muhlenberg?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>hi i was just wondering if anyone has any firsthand knowlefge about Muhlenberg College? I am very interested in applying next year. One of my teachers said that Allentown is a dump and that double majoring in dance and biology is not a good idea and that is what i want to do... Does anyone have any information on...</p>

<p>1) Dance there
2) Biology
3) Campus life
4) students?</p>

<p>I really like the college and i have very high stats and someone else told me i could have a good chance with a merit scholarship there. but other people are telling me i should shoot for higher reaches than this "low match" school. The thing is, I really like this school so far and it seems to fit my strict crieteria. haha thanks.</p>

2

<p>I have no first hand experience, but do know that Muhlenberg has a very strong biology major. It has a good track record getting students into med school. </p>

<p>While the school is officially allied with a Protestant denomination–Lutheran?–it’s undergrad student body includes a large number of Jewish students. I say that just so you will know that despite the official affiliation, students of other faiths feel comfortable there.</p>

3

<p>First, if Muhlenberg is a safety/low match for you, that’s okay. It’s not likely the only place you’ll apply, so if you feel like you should reach higher, you can certainly still do so. Meanwhile, you’ve found a school that really interests you (so far), and at which you have a great shot at acceptance…that’s the toughest part for a lot of students!</p>

<p>Second (though this is getting away from your main question, so maybe you’d prefer it in a separate thread), may I ask why your teacher doesn’t think a Bio/Dance combo is a good idea? As with any double major, ease/possibility of completion will vary by school, but I know a few people who’ve pursued this combo and been very happy with it. Just curious as to what the downside might be!</p>

<p>Finally, is it possible for you to arrange a visit to Muhlenberg? I recommend visiting while classes are in session and seeing if you can sit in on multiple courses (certainly at least one, but preferably a few…perhaps dance + bio + something discussion-based, if time + administration allow). If you (or someone else) is worried about the school possibly being below your level, this might help you feel more comfortable.</p>

4

<p>The “Love thy Safety” theme song is humming loudly in the background. If you like the school and it’s a fit … that’s wonderful. Keep checking out the details. You’ll want to apply more than one place – so put this one on your list of definite possibilities and keep looking!</p>

5

<p>We visited Muhlenberg and thought the campus was beautiful. I can honestly say that of all the colleges we’ve visited, the nicest people were at Muhlenberg…everyone there was sincerely nice and helpful If you haven’t visited, go. I know they are very big in their performing arts. If you love dance AND biology - then follow your heart! Their academics are very strong.</p>

6

<p>The students I know at Muhlenberg love it. Both sciences and dance are strong there. The facilites are top-knotch in both areas. Campus is lovely. There isn’t much to do in the immediate area but within a couple of miles there is plenty for the average college student. A lot of students go to NYC once or twice a semester. Everyone my son met on campus was very, very nice and friendly.</p>

7

<p>I don’t have any experience with Muhlenberg, but I can say that I don’t consider Allentown a dump (PA resident here). I mean, it’s not like a dirty, disgusting, and crime-ridden city or anything. It’s also not a hub of cultural activity, haha. There’s not a lot going on in that part of PA, but it’s not terrible and I’m sure that Muhlenberg provides a lot of activities to make up for the location.</p>

<p>Sure, dance doesn’t apply to bio and bio doesn’t apply to dance, but do what you want! Your teachers don’t have to agree with everything that you do (good thing, huh?).</p>

8

<p>More praise for Muhlenberg. It’s high on DD’s list; she loved the campus, friendly feel, and sense that it’s really an institution on the move. Recent capital improvements include spectacular new apartment-style housing; major renovations of the science facilities; and a spectacular student fitness center. The part of Allentown surrounding the campus is a quiet, very pretty suburb. The school is also bounded on one side by a beautiful public park. I would urge parents whose kids are interested in the college to have a look at the school’s latest update on its strategic plan, which shows impressive things going on on many fronts:</p>

<p>[Strategic</a> Planning](<a href=“http://www.muhlenberg.edu/committees/stratplanning/review07.html]Strategic”>http://www.muhlenberg.edu/committees/stratplanning/review07.html)</p>

9

<p>Janemac- I’d be happy to share what I know about Muhlenberg. I have firsthand knowledge because my D is a junior and my niece graduated in 2001.
I don’t know anything about the dance program.
Biology is well regarded, the pre-med program is well respected. There is a new neuroscience program, and new science building opened this year.</p>

