Hello! I am a rising senior and am currently undecided as to my college major. I have visited Richmond and Lafayette twice now and am considering applying ED to one of them. Which school’s alumni network is strongest and how difficult is it to get the classes you want at each one? Thanks!
For full disclosure, my D went to Lafayette and loved it. My guess is that Lafayette would have a bigger alumni network in the northeast and Richmond would have the bigger alumni network in the DC/VA area.
My D did not have trouble getting the classes she wanted at Lafayette (as far as I can remember she had to defer taking psych 1 for one semester as she wasn’t put in the class as a first semester freshman and one class she had to ask the professor to sign her in but that was it).
They are both excellent choices and I know people who have been very happy at both schools.
@happy1 Thank you so much!
If you will require need-based financial aid, run the Net Price Calculators for both. Both meet full demonstrated need, but you may find a difference between them in terms of what their formula says your demonstrated need is. Also, Richmond’s admissions are need-blind whereas Lafayette is need-aware. (So, there is a possibility of an admissions disadvantage at Lafayette, if you’re applying for aid, that wouldn’t be present at Richmond.)
If you won’t qualify for need-based aid, then compare the merit aid potential.
If relative cost isn’t a concern at all, then just figure out which you like better!
Both schools are excellent, and Richmond has been on the rise for some time now. Go ED with the school that you are truly committed to (ED is a binding agreement, after all).
Both schools seem to accept a similar percentage via ED: 46-47%. Both also seem to fill up a good chunk of the entering class with ED admits (for Lafayette, just under half; for Richmond a bit lower but still more than 40%). I think it’s a toss-up. My guess would be that both schools are probably pretty similar in terms of alumni network.