<p>Thanks for putting in your 2 cents! The more perspectives high school students can get out of this forum, the more useful it will be to them! No need to apologize for “hacking” lol.</p>
<p>Taylor</p>
<p>Glad to see more current students, and from different majors, are chiming in here to help Taylor. 6 years ago, Candyman (Justin) was very helpful to us as my son was applying to colleges, when we wanted to know how Lafayette had changed - and how it hadn’t - since I graduated many years before.</p>
<p>I hope my post didn’t come off as too negative. I truly love Lafayette, as does my son who just graduated. </p>
<p>I just wanted to counter the perception that I think still lingers that Laf is a school with a huge Greek presence. Up until about 20 years ago that was definitely true, but that has changed quite a bit since then. I wouldn’t want anyone to cross Lafayette off their list because they are turned off by Greek life (I’ve seen that come up on other forums), nor would I want anyone to choose Lafayette specifically because they were looking for a very active Greek system, as mrb3 seems to be.</p>
<p>Greek life is available at Lafayette, but it’s just one of many social options.</p>
<p>Thanks for doing this Taylor,
What would you say is the average profile of students accepted to Lafayette? I know of course that everyone has a different application and that those applications are received differently by admissions officers and that several factors play into whether a student is accepted or not, but could you elaborate on how many activities kids participated in in high school, average grades/class rigor, etc.? I’m set on average SAT scores (except for subject because I don’t believe they report those averages) but it’s the other elements I’m worried about…thanks again!</p>
<p>WP12: You may have seen this on the college’s website, but if not:
[Entering</a> Class Profile About Lafayette College](<a href=“http://www.lafayette.edu/about/lafayette-at-a-glance/entering-class-profile/]Entering”>http://www.lafayette.edu/about/lafayette-at-a-glance/entering-class-profile/)</p>
<p>Hi Warriorpride12,</p>
<p>The link provided by LC82 has good academic information regarding admissions. The statistics there speak for themselves. There are a couple of things, however, that the link does not address…</p>
<p>For extracurricular activities, remember that it’s not about quantity; it’s about quality. Lafayette (and most other colleges for that matter) would rather see that you were heavily involved in maybe 2-3 activities than a mere “member” of 20 organizations. If an applicant claims to have been in such a great number of clubs/organizations, it will be likely be obvious that the person stretched him/herself too thin and probably was barely involved in any of them. Just keep that in mind as you apply. The majority of students here were involved in extracurricular activities in high school, but my guess is that on their applications, they demonstrated committment, not a “laundry list” of clubs. It’s good to be involved in a few different things, but it’s not good to sign up for more than you can handle.</p>
<p>As for course rigor, Lafayette is known to favor students who challenge themselves in their schedules. For example, a B+ in an AP class would likely be preferred over say an A/A- in a standard level class. I wish I could tell you the average number of AP classes taken by students, but unfortunately I do not have that statistic, since it probably varies based on what high school you are from and what was available (the more upper level classes your high school offers, the more Lafayette will want to see them on your transcript). Hopefully you took at least a few honors/AP classes during your time in high school. It is definitely important. </p>
<p>If there is anything else in particular you would like to ask me about admissions, don’t hesitate to do so.</p>
<p>Taylor</p>
<p>Hi Taylor, I have a question about the sport activities. Does Lafayette have a soccer club? If so, how active it is. The outdoor fields are a few miles from campus, how easy for students to go to the outdoor fields? Thanks.</p>
<p>Hi akbear,</p>
<p>Lafayette has both a Men’s Soccer Club and Women’s Soccer Club. I don’t really know how active they are, but generally club sports are not nearly as active/competitive as varsity sports (as you would expect). I have not been to the soccer fields off campus so I can’t say how easy it is for students to get there. Below I have posted a link to the list of Lafayette sports clubs and contact information. First I would try contacting either Ariel Aguilar or Greg Bernstein. If this list is up-to-date (which hopefully it is), you should be able to get answers to all of your questions from them. If you never get a response from either one of them, I suggest you just contact the recreation department directly to ask your questions (<a href=“mailto:recreation@lafayette.edu”>recreation@lafayette.edu</a>)</p>
<p>[Sports</a> Clubs Recreation Services Lafayette College](<a href=“http://recreation.lafayette.edu/club-sports/forms/]Sports”>http://recreation.lafayette.edu/club-sports/forms/)</p>
