<p>HI..my daughter is trying to decide..Lehigh is a great great school but is it better to be in the honors program at a lower ranked school where she will get some great benefits and is a lot cheaper..How hard is it to get the classes you want at Lehigh. One benefit of honors is early registration for classes..</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Son was in a similar situation a few years ago and is now in the Clemson honors program (business); his good friend is at Lehigh - both really like their programs, professors, opportunities, etc (although his friend was going to transfer after freshman year to a larger school.) Clearly, one of the major differences between the 2 schools is their size so Clemson’s honors program really helps provide a ‘smaller’ school academic experience with small classes sizes, priority registration, and additional academic perks. I don’t think you can go wrong with either choice depending on your academic focus, but along with the finances, you should also consider the environment you prefer - large, public southern vs small, private, mid-Atlantic; they really offer very different college experiences. If there is an opportunity for your daughter to spend some time at each of her options, I would do it to see where she feels most comfortable!</p>
<p>Lehigh is a fantastic school but if you cannot afford it, the honors colleges are the best choices.</p>
<p>Between Clemson and James Madison, Clemson clearly has the better academics in my opinion. Depends what you want to study though. JMU has a great music, media arts & design and communications program, areas Clemson isn’t as strong as.</p>
<p>Clemson is a great choice and is moving up the ranks in national reputation. Currently ranked as the USNWR #64 national university. Kiplinger rates Clemson as the 46th best buy for PUBLIC colleges in the US with a total out-of-state cost of $35,800 in-state $20,300. However, if your daughter gets the in-state tuition waiver this would weigh heavily in Clemson’s favor. Clemson and the other SC public schools seem to be more generous than Virginia when distributing merit aid. According to Princeton Review Clemson students love their environment: </p>
<h1>5 Everyone Plays Intramural Sports</h1>
<h1>5 Happiest Students</h1>
<h1>1 Jock Schools</h1>
<h1>1 Town-Gown Relations are Great</h1>
<p>JMU is a regional university consistently rated in the top 5 in the south and currently ranked as the USNWR #3 southern regional university. Kiplinger rates JMU as the #25 best buy for PUBLIC colleges in the US with a total out-of-state cost of $29,520 in-state $16,750. JMU and all Virginia punlic schools are very stingy with pure merit aid, but do provide adequate need+merit aid. According to Princeton Review JMU Students have some things to cheer about too:</p>
<h1>3 Best Campus Food</h1>
<h1>18 School Runs Like Butter</h1>
<p>Lehigh is currently ranked as the USNWR #37 national university. Kiplinger rates Lehigh as the #29 best buy for PRIVATE colleges in the US with a total cost of $52,500. According to Princeton Review Lehigh environment is mixed depending on your perspective:</p>
<h1>12 Little Race/Class Interaction</h1>
<h1>16 Lots of Beer</h1>
<h1>6 Major Frat and Sorority Scene</h1>
<h1>16 2010 Top Entrepreneurial Programs: Undergraduate</h1>
<h1>2 Town-Gown Relations are Strained</h1>
<p>I don’t see how Lehigh is ranked significantly higher than either of her other two options. If Lehigh is the school she loves, then that’s one thing. But if she loves one of the other schools the cost-benefit analysis seems to clearly favor the public options. The honors schools/programs at Clemson and JMU are top-notch with as much indivdualized attention as your student wants, smaller classes, early registration and the opportunity to live in honors communities. (Clemson’s Holmes hall has a fantastic study/rec area in the basement). My only experience experience with Lehigh is one friend’s daughter. I have multiple family/friends’ kids at Clemson and JMU and those kids LOVE their schools. School spirit on each campus is incredible and the kids seem to really have fun. Good luck.</p>
<p>Wow…thanks so much for your great reply…my daughter has a tough choice…we loved Clemson its just that its 12 hours away and travel is going to be a pain. Do you think she will get as much individualizes attention being in non honors at Lehigh as she will being in honors in Clemson or JMU…</p>
<p>I don’t really know enough about Lehigh to comment on the level of attention afforded to the individual students. I suspect it’s like most schools that if you daughter seeks it out it will be available. Professors are usually there to work with the students. Although, each individual will vary and the organized study sessions and test prep sessions she will have available at Clemson or JMU may have to be self-initiated. </p>
<p>On the travel front, Southwest Airlines has just opened a gate at the Spartansburg-Greenville airport and fares are very reasonable. There is a shuttle from campus to the airport, but there are usually enough kids from the area with cars who won’t mind going home for dinner or a quick visit and would drop your daughter off at the airport. It’s not a couple hour drive like you would apparently have to Bethlehem, but it’s not too bad. The differences in school costs should more than make up for the travel costs.</p>
<p>Also, you can’t beat the weather in Clemson. Certainly better than Bethlehem…for that matter JMU weather is probably better than Bethlehem too. But, Clemson weather is the hands-down winner.</p>
<p>Travel has been a pain for me too but it’s been worth it. Where do you live? I’m from Boston and I’ve taken the train home (station is right in Clemson but its a 22 hour trip) and flown home from Greenville-Spartenburg (need a friend to give you a ride there though if you don’t want to pay $35/each way for a shuttle). </p>
<p>I think that Clemson is the right choice. Clemson is hands down the winner in terms of best place to spend 4 years. Academically without the honors college, it would be Lehigh>Clemson>JMU but since she is at the honors college in Clemson, I would call Lehigh and Clemson dead even academically now because of the extra opportunities she will get. </p>
<p>Let me know if you have any questions about Clemson and I’d love to help you out with your decision!</p>
<p>Pierre - I think you are selling Clemson (and JMU) way short academically. Based on the “standard rankings” of undergraduate education. I don’t see a significant difference between the 3 schools from an undergraduate standard of education. Based on my understanding of the quality of kids, facilities and programs at Clemson and JMU - they compete at a very high level. Obviously, the national universities (Clemson & Lehigh) will have better doctorate programs, but we are discussing undergraduate education. Lehigh must have a terrific reputation in the northeast, but once you get to the mid-atlantic (Maryland and below) I don’t think that Lehigh’s reputation is as strong. Nationally, Clemson will have the strongest reputation/name recognition - why? Go Tigers!!! Sports makes a huge difference in getting the brand out. If your not going to one of the top 10 academic schools, does it really warrant the money for a few higher ranking ponts in the middle of the top 100. I’m a price performance performance person .</p>
<p>haha well I guess everybody has their own opinions with schools. Personally, I’m a big fan of smaller schools and if I wasn’t a huge sports fan/engineering major/smarter I’d probably be at a smaller school. Lehigh is that kind of environment and also has a better ranked engineering and business program than Clemson so that’s why I say Lehigh is better. James Madison is a fantastic school, don’t get me wrong, just not at the same level as a Clemson or Lehigh. Lehigh has a great alumni base and it’s reputation is strong academically although it may not have the sports brand that Clemson does. To be honest, a lot of people I know in the Boston area are not familiar with Clemson and it was frustrating when I was explaining my college choice haha</p>
<p>But I’ll agree that for your moneys worth, Clemson is the best value out of all 3</p>