My older child was a physics major and about half of her classmates did 3/2 at Columbia. She was a double major in Visual Art so never considered it. One classmate was planning it but got better grad school and corporate offers so he ended up graduating early (with AP credits) instead.
My nephew attended Middlebury and participated in their 3-2 program with Dartmouth:
Another option is a dual-degree program. The one that the most students have pursued recently is with Dartmouth. In this program, one usually spends the junior year studying engineering at Dartmouth, returns to Middlebury for the senior year, graduating with a B.A., and then goes back to Dartmouth for a fifth year and a second degree, a bachelor of engineering (B.E.).
It worked well for him because he spent junior year at Dartmouth then had the chance to spend senior year with his friends before returning to Dartmouth for his 5th year.
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Thatâs really interesting. I just found out these programs exist so thought I would let S know before he selects Spring classes. Heâs still exploring bio and Iâm not sure how it all fits.
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Itâs a nice option since most LACs donât offer engineering.
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From what college?
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Yea but it still costs five years just to get a bachelors degree thoughâŠ
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You get 2 degrees. I think itâs a great option if you want engineering with a liberal arts education. Obviously not for everyone.
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S19 is physics and math double major and might consider grad school for engineering but will likely work first. Lots of options out there.
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And for this reason, among others, my kid has applied to work at the dining hall âŠ
But she says the food is great!
Bryn Mawr has a number of 3+2 and 4+1 programs and I believe that some students actually take advantage because theyâre integrated with Penn and donât require moving to a different campus mid stream.
She is finishing fall break, enjoyed the respite before midterms and adores her college âhome.â
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Of course student could just go to my alma mater Lafayette College and a get the best of both worlds in four yearsâŠ
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We hit Amherst College Friday and had a lovely lunch at a great Vietnamese restaurant with D18 and her friend, then headed up to Williams College for D21âs Family weekend. It was a glorious drive to the Berkshires. The leaves did not disappoint and loved seeing my girls. I hope those of you that visited your kids, found them happy and well.
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We decided to pass on the family weekend across county and Iâm counting the days until Thanksgiving when S comes home. Next Fall I really hope to see New England and the colors! My Insta feed is lit up with it now. 
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@purplemama Whatâs the surrounding area like at Amherst? Does your D18 feel like thereâs enough to do (not partying, but just a nice break from the dorm) outside of Amherst? The leaves were still green when we were at Providence two weeks ago. Shorts and tank top weather, so I was very warm in my prepared fall wardrobe, including my ankle boots, the one and only pair of footwear I brought!
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We took a drive down to San Luis Obispo for Parents Weekend this past weekend. We attended an event for Dâs college and then later that evening went to the Big Game between two powerhouse football teams, Cal Poly and UC Davis. Davis won 24-13.
As we were walking up to the stadium, I took a quick pic of the entrance to Cal Polyâs stadium and sent it to D18 at Michigan.
I texted her: âThe Big House.â
D18 sent back a text: âAn exact replica.â 
D21 appears to be having a great time, both socially and academically. She has a core group of about 5-6 friends, all in her major but for one. Her roommate and her family are very nice people. We got very lucky. I think.
Now, the weekend after next is Parents Weekend in Ann Arbor. Last one there.
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They are able to walk into town which she loves to do. There are some good places to eat and have tea which she enjoys. The trails right behind campus to take a walk or ride a bike is a nice activity, as is the farm next door. Amherst brings in food trucks every Thursday to treat the students and they also bring in some musicians. The clubs are pretty active and have different events that seem to be inclusive. Lots of sports to watch and the museum on campus can be something to do, too. It isnât city life by any stretch and most of the activities are on campus, but the small town offers a nice break from dorm living.
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Went to the football game last weekend and it was a great atmosphere. S is loving school and has made lots of great friends. He isnât coming home for TG, he is going to a friends house so I am glad we got to briefly see him this weekend.
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As @purplemama says there is a little âcollege downtownâ just a block off of campus, with all the things you would expect (bookstore, tea, coffee, several restaurants, etc.) and there is more if you walk a bit further. Also the students get a bus pass that takes them everywhere, which my daugher has taken advantage of a few times to do things like Trader Joeâs and Target. The more commercial area that looks like about every other suburb in the country (Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc.) is easy to reach on the bus, or an $8.00 Uber. UMass is about a mile away, and itâs easy to get to Northampton on the bus.
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We went on a recruiting trip for our S17 to Cal Poly on Cal Poly - Davis football weekend. Cal Poly is a great academic school, and the campus is beautiful. The town is lovely.
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Hi All, just checking in to say hello.
After suuuuuch a long wait for move-in day, D21 is settled in and happy at Middlebury. A few ups and downs that first week as the âorientationâ was a full week but with only one hour of planned activity each day. Way. Too. Long!!! Once classes started everything really fell into place. Sheâs met a great group of friends, is playing club tennis, applying for ski patrol (which is a legit EMT course with a mid-term and a final!) and taking advantage of the beauty and nature that surrounds her.
We had a great visit over parents weekend and had the opportunity to meet her friends and their families. She seemed so grown up to me, even though it had only been five weeks.
Itâs nice to hear from you all that our 21s are off to a good start. I will always be grateful for this parent group and all I learned in the process!
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Today is my daughterâs 18th birthday. We rented her a screening of a movie sheâs been wanting to see and will be buying her dinner from her favorite restaurant. I asked if she wanted to skip class and sleep in today but she wanted to go- she is skipping rehearsals for the movie though.
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