The ampersand

Franklin and Marshall, or F&M, is all about the ampersand. At F&M, you don’t have to be just an athlete, or a dancer, or a CS major. You can be any of those things, but you can be that—and whatever else you want to be. That’s why there’s a giant metal sculpture of the “and” symbol on the front lawn. The ampersand also reflects the power of the liberal arts to find and form connections between things that don’t seem to be related.

More fast facts

F&M teams are the Diplomats, and the wall of admissions says, “The world needs Diplomats.” 

The motto, Lux et Lex, means “light and law.” 

The liberal arts college has a student-faculty ratio of 10:1, the average class size is 19, and they offer 52 fields of study in a discussion-based curriculum.

With small classes and an emphasis on undergraduate teaching, F&M encourages undergraduate research, which 65% participate in.

Popular, unique majors

Business, Organizations & Society is the most popular major at F&M, followed by economics, psychology, and government. Broad majors give you the ability to specialize within them. A unique major is called moral psychology, and only one other college offers it. Animal Behavior Studies is another unusual major. This is supported by the school’s vivarium, a lab for animals including monkeys and lizards.

The Connections Curriculum

Housing is based upon your first-year seminar Connections course. The class crosses disciplines and embeds research and writing. Professors offer high-interest topics outside their fields, like American History and True Crime or The Politics and Culture of Food. Your Connections course will determine your college house—think Hufflepuff or Gryfindor here—and it will remain your house for all four years, even if you move off campus.

Phase 1 of the Connections Curriculum is picking that first seminar. In Phase 2 you explore different avenues. And in Phase 3, you concentrate on a major. You can pursue a joint major, like Environmental Studies & Government, or a special studies major, like Ethics, Law & Business.

Admissions 

Students wait until sophomore year to declare their major, and your choice of major has no effect on admission. Franklin & Marshall is looking for students who are engaged, who value experiential learning. They want students who will be involved.

F&M admissions personnel said they’re looking to grow their public health program and to increase the percentage of international students, currently at 20%.

Interviews are strongly encouraged as a way for them to get to know you, and it can’t hurt you. F&M has been test optional for over 30 years. They have a “no harm” test policy, which means that if you send a low score, it won’t hurt you.

Lancaster Community

The town of Lancaster is very global, with the largest refugee population per capita in the U.S. This has contributed to an eclectic, artsy, foodie environment in town.

In my opinion. . .

If you want to be known by your professors, to explore different academic areas before settling on a major, and to have experiences normally reserved for graduate students, F&M might be the place for you.