Help me Decide: CMU vs. Bucknell

JJS88
Sat, 28 Apr 2007 22:48:07 +0000

I’ve done a lot of research on these two schools and have been to both of them a couple times. I have to decide between the two very soon, so I wanted to get some feedback.

I want to study civil/environmental or chemical engineering. My family has an EFC of 0, and I feel hesitant to take out too many loans after seeing the debt my parents have accumulated over the years (although this debt isn’t a problem now).

CMU:

I feel I will receive a better education at CMU. They are well known for being strong in engineering and provide a great undergraduate education. Their engineering department seems to be on the rise and will be (or already is) regarded among the best in the country.

They have a lot of research available that seems to be quite cutting-edge. Although they do have a quite large graduate program, they seem to have plenty of opportunities for undergraduates if they want it. The projects seem to include a lot of very interesting topics that are the future in their fields. I am looking to get into environmental or chemical engineering. I am intrigued by alternative fuels and green design, and CMU seems to be on the forefront on these issues.

The faculty is great, but I’ve heard that some are not the best. I would believe that they are very focused on their research, but I’ve heard many people say that they are also very focused on teaching at the undergraduate level.

I like the atmosphere on campus and I can see myself at CMU. I was slightly intimidated of the academic environment, but I feel I want to be challenged. I like how most of the students seem to be very focused on academics. The city of Pittsburgh seems to be a great place that provides a lot of entertainment.

If I can manage my time properly, I will be able to participate in D3 soccer and track at CMU. This seems like a great way to meet new people and make some friends.

The male:female ratio is a little bit of a downside in my mind. Although I don’t like to consider this as factor, it is still in the back of my mind.

Now for the major downside for me. The cost will be $6500 in student loans per year and $7500 from my parents. My parents will not be able to pay anywhere near that amount, so I’m assuming about $4000 in other loans per year with my parents contributing about $3500. I will also have a work study, which seems to present a difficult task with the academics at CMU and possibly playing varsity sports. During the summer I plan on doing an internship, which should make somewhere between $2500 and $3500 each year. I’m also waiting on a few outside scholarships that may help pay $1000-$3000 per year.
-If things fall in place, I will have less than $40,000 in debt upon graduation, but it will take a lot of hard work over those 4 years.

Bucknell:
-The big plus for Bucknell is the financial aid. I will only have about $5500 in student loans per year with my parents paying nothing and without a work study. This will result in about $22,000 debt upon graduation. I may also get a few of those scholarships and I will work during the summer, so it will probably end up being less than $15,000 debt.

They are offering me a Presidential Fellowship, which allows me to do research one-on-one with a faculty member. During this time, I get paid for doing the research, which I have already factored into the financial aid. This seems like an amazing opportunity at the undergraduate level.

The teachers seem to be very focused on teaching at the undergraduate level by providing a lot of personal attention. I’m not sure I will get this at CMU. Although I may get more personal attention, CMU is ranked and known very highly of engineering and there has to be a reason for this. Bucknell is also highly regarded for engineering, but it is a liberal arts school that may not offer an education equal to CMU’s.

Bucknell has been very environmentally minded lately. They have just opened an interdisciplinary environmental center, and many of their civil engineering professors are involved in environmental aspects. I can also join the environmental residential college, which rooms me with individuals that are like-minded.

The college is also much different from CMU in its student body. I do like that most of the students seemed very friendly and the more normal male-female distribution. The one thing I definitely did not like was the party and preppy atmosphere. The students do not seem to be as academically focused as those at CMU. The greek system is big at Bucknell and this creates a lot of pull towards the party scene.

There is little diversity at Bucknell, and a huge amount of diversity at CMU. I never thought of this as a factor for me until I grew tired of the typical rich white kid. Although there will be plenty of kids that aren’t preppy and looking to party every weekend, it still troubles me a bit.

For some reason I couldn’t picture myself at Bucknell while I was there for a day. I don’t know if I was depressed over just going to CMU the day before and thinking there would be no way for me to afford CMU or I actually didn’t like the school. It is a beautiful campus with great school spirit, but I just didn’t leave with a good feeling.

I will have a great opportunity to study abroad at Bucknell with the extra time. At CMU I may be too busy making more money to have a chance to study abroad.

Well those are all the points I can think of at the moment. I would also like to mention that I am strongly considering graduate school. Although it is quite a long time until then, it is a factor especially considering the debt I may have at CMU. I think CMU will be a great graduate level school, but will I be able to take on the extra debt?

I’m afraid I may be passing up an amazing education at CMU, but on the flip side I think I may be disregarding Bucknell simply because it is not as highly regarded for engineering(although the education will be nearly the same and will prepare me for graduate school) and I didn’t like the atmosphere on campus (on the last day I visited).

Anyway, any opinions on either school or which one seems better for me would be appreciated.