Susquehanna or Muhlenberg (are academics or vibes more important?)

College Search & Selection
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I have to make my decision by tomorrow (aaaaah), but I honestly like both schools equally!

Things to consider:

Logistics:

  • Muhlenberg is one hour away from home, Susquehanna is two and a half hours.
  • Susquehanna is in a rural small town, while Muhlenberg’s location is much more similar to the suburbs where I’ve grown up. It would seem like there’s not much to do around Susquehanna, but the students I’ve asked at admissions events swear there is-- a roller rink, thrift store, movie theater, plus on-campus events.
  • Susquehanna is slightly cheaper, but the difference in price isn’t big enough to matter much.
  • At Susquehanna, freshmen can’t choose their roommates, instead, they’re thoughtfully matched up based on not only habits but personality. I actually would prefer this over finding a roommate on social media. At Muhlenberg, I could be assigned a roommate based on similar habits, but it doesn’t seem to be done with the same care as Susquehanna.
  • At both schools, I’d be in the honors program.

Academics:

  • I’m not 100% decided on a major, but I’m thinking about environmental science, with the possible career goal of sustainable architecture. Both schools have a fairly good enviro program, but I think Susquehanna’s is better.
  • I was originally drawn to Susquehanna because of its creative writing and editing & publishing majors. While I’ve realized that probably isn’t the career path for me, I would still love to take these as minors. I went to a (virtual) summer creative writing program with Susqu, so I even know some of the professors. Muhlenberg’s writing major/minor is new, so idk how good it is.

Atmosphere:

  • Muhlenberg has an incredibly caring atmosphere. I feel like it would be easy for me to get the support I need with my adhd and anxiety. Susquehanna’s office of disability services seems okay, they just don’t have that whole-campus culture around getting help.
  • On overall vibes, Muhlenberg seems to fit me better. They’re big on theater, significantly Jewish (which I am), and generally have that artsy-nerdy vibe that I go for. Susquehanna has more of a sporty-artsy vibe, if that makes sense, but I could find my niche there.

tl;dr Susquehanna wins on more of the specific comparisons, but the overall vibe is leaning Muhlenberg. Which criteria is more important?

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If both are affordable and you like Muhlenberg better, choose Muhlenberg. Both are equivalent academically and have good support services. It sounds like you really like Muhlenberg better.

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This is the key line for me. I agree with your assessment of artsy-nerdy versus sporty on the schools. Muhlenberg will have a bigger Jewish population than Susquehanna too.

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You seem to prefer Muhlenberg and the fact that you liked the office that handles learning disabilities is really important. Academically, the schools are of similar qualities although each has different departments of strength.

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