Lafayette College, which sits scenically atop a hill on the Delaware River in Easton, PA, is a small, liberal-arts college that offers fantastic academics and division I athletics. The student body consists mostly of white, conservative, wealthy, attractive individuals who hail from the tri-state area or Pennsylvania. Although my four years spent at Lafayette were ultimately positive, there are some aspects of the campus culture that I wish I had known about as a prospective student.
- The prevalence of Greek life
Before going to Lafayette, I knew Greek life was present on campus. I read every write-up, could recite the stats, and was aware the majority of the student body was in a sorority or fraternity. I was open to joining, mainly because I liked parties, but I was not wholly excited about the idea.
Then freshman year came it immediately became apparent that Greek life was not present, but dominant on campus. Walking into Farinon, the student life center, each day around lunchtime was like walking into a scene from Clueless—each sorority sits together in the exact same spot, every single day, often wearing brightly colored letter garb. It’s an extremely homogenous scene.
Because it’s a small school and most students are in Greek life, confined to whichever social circle they were “chosen” to be in, Lafayette socially felt like a glorified high school. The parties got old pretty fast.
Greek life at Lafayette is a catch 22—you need to be involved to go to parties, yet the school is trying ever increasingly to end it. In recent years, the administration has cracked down severely and closed many, once-fun houses. Alumni from a decade ago will speak to the “glory days” of Lafayette’s Greek life that now seems to be extinct. Only “big” events on campus such as all-college-day, homecoming, and Lehigh/Lafayette games are consistently fun.
There are a few other things to do than party with the frats; but all in all, if you like diversity and a larger, more varied social scene not limited to involvement in Greek life, Lafayette College may not be the right choice for you.
- Don’t stress if you don’t know what you want to major in
I entered freshmen year having no idea what I wanted to major in. I saw Geology on the drop-down list of options when I registered for classes and mindlessly chose it as my major.
Thankfully, you don’t have to officially choose a major until sophomore year. I realized I enjoyed writing more than rocks through the diverse range of classes I took as a freshman and became an English major. If you don’t know what you want to major in, I highly recommend enrolling in different types of classes early-on. Lafayette’s strong, liberal-arts curriculum allows students to experience a wide breadth of academics before, and even after, choosing a major. Most people don’t know what they want to be studying—so don’t sweat it if you’re one of them.
- Explore outside of the college
Lafayette has a gorgeous campus with state of the art facilities, but because the school is so small you’ll probably be antsy to check out other things fast. Also, the food on campus is mediocre. Although Easton isn’t exactly a lively city, there are some pretty cool places to check out.
Downtown, Sette Luna has amazing Italian food and a cozy, inviting space. There’s also a farmers market that takes place in the traffic circle every weekend where you can buy cheap produce and specialty goods.
Looking for a good place to study? Cosmic Cup back up on the hill is a hip, relaxing place to do work and offers a great selection of coffee.
Also, if you have friends at nearby colleges like Lehigh or Muhlenberg, definitely make the effort to visit them. It’s necessary to get a change of scenery and people once in a while at Lafayette.
- Beware of campus housing policy
Lafayette’s housing policy enforces students to live on-campus until their senior year. This in itself is a nuisance, because you are forced to live in either a dorm or Greek house for nearly the entirety of your college years. Doing so restrains students’ independence, hinders them from gaining “real world” living experiences and skills, and forces them to pay inflated college housing fees.
Then come senior year Lafayette makes it very difficult for you to even live off campus. Basically most area housing is owned by the school, with extremely limited privately-owned options. This forces students to pay full housing tuition rather than significantly lower Easton rent prices.
Also, off campus housing senior year is assigned through a lottery system that requires students to hold a certain GPA to enter. Therefore, not every senior is ensured a spot off campus and many end up having to spend their last year of college living in a dorm or Greek house.
- Get involved and take advantage of all the college has to offer
Aside from an anemic social life, Lafayette College has a lot to offer for a school its size. Sports are dominant on campus, and a large number of students are athletes. Greek life and jock life go hand in hand, so if you want to expand your social horizon, look beyond these groups.
The majority of the student body is involved in at least one club or extracurricular activity, and everyone seems to be passionate and enthusiastic about whatever it is they’re doing. In addition to clubs, Lafayette frequently hosts speakers and interesting events—free of costs to students. Reflecting upon my time at Lafayette, I wish I had taken greater advantage of all the clubs, activities, and events. You’ll miss them once college is over.
Rachel Rohinsky graduated from Lafayette in 2011 with a B.A. in English and a minor in History. She currently works as a copywriter at an advertising agency in New York City.