<p>Taylor</p>
<p>There is a free shuttle that will take you to Metzgar Fields (among other places).<br>
[Student</a> Transportation Options Finance & Administration Lafayette College](<a href=“http://finadmin.lafayette.edu/information-for-students/student-transportation/]Student”>http://finadmin.lafayette.edu/information-for-students/student-transportation/)</p>
<p>People do play soccer here! A good friend of mine plays soccer every week. Also, international students play soccer every week as well, and they are not exclusive to internationals.</p>
<p>Wanted to get some opinions regard applying ED and financial Aid. First, some background information. We live in the midwest and Lafayette is my daughter’s first choice. We were able to visit over the summer and really think it is a good fit for her.</p>
<p>Her GPA are above the middle 50% of last years class, so I guess that would put her in the 25%. She is interested in Engineering and is also being recruited for a varsity sport, not one of the few that offers scholarships. Has a 31 composite on the ACT.</p>
<p>Have completed the net cost estimators and they predict a $5,000 grant, $2,000 campus job, and $6,500 loan. Based on what we can actually afford to pay, the only way we can make this work is if she is awarded the Marquis Scholarship. After reviewing the criteria listed on the website, I am afraid her test score might be a little low.</p>
<p>Does applying ED give any advantage in terms of Scholarships? I read the article by Robert Massa written for the NY Times last year making the case for Early Decision. Reading between the lines somewhat, he does seem to hint there is an advantage for ED. He also states that they will allow applicants to withdraw if the financial aid is not enough, which is different from what some other colleges have said.</p>
<p>Basically, we are at the point if we get aid/scholarship for about half the tuition, she will go there. If not, we simply can not afford to send her there.</p>
<p>Thoughts on applying ED or other ways to improve chances for the Marquis Scholarship.</p>
<p>Hi umnalum,</p>
<p>Before I say anything, you should know that I am not involved in the admissions office or financial aid office in any way. Everything I’m about to say is solely based on my own experiences, research, and intuition.</p>
<p>Applying early decision without a doubt increases the chances of acceptance to Lafayette (or any other school with early decision). Applying ED demonstrates a sincere interest in the school, and therefore will help you admissions-wise. However, for scholarships the advantage of ED is not so clear. I’ve heard a few different theories on this matter, but the one I’ve heard most (and the one I agree with) is the idea that applying early decision DECREASES your chances at receiving merit-based financial aid. If one were to apply early decision, and has no NEED for financial aid, the college is unlikely to give the student any merit-based aid. Why? Because the college already has you and does not have to compete with other colleges for your enrollment. The Marquis Scholarship is completely merit based, so therefore you will be less likely to receive it if you apply early decision. </p>
<p>However, in your case, there is a need for financial aid. If you apply to Lafayette ED (and are accepted), you will likely receive a financial aid package (unaffilated with the Marquis Scholarship) based on how much you actually need. Like you mentioned, if Lafayette does accept you as an early decision, and does not provide you with what you need, then you can back out of the early decision.</p>
<p>Therefore, it seems logical that applying ED to Lafayette is the best decision because either Lafayette will give you what you need, or if not you can just back out. However, by applying ED, you are eliminating your opportunity to compare financial offers from a variety of schools. Obviously, it’d be better to get financial offers that go BEYOND what you need—something you will be unlikely to get by applying early decision.</p>
<p>In the end, it’s going to be about how much does price matter to you. Are you willing to apply early decision knowing that if accepted, you will probably pay as much as you are able to (ie half of Lafayette’s tuition)? Or would you rather apply to schools through regular decision, in which you have a better chance to receive aid offers that go beyond what your actual needs are? </p>
<p>If you are interested, here is my own experience with the scholarship. I applied early decision, did NOT have any financial <em>need</em>, had a 3.8 unweighted GPA, a 2180 SAT (equal to about a 33 on the ACT), and did not receive the Marquis Scholarship. I wrote an appeal with hopes that they would reconsider, but had no luck. Upon contacting the admissions office, they said “you missed it by a hair,” saying that it was between me and another applicant. If I recall correctly, they said only 7 ED applicants were awarded the Marquis Scholarship, whereas many more Marquis Scholarships were awarded to regular decision applicants.</p>
