Franklin & Marshall College

Academics

Established in 1787, Franklin & Marshall College is a little liberal arts gem located in south central Pennsylvania. With around 2,000 students, F&M offers numerous opportunities for academic exploration and expansion, and there is “a great balance between a strong and competitive academic culture, talented and successful athletic teams, and a vibrant social life.” The school offers numerous interdisciplinary majors and minors, “does an excellent job of making sure you know how to write,” and a collaborative learning experience that extends beyond the classroom through research opportunities, the College Houses (residential communities), and multiple affiliated study abroad programs.

Academics are “demanding and challenging,” and students note that “you’ll work hard but you’ll learn a lot” from professors who are “esteemed published scholars in their respective fields.” Small classes offer plenty of face and advice time with these scholars: “Whether it be for class selection or post graduate paths, they are always there to help.” The classroom setting at F&M is completely different from the traditional lecture halls of bigger schools, and students “often have round tables for close discussion with...professors.” Students love the fact that academic and personal growth are equally important, and the environment is shaped by “people who are active both in school and extracurriculars, and who get excited about both.” As one student puts it, “you’re not taking advantage of what F&M has to offer if you haven’t been to a professor’s office and discussed something other than class.” The professors at F&M all have “a certain level of uniqueness” in them, but students appreciate that they all possess a great level of understanding. “My professors have managed to get me engaged in areas that have always seemed like a bore to me.”

Student Body

These “smart overachievers who work hard” are also “some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.” With only a slight majority of the student body being white, there is an “amazing diversity” on campus, with a bent toward “slightly preppy, but very open-minded.” Many F&M students are on a varsity sports team or a member of a sorority or fraternity, and a typical student “is probably involved in three to five clubs and is trying out for theater, an a cappella group, or another organization.” Students categorically study hard, and “fill our free time with fun and meaningful clubs and community service.”

Campus Life

Athletic teams are “highly competitive and are very active in the local community.” There is always something to do on weekends, between “[staying] in or [going] to the cinemas to watch movies with your roommates, [hanging] out in frat parties or [attending] events run by an organization for alternative options for frat parties.” Club organizations are wildly popular, and “we all really get into our extracurricular activities.” Getting around is remarkably easy—“about ten minutes no matter where you are” when you’re on the campus, a mall is just 15 minutes away, and off-campus is downtown Lancaster, which offers plenty of entertainment and dining options (like the Central Market).