From what I can tell, BC and Bucknell are really similar besides the facts that Bucknell is a liberal arts college and BC is not and is bigger, Bucknell is rural and BC is suburban, and Bucknell has greek life and BC doesn’t.
I want to add a match school to my list and I’m trying to decide between these two. I’m curious to know what the social atmospheres are like at both and other differences and similarities between the two. Can anyone give me any advice?
They are actually really different. Bucknell is a liberal arts college in small college town. It has a really good engineering school and really smart students. It’s a great school. Here’s the profile
It’s listed as number 33 on the small schools list. Though that doesn’t mean much to me personally.
Average GPA 3.56
590 - 680 – SAT critical reading (middle 50%)
620 - 720 – SAT math (middle 50%)
610 - 700 – SAT writing (middle 50%)
28 - 32 – ACT composite (middle 50%)
In comparison
Boston college is a mid size research uni in the outskirts of Boston. America’s leading collegiate city.
It is number 32 of research unis which is a bigger group of powerhouse schools and public institutions. IMHO.
Class breakdown for admitted this year
Mean sat 1448
Mean act 33
80 percent or 85 percent is top ten percent of class
Average GPA would be more in 3.8 range
And bc accepts a lot of athletes for the sports teams in that number. I would say the average non hooked student Is a bit stronger
I would say definately both selective for what they do. Head to head it’s a bit stronger student profile.
At BC these days.
But both are elite schools and can’t go wrong.
@elsaanna The similarities in these 2 colleges are primarily in the type of students they attract. A lot of overlap among applicants–both schools are popular with upper middle class folks from the Northeast. And both attract a sort of athletic, preppy type.
But the settings almost couldn’t be more different. If you want a lot to do off campus, Bucknell will probably disappoint you; whereas BC is a trolley ride away from the endless options of Boston & Cambridge.
While the two schools are similar academically they have many many different attributes. Some students could be attracted to both schools but it could also be that a student attracted to one school has no interest in the other. Here are some obvious differences:
Bucknell v BC comparison
Location: rural PA v outskirts of Boston
Type of college: LAC v University
Size:3,600 students v 14,100 students
Greek Life; dominant v nonexistent
Athletics: Patriot League v ACC
Religious affiliation: non-sectarian v Jesuit
Admissions plans: binding ED option v non-binding EA option
Acceptance rate 30% v 27% Both very selective. Stats above indicate BC is slightly more selective.
Core curriculum: You need to research but Jesuit colleges typically have very large core curriculums that include classes in theology and philosophy. My guess is Bucknell will have a smaller and more flexible core but you, not me, can do that research (should be able to find information on respective school websites).
So which to add depends on you. Do you want to go to college near a city? What size school do you prefer? Do you like big time sports? Do you want Greek Life? Do you mind the idea of a large core curriculum? There are certainly enough major differences that one should jump out to you as being the preferred environment.
FWIW I think both of these would be more of a high match school with your 3.7 and a 1370 SAT combined with their low acceptance rates. Also have your run the net price calculator to determine affordability?
Bucknell University is not a typical LAC in that it has a large enrollment for an LAC (3,530) and offers business & engineering. Beautiful campus. Hard drinking student body. Lots of wealthy students. Bucknell social life is dominated by Greek life.
Oh yeah. No greek life at BC. There is a culture of community service embedded into the educational mission. They are big on pointing out they are looking to help create the whole person. Core curriculum means everyone no matter the specialty studies the classics etc. part of a full education in their eyes.
I know a bucknell student who is not a hard drinker at all. Pretty serious engineering kid actually. So there are all types at every school. That’s life.
Bucknell is high match for you and BC would be a reach. But you could certainly make it through to either.
One school has engineering, and the other doesn’t.
This is a difference that commonly arises when comparing LACs and universities. But this may the first time I’ve seen where it was the LAC that had the engineering and the university that didn’t.
^^^Bucknell has engineering and that is a difference – but the OP’s projected majors (per another post) are: psychology, education, or child development.
Agree with @moooop that these 2 schools, while having obvious differences have similar student bodies.
On the social life front, you may find that Bucknell, due to frats and isolated location is a bigger party school and BC, though it is very social, because it has more varied social outlets due to location, has less of a party hard rep. But it is a spirited place all the same. The Jesuit connection at BC will mean that community service is very important, it really is a way of life for a lot of kids at Jesuit schools.
Boston College has a “Jesuit, Catholic mission of faith and service . . . .” http://www.bc.edu/bc-web/about/mission.html .
Bucknell University is “is highly selective, private, nonsectarian . . . .” https://www.bucknell.edu/About
BC is definitely a reach, and a difficult one at that.
The two schools are actually QUITE different. I would say Bucknell has more in common with Lehigh than BC. Both small schools, PA based(outside the city). Strong engineering and business. Big Greek emphasis.
@privatebanker: You may know one Bucknell student, but you certainly don’t know many. Very hard drinking campus.
@publisher you are correct. I don’t. Probably many schools especially with Greek life and are a bit isolated have the same reputation.
BC is definately not that way especially freshman and sophomore years. But there are parties to attend and it’s fun.
But getting soused more than once in a while would be a fast ticket out of many of these top schools.
You couldn’t keep up.
A study of these issues I recently saw on another thread indicated that the average over drinker in school has a c+ gpa is male ,Caucasian, part of Greek life and from the northeast or south. And paying 71k a year for that privilege seem like a huge waste.