Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA

Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA

Ben Franklin and John Marshall should be proud of their school! Twenty percent of the students are domestic students of color and one third travel more than 1000 miles to get to campus. That makes for quite a diverse student body. The average class size is 16 and the Intro to Psych class is filled at 40 students! Dinner with professors is common and the admissions directors and tour guides alike tout the one-to-one interaction between students and professors. Lancaster is an trendy and historic city with Gallery Row and Central Market close to campus. (Fun fact – Lancaster was the U.S. capital for one day in 1777.)

 

Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

Drexel students enjoy both the educational and social benefits of attending college in Philadelphia. Most students that choose Drexel are professionally focused, and they do internships and coop programs that insure they have professional experience well before they graduate. The city campuses (there are three) are energetic and outwardly focused. The Main Building where admissions is located is the original building at Drexel. It houses a concert pipe organ and hosts many of the Drexel music performances. It is quite grand and deserves a much more distinguished name.

Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA

Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA

The small town of Carlisle is two hours from Washington, DC and many Dickinson students spend “study away” time on the Hill or working for various think tanks and NGOs. While on the Carlisle campus, everyone benefits from the historic, safe and very handsome campus. Dickinson students are global thinkers who take advantage of over fifteen study abroad programs run by Dickinson. Dickinson’s programs, including a speaker series and a big annual arts festival, bring the big city to this small town. One in three students is an international student or a student of color.

University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN

University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN

Even on a cold and blustery day, it’s easy to see why people love the University of Notre Dame, and by people I mean students, alumni, and an extensive Notre Dame community. The beautiful campus is surrounded by parking lots that must be full on game days and the huge bookstore sells all manner of “Irish” clothing. The stadium is being enlarged and new research facilities and residence halls are being built. One particular fact I learned and liked: the dorms are the centers of social life for freshmen with each dorm hosting several social events each year to which the whole campus is invited, one of which is the Fisher Home-Made Boat Regatta that takes place each spring on St. Mary’s Lake.

Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH

Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH

This school is a great place for creative students who want to be part of a community that is dedicated to diversity and inclusion. Internationally recognized for its music conservatory, Oberlin is also known for the close, life long relationships students build with faculty, and it’s commitment to a green campus and world. I was impressed by the accepting nature of everyone I met. Two students were heading off to a swing-dancing lesson and were gathering others to take with them as they crossed campus.