCIENCE at Lafayette, NOT a social science (unlike most colleges). This speaks volumes of the way we approach psychology. Here at Lafayette, we realize that psychology is a academic field that can be studied through the use of controlled experiments. As such, it is treated the same way one would treat biology, chemistry, physics, or geology. By approaching it as a natural science, we are able to learn it in a way that is more empirical, less biased, and more thorough compare to other schools. In fact, Introduction to Psychology has a lab component.</p>

<p>That being said, I also think our psychology department has wide variety of coursework and specialties. All courses fall within 7 subdivisions, which include Biological, Clinical, Cognitive/Learning, Developmental, Industrial/Organizational, Methods, and Social. The faculty have many different research interests, so there are many options if you want to get involved in research. One does not have to focus on the scientific/biological aspects of psychology (many don’t), but the use of the scientific method is emphasized throughout the department. It is an excellent program at Lafayette no matter which aspect of psychology interests you.</p>

<p>What I love about the neuroscience major is that it is a jointly run program by both the biology and psychology departments. I can give you an explanation of that major as well, so please let me know if you are interested! Likewise, feel free to ask for any clarifications on the psychology department.</p>

<p>Taylor</p>

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<p>blueskyabove—</p>

<p>To answer your question regarding admissions, happy1 has summarized it accurately. Lafayette reviews its applicants based on the context of their high school. For example, if your high school offered 20 AP courses and you only took 1, that might be construed negatively. However, if you took 1 AP course in a high school that only offered 2, then that would be a different situation. Lafayette looks for students who strive to challenge themselves academically (as much as they can) while still maintaining high performance. If you take advanced classes and do poorly in them, that would not bode well for your application. However, a B+ in an AP course might be seen more positively than an A in a “normal” level course.</p>

<p>Hope that helps!</p>

<p>Taylor</p>

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<p>Thanks, Taylor. Those are really good points you made about the differences between most 3-2 programs and Lafayette’s specific program.</p>

<p>Our son is not positive if he wants to study engineering or applied mathematics, which is why Lafayette’s program is so appealing. At larger schools, he’d need to apply directly into an engineering school, while at most LACs he’d have to wait to really explore engineering for several years. </p>

<p>How would you say Lafayette’s math department is regarded in general? In the article linked below it says one of the math professors has a son who’s attending Haverford (another school S is considering), so I suggested my son try contacting him, but it looks like he’s on sabbatical right now.</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

<p>[A</a> New Haven at Haverford - The Lafayette - The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania](<a href=“http://www.thelaf.com/a-new-haven-at-haverford-1.3013568#.UkBQTYaTh8F]A”>http://www.thelaf.com/a-new-haven-at-haverford-1.3013568#.UkBQTYaTh8F)</p>