I'll Answer Your Lafayette Questions! Part I - Page 2

HiLine · 02-02-2006, 01:28 AM

I have an important question: how can I check my application status? Thanks in advance.

candyman92486 · 02-02-2006, 09:38 AM

Hey HiLine,

The only way to check on the status of your Lafayette application is to call admissions directly at (610) 330-5100 between the hours of 9am and 5pm on weekdays. Lafayette does not have a system set up to check the status online (like some other colleges) simply because it poses too many potential issues.

When you decide to call, either a student or admissions representative will pick up and will be able to look you up to check that all is well.

Hope that helps.

J

HiLine · 02-02-2006, 09:44 AM

Thank you for your suggestion.I wonder whether I can e-mail them or not.International phone calls will cost.And if I call them,what should I say at first?

candyman92486 · 02-02-2006, 10:28 AM

HiLine,

You seemed a bit worried by the whole proposition of calling (or emailing at admissions@lafayette.edu) to check up on your application status. Admissions expects to receive calls from applicants daily asking those kinds of questions. Your question, thankfully, is an easy one to answer.

If you do not wish to call due to the cost, email is an alternative. Just don't expect a prompt response...admissions inboxes are full to the brim! It could take a day or even more to get a response because they are so busy evaluating applications.

I think it is worth incurring some cost to check up on the app, especially since it is so important to do so. When, and if, you decide to call, just tell them you are an applicant and that you wish to check on the status of your application (ask if they have all the required papers, for instance). You will be asked for your name, most likely, so that you can be looked up on the computer.

Good luck, and try not to lose your cool...I know the college admissions process can be stressful, but don't let it get to you!

J

aaron56 · 02-02-2006, 11:15 AM

How much do senior year grades matter at Lafayette? I really blew it. I don't even have an excuse for bringing down my senior grades. The rest of my app is good though.

candyman92486 · 02-02-2006, 05:26 PM

Hello aaron56,

Senior year grades will be placed in the context of your other years' grades in high school. All colleges would rather see improvement from lower grades as a freshman to better grades senior year. A downward trend (it sounds like yours is quite a severe deviation from your previous performance) is not the best. It may seem to admission officers that you got lazy...

I need more information from you, aaron56, in order to really give you any accurate remarks as to your chances of admission. Did you apply ED or RD? How good were your test scores? What were your grades in the previous years? How low did they drop, and for what reason(s) (be truthful, please!). Also, how good did you think your essays/recommendations were? Any other information about what you included in the application (voluteering positions, jobs, clubs, activities, athletics) would make it easier for me to give you my best guess as to your chances of admission.

I see that you are from Nepal...being an international student greatly increases your chances of admission at any college. Keep that in mind.

If you do not wish to share your "personal" information on this board, just shoot me an email at saydej@lafayette.edu. I promise to get back to you ASAP.

J

HiLine · 02-02-2006, 08:45 PM

Thank you,candyman92486.You are not only smart but also very kind and enthusiastic.I wish I had known you earlier,not after the admission deadline as I did.

aaron56 · 02-03-2006, 10:39 AM

I just sent you an email.....thanks candyman!!!!!

bluejay · 02-05-2006, 04:26 PM

I posted earlier a question about the heavy presence of Greek life on campus. I've seen per centages in the 30's upwards to 50 for sororities. How would one feel on a small campus nnot being part of Greek life? Does it do more to separate groups by economics?

candyman92486 · 02-05-2006, 06:20 PM

Hey bluejay,

I actually responded to a similar question earlier in this thread, so I have taken the liberty of pasting my response here for you:

<<< 7. I have no interest in joining a frat myself, but my social life does not suffer in the least. I have many friends who are involved in Greek life, and they are some really cool people. The Greek system is very involved in the social life of ALL students, and really integrates itself into campus life. Honestly, I was initially a bit intimidated by the 6 frats and 5 sororities on campus, but you learn to really appreciate their influence on Lafayette. Rest assured there is MUCH to do on weekends with friends that doesn't involve the Greek system. >>>

Please see my previous posts for what there is to do on weekends that doesn't involve Greek life.

Just to add on a bit more information, please know that about 34% of Lafayette students are involved in Greek life. That may seem high, but think about it...two-thirds (a majority) are not in a frat or sorority. I am unsure as to the percentages of males and females in frats and sororities, but rest assured that the 34% statistic is representative and accurate in portraying the presence of Greek life at Lafayette.

