Allegheny College Reviews

"I graduated from Allegheny College a couple of years ago with a major in Economics and a minor in Biology (pre-med track, but ultimately found a great career in business). Here are my honest perspectives: Setting: Alleghenys campus is beautiful and well maintained with a lot of history but overall the setting is less than ideal. Meadville has a couple of redeeming aspects but overall is a depressed (dare I say dirty) little town. Very cold and always gray/cloudy due to its location near Lake Erie - it makes Pittsburgh look like a sunny city in comparison! Academics: Rigorous and challenging, but very rewarding! Professors push you to think critically and help you to hone an ultimately eclectic education. Overall the professors are very passionate and attentive in their work with students. Big thumbs up here! Economics Degree- overall I learned a great deal from this major. However, it is important to distinguish that a degree in economics is different from a degree in business. If you are look to go directly into business without heading to grad school, I think that this major lacks in its resources and applicability to everyday business. If you are set to pursue a career in business, look to a larger school with a broader, deeper offering of applicable coursework. Social Scene: I felt that this was a lacking component for me. I consider myself to be an outgoing and positive person that looks for the best in others and have always had a large circle of friends in high school, liked going to school sporting events, was the vice president of my HS class, etc. I felt that the culture on the campus was very strange... the majority of students students were introverted and were extremely left-leaning on the political scale. I found it hard to relate to a lot of these kids. Political Alignment: Allegheny college is an extremely liberal environment. This may be a plus for some, but I felt that it was extremely biased, confining, and insular (despite the emphasis on creating an open and accepting community). I watched many of my friends enter the college with conservative mindsets and leave with very liberal beliefs. I had several classes where all concept anecdotes were presented with a liberal slant- not fair!! Shouldnt a reputable college such as this present and regard all political perspectives with equal respect?... Cost: Tuiton here is overpriced. No two ways about it. Even with the scholarships that they generously give out. Career resources: ties to job opportunities and career guidance could have been better... assistance fore the preparation and placement into for medical school, dental school, etc are fantastic here. Overall, I got a great education that pushed me and gave me a high level of discipline to which I use everyday. I made some great friends that I wouldnt trade for the world. If I could do it all over again, would I go back and choose to Allegheny again? No. Would I recommend the school to you? Probably not."

"Allegheny College gave me a great, rigorous, science education which prepared me very well for the research I decided to do after graduation. Allegheny also prepared me for medical school- I have been accepted to begin this Fall. This being said, I would rate career advising as somewhat poor, but this was well worth the great education I received. Even though I did not have advisors to hold my hand through job and school application processes, I gained the ability to solve problems on my own which gave me the confidence to move forward toward my career."

"Allegheny prepares students for being experts in their field. I started my major my freshman year. There is also a great deal of flexibility because of the limited course requirements outside of your major. There are also great opportunities for financial aid. I essentially received enough scholarships to pay for 3 out of 4 years."

"The environmental studies program is excellent but benefits from a more focused, hard-skills based approach. I recommend peppering the coursework with GIS, statistics, and ecology coursework to be more employable after graduating - or go on to get a graduate degree to add technical skills for real-world employment opportunities."

"Allegheny was full of very hardworking, intelligent students and supportive, well-trained faculty. I really enjoyed four years of being pushed to learn more and be better, and never had an issue getting faculty to answer questions. Opportunities for extra research/internships were plentiful, and really helped me prepare for my current position working towards a PhD."

"Allegheny College is a fantastic place to continue your education. It combines the perfect amount of academic work with a fun atmosphere. Meadville is a true college town and your experience will be great."

"Best decision I've ever made. Prepared me for grad school, my career and life in general."

"It was challenging and motivating. I was always busy and learned a lot. It set me up well for my current work on a PhD. Faculty are very involved and supportive, and I continue to keep in touch with many of them."

"Allegheny was small enough to give me the personal attention that I desired from a private, liberal arts education and prepare me for a future in graduate school. The unusual combinations that they encourage in choosing majors and minors from different disciplines allowed me to explore options and expand my horizons while still enabling me to study abroad. The small town environment provided plenty to do with rich opportunities for involvement in the community, and larger cities nearby for an occasional weekend away. I would absolutely recommend this college - for any number of majors - or to those students still deciding; it's a wonderful place to learn more about who you are and who you want to become."

