<p>So far my son heard from and was accepted to two out of the eleven schools he applied to. If he doesn't get into his first choice, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences which do you think is better out of Arcadia and Drexel and why? I hear Arcadia has a better Physician Assistant program, but many others say Drexel is a better school. Opinions please?</p>
<p>I think Drexel has a better reputation but if he wants to do a study abroad, Arcadia makes that seamless. I would suggest that he take this time to re-visit both schools, sit in on classes and see what fits.</p>
<p>Drexel is an “up and coming” university…A much better program then Arcadia,though also more costly…The co-op program is second to none,and is a great experience…Drexel is in the heart of Philadelphia,and Arcadia is in a more suburban location on the City limits…</p>
<p>Being local we hear quite a bit about both. For students who stay local after graduation I haven’t seen any difference in job opportunities, but I only know a handful of students.</p>
<p>What I do know from these students is that Arcadia was far more generous financially in the last few cycles, particularly for high stat kids. Arcadia has really rolled out the red carpet. Don’t let Drexlel’s co-op overshadow the opportunities Arcadia has for students. One student I know spent time in Ireland and worked in Parliment while there. The study abroad program is the best I’ve seen for the money. Few programs couple study with job/intern experience and do not charge extra fees to do so.</p>
<p>If it were my child I wouldn’t rule either out until you see the offers.</p>
<p>Arcadia has had “meet the President” revisits which is worth your time to attend.</p>
<p>They are really in two different market tiers. Drexel, especially locally, gets kids that are just below the Ivy level, who can be very competitive (and maybe a little chip-on-shouldery, but more in a good than a bad way). It has been very successful at fundraising and causing a splash over the past decade, and its new president is an incredibly able guy who everyone thinks will keep it “hot”. It has a number of great programs that combine practical and academic education (which of course is the point behind the co-op stuff, too). Its campus is very urban, and cheek-by-jowl with Penn. I’m not surprised if it doesn’t have a great PA program, because I think it is more interested in training doctors, specialized nurses, and public health officials. It wants to play on the same field as Penn. It already plays on the same level as Temple and Villanova, generally speaking. (Arcadia doesn’t.) </p>
<p>Arcadia is a great, great place for kids who may not fit in elsewhere. Very personal, very focused, not a lot of academic or social pressure. Not anywhere near as expensive, in part because its students are often not the type who are going to go from there to high-paying corporate jobs and who could carry debt. Lots of teachers. In addition to great study-abroad programs (which it promotes shamelessly), it is a real leader in accommodation to various types of disability. Much more of a commuter school than Drexel. It’s in a suburb near Philadelphia, but the public transportation routes aren’t great, so it’s not easy to go back and forth to the urban stuff.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about Arcadia’s PA program. Isn’t that usually a graduate program?</p>
<p>To the OP, if your son has his heart set on a PA program, he really should look at DeSales in Center Valley PA - [Physician</a> Assistant Studies](<a href=“http://www.desales.edu/physician_assistant_studies_degree_pa.aspx]Physician”>Error)
It’s much more like Arcadia then Drexel and is ten minutes from Lehigh U. </p>
<p>I’ve found your responses Longhaul and JHS quite interesting. My son has also been accepted at Drexel and Arcadia and they have such different approaches to his intended major that it’s hard to compare. I prefer the Glenside location personally but then again, I’m not the one going to college!</p>
<p>“Drexel, especially locally, gets kids that are just below the Ivy level”</p>
<p>? I’m not sure this is true. Why would a kid who is “just below the Ivy level” go to Drexel over a number of other privates? Or a number of other state universities? The people I know who went/go to Drexel are not particularly high-achieving. </p>
<p>I do think Drexel has more name-recognition than Arcadia, though.</p>
<p>I can’t speak specifically for the PA program, but I’d agree that Drexel has better name recognition in the Philadelphia area. Some of that is because Arcadia changed its name from Beaver College not terribly long ago. My opinion of Arcadia is that the location is nicer and safer, transportation isn’t terrible since it’s not far from the Glenside train station, but it is not very selective at all. Drexel’s engineering program is probably what gives it a better reputation for selectivity, though. I’m not sure how selective Drexel’s other programs are. But doing one’s training at a city hospital would beat doing it at Abington Hospital, if that were the case (have no idea).</p>
<p>The just-under-Ivy people who want to go to school in PA would probably have chosen the likes of Lehigh, Lafayette or Bucknell–not Drexel.</p>
<p>Scholarships offered?</p>
<p>Will agree 100% that Drexel commands more recognition then Arcadia by far…It is significantly more selective ,and would think if a student is applying to both schools,Arcadia is a safety choice…I also don’t place much credence in the fact Arcadia sends more students to study abroad…It is well known that the “study abroad” is a money maker, as the costs to house/feed and attend classes is significantly less in most cases then staying on campus,yet you pay the same tuition…that said, you can study abroad at just about all schools,if you so choose…</p>
<p>As a parent whose son applied to both Drexel and Arcadia, I can say that neither were chosen as safety schools. Arcadia sends a higher percentage of students abroad then just about any other college and this IS a big draw for many students. Many schools talk about how one can study abroad but it takes quite a bit of planning. It’s the opposite at Arcadia where the majority of students go abroad. [Arcadia</a> University - Study Abroad Opportunities for Arcadia Students](<a href=“http://www.arcadia.edu/academic/default.aspx?id=23454]Arcadia”>http://www.arcadia.edu/academic/default.aspx?id=23454)</p>
