Our 12th Annual

Our Beloved Community

will be back on campus this year!

December 1-2, 2023

 

apply now for obc

 

Deadline for submission has been extended to Nov 3!
Accordingly, the release date for those admitted has been postponed until Nov. 17

Our Beloved Community showcases Lafayette’s inclusive campus and provides you with an opportunity to envision how you, too, could be part of this vibrant, caring, diverse community. 

The goal of Our Beloved Community (OBC) is to provide students from underrepresented groups and economically challenged backgrounds with a glimpse of what the College has to offer. This year’s program will be back on campus!

Lafayette does not want cost to be an impediment to joining us and will therefore be allocating resources for students who qualify for assistance with travel costs for this program. Deadline to apply is 11:59 ET on November 3, 2023.

If you have further questions about the program, please contact Louise Frazier at frazierl@lafayette.edu.

Learn More About OBC

What is Our Beloved Community?

The goal of Our Beloved Community (OBC) is to introduce students from underrepresented groups and economically challenged backgrounds to all that Lafayette College has to offer. Programming includes time with campus partners and professors who support students throughout their Lafayette journey. You will also have the chance to conduct an admissions interview (if you have not already so) to add another dimension to your admissions application.

When is Our Beloved Community?

Programming for Our Beloved Community will begin at 10:30 am on Lafayette’s campus in Easton, PA, on December 1, 2023. We expect students will travel to campus on Thursday, November 30 or the morning of Friday December 1. Students will depart campus on Saturday December 2 beginning at noon.

Who can apply to Our Beloved Community?

All seniors who attend high school in the continental U.S. are welcome to apply. We encourage and seek out applicants from historically underrepresented groups in higher education, such as students who identify as African-American, Hispanic/Latinx American, Native American, and Asian-American, students from rural communities, first-generation students and those from economically challenged backgrounds.

Is Our Beloved Community a free program?

Yes! Meals and lodging are provided for all students admitted to the program. For individuals requiring financial assistance, transportation costs will be covered as well. Lafayette will provide bus transportation from some major hub areas, such as New York City.

How do I apply to attend Our Beloved Community?

An application is required of all students wishing to attend OBC. Due to space limitations, only a certain number of students will be invited to the program. In addition to biographical information, the application requires your GPA, your unofficial high school transcript and a short essay on a community of which you are part. The deadline to apply has been extended to November 3 at 11:59 pm ET.

I applied to Our Beloved Community and I also wish to apply to Lafayette. Do I qualify for an application fee waiver even if I am not selected to attend OBC?

Yes. Students who apply to OBC will receive a fee waiver. Students who engage with us in-person (on-campus visit, high school visit, college fair, etc) or virtually (virtual information session, tour, high school visit or interview, etc) receive a fee waiver. Each student receives only one email with the fee waiver information; you do not receive a fee waiver email each time you engage with us. Note that you may have already received a fee waiver if you have attended a Lafayette event.

 

Our goal is to create a beloved community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.

–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

The OBC Origin Story

Our Beloved Community, affectionately known as OBC, finds its origins in an idea set forth by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As he looked to find justice in the world, he looked for the world to create a beloved community in which no one is left out and all could share in the wealth and resources of the community. We extend this idea at Lafayette as we look to support and empower all students to grow into the best version of themselves each day as they engage in our classrooms, shared spaces and activities.