Muhlenberg College
Reviews

Pre-Med Sciences

I'm currently a Pre-Med freshman working towards a Neuroscience major with a Mathematics minor. The professors in the sciences are amazing and honestly care about the subject they teach and the students in the class. Professors care that you understand the material and are working to help you in the future. The sciences here are not a walk in the park, but they are not incredibly daunting, if you use the resources on campus and study hard you will succeed.

Professors are incredibly accessible...

I've never had trouble seeing any of my professors during office hours or otherwise. They enjoy getting to know their students and the goals each students has in plan for their future. I am constantly challenged by the workload but I never feel overwhelmed. Overall I have been extremely satisfied.

Party Scene Sucks

Muhlenberg's party scene has gotten progressively worse throughout my time here. The school has cracked down on fraternities so not all of them have parties. Sports houses have parties sometimes but after freshman year it gets cliquey and if your friends don't party there, you feel out of place. Bars are popular if you're 21, but they are SUPER strict with IDs, so if you're underage, you're out of luck. I love my school, but its DEFINITELY no party school.

Practically Brand New

There are many places where you are able to get food on campus. The main location is the brand new (opened in August 2010) Bob Wood Dining Commons which is huge. There are two levels, or floors, which you can eat at. You swipe your meal card once and then have an all you can eat buffet basically. There is a sandwich line, a pasta stations, a grill, salad bar, frozen yogurt machine, desert bar, and other things as well. The only bad thing is that sometimes the food can get a little repetitive. The quality of the food is pretty good though. They make all of the food there and most times right in front of you. You can also get dining dollars on your meal plan and go to other places for food. We have a more grill/fryer place called the GQ which is open to 1 AM on school nights and 3 AM on weekend nights. This is a very popular spot to get food. There are also other places you can get food with these dining dollars, such as a smoothie/milkshake place called Freshens. I would recommend the Silver or Gold dining plan. There is also an unlimited plan if you'd prefer that.

A Welcoming Atmosphere

There is always something to do and people with whom to be friends. Whether a person likes to party or not, he/she will always find someone similar. Everyone is friendly and considerate.

Not a Huge Party Scene

Alcohol is definitely visible, drugs less so unless you know where to look/who does them. They're pretty decently well used, but I feel little peer pressure to use them and I am usually in close proximity to them. I'm not very familiar with the enforcement policies but I'm sure that standards are often upheld in the proper cases.

Allentown, PA

Allentown is a nice city with a decent amount of things to do. Everything you need shopping and entertainment-wise is within a 5-15 minute driving distance from school. Unfortunately, public transportation is basically non-existent, so you definitely will need to make friends with upper classmen who have cars! There is a beautiful park two blocks south of campus...and you're only an hour and a half away from New York City!!!

Pretty Safe, Just Be Smart

I haven't personally had a safety problem on campus. We are in a city so sometimes robberies occur. You just need to be smart about things. Don't walk alone at night!

Not Terrible, but Definitely Annoying

Parking is certainly limited, but I can always find a spot in the lot outside of my dorm. However, I have one of the bigger parking lots, and I know at least two of the dorms' residents have some serious issues finding parking. Living in off-campus housing and parking can be different, since Allentown does street cleaning during a good portion of the year and you can get fined for leaving your car on the street overnight. Campus police can also be super annoying about parking and tickets are a pretty common occurrence.

School Overall

I think Muhlenberg is a great college for its academics and programs in the performance arts. I have made some amazing friends and my professors are very helpful and knowledgeable in the subjects they teach. Allentown is also a wonderful area that is both urban and suburban. However, I wish there were more things to do on campus and clubs were more proactive

Fraternities Not Frats

Greek life is present at Muhlenberg, but is not a huge part of campus life. Beyond that fraternities and sororities are often an asset and benefit the community. They are not there to simply throw parties, but for a larger purpose in building a community.

Music Theory and Composition/Theatre Arts

Muhlenberg has a very high quality and accessible theatre/music program. All the professors are excited and well qualified. There are abundant opportunities for learning inside and outside of the classroom. The facilities are high quality and remarkably continue to improve.