Seriously, don't be scared away by the influence of Greek life on campus...by not isolating themselves from the social scene and forming cliques, all students benefit socially. In response to your inquiry on Greek life "separating groups by economics", I can tell you that most people involved in the Greek system are white and preppy. Sadly, I think that is how it is at most colleges. I know from friends at other colleges that most frats and sororities are the same in terms of member demographics.

Unless I am misinterpreting the last part of your question, I really don't think economics has anything to do with anything. It does cost a few hundred dollars to join a frat or sorority (the $$$ goes into a budget for planning programs and to pay the PERSONAL CHEF!). Other than that, anyone can decide to join. Nobody really cares how much money someone has, and since people not involved in Greek life can be just as well off as those who are involved...does any of this make sense? Am I totally going in the wrong direction here? If you could reword your question in some other way, I would be more than happy to attempt another response.

Until then,
J

HiLine · 02-09-2006, 09:34 AM

Thank you for your previous answer,candyman92486.My Lafayette application is almost complete,but for the SAT scores.

biofan · 02-13-2006, 05:15 PM

Dear Candyman,

Hello! My name is Stephanie. I am currently a senior at a Public High School in PA. I have applied to Lafayette college under the regular decision plan. As a student I hope to study biology, with a possible international relations minor. I visited Lafayette over the summer and really liked the "feel" of the campus. During my visit, I also participated in an interview with the college Chaplain. Additionally, I sent an email to to my regional director to introduce myself and recieved an email reply back. I do not know if you answer individual admission chance questions, but if you would be willing to look over my STATs and give me your honest opinion on my chances of being admitted, I would greatly appreciate it.

Note* I know that my SAT scores are considerably low for Lafayette. I took the test multiple times and took a review couse, but I am just not a strong test taker.

Academic Stats:
GPA: 4.264 (weighted) 4.0 (unweighted)
Rank: 52/535 (as of last year, updated with mid-year report)
Current Schedule: AP Calc AB, Psychology, Statistics, AP English Lang, Chem 2 Honors, AP Biology
SAT:
Math - 550
Critical Reading - 700
Verbal - 620
ACT - 28

Extra Curriculars (In school)
NHS Member (Junior/Senior Year)
Club Ophelia mentor (senior year)
Student Ambassador (soph-senior)
Yearbook (freshman-senior, currently senior editor)
Key Club (soph-senior, currently secretary)
Class Government (fresh-senior)

Extra Curriculars (out of school)
Hospital Volunteer (200+ hrs, 2005 Volunteer of the Year)
Silver Award recipient (2005)
Vacation Bible School Teacher (2004, 2005)
Girl Scout Camp Counselor (2003, 2004, 2005)
Youth Group Member (have been on numerous retreats, currently helping to plan missions trip)

I have participated in leadership conferences such as the National Student Leadership Conference (2004) and the Summer@Brown Leadership conference (2005)

Thank you very much. I appreciate the input of a current lafayette student.

candyman92486 · 02-14-2006, 12:08 AM

Hey Stephanie!

I saw this post in the other thread, but just could not find the time to respond...I have been quite busy lately!

Let me start out by saying that I like the fact you sent an email to your regional admissions officer...it only takes a few minutes, but it shows great initiative.

Please keep in mind that I have no hand in the admissions decisions here at Lafayette...I only work in the office and see/hear what goes on. My guess as to your chance of admission is simply my opinion based on what you have presented in your post.

With that said...

I can tell that you did well in high school. You worked hard, put in the effort, and it shows. Nice GPA, solid rank. How competitive is your "public high school in PA"??? Do most students strive to do well? I would like to see your GPA/rank in context. Remember, grades matter the most when applying to any college, so you got it where it counts!

I wish I knew how demanding your course schedule was in prior years. Did you take other APs than the ones you are currently taking? How many Honors courses did you take? Having a high GPA is only half the battle...how hard was it for you to achieve that GPA (it depends on the courses you took!). As for your current schedule, I like all those APs...how are you doing with such a demanding schedule? You seem to really be pushing yourself academically...colleges appreciate that!

How did the interview with the college Chaplain go? Why were you not interviewed by an admissions officer? How did it go? Were you asking most of the questions? I am intrigued...

