Social life?

Plainsman
Thu, 01 Jan 2009 11:39:49 +0000

We live in a semi-rural area within 8-9 miles of Muhlenberg. This was a college not on my D’s radar until this week. She has decided to apply because it is so close to home. She wants options when she finally has to make a college decision in April.

Muhlenberg does not strike me as a college that makes much of an effort to recruit minority students (my D is a URM). If they get them, they get them; if they don’t, they don’t cry about it. It’s a neutral attitude, in my opinion. If a URM with strong academics happens to walk through the door, they’ll eagerly admit them, but unlike other LACs, they don’t go out looking for them. I’m not sure what to make of that passive approach.

My D has already been admitted to Ursinus College, an LAC with almost identical admissions requirements as Muhlenberg, but with a 9% African American enrollment. The only “problem” with Ursinus is that it’s too far away to commute, which means extra expense for room and board. On the other hand, Muhlenberg is practically in our backyard. Still, I’ve not heard a single word about racial problems on M’berg’s campus. Then again, it’s difficult to experience racial problems if almost everybody is the same race. I’m not sure what to make of the school, to be honest.

I’m personally hoping my D gets admitted to one of her reach schools that are very liberal like Brown, Amherst, Wesleyan, or Swarthmore. Then this issue will be settled. If not, it’ll be Ursinus, Muhlenberg, Dickinson or Penn State. Dickinson is ranked a little higher than M’berg and Ursinus, and Penn State, bless its heart, is priced reasonably.