<p>clarence84,</p>
<p>I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the information session.</p>
<p>I turned down NYU, Muhlenberg (Presidential Scholarship), Lehigh, Drew (full tuition), TCNJ (full tuition, room & board, Honors Program), Princeton, and Villanova to attend Lafayette.</p>
<p>Why would I pass on the Ivy League? Am I crazy?!?! In my mind, Lafayette offers everything an Ivy ever could, and so much more.</p>
<p>I chose Lafayette for many reasons. I felt comfortable on campus. I enjoyed my visit during an accepted students’ day, where I spoke with professors in my fields of interest and was formally introduced to the Lafayette community. The classes I attended were fun and engaging, and each professor came up to me afterwards to learn more about me and my academic interests.</p>
<p>Yes, as with most liberal arts colleges, class sizes are small and professors are more than accessible. There are no grad students on campus to “steal away” the attention of professors. The facilities are amazing, and recent renovations impressed me and hinted at the fact that the College has the $$$ to continue expanding academic resources and social opportunities on campus. </p>
<p>I wanted to study abroad, and Lafayette sends so many students all over the world. In May, I’ll be traveling to Italy to study Italian art under the direction of a world-renowned scholar of Italian Renaissance art. I wanted to conduct research with professors. This semester, I’m studying the conditioned behavior of pigeons with a professor of psychology. I wanted a school with a large and dedicated alumni network willing to assist students land key internships, competitive jobs, etc. I later found out that my next-door neighbors are both alums of the College, and continue to contribute as Alumni Admissions Representatives. Since I am considering moving on to grad school after Lafayette, I wanted to attend a school that regularly sends students to the best grad programs.</p>
<p>Most importantly, I felt wanted at Lafayette. No other school I was accepted to personalized my acceptance letter. About a week before May 1, I received a casual email from one of our Admissions Directors asking if I had any questions about Lafayette I’d like answered before making the big decision. Lafayette took that extra step to get to know me and make me feel like more than a paper application throughout the entire process.</p>
<p>The Marquis Scholarship was definitely a bonus, especially for my family (my older brother’s in medical school and my little brother is now applying to colleges). However, I received more enticing financial aid packages at many other colleges.</p>
<p>Ultimately, I guess it was just a feeling or hunch that lead me to Lafayette, but isn’t every college decision based heavily on gut instinct? I know that’s a scary proposition, but you can’t honestly know what it’s like to be a student at any college until you’re actually there.</p>
<p>In response to your question, yes, the $16,000 grant would offset any grants/loans you would have received. Is that fair? Eh, not really. However, I should mention that an applicant’s “full need” will be met if it exceeds the amount of the Marquis Scholarship.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, based on facts and figures, I personally did not qualify for additional grants above the initial $16,000 award. Blame it on the FAFSA and CSS Profile. The fact that my family will soon be paying for THREE college educations simultaneously meant nothing in the process at any of the colleges I applied to.</p>
<p>As always, feel free to direct any questions my way.</p>
<p>All the best,</p>
<ul>
<li>Justin</li>
</ul>