YourCollegeProfile.com • Become a fan of YourCollegeProfile.com on Facebook

Access Security Profile!

Muhlenberg College Profile

Allentown, Pennsylvania

Muhlenberg College Profile

Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is a small private institution affiliated with the Lutheran Church, which offers Liberal Arts & Sciences, Business, and Engineering educational programs. The school is located in Allentown Pennsylvania. Muhlenberg College itself is actually situated within the city’s northwestern suburban of Cedar Crest. The landscape of the site is split into 2 large facilities, one being the main campus on the northern edge, and the second being situated on the southern edge of campus with Chew Street in the middle. The college has an athletic complex that contains several sports facilities in walking distance to the north side academic, and freshman halls, which make the campus, feel smaller than it’s actual geographic footprint.

Muhlenberg has a large footprint of approximately 80 acres of park like property within suburban Allentown. The physical layout observes numerous historic buildings shared by students, and local residents. The campus itself has approximately 70 buildings including lecture, residential, research, performing arts, athletic, and dining facilities. The overall campus map is typical of a college setting with wide sidewalks; grass field meeting places, and park like benches but the campus building, and landscape architecture is far from typical. The school is in the process of renovating several of it’s buildings to offer students an intellectual environment housed within modern building structures, that accents colonial architecture.

The pedestrian flow of traffic within the facility was centered mainly between the front, and rear of Haas College Center, Trumbower, and Ettinger Halls within the main sidewalk of the college. The sidewalk also has several grassy areas around these buildings for students to enjoy during fair weather days. This main sidewalk on the north side of Chew Street also connects several academic, research, and student life centers within the campus. I observed heavy pedestrian traffic in the area during my visit due to the time of day and my student tour guides told me that walkway gets packed with students going to different places in the morning when school is in session. The campus buildings and open spaces were also very clean and well maintained during my tour observations. These open spaces, and campus facilities allow students the ability to interact with each other in a non-educational manner due to the high number of observed meeting places on campus.

Muhlenberg students, faculty, and employees enjoy a community, within a community lifestyle in regard to on, and off campus activities and resources. The college also provides several critical student resources including student housing on campus for all 4 years, which helps students connect with each other throughout the year. The university also provides several types of student housing arrangements on campus including dormitory, apartment, and Greek residences. Approximately 90% of students live on campus according to campus officials. The college has a beautiful internal campus setting that has maintained it’s local roots and architectural appeal.

The published demographic information for the college describes a culturally diverse student population with students from across the United States. Muhlenberg has developed a large campus community to offer students an excellent Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Business educational formats to enhance it’s commitment to different types of career endeavors.

The college is home to a small campus population of approximately 961 male, and 1,306 female full, and 78 male, and 112 female part time students enrolled. Muhlenberg doesn’t offer graduate school programs. The average age of a freshman is 18 years old. 26% of students are from Pennsylvania. Others are from 34 states, and 6 foreign countries. The campus profile also indicates that 31% of students are Catholic; 26% Jewish; and 13% of students is Protestant. Students on campus also provide a diverse multi-cultural makeup including 2,174 students are white, 51 Asian, 54 are Black, and 88 are Hispanic. 67 students enrolled had race indicated as unknown.

Published Academic Standards for Admission Programs

Muhlenberg College has a large educational system for a small private school, which offers Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Business programs. Below is a specific list of under graduate admission requirements.

Freshman Class: 4,703 applied, 1,750 accepted, 551 enrolled. SAT Verbal 600, SAT Math 610. ACT 26. Application Deadline February 15.

Student Housing

The purpose of student housing is to provide safe and reasonable accommodations for students living away from home. The issue of housing and dormitory life is a critical element of overall campus life because students spend a large amount of time in their rooms. Student housing units historically come in 3 different styles including traditional corridor, suite, and apartment style units.

Muhlenberg College guarantees on campus housing for all of it’s students who wish to live on campus. The school provides housing for 90% of it’s total student population including the Greek Houses. The college has a small Greek presence on campus with 14% of male, and 18 % of female students living in fraternities, and sororities. These Greek houses can be observed while driving on Chew Street, and Turner Street on the campus perimeter. Information about housing can be found on the quick links page of this document.

Off Campus Housing

Muhlenberg College has been described as a small private college within a residential community. The reason I have mentioned the overall community is to re-assert the point that school’s network of facilities has encapsulated the real estate holdings in the area. The campus design allows a large number of students to have housing within walking distance to campus facilities. The issue of off campus housing has a different feel to it compared to other university housing demands. The college itself has 90% of it’s student population living on campus which reduces the need, or demand for off campus housing. Students who want off campus housing can find information about available resources on the quick links page.

Campus Life

Muhlenberg College is a multi-cultural campus environment that provides students with an excellent social, cultural, religious, and educational atmosphere. The admissions demographics paint a picture of a very diverse community with students from all over the U.S. The local suburban community of Cedar Crest only adds to the college’s international status because the community has multi-cultural roots as well. Muhlenberg addresses the issue of ecology in a positive way with the campus being situated within a historical area with new buildings being constructed to match the colonial style architecture. The college also has several buildings with modern architecture including the performing arts center. The school has also developed green technologies and architecture for the campus including the new Shankweilier Science Center.

The campus was clean and well maintained and the emotional climate of the entire community is positive because students are involved with local community, and campus groups through the student center and Greek life. An observation of this very positive emotional climate can be found by looking at the endless student flyers posted throughout the campus on walls, doors, windows, and light poles. These flyers describe upcoming activities and they invite all students to enjoy the clubs, performing arts, and public discussions on world events. Social networking beyond the campus walls is also a very important issue to be observed at Muhlenberg. Students at the college are encouraged to participate in externships with alumni to gain real world experience in each student’s major. These programs, along with internships, and global learning centers offer valuable information for students studying abroad, which helps round out their individual educational activities on campus.

