cobia210

candyman92486 - Could you please tell me how the interview process works. When is it conducted. Formal or informal. Any other imformatation would be appreciated. Thanks

candyman92486

Dana's Dad,

I'm almost entirely better. I almost have my voice back, too. We are still on for Saturday, April 22. That matzoh ball soup does sound enticing, though!

See you then,

J

candyman92486

Hey cobia210,

This is the information provided on the Lafayette website on the interview process:

Admissions Interview

Admissions interviews give prospective applicants a chance to speak about themselves in a one-on-one conversation with an admissions director. The interview lasts about 30 mintues, helping admissions staff form a clearer picture of applicants, and allowing applicants specific questions to ask about Lafayette. Please note, interviews are not required for applicants but are recommended.

On-Campus Interviews for the class of 2010 are now over. Interviews for the class of 2011 will begin on May 1 and are offered through December 29.
Interviews are conducted at the following times:
Monday – Friday – 9, 9:40, 10:20 and, 11 a.m., and 1:20, 2 and 3:20 p.m.
Please call (610) 330-5100 at least two weeks in advance to schedule an interview.

Just to reiterate, interviews are both informational AND evaluative, so make a good impression. Even though they are conducted informally, make sure to dress up nicely and come with questions to ask of the admissions officer. The questions you ask should not have answers which are readily available in the college literature.

Just be yourself during the interview, and make sure you communicate your enthusiasm for the school. If you are lucky enough to get an interview on campus, consider yourself one step above those applicants who could not schedule one.

I hope this little bit of information helps.

J

age136

there's off-campus interviews as well though, right? because I never had an on-campus interview at lafayette, but I'm pretty sure I interviewed for the school.... hmmm

candyman92486

age136,

You are correct! Lafayette College does offer off-campus interviews, usually conducted by a Lafayette alumnus. I regret not having mentioned that in my response to cobia210. If there are no admissions officers available to interview you, or if the admissions office believes it more convenient for you to be interviewed by an alumnus in your area, an off-campus interview will be arranged.

J

Thornhurst

My daughter wants a quiet dorm. She would also like an all girl floor. She's a real light sleeper! Any suggestions?

candyman92486

Hey Thornhurst,

Keefe Hall is known as the quietest residence hall on campus at nights and on weekends. Even though it is co-ed by room (males and females room next to each other), and there are only 16 spots reserved for first-year students, that might be your daughter's best bet.

The rest of the residence halls are quiet during the week for the most part. On the weekends, your daughter should expect some noise coming from adjacent rooms. It really depends on who is living in a certain building any given semester.

Conway House and PT Farinon House are both co-ed by floor and house about 30 first-year students each. Those might be good choices as well.

Just make sure your daughter avoids South College due to excessive noise, especially on weekend nights. The same goes for Gates Hall and McKeen Hall.

Be sure to check out Lafayette's website at http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~reslife/re...halls_grid.php for more information to help you make the best decision for your daughter. If you would like to voice your concern with a member of the Office of Residence Life staff, email the Director of Residence Life (Annette Diorio) at diorioa@lafayette.edu.

All the best,

J

maxy

as an RA, do you get free housing and get paid? if so, what is the housing for RA like?

candyman92486

maxy,

Great questions! As an RA, I will get FREE room and board. This means that I will not have to pay for my SINGLE room. The partial meal plan which comes with the position includes 10 meals a week and $300 flex per semester. I plan on increasing that amount of flex by a few hundred dollars because I run through flex quickly!

In addition, RA's get an additional stipend. This dollar amount is determined by years of experience as an RA. I imagine we will receive a check every month or so, but I really have no idea how much this amount might be.

Of course, the position requires a great deal of responsibility and commitment. The application process is VERY intense, and very few applicants actually get the position each year. If you think you may be interested in becoming an RA starting your sophomore year, check out this webpage http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~reslife/become_ra.php for a little explanation of what it means to be an RA.

