UD Honors vs. Bucknell?

Ashelia
Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:20:27 +0000

I’m so confused. I got into the UD honors program with scholarship money, but here’s the thing. I’ve lived literally 5 minutes away from the school for the last 9 years of my life. Delaware is quite nice, but I just want a change. I want to experience life in different places, I want to meet new people (and get away from my annoying HS classmates… many of whom are going to UD), and I want to truly be on my own. If I go to UD, my parents said they’d allow me to stay at a dorm, but that’s still not truly “on my own” to me because I know I will use my parents being 5 minutes away as a safety net.

Then there’s the fact that Bucknell’s my dream school. I’m frankly sick of the UD campus since I’ve been around it most of my life, and Bucknell’s is just so pretty, haha. Do I even need to mention the prestige factor as well? And then there’s the “fit” feeling I get when I step on Bucknell’s campus. I know it’s the place for me, and the alums who know me feel the same. I absolutely love the place…

However, now I’m looking at comparing 6k tuition at UD and 45k tuition at Bucknell (yeah, they weren’t generous at all…). And that’s just considering that prices don’t go up in the next years (they will, inevitably). My parents are very self-sacrificing and are willing to pay for Bucknell, but I can tell they’re a little concerned. Now it will be managing my brother at Notre Dame and me at Bucknell - two of the most expensive schools in the country. Not to mention that my brother’s getting ready to apply for med school (he’s a junior now) and I am determined to go to grad school someday.

I know UD’s going up the ranks now, and being in the honors program certainly helps. However, in my heart Bucknell’s my pick. It’s just that my head can’t seem to fathom the debt my parents (and I) will be in later on.

I am at a loss. Help?