Muhlenberg is much more "Jewy" than Lutheran. One of the highest percentage of Jewish students of any college -- about 33 percent. They have a Kosher section in their cafeteria.

I know a girl at Muhlenberg and she's really happy there. Definitely strong for performing arts and she's there as a vocal music major and Jewish Studies (so it's not just Lutheran).

Anonymous wrote:I’ve read that Muhlenberg is an evangelical Lutheran school. Is that true, and if so, in what way does religion impact the college experience? My agnostic kid is considering MC but the evangelical bent is a real turn off.

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I would call it “Lutheran” (have never heard the “evangelical” used and grew up with lots of Lutherans and near M’berg). Roughly equivalent to a school being Presbyterian. (Please don’t nitpick me theologically). It’s mainline Protestant-religious, which is to say, not very.

Anonymous wrote:I’ve read that Muhlenberg is an evangelical Lutheran school. Is that true, and if so, in what way does religion impact the college experience? My agnostic kid is considering MC but the evangelical bent is a real turn off.

Evangelical in the Lutheran sense (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, or ELCA) is not at all what you think of as stereotypical "evangelical." It's a liberal denomination.

Unrelated, but my nominally Catholic, not at all artsy niece graduated from Muhlenberg and loved it. She played her sport (chose D3 over D1 because she wanted something less intense) and was pre-med. Finished med school a couple years ago and is now a doctor.

My brother had a great time there. Many of his friends are physicians now.

I’ve read that Muhlenberg is an evangelical Lutheran school. Is that true, and if so, in what way does religion impact the college experience? My agnostic kid is considering MC but the evangelical bent is a real turn off.

I grew up nearby, and several of my friends went there, all top AP-type grads. Some of my artsy friends who went to Muhlenberg went to Tisch (NYU) afterwards.

Great art /concert scene, many ski/ play areas an hour away. 1 hour to Philadelphia.

Never heard a bad word from anyone who went there.

My father wanted me to go there, but I had my eye on California.

We visited Muhlenberg for an Open House recently and were impressed. It was a very interactive day and my student was able to meet with several current students and professors. The campus has a cozy feel. Students were kind and caring. It did seem a little quiet but kids partake in a lot of on-campus activities. The school seems very student centered with a robust mentoring and advisory program.

We also visited Dickinson. That campus is larger and adjoins the downtown Carlisle area, which was appealing. Dickinson seems a bit more rigorous and prestigious, as reflected in their admissions statistics and rankings. We liked it quite a lot!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d be wary of all SLACs right now with the enrollment cliff approaching. Its female/male ratio is 70/30. School gives huge merit, which may be a sign it’s in trouble. And it doesn’t have the name recognition of other more highly ranked SLACs.

NP -They have a C+ in the Forbes Financial ratings which is not terrible. We are trying to focus on schools that are Bs or better but unfortunately we like several Jesuit schools which are also in the C+ range.

I’m glad you brought that up because I like the Forbes guide and was concerned about the ranking. Does that take into account the number of merit scholarships Muhlenberg offers? I’ve heard in some cases merit aid can bring the cost lower than in-state UMD.

I am referencing the Forbes ranking of the financial health of the institution as smaller colleges are expected to struggle and close without large endowments. I think you may be referring to the Forbes college ranking which is different. So many rankings!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d be wary of all SLACs right now with the enrollment cliff approaching. Its female/male ratio is 70/30. School gives huge merit, which may be a sign it’s in trouble. And it doesn’t have the name recognition of other more highly ranked SLACs.

NP -They have a C+ in the Forbes Financial ratings which is not terrible. We are trying to focus on schools that are Bs or better but unfortunately we like several Jesuit schools which are also in the C+ range.

I’m glad you brought that up because I like the Forbes guide and was concerned about the ranking. Does that take into account the number of merit scholarships Muhlenberg offers? I’ve heard in some cases merit aid can bring the cost lower than in-state UMD.

We live in the Philly burbs and my oldest goes to Lehigh, so we're very familiar with all of the PA schools. Muhlenberg is a wonderful community! And they have notoriously amazing food, which is actually much more important than you'd think There is a very vibrant arts scene in Allentown/Bethlehem. My ds is super active and does ski club and outdoor (hiking), runs on the local trails, etc.

Anonymous wrote:I’d be wary of all SLACs right now with the enrollment cliff approaching. Its female/male ratio is 70/30. School gives huge merit, which may be a sign it’s in trouble. And it doesn’t have the name recognition of other more highly ranked SLACs.

NP -They have a C+ in the Forbes Financial ratings which is not terrible. We are trying to focus on schools that are Bs or better but unfortunately we like several Jesuit schools which are also in the C+ range.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Muhlenberg is a niche school but a great choice for the right kid. Very artsy. It lacks the cachet of the top PA schools like Swarthmore and Bucknell, but if you look at its incoming student stats, it hangs with the likes of Dickinson and Gettysburg. I'm not sure why it can't catch a break in USNWR. Could be graduation rates, which might warrant further investigation.

Bucknell booster strikes again

Or perhaps a Swarthmore booster.

As I think I know which poster this is, has she looked at Dickinson or Richmond, too? I think those are 2 more worth considering, although I think Dickinson's surrounding area also leaves a lot to be desired if people are poopooing Allentown.

Muhlenberg is also in a consortium with several other schools. https://lvaic.org/about/our-members/
One that hasn't been mentioned before is Moravian. Offers dance as a minor. Here is the page on their auto scholarships. https://www.moravian.edu/admissions/grants-and-scholarships-moravian

I have a relative who went there— did stem and went on to get a phd. Good experience