<p>The immediate area around the college is tree lined with lovely homes, and students live in many apartments near the campus. </p>

<p>The facilities are small but quite plush when compared with similar size LACs in PA. The dining room, far nicer than Gburg’s or Dickinson, but I can’t comment on the quality of the food. The student center is convenient, compfortable, with Starbucks counter in the student lounge. The performing arts center opened since 2001 so is newer, and very nice. Athletic center opened last year, and is the envy of the alums who visit and didn’t have such nice facilities. </p>

<p>Students fall into three categories, but all the kids get along and are quite friendly. The jocks, theater arts kids and pre- meds, and three predominant religious groups break evenly-Jewish, Catholic and Protestant kids.
You should read the campus newspaper to get a sense of the campus issues, and overall atmosphere.</p>

<p>If you are looking for an interesting enviroment off campus, you will not find it in Allentown. For shopping there is a Mall, with the typical super stores and movies about 10 minutes away, but there isn’t a thriving urban atmosphere.</p>

<p>If you want a nurturing, caring atmosphere where the professors know your name you will find that at Muhlenberg.
You should visit it this spring, to see if it is a place you might outgrow.
By Junior year, the students are ready for their study abroad experience!</p>

10

<p>Janemac- with high stats you will qualify for merit money- daughter received Presidential scholarship.</p>

<p>You may, also, qualify for the honors program, which is an enriching experience at Muhlenberg. (D is not in honors program, but her teammate was last year, and had a wonderful experience)</p>

11

<p>I live within 20 minutes of Muhlenberg and can speak a bit about the area. Allentown is a nice size city that does have a crime problem, but not really in the area of Muhlenberg. BTW, it’s NOT in a suburb of Allentown, it’s well within city limits. There is a good bit of culture going on in the city. My son and I went to the symphony in the fall and there is beautiful art museum.<br>
[Things</a> To Do](<a href=“http://www.allentownpa.org/thingstodo.htm]Things”>http://www.allentownpa.org/thingstodo.htm) There’s a great farmers market within a couple of miles of Muhlenberg. My personal favorite is Wegmans grocery store about 3 miles from the college.</p>

<p>The down town area is trying to make a come-back and I think it’s succeeding. There is another college about a mile or so from Muhlenberg - Cedar Crest College for women. Nearby Bethlehem is a real cute little city and it hosts Moravian and Lehigh University. The colleges previously mentioned plus Lafayette and DeSales University (in Center Valley, just south of Allentown) are part of a consortium [LVAIC</a> :: Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges](<a href=“http://www.lvaic.org/]LVAIC”>http://www.lvaic.org/) and students can take a limited number of classes at any of these places.</p>

<p>The Lehigh valley is a beautiful area (okay, all the northeast is kind of gray right now) and outdoor activities are available four seasons. My husband is going skiing tomorrow. The Appalchian trail is about an hour away and NYC is about 1 1/2. Philadelphia is just over an hour away and Lehigh Valley airport is about 15 minutes from A-town.</p>

<p>I actually know someone that graduated with a Dance degree from Muhlenberg and she is happily teaching Dance at a boarding school in New England.</p>

<p>Come visit! ummm, but wait for the Spring when the temps are above 60!</p>

12

<p>good timing for this thread! I just arrived in Allentown early this evening to surprise my daughter for her birthday tomorrow - she’s a freshman.</p>

<p>Her friends who helped me arrange the surprise invited me down to their room to hang out when I arrived (it’s where I surprised my daughter) because they had ordered Chinese for dinner; so I hung out with about 6-7 kids over an hour and a half. They are all great kids; in this short time I saw kids helping each other with homework (writing essays) and with dance (one of the girls is trying to learn a difficult tap combination and three other people got up and showed it to her (there are two girls in a triple, so lots of room!).</p>

<p>The new science building is gorgeous (which I’m sure you saw if you visited). The biology program is highly respected and successful, attested by the high rate of med school acceptances of Muhlenberg students. My daughter absolutely loves her dance classes (is in her second and third classes this semester), and did some ‘showing off’ for me tonight. We went out to run a couple of errands, we returned to campus and when I was parking in the the ‘circle’, I parked next to a sign that said visitor’s parking. I told my daughter, “I don’t think of myself as a visitor; I think of myself as an investor!” She thought that was funny.</p>

