UD Honors vs. Bucknell?

jmlct
Mon, 05 May 2008 13:43:50 +0000

Ashelia ( & K9Leader):
Congrats on your decision. It sounds to me that Bucknell always was your choice, but it’s nice to know that you considered the financial ramifications of the cost difference on you and your family. My cousins daughter will be a junior at Bucknell next year and ABSOLUTELY loves it.

Our experience at Villanova was quite similiar to yours at Bucknell. The students presented themselves so professional (skirts on the girls and khakis/button down shirts on the boys) and passionate. Not the same experience as UD where the power point slide show was very “grade schoolish” and the student presenters were dressed in jeans and work-out clothes. Both accepted senior tours were well organized and we actually had a great meeting (private) with the honors department at UD - faculty, staff and honor students were present and provided us with a wealth of info. My son did not sit in a class at UD, but sat in on a Chem Eng class at Villanova and again, was quite impressed.

That all being said, he’s going to UD and is thrilled with his decision. I’m still wrestling a bit with him walking away from a Villanova education. Size, reputation and a Catholic enviornment were important to ME. But, it ultimately was his decision and he chose UD because it was more diverse, had a bustling campus and town, his impression with the honors program, the study abroad (which is tough for an engineering major) and the fact that UD offered him a heck of alot more money than Villanova and was half the price. He just didn’t think that being that in debt upon graduation was worth the whole Villanova name.

There was one thing I asked my son prior to this whole college search process. I asked him to name 3 people whom he admired and why. I then asked him where those 3 people did their undergraduate studies. He had no clue. Come to find out 1 didn’t even go to college. It’s ultimately not where you go, but what you make of it and how happy you are with what you choose to do with and in life. Best of luck at Bucknell and in the future.