Dickinson College was founded in 1773 by Dr. Benjamin Rush, who went on to sign the Declaration of Independence. The school has a close relationship with the adjoining town, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a town of 40,000, which is dialed up on the quaint/cuteness factor. Nearby, nature beckons—Dickinson is five minutes away from the Appalachian Trail, and provides access to all sorts of outdoor activities.

Dickinson Combines Liberal Arts with Real-World Experience

With 2300 students, Dickinson’s mission originally was to provide a liberal arts education because Dr. Rush believed that democracy could only survive with an educated population. Today, the school focuses on a hands-on, practical approach in order to face the future. It offers courses in thirteen foreign languages and is well known for its international studies program and robust study abroad program.

In addition, the school has excellent results in its preprofessional program, boasting 92% med school placement and 96% law school placement rates. Ninety-four percent of students complete at least one internship, and many work on the school’s 188-acre organic farm.

Dickinson College Sustainability Efforts and Carbon Neutral Campus

Dickinson College also focuses on the future by leading in sustainability. The campus is carbon neutral and has several LEED-certified buildings. Because of this, the campus, in addition to its historic limestone buildings, also now has several modern buildings designed for energy efficiency. Whatever the building’s age, the interiors are newly renovated and modern, a sign of Dickinson’s healthy endowment and financial status.

Popular Majors at Dickinson College

International business management is the most popular major, followed by economics. With its excellent language and international studies programs, Dickinson has in the past been a career pipeline to the Foreign Service. Another standout major is natural resources and conservation. Biology, psychology, and the arts are also well-regarded majors. They also have a strong classics program and are one of the few small colleges to have an archeology major. Although students do not apply to a major specifically, the admissions department tries to balance out student interests in each class so they aren’t overrun with business majors.

Dickinson College Admissions, Early Decision, and Financial Aid

Dickinson leans heavily into early decision, with half of its freshman class made up of ED admits. According to the admissions department, the ED admit rate is 65% (although that does include the 30/% of the class that is recruited DIII athletes), and the regular decision admission rate is 20%.

Dickinson has made efforts to become more affordable. If a family makes less than $75,000 a year, they will be offered a loan-free financial aid package. Families making under $125,000 annually are offered free tuition. The school also offers merit aid scholarships.

Interestingly, Dickinson will provide pre-reads for any applicant and will pre-read both for admission chances and financial and merit aid packages. This can be requested by filling out an online form. Although they don’t officially track demonstrated interest, admissions stated that they do look for “demonstrated understanding”, or evidence that the applicant understands how Dickinson would be a good fit for their educational needs.

For those interested in business majors, Dickinson would like to see candidates who have completed calculus, preferably AP Calculus AB. Precalculus may be acceptable for candidates who are interested in the humanities or social sciences. They also want to see a minimum of two years of the same foreign language. Students who demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a willingness to explore new topics and cultures are valued at Dickinson.

Student Life and Campus Culture at Dickinson College

Students we met at Dickinson repeatedly praised the sense of community there, and noted that the atmosphere is collaborative, not competitive. They are required to live on campus for all four years, either in dormitories or in special interest houses. A personal favorite is the Sustainability House, where residents only take cold showers and are not allowed to use clothes dryers, staying cold and wet to save the planet.

Greek life involves more women than men, but regardless of involvement, the school and the town of Carlisle offer many activities and events. The school is about two hours from major cities such as Baltimore and Washington D.C, and under three hours from Philadelphia.

Dickinson College is definitely a school to consider, especially with the option for pre-reads. Dickinson is a school with a clear sense of purpose — one that has been there since Benjamin Rush first imagined what an educated democracy could look like. That purpose hasn’t faded. If anything, it’s gotten more interesting.

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