<p>Bucknell and the University of Rochester are the two universities that accepted me AND gave me enough financial aid to even be possible. I want to do engineering (probably chemical or electrical). Which school is better for engineering? Which one will offer good research and internship opportunities that will eventually lead to easy access to a job? Which of the two has the best facilities and staff? I have gathered that the University of Rochester has lots of research, but most of it is focused on optics and biomedicine (two things I am not so interested in) and is limited by a heavy emphasis on graduates. Is this true?</p>
Rochester ChemE does a lot with Green Energy, and that’s the first ChemE class. EE has a lot of variety too. This is a great school for research because it’s a research university but there aren’t enough graduate students so undergrads can work closely with professors. These professors are more well known in their fields than professors at liberal arts colleges. </p>
<p>I think Bucknell has better sports teams and probably more of a party atmosphere. Rochester is a pretty serious place. </p>
<p>Based on ClassicRockerDad’s post, UR is the clear winner, especially considering I am not one for sports or heavy partying. Can anyone give me a second opinion on this, just to make sure I am going in the right direction? Also, when you say UR has better facilities than Bucknell, are you thinking mainly of the optics and biomedics facilities, or does this apply to ChemE and EE as well?</p>
<p>I seek opinions from CC too, but remember, take them with a grain of salt. I’ve learned a bit about many posters perspectives and biases (which we all have).</p>
<p>U of R has a vibrant graduate program. Bucknell does not have a PhD program at all. Sometimes the fancy toys and research opportunities are not easily accessible by UGs. I can’t speak for U of R one way or another in this regard, but only caution it is sometimes difficult to compare apples to apples.</p>
<p>Please do not rely on the opinion of random strangers on the internet to sway you on such an important personal decision. I am very familiar with Bucknell and can tell you several of the comments above about the school are way off base. You need to go back to each campus (if feasible) during Accepted Students’ Day and revisit the engineering facilities, talk to the professors, check out the students, etc. If you want a trusted second opinion then ask the people who are closest to you and have your best interests at heart - your parents and family! The good news is both schools have great engineering programs - now you just have to determine which is the best fit for you and which feels right. Trust your instincts. Good luck!</p>
<p>The two schools are very different from one another. I’ve visited Bucknell twice, once each for my son and daughter, and my daughter did an overnight visit with a student. I would agree with what others on the thread had posted, that it is very Greek dominated, and has a party scene. “Work hard, play hard” applies here. That will be more appealing to some students, and less appealing to others. The campus is beautiful, there is big focus on the students, and they have an incredibly high 4-yr graduation rate. The students my daughter met were very friendly, and she loved the school and applied ED there, but didn’t get in. My son on the other hand didn’t like it enough to apply. (He is older, so not influenced by his sister’s experience.)</p>
<p>I never visited Rochester, but have the impression that it is a more serious academic place, with less of a focus on student lifestyle. Some students find the weather too cold and gray. </p>
<p>Speaking as an engineering manager, when hiring I would give a small advantage to a graduate of Rochester than of Bucknell, as having a stronger engineering program. </p>
<p>Have you visited the schools? I would suggest to go to whichever schools feels like it fits better. Are there any cost differences? That could also be a big factor.</p>
<p>Unfortunately I cannot visit either one since I live in Costa Rica. Is there any other good way to get to know these universities better? As for cost, I think UR will be about a thousand dollars more expensive than Bucknell (which is actually a pretty big difference for my parents), but both are manageable.</p>
<p>You could post on the forums for each of the schools to ask questions, and see if you get any responses. There are also a lot of other websites where students place reviews on different aspects of colleges, such as Unigo and College Prowler. You can also poke around the websites of the schools themselves, although don’t expect any honest assessment of negatives of the colleges on their own websites. </p>
<p>As an international student, I would be curious how many international students each school has, and what the schools do to ease the transition and provide support for internationals.</p>
<p>My d is a Rochester grad but not in engineering. She has a close friend who graduated from Bucknell, but not in engineering so cannot speak from that perspective. Something that does come to mind is that Bucknell is in somewhat isolated area of Pennsylvania while Rochester is a city with an airport and so travel options there might be easier. They both provide fine educational experiences. Rochester does have a Greek scene but not predominant feature of campus life. </p>