Your SAT is obviously not the best, but I disagree with you that they are "considerably low for Lafayette". The median SAT range for Verbal for the Class of 2009 (my year!) was 610-700 and 640-730 Math. Your Verbal score is respectable at a 620. You are along the median with that one!

The Math score is quite a shame...of all the parts on the application, the Math score is something that can usually be increased if the student puts in some effort. Even after taking a prep course, which usually teaches some good tricks for scoring higher on Math, you just couldn't pull it out. I really feel for you, Steph...some students just don't take standardized tests well, no matter how hard and how many times they try.

VERY IMPT: WHAT GRADES DID YOU GET IN YOUR MATH COURSES? HOW ARE YOU DOING IN CALC AB? IF YOU ARE DOING FINE, THEN THAT MATH SCORE WILL CARRY LESS WEIGHT!

The Critical Reading score of 700 is nice! Don't dwell on that math score when you did so well on this portion of the SAT. I just wish you had put "English" or some other humanity as your prospective major on your application because it would "make more sense" according to your SAT scores. Continuity in an application is important, and the fact that you wish to study a science might cause some confusion when the SAT shows that you should be doing otherwise...

Don't you just hate the SAT???

I like that you have some longer-term extracurriculars. NHS...how many students are admitted? Are you one of ten, or one of one hundred?

I did a bit of research on Club Ophelia...why did you only participate in this activity your senior year? It just seems you might be trying to pad the application last minute with that one!

Your participation in yearbook all thoughout high school shows commitment and perseverance. YOU ARE SENIOR EDITOR! Be proud of that! That is quite an achievement, and your efforts will be noted by the reader of your application.

I hope you clearly explained your role at the hospital on your activity sheet because you seem to have spent a good deal of time there.

I am sorry to tell you this, but that National Student Leadership Conference does not help you IN ANY WAY in college admissions. The same goes for the Summer@Brown Conference...doesn't say much about you except that you've got some spare change to play around with. I guess it is better than doing nothing during the summer, but there are many other (better) ways in which you could have used the summer to strengthen your applications to colleges.

When all is taken into consideration, I honestly am "on the fence" about your chances. I mean, you have a SOLID academic performance (don't get me wrong...), but other areas just don't hit me as anything special. You don't stand out as a "Must Admit", but you definitely are not on the "Throw Away" pile, either. I'd say your chances of admission are around 60%. You have what is takes, but on paper, you could get mixed in a pile of similar applicants.

PLEASE, remember how difficult it is to get into Lafayette. MANY students are turned down simply because there just isn't enough room on campus for more than 2,200 students (total).

BTW, what other schools did you apply to? Was Lafayette one of your top choices? If you had really wanted to go to Lafayette, you should have applied Early Decision (I think you might actually still be able to change your RD application to ED by February 15). Your application, if it had that ED stamp on it, would have given you a much greater chance of admission (around 75-80% I'd say).

Steph, I am so sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear...college admissions is not always a fair process, and students who really care (such as yourself) are sometimes lost in the process.

With that said, I wish you only the best...may everything work out in the end. Just know that I'll be rooting for you all the way!

J

biofan · 02-14-2006, 05:14 PM

Although I was a little discouraged by your response, thank you very much for taking the time to evaluate my chances. I really attach a lot of crediblity to your thoughts, especially becuase you work in the admissions office. I went through your list of questions and just thought I would respond to them.

I believe that my High School is fairly "competitive" compared to other high schools in the immediate area. According to my school report, about 59% of the student body continued their education at a 4-year colleges last year. For the class of 2005, the average verbal SAT score was 517, the average math, 526. Last year, "popular" college choices included Bucks county community college, Penn State, Bloomsburg, and Kutztown. My school offers a total of 11 AP courses.

I took all Honor's core classes (math, science, history, english) my freshman, sophmore, and junior years. I have also taken 1/2 year elective courses such as including photography and advanced health. I did not take an AP classes before this year, though (something I truly regret and believe will hurt my chances at Lafayette). I earned A's in all of these classes (A ranges from 90-100%)

As I mentioned in my inital post, I am taking AP Calc, Ap Bio, and AP English Lang. So far I have gotten all A's this year. Yesterday, report cards came out. My cum GPA increased to 4.477. Class rank has not be recalculated, but will be updated on mid-year reports.