<p>But can we get back to what the OP is asking - comparing the two colleges?</p>
<p>^^^^, What you don’t like the comparsions given? Don’t get to worked up about the study abroad program consider the schools, and Drexel is much better on many fronts</p>
<p>^It also seems Arcadia has an edge, at least according to one poster, when it comes to being a more nurturing environment. I do know one person that dropped out of Drexel and she has had a better experience ACADEMICALLY close to home at a nearby state university, in terms of feeling not so lost in the crowd. Drexel’s very urban environment and lack of a central campus may be a bit overwhelming for some students. At the same time, the environment can be energizing and promote maturity as well…I noticed a change for the better in her social skills, independence, etc. after spending time at Drexel. In a way that would have been very noticeable in an interview or other important setting.</p>
<p>I agree that I don’t think study abroad should be a huge consideration. You can study abroad at almost any school with minimal effort…</p>
<p>“The just-under-Ivy people who want to go to school in PA would probably have chosen the likes of Lehigh, Lafayette or Bucknell–not Drexel.”</p>
<p>I’m also of the opinion that Penn State, Temple are more popular choices.</p>
<p>Also, it would be unusual that a person who is just-under Ivy would not also be considering schools outside of PA. There are some great schools just a couple hours away in Maryland, like JHU and Georgetown. I’m a Maryland resident so I may be biased but I was also under the impression that even GW and American were more selective and I do not consider those “just under Ivy” schools. If urban environment wasn’t a requirement, there’s also UVa and W&M in VA. Or, in New York, a ton of schools also.</p>
<p>Drexel would have a more diverse student body, which may be a consideration if the OP’s “LilMan” is African American.</p>
<p>My understanding (very limited) of the PA program is that it’s standardized within the state because there is a certification involved. The reason I mentioned DeSales earlier was because I know that they have an excellent pass rate and job placement. I would think those would be two huge priorities.</p>
<p>One doesn’t go to HYPS for a PA program so it doesn’t really matter where Drexel or Arcadia rank with those other schools because they don’t offer the program that the OP is inquiring about. I understand that it’s very common for the PA program to be done after getting a BS, and in fact the Arcadia PA program is a 4+2 program. [Arcadia</a> University - Pre-Physician Assistant](<a href=“http://www.arcadia.edu/academic/default.aspx?id=426]Arcadia”>http://www.arcadia.edu/academic/default.aspx?id=426)</p>
<p>Arcadia and DeSales for PA program over Drexel. None of the above mention Pennsylvania schools are “just under Ivy”. Students competitive for Bucknell and Leigh could expect a generous merit aid from Acadia, Lafayette and Drexel. Consider Ursinuis, strong Bio program and merit money very generous.</p>
<p>The OP did NOT say anything about any other colleges other then Arcadia and Drexel. Not really sure why other colleges are being mentioned. It could well be that Drexel and Arcadia were match or reach schools for this student. Two good choices.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, the Arcadia students I have met have seemed to be very happy with their college experience. I substitute teach and have worked with some student teachers from Drexel. I also act in local theater productions and have been very impressed with the actors that have trained in theater at Arcadia. I know this has nothing to do with the PA program-but I was impressed with how much they did enjoy life at Arcadia.</p>
<p>The OP’s son still has to hear from 9 other schools, so this is a very preliminary inquiry. I would speak to some doctors and others in the medical field and ask them their opinion of the programs under consideration.</p>
<p>I’m not lying about the “just under Ivy” students, although that’s far from universal. My kid’s very hardcore AP Physics C class, which only had 12 kids in it (at a 2,400 student high school), all of whom were in the top 5-6% of the class, sent about half of its kids to Ivy-type places (Harvard, Stanford, Penn, Chicago), one to Temple on a full ride, and the rest to Drexel (with varying levels of merit). As far as I know, not one of them considered Lafayette, Bucknell, etc., and they preferred Drexel to Penn State (non-Asian city kids here tend not to be excited by Penn State) or Lehigh. That doesn’t mean everyone at Drexel is someone who had a decent shot at Penn, but it does mean that Drexel attracts a number of such students locally.</p>
<p>Apart from that group, I know two kids at Drexel now, both in specialized programs. Both are really smart, non-academic kids, one a musician and the other an arty ex-jock who decided not to pursue athletics in college (but who was a better student in high school than a sib who went to Lafayette). I am really impressed by the design of both programs, the balance between academic, practical, and career-oriented elements, and also by how much the kids like the programs and are challenged by them, and how engaged they are in the aspects with which they felt less comfortable going in.</p>
<p>I don’t think Drexel or Arcadia is for everyone. And the two are similar in that they are very consumer-driven institutions – they design their programs and allocate their resources very significantly to meet student demand, not faculty demand. Drexel remains at heart an engineering/business school, and it leans to the tech-y and business-y. Arcadia is not that far removed from being a very local, unfortunately named women’s college almost entirely focused on teacher training, and it leans to education and personal development.</p>