<p>Hopefully I’ve been clear/helpful in explaining your situation. If you would like to ask me anything else, please let me know.</p>
<p>Taylor</p>
<p>Maybe Taylor can comment on current practice, but I have heard that financial aid for recruited athletes is more likely to come in the form of grants than loans.</p>
<p>Taylor
Thank you for your thoughts on ED. We are meeting with a Admission Counselor in a few weeks so that may give us some information as well. Most likely will submit app as regular decision after meeting with the Counselor and may decide at some point to change to ED.</p>
<p>We have applied early action (nonbinding) at few other schools. So, should hear back from some of them in December, which may give us better idea of what our other options will cost. We are willing to pay more for Lafayette, but not sure how much more. </p>
<p>Thanks again for providing so much information to those of us looking at Lafayette.</p>
<p>No problem umnalum! Best of luck with the college search, I hope to see your daughter on campus next year!</p>
<p>Taylor</p>
<p>It has been quit here for a few weeks, so thought I would try to get some chatter going again. Son just received his scores from the Oct 22 ACT test and his composite was the same as before (31). However, there was some wide variation in the sub scores. </p>
<p>On the previous test all the scores were fairly well grouped around the 31 composite, but on the most recent 2 of the 4 sections increased but one took a total nose dive, to the point of appearing to be an outlier. Not sure what happened in that section.</p>
<p>Just wondering if we should submit both scores, even though the end result is the same composite score. Although Superscoring the ACT appears starting to more common that a few years ago, I am fairly certain that Lafayetter does not Superscores ACT results. So, would not get that benefit. </p>
<p>I am leaning towards to submitting both, as I don’t really see any downside. Any other thoughts on submitting scores.</p>
<p>Hey MSMUSTANG,</p>
<p>During admissions, Lafayette tries to put each prospective student in the best possible light before making decisions. Plus, if the score in that one section was THAT much lower than it was on the previous test, the admission officers will probably realize that it was some sort of fluke. It happens. I’d say you have nothing to lose. Send in every score you have to maximize your chances of acceptance. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Taylor</p>
<p>unmalum-- We are a year behind you in our college search… my daughter is considering engineering and would like a school that has both engineering and liberal arts. I’m curious what other schools your daughter applied to early action (I suppose non binding). She is interested in possibly schools East or the Midwest. My daughter is just starting her search so, she is trying to id what she really wants in a school. She, too, plays a sport and still needs to figure out what level of involvement she wants to pursue.</p>
<p>What do Lafayette students do on the weekends? Is the greek system a huge part of the social scene? I think I read someplace that many Lafayette students were hs athletes. Does that seem true? Is there a high level of IM sport participation?</p>
<p>Hi. Visiting with my son (HS junior) tomorrow. Beyond the standard tour/info session, what should we not miss?</p>
<p>I’m sure I’ll have more questions when we return.</p>
<p>Thanks for being here to answer questions!</p>
<p>My son will be applying to Lafayette regular decision for Fall 2012. Although he’s not a star athlete, he’s been fencing in high school since freshman year, and is interested in possibly continuing fencing in college. </p>
<p>During an open house last year, one of the student volunteers happened to be on the fencing team. He said it was pretty easy to make the team. They basically take walk-ons. I thought this was odd for a Division I sport, but I know fencing is not as popular as other sports.</p>
<p>My son is already academically qualified to be accepted into Lafayatte. However, I am wondering if contacting the fencing coach would help his chances, especially for merit scholarships. I know Lafayette does not give scholarships for fencing, but perhaps the acadmenics plus the fencing together will give him more of an edge. Maybe unless he’s a star it really doesn’t matter? It will be listed on his application so they’ll know he fences, but just wondering if he should pursue it beyond that. </p>
<p>Do you have any information you can give me? How big of a deal is fencing at Lafayette (if at all)? Do the coaches recruit fencers even if scholarships are not available?</p>
<p>Hi LINYMOM,</p>
<p>I hope you haven’t already left for your tour, but if you haven’t, I highly recommend you sit in on a class. That is a great way to get a feel for what a college class is like at Lafayette, how the professors are, etc. Hopefully one is available. It’s not completely necessary but it’s definitely a great idea! Let me know if you have any questions after your tour.</p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>Taylor</p>