This issue of school culture and emotional attachment is also a very important part of campus life because everyone wants to have a connection and emotional fit to their new school and community. The academic climate on campus is challenging due to student workloads but my student guide told me that socialization improves on the weekends. The school provides a foundation for learning and personal growth and socialization by providing over 100 academic, and 26 intramural & athletic clubs, and student organizations. Muhlenberg also has 22 NCAA Division I teams for men and women to participate in. The school also has a large Greek presence on campus with 14% of male students belonging to 4 national fraternities, and 17% of female students involved with 4 national sororities.

Campus life at Muhlenberg can be considered intellectual, and social due to several notable student venues including the Seegers Student Union, which is the main social center on campus. The second location for social activities can be observed within the Trexler Pavilion for Theatre and Dance, which provides numerous performing arts activities for students to watch, and participate in. These campus facilities allows students to enjoy more than academic excellence, it gives them the opportunity to develop social relationships by experiencing school sports, Greek life, performing arts, history, cultural events, restaurants, and local museums together.

Public Transportation

Campus transportation resources for students are available through the college’s shuttle system, which provides van service for daily classes, student activities, and links to local shopping and restaurants. This service is crucial to students who don’t have cars because it provides transportation services to the entire community.

The school’s shuttle service provides reliable transportation to students who don’t, or can’t have vehicles on campus. The college also has a large number of out of state students who don’t know the streets and highways very well. Foreign, and out of state students might opt to take a bus or train to their destination because they don’t want to risk getting lost on local roads. Information about shuttle services can be found on the quick links page.

Local weather

Weather is also an issue to consider for students preparing for a college experience. The Lehigh Valley enjoys all four seasons of weather including rain and snow. Northeast weather patterns sometimes allow for temperatures to drop below 32 degrees for a considerable amount of time during the winter. Pennsylvania also gets it’s share of rain during the spring and summer months as well. A strong indicator of pedestrian traffic around the college can be identified by the northeast weather patterns.

Community Profile

The City of Allentown has been described as a historic city due to it’s relationship to the American Revolution as a storage place for the Liberty Bell after the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. George Washington’s troops secretly removed the bell from Philadelphia after the battle and it was stored in Zion’s Church in Allentown. The community also has it’s roots in the manufacturing industry due to the city’s geographical location between Easton, and Lehigh’s steel industry. Students and residents enjoy the community’s economical, and cultural landscape within the Lehigh Valley because its close to several private campus communities.

The City of Allentown is located within the northeastern area of the state, which makes it convenient to several suburban, and city communities including Philipsburg across the Delaware River in New Jersey, and the cities of Easton and Reading within the Lehigh Valley Region. These communities have several major highway networks that offer residents efficient transportation resources to all areas of the state including Route 78, 476, and 22. The Lehigh Valley also links to Amtrak, which is the main connection to the northeast corridor for rail service. Allentown also has several local roadways that connect the community to major state highways including Routes 222, and 33 that links to the Pocono Mountain Resort area, and Interstate 76. Shopping, restaurants, and hotel chains can be found within these major transportation networks after a short drive from the campus. Appendix #1 on the back page of this profile lists several of observed resources in close proximity to the school.

The following demographics for the City of Allentown describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 107,294 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Muhlenberg College has strong relationships with the city because they share community services including public safety, and cultural resources. An example of this commitment can be observed through the college’s community services handbook.

A Census Bureau community survey highlights several characteristics to describe the population including: 48% of residents are male, 52% are female. 63% of residents are white, 11% are African American, 24% is Hispanic or Latino, and 2% are Asian. 24.8% of residents are 18 years old or over, and 15% of city residents is over the age of 65. The issue of housing in Allentown is also interesting. 49.1% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 50.9% of units are owner-occupied. 91.5% of housing units in Allentown are occupied, and 8.5% are vacant according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Muhlenberg College Quick Links Page

Allentown & Bethlehem Area Hotel Quick Links Page

Comfort Suites of Allentown
3712 Hamilton Boulevard
Allentown P.A. 18103
Holiday Inn Allentown Center City
904 West Hamilton Street
Allentown P.A. 18101
Holiday Inn Express
3620 Hamilton Boulevard
Allentown P.A. 18103
Four Points By Sheraton Hotel
Allentown Airport, 3400 Airport Rd
Allentown P.A. 18109
Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel
300 Gateway Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18017
Comfort Suites
120 West Third Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18015
Hampton Inn & Suites
200 Gateway Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18017
Historic Hotel Bethlehem
437 Main Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Courtyard Marriott
2160 Motel Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Fairfield Inn by Marriott
2140 Motel Drive
Bethlehem P.A. 18018

Bed & Breakfast Accommodations in Bethlehem Pennsylvania

Bethlehem Inn
476 North New Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Morningstar Inn
72 East Market Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18018
Sayre Mansion Inn
250 Wyandotte Street
Bethlehem P.A. 18015
Wydnor Hall Inn
3612 Old Philadelphia Pike
Bethlehem P.A. 18015

Below is a sample list of local restaurants in Allentown P.A. National restaurant chains & shopping resources can be found on Route 78, 476, and 22. A complete list of local restaurants in Allentown Pennsylvania can be found at: www.foodio54.com.

Comments!

Login to comment on this profile.


There are no comments to display.

Take action now!