<p>So I'm a sophomore in HS, so when my family visited PA, we decided to visit F&M, along with Bucknell, Dickinson, and Gettysburg.</p>
<p>I didn't like the surrounding city very much. It's my mothers hometown, but I personally thought parts of it looked kind of slummy. However, F&M is close to a hospital, which is random, but a nice thing to know.</p>
<p>F&M has a pretty compact campus, but the track and field area is very accesible, it's almost right in the middle of the campus. I don't really remember how the buildings looked in general honestly. They weren't amazing, but they were definitly nice.</p>
<p>F&M is very hard academically, and it's reputation is very good in the professional world. You will have to work hard though, so if you are looking for an easy A, maybe don't attend.</p>
<p>Oh, and their mascots are the diplomats... That's a little offbeat, but at least it's unique.</p>
<p>Questions? Comments? I would love to know that I didn't type all of this for no reason. I also reviewed Dickinson, Bucknell, and Gettysburg, so look in those forums.</p>
<p>I visited myself. I'm a legacy and well, I've heard so many good things about it. The first time I went into Lancaster, I went into shock. But, I saw it again and I liked it so much more. It has flavor. And it's right in Amish country. With corn mazes. I don't get easily freaked out by things so I mean, I wasn't really thrown off by the ghetto-ish vibe when we got lost. I've been alone in much worse areas. Just think of it this way, JUST incase you did get assaulted, there's a hospital there. J/K. But really, I felt pretty safe in Lancaster.</p>
<p>I really loved the campus "feel." It was intimate, collegiate and warm. Every student I met was incredibly enthusiastic about ..everything. And the housing system is fantastic.</p>
<p>I think it's a great liberal arts college and I think it's a plus that you have to work hard. My own family, who went there, was very successful and he loved his time there. Especially during a time when people of my religion were heavily discriminated against.</p>
<p>Actually my grandfather went there too. I guess that would make me a legacy if I went there?
Times have changed, but he had diabetes and it was one of the only colleges that had a good hospital near it for when he would pass out etc.
It was a long time ago, so now diabetics like my little brother don't have to worry about that.</p>
<p>Yes, you would be a legacy as well. I wish you luck in your college search though you got plenty of time!</p>
<p>It's good to know that F&M is amenable to having HS sophomores visit. I'm mentioning this because when we contacted University of Pittsburgh, the admissions department discouraged any info session/tour visits until my daughter's junior year. My daughter is somewhat interested (F&M's English program and Writer's House is an attraction), and we don't live too far away, so this might be worthwhile during her spring break. </p>
<p>Just curious--how did you think F&M stacked up against Dickinson? My D did a summer program at Dickinson a few years ago, although she's not interested in looking there.</p>
<p>Honestly I did like how they presented Dickinson better, but then again I spoke with a freshman at length about Dickinson but merely walked around campus of F&M. </p>
<p>From what I hear, a degree from F&M is more looked highly upon, but Dickinson is more heard of than F&M. </p>
<p>Also there's the housing system @ F&M which places ALL students in one of four houses (think Harry Potter) which could help build some community in a fun way.</p>
<p>I just finished reading all of your campus visits, and while this is a very small pool of candidates I can tell you about, here is what has transpired in our town's history of the past 6 years of applications to FM, Dickinson, Bucknell and Gettsyburg. We are probably talking about a pool of 70 kids or so. We have friends at all of these schools. We live in a suburb of NYC with a well thought of HS and I follow our HS's admission statistics pretty carefully. Bucknell is by far the most difficult of these LAC's to get into. Gettysburg follows, but Dickinson is right there afterwards, then F&M. I offer this as real, factual, information, at least in our little environment. Dickinson is the more "liberal" of the bunch with the others being a bit more "conservative"(this is personal opinion). Most students apply to all of these schools, and they all get into F&M (again, this is factual). The lowest to get into F&M was a 2.8, which has inched up to a 3.0 in recent years. Dickinson and Gettysburg are around 3.2 to a 3.4(the lowest admits) and Bucknell is much more selective, around 3.5 or higher. I think the drinking factor at Bucknell is more apparent because the school is more remote, with less options for students, but without doubt, kids are drinking at all colleges. With those statistics at hand, it is then a matter of personal preference with all of the schools having strong attractions with regard to surrounding towns, athletics, etc., majors, etc. Bucknell is DI sports, Gettysburg has amazing men's and women's lacrosse, F&M has some solid athletics as well (women's lacrosse, golf etc). I think all are well regarded in the professional community, and from the perspective of wall street and marketing (where my husband and I work) I think alum from all of these schools are looked at rather equally. I don't think a F&M graduate would edge out a Gettysburg graduate, apples to apples. Or Dickinson to Bucknell. I think you'd be in the same grouping and it would be your personal effort that would make the difference (and this again is factual, based upon our companies profiles of recruiting). Hope that helps!</p>