<p>Anyway, I should not complain about the costs, as my daughter won three scholarships to Muhlenberg, so our out-of-pocket costs is very reasonable for the attention and education she is getting. </p>

<p>The kids do kind of stay close to campus, but despite it being such a small campus, there’s always stuff going on. Also, there are regular trips planned to the larger cities, especially NYC. I saw flyers up for a field trip sponsored by the business and economics club to go to NYC (can’t remember what for, but I was quite impressed). D went with a theatre group to see a play off-Broadway last Sunday, and loved name-dropping stars that were in the audience (it was a preview night). Quite a few kids make regular trips into NYC for auditions, and have been successful. </p>

<p>I think you have to ask why your teacher would say those things about Muhlenberg… why does she say the double-major is impossible? It is possible, and there are currently students doing it. As far as Allentown being a dump, it does have areas that are depressed, but you can also tell they’re trying to revitalize the downtown area. Frankly, when my D first looked at Muhlenberg, she was sort of skeptical because of Allentown. She saw college life as going out all the time, parties, etc. What it took her a semester (or maybe less) to learn is that when you’re in a challenging school, you just don’t have time to go flitting about the town. My D has easy access to NYC (a relative has an empty apt. there that D’s welcome to use at any time), but hasn’t even utilized that because she’s so busy on campus. I think especially if you plan to double-major, you just won’t have time to appreciate or miss life outside of school. If you’re happy with the campus, then that’s what’s important.</p>

<p>Please let me know if there’s anything else I can answer for you. Again, I’d wonder why your teacher is so down on Muhlenberg?</p>

13

<p>There must be something in the water in Eastern PA, so many great schools.</p>

<p>My niece is considering Muhlenberg and really enjoyed her visit (she’s a local kid). I think the area near the school is not great (then again, neither is Lehigh) but that should only be a small, small factor as kids tend to hang out on campus or road-trip out of town.</p>

<p>Don’t trust anyone who discourages you from dancing.</p>

14

<p>My D’s pediatrician was a dance major at UCSD. She probably could have double-majored in bio without having to take a lot more classes. Do what feels right for you. If it’s too much too double major you’ll figure it out when you get to college and you’ll make some choices, no harm done.</p>

15

<p>Well I think my teacher is just trying to bring me down. she thinks dance as a major is “stupid because dance is a hobby” HMMM, when was pin collecting a college major? My parents told me not to listen to her. </p>

<p>Thank you for all the replies. My parents and I are planning a trip in May and if I do end up applying, we plan on returning for the dance auditions and taking classes/tour. I look forward to it!</p>

16

<p>As long as you have reasons for your choice, and you’re aware of potential perks & pitfalls, no major is ‘stupid.’ I suggest ignoring the comment, but also realizing that it’s sort of a round-about compliment, implying great faith in your academic ability (not wanting a good brain to ‘go to waste’ or something like that…which, of course, it wouldn’t in dance, but your teacher may have a misguided idea of what a dance degree entails). </p>

<p>Math was a ‘hobby’ of mine, so I took classes because I enjoyed the subject and I needed a mental break from my major. Eventually, I realized that I was on track for a minor! I know people who’ve done the same thing with dance minor/majors, history major, music minor, art minor, and French major. So even if something is primarily a hobby, it doesn’t mean you can’t get a degree out of it, too :p</p>

17

<p>Thanks Student! You have been very helpful. =]</p>

18

<p>Listen to your parents! If we all took your teacher’s advice this would be a cold, dull world devoid of creativity. Study those things for which you have a passion and you can’t go wrong.</p>

<p>By the way, I know only one person at Muhlenberg and she loves it there.</p>

19

<p>i looked at muhlenberg for the same exact things - dance and biology and really liked their programs. the dance program seemed really good, my teacher from nyc highly recommended it! you can also audition for scholarship (idk if you knew that) ultimately i decided against it because of a number of factors but mainly that the school was too small (almost the same size as my HS) but it’s beautiful and has really good academics!</p>

20

<p>Muhlenberg gives scholarships based on SAT/GPA combinations…without considering financial need. They want to increase the number of smart kids!</p>