Franklin and Marshall College

Date: Jul 18 2011
Major: Chemistry (This Major's Salary over time)
I am currently a chemistry major at F&M. From the moment I stepped onto F&M's campus I loved it. I thought that F&M was going to challenge me academically and provide me with every opportunity to get into graduate school (in some ways it already has). However, I was very disappointed when I finally got on campus.

The academics at F&M are ok and pretty hard depending on what major you are. If your interested in chemistry/biochemistry be prepared to cry multiple times over your books. If your in interested in government and american studies, it will be fairly easy. The professors are amazing and will help you out almost whenever (I meet with one of my professors for conference on a Sunday).
I really feel bad for all of the students who come to F&M to be pre-med. It's pretty frustrating to see so many students not make it to the end. In the past few years only about 5-6 seniors (around 35 total including alumni)each year get into medical school (a far cry from the number of students that start). True the school might have an 80-90 percent acceptance rate, but look at the cost. There are a lot of bright students at F&M that I feel should be going to top tier medical schools that can't get in because of the painful grade deflation at F&M). F&M even got sued because they refused to recognize students that were applying to medical and professional school (although the school changed that policy this year).

If you are able to make it through the chemistry classes, you will be well rewarded. Undergraduate research is one of the school's best selling points (although it is somewhat competitive to get research). I was even able to get my name on a paper (pretty awesome for an undergraduate). F&M has as many undergraduates doing research as bigger universities like upenn. However, don' t listen to anyone who tells you that getting a "C" in an F&M chemistry class is like getting an "A" some place else (or a getting a 3.3 is like getting a 3.5 for premed at some other school). I think that that is pretty much bs. There is going to be no scale on which a school will consider that. Graduate and professional schools are shallow. They care about grades first, standardized test scores second, and extracurriculars last. They don't really give a crap about what school you are coming from. F&M is a tier 2 school (even though I think it should be a tier 1 school) and don't let anyone else tell you other wise. So if you have a 3.3 at F&M and think you are going to get into medical school over a person who is coming from Johns Hopkins with 3.0, you are dead wrong. Try and do the best you can and hope things work out for you at F&M.

I've never seen so many upperclassmen angry at a school. By the time students are seniors, too many wish they transferred or never came to F&M (they love the students but hate the school). Trust me when I say that

students would return graph

is completely right. Like I said, most students love the professors and students but hate the school. There is little to no school spirit when it comes to sports (pretty sad even though we have good sports teams).

F&M is really expensive and most students at F&M are very well off. F&M does not give out merit scholarships anymore. So even if you have fantastic sat scores (1400 and above), you wont receive a penny from F&M. If I could do it again, I would go to a school that gives me scholarships for my good grades. I should have been smarter when I was choosing schools.
If you are Jewish, F&M is the place for you. KIVO (food section in the cafeteria) at F&M is aimed at Kosher students. If you are not Jewish, get ready to be pissed off at the quality of food and the general bias that F&M has towards other religious beliefs. For example, if you catholic and you want to eat fish on fridays during lent, don't expect the school to accommodate you. If you are Jewish, KIVO will jump leaps and bounds to make sure everything is perfect for your holidays. Not to mention that the school will allow a menorah on campus, but there will be no christmas tree in sight. F&M is a private institution. Either the school should support all religious beliefs or none at all (or at least tell people and not mislead them on tours). Speaking of tours, the tours at F&M are the biggest theatre production I have ever seen. I look back on the tours that I was on and too much of the stuff is lies and messaged truths. If you want to know how F&M really is you need to sit down and talk with students around campus.

The surrounding city is really nice. There are plenty of restaurants and places to hang out. It's too bad that the school has such a poor relationship with the surrounding area.The party life at F&M is pretty good. It's dominated by greek life, but if you can get on the guest list you will definitely have some good times. F&M is definitely a work hard/play hard school.
I hope F&M gets its act together because I really do like the students and professors.