Cannot pick between Bucknell Richmond and Lehigh

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I love all three of these schools equally but my caveats are location, education and social life. I've visited every campus and loved all of them but being so close to home, Philly, Lehigh and Bucknell turn me off a bit. I would like to go on to get a law degree and I want to major in political science or economics. The greek life at Richmond dissapinted me though and thats why I weight all three pretty much equally. Which of these three schools would give me the greatest social life and be the best for a top notch liberal arts education to eventually carry me through law school and secure a solid job?
I would like:
A school with things to do, activities, things to get involved with
Parties, greek life
A quality education</p>

<p>SAT I (breakdown): 1950 (CR: 640 M: 660 W: 640)
SAT II: US History (740), Literature (700)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.93 / 4.45 (W)</p>

<p>Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Unranked, but top 10%</p>

<p>AP (place score in parenthesis): APELC (4), APUSH (5)</p>

<p>Senior Year Course Load: AP Econ, AP lit, Calc honors, physics honors</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Debate team (president/captain, Lincoln Douglas league champion)
Student council (student senator)
Student ambassador to new students and families
Key club volunteer</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: Bussing tables at a restaurant
Summer Activities: sleep away camp counselor
Pennsylvania free enterprise week participant</p>

<p>Essays: Interesting essay</p>

<p>Teacher Recommendation: Two solid reccomendations that vouch for my academic integrity</p>

<p>Counselor Rec: I assume it was pretty good
Other</p>

<p>State (if domestic applicant): PA</p>

<p>School Type: Public (top 10 PA public school)</p>

<p>Ethnicity: White</p>

<p>Gender: M</p>

2

<p>This is really moot until such point as you get acceptances from these great schools. Until then, hone your applications. At the end of the day, the colleges may make the decision for you.</p>

3

<p>I understand that acceptance and financial aid could end up making the decision for me, but I need to choose which school to apply ED too. </p>

4

<p>Well, if FA comes into the equation, you need to ensure that your family can afford the school based upon the Net Price Calculator at each school. If you apply ED and get accepted, you will not be able to compare FA offers. If you will need to compare FA offers, ED is not the right route.</p>

5

<p>Your SATI is 1940. You do not have to pick now, and it would be wise for you to wait. You’re going to change over the next 6 months, and what is best for you now won’t necessarily be what’s best for you in April. </p>

<p>You’re a match for these three schools, which means you might not get into any of them. You’d better add a couple schools to the list that will be safeties academically and financially. On the off chance you’re from PA, PSU would seem likely to serve as a safety if you can afford it. So, too, Ursinus, Temple, Albright, Washington & Jefferson, Susquehanna U (their frat participation isn’t overly impressive). </p>

<p>You want schools at which you can party hardy, and the three you named in particular are known for their frat parties. That URich was a disappointment in this respect says something about your keen taste in frat parties. Bucknell is a wild frat and sorority scene and Lehigh was fratboy heaven when I was there in the 70s. Is there any chance that your desire for frat parties is at odds with your desire for “a top notch liberal arts education to eventually carry me through law school and secure a solid job”? For most people frat parties and top notch education are mutually exclusive, let alone parties and a secure, solid job.</p>

<p>Also consider that the road to being a lawyer is a tough one these days. There’s a glut of graduates and experienced lawyers out there who cannot find work because the demand for lawyers has tumbled the last ten years. I know it won’t be that way for you because you’re not like the rest of us :smiley: but consider this change in the industry before getting your heart too set on one career path.</p>

6

<p>They are all excellent schools that can get you where you want to go but unless you have a clear favorite I’d be hesitant to apply to any of them ED. Perhaps try to make another visit to each school and see if you can do an overnight or shadow a student for a day. My D was down to 2 favorite LACs in the fall of her senior year and the final visit made it very clear to her where to apply ED.</p>

7

<p>Trinity College and Holy Cross-SAT optional.</p>

8

<p>Bucknell has a much higher percentage of students in fraternities and sororities than Richmond. Lehigh does not give any percentages, though fraternities and sororities are supposedly big there.</p>

<p><a href=“Bucknell University Housing & Campus Life | CollegeData”>http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg05_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=179&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg05_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=1630”>http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg05_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=1630&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg05_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=794”>http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg05_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=794&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>As another poster mentioned, partying hard may not be the best way to academic success, particularly to the level needed to get into a top 14 law school.</p>