I believe that my interview went well with the college chaplain. We talked about how I earned my silver award, other community service activities, and my couse selection. I am not sure why the Chaplian conducted my interview. He was just the one who came out to get me. I did not request to be interviewed by him. I asked him questions about Lafayette's clubs and reasearch opportunities.

You know that I am concerned about my SAT scores, although my ACT score is slightly higher than my SAT score. I am not really sure what to say about my SAT scores, they are just not very good. I am currently excelling in AP calc, so hopefully that will compensate partially for my poor SAT math score.

I understand what you mean about my low SAT math score and applying for the Biology program. My giudance counselor and I also recognized this inconsistency, but he told me to apply as a Biology major, primarily because I have excelled in Biology at school and many of my essays focused on my interest in a science/medical field. This will probably hurt me too.

On to my extra curriculars (sorry about the excessive length)
I would estimate that there are about 55-60 out of the 535 seniors in NHS. In order to be a member of NHS, you must be a junior or senior, have a certain number of points (obtained from community service), two letters of recommendation and a cum of at least 3.6. In order to remain a member of NHS, you have to participate in at least 5 NHS run activites through out the year. Right now we are planning our annual auction for the Kelly Ann Dolen Memorial society.

Now for club Ophelia, I agree that this does look like a "resume booster"...but..luckily I included an extra write-up on this activity with my application. The Pennridge School District just implemented this program in September in response to the the rise in physical and verbal abuse among girls in the district's middle schools. Six Senior Females were personally selected by the high school guidance office to be mentors in this program. I went into detail about this program in my application.

I also attached an extra sheet explaining my role as a grand view hospital "volun-teen"

I was extremely disappointed to learn that my leadership conferences will not help distinguish me in the admissions process. I have been involved in community service activities (girl scout camp, vacation bible school, volunteering at the hospital) during the summer. I guess my time would have been better spent pursuing international missions trips etc. rather than personal enrichment opportunities. This will probably hurt me too

You also asked about what other schools I have applied to. I have also applied to Ursinus College, Franklin and Marshall College, Lebanon Valley College, Delaware Valley College, St. Mary's College of Maryland, Bucknell University, and Colgate University. I have been accepted to Ursinus under their Priority Select Program (non-binding obviously), Delaware Valley College, and Lebanon Valley college. Lafayette is my second choice, after Colgate. If I do not get accepted at Lafayette, Colgate, or Bucknell (which seems to highly probable at this point) I plan to attend Ursinus (I did like Ursinus, its just not where I initially pictured myself). I am torn between colleges, so I am hesitant to apply early decision.

Also, judging from your experience, how much weight do you believe that the admissions office places on teacher recommendations and essays. I believe that my teacher recommendations are strong. I wrote me supplemental essay about the Club Ophelia program. In my common application essay, I evaluated a significant experience. I wrote about how I ran for senior class secretary and how running required my to step outside of my comfort zone. In the end, I did not obtain the position, but learned that losing is not the worst thing in the world.

Again, candymann, I would like to thank you for taking the time to respond to my initial post. If you have time, I would appreciate a response to this post, but if not, no problem, I understand college life is extremely busy).

Thank You,
Steph

candyman92486 · 02-14-2006, 06:29 PM

Steph,

I am in awe of your response...I think it rivals all of my posts up to this point in length! After reading your comments a few times over (I wanted to make sure I understood all of what you had to say!), I thought of some additional things I wish to share with you.

While I am thinking of it, I guess I'll share a bit more information "from the inside". I was working in admissions yesterday and was able to take a peek at the master list of admissions decisions, many of them for RD candidates. After flipping through it quickly (it was hundreds of pages long!), I came to the conclusion that admission into Lafayette this year is ultra-competitive. We got a ton of applicants for the Class of 2010, and stats (GPA/rank/SATs) were surprisingly high for many applicants (higher than my year for sure!).

In short, getting in just got a little tougher here at Lafayette, but don't let your hopes down yet!

From what you have said in your post, Steph, your high school is "above average". The public high school I went to would be considered somewhere between "competitive" and "very competitive" by Lafayette, and 96% of my class went on to college! Our average SATs were around 600 for both Math and Verbal (I'm not sure as to the exact figures, though). We usually get a good amount of Ivy acceptances...in my class of 283 students, I can think of about 20 Ivy acceptances and MANY upper-tier acceptances as well (Georgetown, NYU, Swarthmore, etc.) My high school offered about 15 APs.

