hpnmath4life

Hey I have a friend applying to earlham and i was just wondering who is applying/got in already/visited...or really just anything about it at all...esp since there isnt even one thread!! any response is greatly appreciated!

carolyn

My daughter will probably be applying to Earlham next year so I'd also love to hear from others. Thanks for starting this hpn!

Personally, from what I can see and what I have heard from others, Earlham provides a top notch education. My daughter is very attracted to some of their more off-beat majors.

obesmom

My daughter applied to Earlham. We are waiting to hear back (Feb 1) . . . She really liked what she saw of the campus during a summer visit. The Earlham students she met were all pretty serious about academics as well as politics and social issues (big plus for her). We do know lots of folks who went to Earlham (even here in upstate NY) because its a Quaker school and in the Quaker community you can always find someone who went to Earlham . They all have positive things to say about it. Both my daughters have been hearing about Earlham for years!

We are still not sure if it will work out for her. It's pretty far from home, they don't have fencing , and the cost will be an issue. But it is on the top of her list right now.

sierradoc

My son just received his acceptance there; he is waiting to hear about merit scholarships; his second choice (University of Redlands) has offered 13k in merit, so we are benchmarking against that. He has also applied to the U of Cal @ Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz. He is interested in Japanese Studies, and was very impressed with his visit there last summer. He was initially very hesitant about leaving California for Richmond, Indiana, but the positive environment he experienced with the students and faculty there has vaulted Earlham to first choice.

obesmom

My daughter just got her acceptance as well. She's also waiting on the $$. She got several nice offers of merit aid from other schools, but Earlham's still on the top of her list. Indiana is far from home for her, but she fell in love with Earlham during her summer visit. Was your son at EAC?

sierradoc

We were there for one of the summer experience at Earlham days (SEE) which had tours, mock classes, a luncheon and interviews. Certainly not as in depth as the EAC or even as authentic as a visit during the school year, but he feels very comfortable making Earlham his first choice.

momofthree

Hi,

My second son, a very bright but not terribly motivated student, is interested in this school. Glad to learn if you think it is a place where he might catch fire, or where he might get lost and fall through the cracks. Anyone happen to know how involved the faculty is in student achievement?

carolyn

I'm also glad to hear the positive reports. My sense is that Earlham is the type of school that certain kids fall in love with right away. My daughter hasn't set foot on campus yet but so far seems very interested at everything she's been able to find out. We'll be visiting in two weeks and she is very excited about the trip. Would you parents of accepted kids mind sharing your kids stats (GPA, SATs) for us hopeful parents?

The only negative for my daughter will probably be going so far from home (California) and the weather. Sierradoc, how would you compare the student body at Earlham with U of Redlands? My daughter had Redlands on her list at one point but now it seems to be off again so I'm curious how you see the two comparing with each other.

sierradoc

Our son had 1420 SATs and 3.76 GPA (4.06 weighted for AP/honors). EC activities were minimal. His stats were well above both schools's average and certainly opened the door for the merit aid.
He found the classes and profs similar at Earlham and Redlands; the weather at Redlands is definitely a plus for a Calif. boy, but the student body seemed to be a bit too SoCal superficial. The exception was the Johnston Program whose students were more similar to Earlham, engaged and involved, as well as a bit quirky. Our son has always marched to his own drummer, and I think part of the appeal at Earlham was that this is the norm there; the antithesis of a frat-laden state school.
As a parent visiting Earlham, it reminded me a lot of my undergrad at Swarthmore; I think the Quaker influence does permeate (professors go by first name, consensus decisions, etc.). The far away from home aspect is certainly tough (on the parents!), but also gives them a much broader perspective (for our son, the biggest negative to Richmond was the lack of a Borders Bookstore, but with the internet, he figures he can always get Amazon.com).

fiddlefrog

My girlfriend was admitted to Earlham recently and is set on going there if money allows. The main draws are: excellent foreign language/area studies, and especially east asian studies, and a fine religious studies department; very different culture from her rural TN roots, but not so far from home that her parents will object; small, challenging, tolerant, friendly atmosphere in which mennonites from the midwest can discuss US foreign policy with buddhists from the deep south in considerable comfort.

obesmom

Hi,
My daughter had a 720v 580m on the SAT. Her GPA was about 3.7 (unweighted). She too earned a merit scholarship at Earlham. We are awaiting the financial aid info to see if it will be possible for her to attend. At this point I think it is on the very top of her list.

carolyn

Obesmom - Thanks for sharing your daughter's SAT breakdown. This is VERY good news for my daughter. Her math scores on the PSAT were much lower than her verbal and writing scores and we're expecting similiar results on the SATs.

Sierradoc, Thanks for your note comparing Redlands to Earlham. I read it to my daughter and she said "See, that's what I've been telling you!"

We visit Earlham on March 28/29 and my daughter can't wait to get there.

Northstarmom

Congrats to everyone who has gotten in!

After reading "Colleges that Change Lives," and talking with a friend whose D has been accepted to Earlham, her first choice, I am checking out this college for S, a junior.

He is a really nice, socially conscious kid who is far more interested in community service and current events than paying attention to grades. He loves being in student-centered, noncompetitive environments, so Earlham might be a nice fit.

I would be interesed in more info about merit aid and also if anyone knows what life is like for minority students there. We are black. S has lots of friends of all races/nationalities/religions, but would prefer not to be in an environment in which black males are very rare or are only athletes (S is not an athlete).

S's academic interests are broad ranging from psychology to political science to chemistry. His scores: 1440 SAT, grades, unweighted 2.9, deep community service and leadership ECs reflecting his genuine interests in those areas. Recommendations will probably reflect that he truly is a nice kid, good ethics/values and has more potential than his grades show.

sierradoc

Our visit was during the late summer, when most of the students on campus were international students who arrived before the U.S. students. Because of this, the students we met with were extremely diverse in all aspects. While I am sure that the full student body is not as varied, my impression is that it probably more diverse in nature than the actual racial/ethnic statistics might suggest. The actual breakdown should be readily available. I would suggest posing the question to Earlham students on the Livejournal site: www.livejournal.com/community/earlhamites/

likes2draw

My son will also be attending Earlham in September. I have been trying to get him to post here and to LJ but he has one foot in senioritis-land and the other in Calculus 101 at NYU, where he is experiencing a pre-college trial by fire. Earlham was his first choice from the moment he set foot on campus last fall, so we are all very pleased. Obesmom, sierradoc, others: what are your kids' decisions?