I am going to be applying to colleges this fall (class of 2019!) and so far Bucknell and Loyola have been my favorites. I know in terms of acceptance they differ, but I really liked the small community feel from both and the campuses. I also know that Bucknell is in the middle of no where and Loyola is in Baltimore. While seeming like two very different schools, I could see myself at both. The deciding factor for me (besides $$) would definitely be the student body. What kind of people does Loyola bring? What kind does Bucknell bring? How is the school spirit at either? Night life and parties? Preppy or down to earth? I am a white female from south Florida with well above average grades who loves to be involved, travel, give back to the community, have school spirit, and party. Anywhere that has a sense of family and community and a safe but enjoyable nightlife seems ideal to me. If anyone knows any other schools I should check out that’d be awesome too. I just want to get a feel of what kind of people I’ll be surrounding myself with. Thank you:)
One of my 2014 son’s best friends just graduated from Loyola and he absolutely loved his time there. He is by nature an energetic, positive kid. He was a business major who interned and received job offer from top tier firm upon graduation.
We toured with my son years ago (not right fit for him), and i thought it drew heavily from Catholic school crowd. The campus and facilities are very nice. The party scene seemed to occur at off campus bars in kinda sketchy part of town so you need to stay with group and be careful (good advice anywhere). The other side of campus is lovely residential area.
If I remember correctly, most kids live on campus all four years and study abroad is very popular. Community service is strongly encouraged.
The kids I know from our PA high school that go to Bucknell are all athletic, confident, smart kids. It has a reputation of having strong academics combined with work hard/play hard community.
Hope that is helpful.
Both are great schools.
Bucknell definitely has the prestige advantage, and higher achieving students on average, and it is not religiously affiliated.
But Bucknell has a big fraternity presence, whereas Loyola has a more inclusive social environment, starting with the freshman living-learning communities (look up their “Messina” program for details), which help form a close-knit, inclusive community. Loyola also has a big emphasis on social action and on developing the whole person, not just academic skills.
One of son’s friends, one of the nicest kids I know, will be starting at Loyola this fall. He was attracted by the warmth and niceness of everyone he met there when he visited.
The two kids I know who will be attending Bucknell are smart, “popular” (in-clique) types who are both excited to join a fraternity and a sorority, respectively.
Of course, that is a sample size of only 3 (!), and a wide variety of students will exist at both colleges. Any college stereotype applies to only some of the students.