More than 200 years ago, Benjamin Franklin donated 200 English pounds to start the school now known as Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. These days, the institution is a well-regarded liberal arts college home to top-notch research and innovative student programming. One unique component of life as an F&M student is the "Harry Potter"-esque living situation. All first-year students are assigned to one of five college houses, known as Bonchek, Brooks, Weis, New and Ware. Each house is overseen by faculty members called dons and prefects. In each College House, students live together, share meals and plan and attend events. First-year students must live in their college house. Sophomores,juniors and seniors can choose to as well. In addition to activities through the college houses, students can choose from roughly 90 clubs and organizations, including nearly a dozen fraternities and sororities. The Greek system draws more females than males; about 20% of men join, compared to about 30% of women. The F&M Diplomats sports teams are members of the NCAA Division III Centennial Conference and are especially competitive in mens basketball and womens lacrosse. Academic and extracurricular life stops each Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. for Common Hour, a small window of time for students and faculty to attend a campuswide lecture, movie snippet or event.The tree-lined campus is in walking distance of downtown Lancasters main attractions. Stores and restaurants stay open late for First Friday, a lively celebration at the end of the first week of each month. On Third Fridays, art galleries and performance centers typically host shows. Students can also check out a Barnstormers game at the citys baseball stadium or shop for groceries and crafts in Central Market, the countrys oldest continually operating farmers market. For a more metropolitan experience, Philadelphia is about 1.5 hours away.Students can get involved in research projects early at Franklin & Marshall College. The school receives more than $500,000 a year for projects, and research fairs in the fall and spring showcase student-faculty projects. Students are also encouraged to study abroad; the school offers programs in 200 locations around the world, and about half of the student body studies abroad each year. Notable alumni of the college include Denis Cortese, emerituspresident and CEO of the Mayo Clinic; Kenneth M. Duberstein, Ronald Reagans former chief of staff; and Mary L. Schapiro, former chairperson of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Denison University, a small liberal arts college, is set in the proportionally small town of Granville, Ohio. From campus, students can walk to the restaurants and shops that line Granvilles main street. Bikers may enjoy the 36-mile trail that connects Granville to the nearby Ohio cities of Newark, Johnstown and Alexandria. The state capital, Columbus, is about 25 miles away, and students can get there in the free Big Red Express shuttles, which run three days a week. All students must live on campus, unless they are married, have children, are over the age of 25 or commute from a nearby parents home. Freshmen will only live with other first-year students. Close to 30 percent of students are involved in Denisons Greek system, which comprises about 15 fraternities and sororities. There are more than 150 student clubs and organizations on campus. Student athletes compete as the Denison Big Red in the NCAA Division III North Coast Athletic Conference, but the school does not have an official mascot, despite frequent attempts by students to find one. More than three quarters of students play sports at some level. Besides playing or cheering for sports teams, students can catch performances by famous musicians like Yo-Yo Ma in the Vail Series or get a quick cooking lesson from a faculty member during the on-campus Chowder Hours.Students can get on-the-job experience before graduation with the help of the robust Denison Internship Program. To hone effective skills before entering the job market, students can enroll in several leadership initiatives at Denison, including a six-day retreat called LeaderShape. Notable Denison alumni include actors Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner, former Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes and geologist Kirtley Mather, who named Mount Denison in Alaskas Aleutian Peninsula after the university.