What's happening on campus Saturday, May 2?

DougBetsy · 05-01-2009, 11:46 AM

We'll be stopping by. Is there anything fun going on that we should seek out?

candyman92486 · 05-01-2009, 03:13 PM

DougBetsy,

Well, you can check the online calendar of events: https://www.lafayette.edu/calendar/e...90506/noindex/.

If you're visiting in the morning, the campus will be asleep. Once everyone wakes up, there will be a lot of studying going on (very exciting...) as students prep for the last week of classes and, subsequently, "finals week."

- Justin

DougBetsy · 05-01-2009, 03:56 PM

Yes, 10am info session followed by tour. We're used to the campus being asleep...we've most of Son's schools on Saturdays.

Thanks for the link!

bettzke · 05-02-2009, 09:53 AM

DougBetsy: Enjoy the tour! Looking forward to your visit report, as D and I won't get to visit until summer.

Dad'o'2 · 05-04-2009, 08:35 AM

Yes, please tell us about your visit when you get a chance!

DougBetsy · 05-07-2009, 05:53 PM

My visit report is now posted: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/...e/7817325.html

Sorry it took nearly a week to get it posted.

Feel free to ask any questions.

Leopard03 · 05-07-2009, 09:24 PM

Did you write this on that page

"This was the 4th Pennsylvania LAC we've toured. (Gettyburg, F&M, and Dickinson were the others.) Out of the 4, Laf was the most eagerly anticipated. It seems to be marginally less selective and marginally less expensive than the others and a little more predictable with merit aid."

Where do you get the idea that Lafayette is the least selective of those 4? All are great schools and you cant go wrong with any of the choices (i'm partial to Lafayette and Gettysburg myself), but Lafayette is the MOST selective of the 4 by almost any measure.

Lafayette also has the largest endowment, even after the downturn, so that is why merit aid is "more predictable"

DougBetsy · 05-08-2009, 08:13 AM

Oh, Dear. I'm sorry Leopard. I didn't mean to insult or offend anyone with my comments. I based them on the following data from collegeboard.com. These are middle 50% of SAT scores as reported there.

Laf 1190 - 1370
Dickinson 1190 - 1390
F&M 1210 - 1380
Gburg 1220 -1360

As you can see, Laf's range is marginally lower than the others. I used that to infer that Laf is marginally less selective than the others. That's all.

Leopard03 · 05-08-2009, 08:40 AM

Your inference in incorrect. A few points on the average SAT score is quite irrelevant, and according to information I have found on college data your post isnt even accurate. For example this site states that the Dickison middle 50 range is 1190-1370. Lafayette's is 1200- 1380, F&M is 1210-1380, and Gettysburg is 1210- 1360. This very small swingin scores is rather irrelevant, but it indicates that I dont believe your prior statement is correct. I dont know which set of data is correct, but the data is not consistent so you cannot make such sweeping statements with one data point.

The data tells me that you are splitting hairs in regard to SAT scores using either data point, so no school stands out (good or bad) in that area

https://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/...t&schoolId=799

However, Lafayette has the lowest acceptance rate of the 4, and stats of admitted students are pretty similar, so how exactly are they the least selective?

I am not just irrationally defending my school, I however find fault in your statement and attempt to help you understand the reality.

Also your college review is one of the most bizarre I have ever seen. I feel like I am reading a resort review on Travelocity or Expedia. I understand you just took a quick tour, but the entire review seems to focus on the length of the grass and the cleanliness of the carpet in the Student Union during lunch.

How bout a little commentary on your view of academic offering or campus culture? That would be more impactful.

DougBetsy · 05-08-2009, 08:49 AM

How could I comment on the quality of a college's education when the tour didn't show any education in progress?

As for the selectivity, you're right and I'm wrong. I'm sorry (again). You win. Congratulations.

Dad'o'2 · 05-08-2009, 09:29 AM

Thanks for the visit report DB. Your gut-feel about Laf not being snobbish is indeed comforting to us common folks.

Did they talk any about merit aid? The Laf site says that they are "considering" giving merit aid in smaller amounts than the Marquis scholarships. How was the drive up there from Maryland?

-----------------------

Based purely on the numbers, I'd put these schools really, really close, with Dickinson being just a tad easier to get an acceptance despite the slight SAT difference.

School.......Acceptance%....Top-decile%...75th-percentile-SAT

Dickinson........44%..............50%............. 1390
F&M..............36%...............57%............ .1380
Gettysburg.....38%...............66%.............1 360
Lafayette.......37%...............65%............. 1370

Leopard03 · 05-08-2009, 09:37 AM

I am really not concerned about being right, I just wanted to present to you what I believe to be more accurate information.

Dad'o'2 · 05-08-2009, 09:42 AM

Leopard-
Trust me, you aren't helping Lafayette's image any.

DougBetsy · 05-08-2009, 09:43 AM

The info session touched on merit aid by saying that it's described on the website.

We spent the night before with in-laws in New Jersey so we wouldn't have a long drive on Saturday morning. Ride home from Easton to the Baltimore suburbs was nearly 4 hours, which was what we expected.

hudsonvalley51 · 05-08-2009, 10:39 AM

DougBetsy -- I'm not sure where in the Baltimore suburbs you live, but we picked up my daughter at Lafayette over Easter and drive down to the Towson area. It took a little under 3 hours (I admit I drive a couple miles over the speed limit). We took the NE Extension of the PA Turnpike and I-476 down, by-passing Philly on the west side. This is generally quicker than going through New Jersey, although if you encounter a back-up due to an accident it can even out. On the other hand, I have been caught in some monumental traffic jams trying to get over the Delaware Memorial Bridge over holiday weekends so you can face extended delays either way.

BTW, Lafayette offered two merit scholarships until last year: the $16K Marquis and the $8K Trustee. The Trustee Scholarship was eliminated for the Class of 2013, but the question of restoring it or established (a) new merit scholarship(s) was left open.

I think the long grass was a result of too many rainy days. I saw the same thing at Amherst yesterday and that campus, like Lafayette, is usually impeccably manicured. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if mowing schedules are adjusted as a cost savings measure this year. Better to scale back there, and to defer capital spending as has been announced, than in areas that directly impact the quality of education.

Thanks for your report. I thought it was pretty objective and regarding selectivity -- it should not be a factor in choosing a college. Lafayette may be somewhat more selective, but differences in SAT range between the four schools you mentioned are negligible and, I would assert, have no bearing on what goes on in the classroom. All four schools have distinct personalities and a discerning student should be able to figure out where they feel most comfortable.