J

shinhwang

hey I have a question: how many AP credits do I need to "pass" as a sophmore in Lafayette? (I think have 8) And even if I do, do I need to take required freshman classes such as College Writing?

-thanks

maxy

candyman, thanks for your quick reply. I realize that you are not yet an RA, but how much work do you think an RA has? Do you think he would have time to be seriously involved in other ECs and maintain a (very) good GPA?

candyman92486

maxy,

It seems that you have quite an interest in possibly applying for the RA position...that's great! I have heard from other RA friends that the job can be a very rewarding experience.

The amount of "work" an RA has really depends on the floor you are in charge of. RA's of first-year students usually are faced with many questions during the first few weeks as their residents get acclimated to their new environment. RA's of upperclass students face different issues, but the position can be just as intimidating!

All RA's are expected to attend monthly RA meetings with the Office of Residence Life staff. In addition, RA's must attend meetings with their Head RA every few weeks to keep everyone informed of floor developments. As RA, one is also expected to plan and prepare at least one floor program a month for their residents to get involved in. This program could be anything...maybe a simple pizza party study break/movie viewing or even getting tickets for the floor to see a performance together in the Williams Center for the Arts? The ability to send out "mass" emails helps the RA complete this responsibility.

The RA must also keep the floor updated on events happening on campus by hanging up fliers and posting various reference materials on their bulletin boards. Also, every other week or so, an RA must "do rounds". This means that he/she must walk around a few predetermined buildings late at night to make sure everything is in order and no one is doing anything stupid. Afterwards, the RA must sit at a desk in the duty office for a couple of hours in case he/she is needed for some emergency. Most RA's get a ton of schoolwork done while "on duty", as real emergencies are few and far between.

As an RA, you have to be able to speak to anyone about anything. Obviously, you would have to get along with all of your residents to a certain extent. It is important that they feel they can trust you with ANYTHING on their minds.

RA's are usually very good students. As an RA, I still plan on maintaining a 4.0 GPA while also participating in various extracurriculars (writing for the newspaper, student gov't, tour guide, DI fencing, etc.) It is VERY possible to do it all, but you have to stay on top of the time and KEEP ORGANIZED.

Your job as an RA is important, but not quite as important as your academics. Schoolwork in college ALWAYS comes first. Keep that in mind.

Peace,

J

candyman92486

shinhwang,

In order to graduate from Lafayette College, one must fulfill the requirements for at least one major program and satisfy all parts of the common course of study. Since you need 32 course credits to graduate (do the math: four courses a semester, eight semesters = 32!), eight AP credits would make it possible for you to skip an entire year of school.

To tell you the truth, I really have no idea how the process of skipping a year works. I was actually considering skipping a year myself because I came into Lafayette with a decent amount of AP credits, but have since decided against it. There are so many cool courses I wish to take that I do not think I could take them all in only three years! Also, I am thinking of double-majoring, which would most likely require that fourth year to complete. If I decide to study abroad, I could do so for one semester or an entire year! Three years just doesn't seem like enough time once you get here!

If you are worried about the family finances, and would like to skip a year for financial reasons, that makes a lot of sense. If you are really serious about coming into Lafayette as a sophomore, I would recommend calling up the Registrar's Office for more information by calling (610) 330-5090 or emailing registrar@lafayette.edu.

As for the other part of your question, I do believe that you will still be required to fulfill the common course of study, which includes ENG 110:College Writing. However, you can place out of ENG 110:College Writing by getting a 4 or 5 on either English AP exam. Actually, many Lafayette students are unable to enroll in a College Writing course as first-year students due to limited capacities, so if you would have to take it as a sophomore, it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

I hope this information is of some help to you. If you need me to explain anything in greater depth, post away!

J

shinhwang

thanks a lot!!

maxy

candyman, how easy is it to maintain a 4.0 GPA at Lafayette? Is there grade inflation? Are there bell curves in certain classes? In short, how tough are the academics at Lafayette?