I am just trying to place your high school in context, against "competing" high schools that wish to have their students go to Lafayette. Then again, you really didn't have much power over which high school you attended, did you? What admissions officers want to see is that you took advantage of all your particular high school has to offer.

Your grades are your strong point, and that is where it counts! Even though you may be a bit disappointed with yourself over not having taken a few more APs, three out of eleven is better than many Lafayette applicants (believe it or not!).

Hey, I am so glad to hear you are excelling in your Calculus class...that SAT Math score will be overpowered by an "A" in that course! You know, MANY Lafayette students come in from high school not having taken calculus, let alone AP Calculus. You are in the minority in that respect, which in this case is a great thing!

I am glad to hear your interview with the college chaplain (was it Rev. Colatch?) sounds like it went well. Keep in mind that about half of the applicants to Lafayette are not even offered an interview simply because there just isn't enough time to interview everyone. The fact that you had an interview with someone from campus is a plus, as long as you think it went fine overall.

I agree with your guidance counselor that your application has that inconsistency in what your scores show and what prospective major you selected on the application. The fact that you wrote about your interest in the science/medical field will most likely compensate for any apparent inconsistencies, though.

NHS seems like a fine addition to the résumé, just as I expected. I am also glad to hear about the extent of your participation in Club Ophelia. You were selected as one of six mentors from a class of 535 students? That's great! I'm very glad to hear you wrote up a little explanation for Club Ophelia because it will help carry more weight from an admissions officer's point of view. Same goes for your "volun-teen" position at Gran View Hospital.

Don't think those leadership conferences will necessarily HURT your chances of admission...they just won't really do much either way. So many students are offerred the opportunity to go to programs like those, and all it takes is a few dollar bills. Oh well!

Colgate is VERY similar to Lafayette, as I am sure you know. Both are about as tough to get in (Colgate is actually a tiny bit harder, actually!). Bucknell is on the same level, and is a great school as well. Ursinus is a solid choice, and even though you did not intially see youself there, if you were to get in and decide to go there, I am positive you would fit right in.

I know it is hard to think clearly about college admissions when all of your classmates are getting in ED while you wait to hear RD from all your schools, but don't let it get to you, Steph. You'll see clearly once you find yourself sitting at your desk at whatever college you end up attending. The first words out of your mouth at any college will be, "Damn, college is amazing!" The same thing happened to me...all my friends got in ED to all these amazing schools, but I just didn't have the balls to go ED anywhere. I ended up getting into great schools RD, and decided on Lafayette.

The rest, as they say, is history!

In response to your question about the importance of essays/recommendations...the rec from the guidance counselor (especially from a public high school such as yours) won't mean squat unless something terrible/amazing is said in it (doubt it!). The teacher recs are more important, yet unless they say something totally amazing/terrible, they really don't do much for your chances of admission.

The essays are your opportunity to distinguish yourself from the pack, your chance to shine...I hope you took advantage of that opportunity! The essay, more than any other part of the application, separates the "ADMITS" from the "REJECTS". The subjects of the essays doesn't matter...what matters is how you approached those subjects.

Steph, I know you probably already toured the campus, but if you feel you would like to check it out again (and maybe leave Colgate in the dust...) I would be more than happy to take you around personally. Either email me ahead of time telling me you are coming or just take a tour MWF at 11am (those are my times). I'll give you the inside scoop on anything and everything, and promise not to hold back with the honesty of my responses. Is Bucks County just south of Northampton County? Aren't you within a quick drive to campus? I get a good vibe from the attitude of your responses on this board and think you would benefit from a personal tour, just you and your family.

If you want to take me up on my offer, just shoot me an email at saydej@lafayette.edu. If not, no problem! Don't feel pressured into coming if you have already seen the campus a hundred times.

You are right that college is "extremely busy", but I will ALWAYS find the time to respond to questions from prospective students such as yourself. I don't get paid to do all this posting...I just love doing it.

Well, did I reclaim the crown for longest post in this thread??? It is very possible that you have been defeated! Ha-HA!

All the best,

J