Housing

Currently living in a campus-owned off-campus house, I have to say that I highly recommend it. Yes it is a little secluded since you're off campus and probably won't see people as often, but you get the freedom and don't spend your time in the dining hall so you can eat healthier too

Local Dives

There are not that many places within walking distance from campus that students have access to. The Tavern usually doesn't allow under 21 after around 6 or so and the Farmer's Market is only open on weekend mornings. There are many diners and fastfood places that are 24 hours but you have to have a car so be sure to find an upperclassman to befriend.

Campus Safety

Our campus safety force is very active in keeping the campus community safe however, it gets rather annoying when they try to help a little too often, like breaking up a party that isn't rowdy or driving around all the time where I'm sometimes nervous to be crossing the street because I think they might accidentally run me over. All in all, they get the job done, and the students are usually pretty safe.

I Love It Here

What makes Muhlenberg unique is the exceptional friendliness of the students. Everywhere you go people are extremely nice and helpful. A student can make great friends here. Also, the professors are very committed to teaching their students. There are no TA's and the professors have convenient office hours and are constantly available by email. Overall I have had a great experience thus far at Muhlenberg, learned a lot and made great friends!

Help Help Help

In terms of both social and academic lives, every service is available to help in any way you can think of. We have very large social groups (i.e. Hillel, Gay-Straight Alliance, etc.) that will help with any social acceptance issues you have, which is my biggest concern.

Not So Animal House

Like any college, Muhlenberg has its occasional issues with drugs but nothing it cant handle in an emergency. It's fairly obvious who and where the drug crowds are. Some people are a lot more open with it than others.

Guys and Dolls

Everyone is very friendly and open. We have a very racially white campus (only 12% of the student body is non-white). We have a fairly clear division of Athletics and Artsy types at Muhlenberg.

Greeks Dominate During Rush, but Other Than That..

During rush, all you see is greek signs. But after that, they're just a part of campus. You definitely see greek groups form, but its nothing cliquey. Its good that freshmen can't rush... it gives them to find their place on campus before going into greek life. Greek life is just another part of campus that adds diversity and fun.

There's Definitely School Spirit

At all of the football games, you see a crowd of Muhlenberg students dressed from head to toe in school gear.. but its nothing like a big state school. If you have friends on the team, you're more likely to go. Teams advertise games in Parents Plaza near Seegers, but a lot of people choose not to go.

They Serve Their Purpose but...

The computer labs, especially in the dorms, are really convenient because you can always get on somewhere. But when it comes to printing, make sure to bring your own paper. After the first week of school, there isn't really any supply. There are computers in different parts of Seegers (the student center), the library, all of the dorms, etc. Oh, and major plus... there's wireless almost everywhere. I recommend bringing a laptop, but people get by without a personal printer. Its just a good addition if you can get it.

Better but Not Great.

The new dining hall improved on campus dining, but it can still get repetitive and the lines in Campus Restaurant are LONG. The new meal plan system makes eating at some of the better eating options more expensive. Overall, it's alright.

Seasons Mean Everything

In the fall and spring, the weather is absolutely wonderful, plenty of sunshine, warm temperatures, and lots of fun days to hang out on the green or do homework on a bench outside. The winters can certainly be tough though, especially when we get a large snowfall. The fall also means the most spectacular foliage on the main academic row, with trees lining each side in brilliant colors. It's quite picturesque, and a lovely time to stroll from one end to the other.

Athletics and the Gym

The Life Sports Center itself is a gorgeous piece of architecture, and is very popular among both student athletes, and the rest of the school. There is no reservation of the exercise rooms by sports teams, so that any student can work out at any time the gym is open, which is usually from 7am until 10 or 11pm. The sports teams are in the D3 Centennial Conference, and while they have fun and get a bit of success, we are not known as a sports oriented school. Facilities also include full size pool, basketball, racketball, and tennis courts, yoga rooms, wrestling room, indoor field house with track, full football/lacrosse field with track, soccer field, baseball and softball fields, as well as the weight room and cardio loft.