Eliana
03-25-2010, 12:56 PM
This visit was also a delightful experience for dd - and far too short!
Dd went to an organic chemistry class - again about 6 or 7 students. The class was very engaging and students were actively involved, asking intelligent, penetrating questions, clearly very engaged and well prepared and the professor was dynamic and very responsive to and encouraging of student involvement.
The tour and info session were pretty standard, and the campus is very pleasant. In the info session they emphasized how much the school values having prospective students come visit and come for personal interviews (and that it weights heavily when their applications are considered). The tour guide emphasized the strong sense of community - there is a Greek system, but not in a segregating way - both amongst the students and between students and faculty.
Between the class and the info session dd went to lunch at Hillel (the kosher dining hall is still under construction and will open this summer, G-d willing). The Hillel had arranged for a bunch of students to come meet dd and talk about life at Muhlenberg (Jewish and otherwise). Their outgoing, friendly welcome was heartwarming and they were so eager to be helpful and to share their experiences. They all spoke about how involved the faculty are, both academically and personally, with the students, and about the supportive academic environment.
The Muhlenberg Orthodox community is small, but vibrant, and the larger Jewish community on campus is substantial and very, very active, both at the college and in the larger community in Allentown. The local Orthodox community is very welcoming and the observant students at Muhlenberg are very involved there and spend many Shabbos and holiday meals with local families.
Dd wants to spend more time there when she comes back for interviews, but her impression so far is very positive and she could see herself being very happy there.
Dd went to an organic chemistry class - again about 6 or 7 students. The class was very engaging and students were actively involved, asking intelligent, penetrating questions, clearly very engaged and well prepared and the professor was dynamic and very responsive to and encouraging of student involvement.
The tour and info session were pretty standard, and the campus is very pleasant. In the info session they emphasized how much the school values having prospective students come visit and come for personal interviews (and that it weights heavily when their applications are considered). The tour guide emphasized the strong sense of community - there is a Greek system, but not in a segregating way - both amongst the students and between students and faculty.
Between the class and the info session dd went to lunch at Hillel (the kosher dining hall is still under construction and will open this summer, G-d willing). The Hillel had arranged for a bunch of students to come meet dd and talk about life at Muhlenberg (Jewish and otherwise). Their outgoing, friendly welcome was heartwarming and they were so eager to be helpful and to share their experiences. They all spoke about how involved the faculty are, both academically and personally, with the students, and about the supportive academic environment.
The Muhlenberg Orthodox community is small, but vibrant, and the larger Jewish community on campus is substantial and very, very active, both at the college and in the larger community in Allentown. The local Orthodox community is very welcoming and the observant students at Muhlenberg are very involved there and spend many Shabbos and holiday meals with local families.
Dd wants to spend more time there when she comes back for interviews, but her impression so far is very positive and she could see herself being very happy there.