Muhlenberg College
2400 West Chew Street
Allentown, Pennsylvania 18104-5586
Admission: Tel (610) 821-3200 or
Fax (610) 821-3234
http://www.muhlenberg.edu
ENROLLMENT
Undergraduates:
Full-time:
809men/1,091women
Part-time:
121men/128women
FRESHMAN ADMISSION
PROFILE
Number who applied:
3,037
Number accepted:
1,978
Number enrolled:
578
Average SAT scores:
V 580 M 581
Average GPA:
3.56
Freshman retention rate:
94%
2006-2007 COSTS:
Tuition:
$26,945
Room and Board:
$7,540
Fees, books, misc.:
$2,000
FINANCIAL AID:
Freshmen receiving aid:
65%
Average financial aid package:
$13,910
FACULTY:
Full-time:
135
Part-time:
117
Ph.D.:
86%
Student-faculty ratio:
12:1
IN ADDITION
In addition to the Presidential Merit Scholarships, Muhlenberg also offers two Honors Programs-the Dana Associates Program and the Muhlenberg Scholar Program-each of which provides an enriched academic experience over four years (including mentored research opportunities), and each of which carries a $3,000 per year stipend.
Muhlenberg continues to be recognized for the strength of its pre-law and premedical preparation. In recent years, 6-8% of each graduating class has pursued admission to law school, while another 6-8% pursue admission to medical, dental, or veterinary programs. Success rates in each area have averaged from 75% to 95% (without excluding any students from applying).
Prominent alumni/ae:
Frederick Busch, writer, professor of literature; Dr. David M. Long, Jr., physician, president/CEO, Abel Labs, Inc.; Dr. Paul Brucker, physician, president, Thomas Jefferson University; Dr. Henry Abraham, physician, Nobel Laureate, founding member, Physicians for Social Responsibility; Richard Ben-Veniste, attorney, former Watergate prosecutor.
Most popular majors:
Psychology, Biology, Business/Accounting, English, Theatre Arts
Muhlenberg College
2400 West Chew Street
Allentown, Pennsylvania 18104-5586
College Description/Campus Visit
Located in the Lehigh Valley, 60 miles north of Philadelphia and 90 miles west of New York City, Muhlenberg College offers students the advantages of a small, private, selective liberal arts college with easy access to the major metropolitan areas of the East Coast. Muhlenberg's handsome and well-equipped main campus is located on 75 acres in Allentown's residential West End. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 40 majors, as well as a self-designed major program. Muhlenberg's primary purpose is to help students develop those capacities of imagination and critical thinking that make possible humane and responsible living within a free society. A secondary, but related, purpose is to provide students with excellent undergraduate preparation for socially useful and self-fulfilling occupations.
Academic Life
Muhlenberg offers 40 majors in the humanities, fine arts, social sciences, physical and life sciences, business, and accounting, as well as a self-designed major option. The College has developed a very strong reputation in such pre-professional areas as pre-medicine, pre-law, and teaching (both elementary and secondary). The learning environment features small classes, close relationships with faculty, many seminar-style classes, and a variety of opportunities for independent study, mentored research, field study, and internships. Value-added programs include a 4-4 Assured Admission Medical Program with Allegheny University of the Health Sciences; a 3-4 Accelerated Dental Program with the University of Pennsylvania; 3-2/4-2 programs in forestry/wildlife management with Duke University; and 3-2/4-2 programs in engineering with Columbia University and Washington University of St. Louis. The College also provides numerous options for study abroad, as well as a Semester in Washington program.
Campus Life
Campus life at Muhlenberg is characterized by a warm and welcoming sense of community and by an energetic and active student body. Over 90 officially recognized student organizations include many honor societies as well as clubs for everything from international affairs to skiing and from Habitat for Humanity to the Student Investment Society. Approximately 35% of both men and women join one of four national fraternities or four national sororities. The College guarantees on-campus housing for all four years, and students can choose from traditional residence halls, small houses, suites, and apartments. Residence halls are wired for both Internet and campus network access. Religious diversity is a defining characteristic of Muhlenberg. Approximately 35% of the student body is Catholic, 20% Jewish, and 12% Lutheran, with many additional denominations represented.
Facilities and Resources
Muhlenberg students benefit from an unusually well-equipped campus. Science facilities include both a scanning and transmission electron microscope, a six-channel physiograph, oscilloscopes, an auto recording spectrophotometer, a fluorescent microscope, an inverted microscope, a micromanipulator for surgery under a microscope, an isolation room to grow and study viruses, a greenhouse, a herbarium workroom, and numerous laboratories, microcomputers, tissue culture facilities, and constant-temperature rooms. The Baker Center for the Arts was designed by Philip Johnson, one of the world's renowned architects, and contains a well-equipped mainstage theatre, a recital hall, an art gallery, music practice rooms, art studios, and rehearsal and costume space. The Trexler Library provides state-of-the-art web-mounted technologies including an automated catalog, electronic interlibrary loan, access to over 1,000 full-text electronic journals, numerous CD-ROMs, and access via the Web to Internet resources including Books in Print, Congressional Information Services, and the Internet Public Library. Other facilities include advanced technology classrooms, an advanced accounting laboratory, a multimedia language laboratory, television and radio studios, a Student Union with three dining halls and entertainment areas, an arboretum, and a wildlife sanctuary.
Athletics/Sports/Coaches Directory
Muhlenberg teams compete at the NCAA Division III level in nine varsity sports for men (football, soccer, basketball, wrestling, baseball, tennis, golf, cross country, and track) and nine varsity sports for women (field hockey, soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, tennis, lacrosse, cross country, and track). The College is a member of the Centennial Conference, competing against such traditional rivals as Gettysburg, Franklin & Marshall, Dickinson, Ursinus, and Johns Hopkins. The intramural program offers a wide variety of team and individual sports for both men and women. The Life Sports center includes Memorial Hall Gymnasium with basketball seating for 3,500; a 32,000-square-foot, multi-use field house; a six-lane, 25-meter swimming pool; and racquetball and squash courts, training rooms, a weight room, and a fitness loft. A football stadium with seating for 4,500, athletic fields, and six all-weather tennis courts round out athletic facilities.
Financial Aid/Scholarships
Muhlenberg offers financial aid on the basis of both need and merit. Students must file both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the College Scholarship Service Financial Aid PROFILE to be considered for need-based aid. All students who file applications for admission are automatically considered for merit aid. Muhlenberg's Presidential Scholarships range in value up to $8,000 and are renewable for all four years based on a 3.0 GPA by the end of the sophomore year. Need-based aid packages range in value up to the full cost of tuition, room, board, and fees. Over 60% of the student body receives some form of financial aid.
Admission Requirements/Application
Muhlenberg is committed to the ideal of excellent standards of scholarship. The College selects students who give evidence of ability and scholastic achievement, seriousness of purpose, quality of character, and the capacity to make constructive contributions to the College community. Careful consideration is given to each applicant as a scholar and as a person, with the object being to assemble a class that is academically talented and diversified. Applicants are expected to complete a secondary school college preparatory program of at least 16 Carnegie units, including 4 of English, 3 of mathematics, 2 (preferably 3) of one foreign language, 2 (preferably 3) of science, 2 of history, and major academic electives. The College encourages enrollment in accelerated and advanced placement courses. Also considered are the application essay, teacher and counselor recommendations, extracurricular strengths, standardized test results, and demonstrated interest in Muhlenberg College. A personal interview is strongly recommended. Early Decision candidates are notified of the admissions decision beginning in late November and running through February 1. Regular Decision candidates are notified in mid-March.