"Allegheny College is a great school for people who want small class sizes, access to one on one time with professors, and enjoy taking courses in many different subject areas. However, it is not the type of school that is going to prepare you for a job immediately after college. At Allegheny, you learn how to write, read, think, and analyze problems at an extremely high level, which will benefit you in the long run. If you have the money and want to invest in your long term future, this is an amazing school. If you are looking for a degree that will translate into a job upon graduation, this is not the school for you."

"Allegheny College is a great school for people who want small class sizes, access to one on one time with professors, and enjoy taking courses in many different subject areas. However, it is not the type of school that is going to prepare you for a job immediately after college. At Allegheny, you learn how to write, read, think, and analyze problems at an extremely high level, which will benefit you in the long run. If you have the money and want to invest in your long term future, this is an amazing school. If you are looking for a degree that will translate into a job upon graduation, this is not the school for you."

"Now that I’m a college graduate, I have an extensive two-page resume and have a full-time job offer through Teach for America. While Allegheny’s reputation might have helped me get a place in TFA, I do not feel that they helped me to create most of the incredible opportunities that I have had throughout my time in college. The professors in the English department were not helpful in connecting me to opportunities to present at conferences or to get my work published. As a matter of fact, some of the professors even discouraged me and others from pursuing publication. Because I did not listen, I have poems published in six different journals and have made over $100 from my poetry. Although the English department does almost nothing to help prepare students for a post-graduation career, it is willing to fund opportunities that you find on your own. This, of course, is helpful – especially for low income and middle income students like myself who might not otherwise been able to travel or work certain internships. Keep in mind, however, that although Allegheny College (Financial Aid, Career Services and the English Department) offers a lot of money for lower income students, the culture of the campus tends to be fairly negative for lower income students. The food options on campus are not stellar so people make regular trips off campus for food (and alcohol). If you can’t afford to eat out (or drink) every weekend, you’ll be missing on social opportunities. Similarly, if you have to work during hours that clubs are normally running, you’ll also miss out on social opportunities. But I’ll be honest with you: even if you get those opportunities to socialize, it might be hard to connect with the students on the campus. If you’re focused on minimizing your debt, paying your bills (phone, clothes, books, tuition, food, etc.) and finding opportunities to bolster your resume, you won’t fit in with the majority of the people on campus. In my major particularly, I met a lot of students with very lofty dreams. You have writers that genuinely believe that they’ll be able to move to a big city and work for an independent hipster publisher immediately upon graduating. They accumulate a ton of debt for expensive abroad programs in the middle of the summer that make it impossible for them to have internships at companies that will actually offer them paying jobs. If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, it’s hard to be as self-assured as the people you’re surrounded by. It’s also hard to prioritize partying with people who have the luxury to dream and accumulate thousands of dollars over your grades (when you’re grades will probably get you farther than socializing will anyway). Remember, also, that there’s not much to do in Meadville. In Woodcock township, there’s a nice park but that’s a five mile bike/car ride from campus. The downtown “mall” has a Big Lots, a fabric store, a dollar general and a cheap clothing store – really nothing worth seeing. There are decent thrift stores in town and some cute local restaurants, but nothing really worth living in Meadville for four years. You can occupy yourself by joining clubs (but be prepared for drama), working on campus or downtown (but be prepared to walk/drive in rainy or snowy weather almost regularly), working out or just doing your homework and keeping in touch with people from home. Overall, I would not recommend Allegheny. I made a few great friends, had a hand full of incredible professors and had great opportunities, but I’m sure I could have done the same thing at a school in a better location, with a better climate, with more economic/racial/gender diversity and a generally more supportive group of professors."

"Allegheny College was an excellent school. It wasn't perfect but overall the quality of instruction and the classes offered were excellent. Also, Allegheny offers free laundry and the food is much better than a lot of other colleges/universities."