How to strengthen your Franklin and Marshall College application

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What Franklin and Marshall College weights most

Franklin and Marshall favors intellectually curious students who will engage deeply in small seminar-style classes and campus civic life. They weight demonstrated academic rigor in humanities and social sciences, plus evidence of sustained interest in government, pre-law, or business-related extracurriculars; applicants with clear research, internship, or community leadership tied to Lancaster or regional issues stand out. Admissions is somewhat looser on perfect GPA/SAT combos than peer liberal arts colleges, but stricter about demonstrated fit with collaborative discussion-based learning and tangible engagement outside just résumé breadth.

Supplemental essay strategy

For the "why F&M" essay cite specific faculty, the F&M-in-Lancaster community partnerships, the Center for Politics and Public Affairs, or the business/entrepreneurship courses and internship pathways that match your goals, and explain exactly how you would use them in your first two years. Mentioning concrete programs like the Honors Program, study-away options, or local Lancaster research/community projects shows you did detailed homework and signals fit more than generic praise of "small classes."

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Where to focus next

If you only have time for one thing this month, do this:

1. Read 2 admitted-student essays from Franklin and Marshall College (search official admissions site or Reddit r/fandm). Notice the level of specificity — that's the bar.
2. Write the ‘why this school’ supplement first, before anything else. If you can't fill 250 words with school-specific reasons, pick a different school.
3. Find one current student to ask about their experience — admissions offices often connect prospective applicants with current students. The follow-up email becomes specific essay material.