Colgate or Bucknell?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Colgate University
1

<p>I'm near the end of my junior year, and I really want to apply to one of these schools ED next year (I'm really impatient, and I think it will improve my chances of getting in)</p>

<p>Any advice on which one to choose?</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure I want to major either in english or international relations. I got a super good vibe from Bucknell, and an almost-as-good vibe from Colgate. I know Colgate is techncally ranked slightly higher, but I don't think it will make that much of a difference. </p>

<p>help me please!</p>

2

<p>Colgate and Bucknell do share many characteristics. As you have learned, Colgate is more selective admissions-wise and more highly ranked in terms of the usual publications. One showed in 2009 that Colgate is credited with the most beautiful campus in the country, a top ten college library, a top 10 spot for beer, and top 20 positions for best study group programs, accessible professors, most happy students and best classroom experience. Colgate is also a wealthier institution and apparently more generous with financial aid according to posters. What have you uncovered about Bucknell and the other schools that interest you?</p>

<p>I have heard that Bucknell has superior indoor athletic facilities although that will be remedied in several months with Colgate’s new fitness center (see the website for details.) Bucknell, for its part, has won the Patriot League standings cup for most of the years that it has been awarded. Colgate is the leading Division 1 university in terms of graduating its student-athletes alongside Notre Dame.</p>

<p>Of course the most important thing in determining the fit is what YOU think about the curriculum and campus life on offer.</p>

<p>Good luck with your evaluations!</p>

3

<p>Thanks! I really liked that at colgate, it seems like there’s a close relationship between students and professors, and that although it is a small college, the students definately maintain a healthy work-play balance. There are really 3 small things that are holding me back from colgate:</p>

<ol>
<li>A lot of people from my school go there, and it’s small so it’s not like I wouldn’t notice</li>
<li>Very small town</li>
<li>Very cold winters</li>
</ol>

<p>How much of a problem would you say these would be?</p>

4

<p>Colgate is not more selective admissions-wise if we are looking at percent applicants admitted. Colgate admitted 32%, whereas Bucknell admitted 30% for last years admissions cycle.</p>

5

<p>Interesting take on the applicant pool but a fuller overview is as follows…</p>

<p>According to last year’s statistics on both schools’ websites Colgate had more applicants, higher scores for the middle 50% in SAT and ACT scores, and stronger high school GPAs. </p>

<p>Regarding the weather and small town atmosphere that ties Hamilton to Colgate so deliberately and clearly, I would suggest that your experience will depend on what you make of it. If you have visited Hamilton or reviewed the Colgate website recently you know that the Colgate bookstore is in the town and the Inn is being renovated shortly. In fact, one of the site’s webcams is perched on the bookstore’s roof to overlook the Green. There has been and will continue to be a determined effort to accommodate the needs of the town/gown community for mutual benefit.</p>

<p>My personal view is you have 4 years to devote to college life and that this is a special and unique place. Irrespective of the weather you encounter when you next visit, you will develop your own impressions. That’s what’s important. </p>

<p>Best of luck with your college search.</p>

6

<p>Have you done an overnight? Some people have admitted that doing overnights have made the difference. You have a while to decide! Enjoy the summer :)</p>

7

<p>Ticklemepink’s suggestion is a great one. My older son applied ED to Colgate after overnighting in September of his senior year - the overnight helped him confirm that Colgate was his first choice.</p>

8

<p>Both are fantastic choices.
YOu must visit both and spend time. Check out classes, meet with profs and students. What are you interested in studying?</p>

9

<p>thanks! i’m planning on doing an in-depth visit at both schools in the fall, whether its an all-day open house or overnight. so hopefully that will help!</p>

10

<p>Both are fairly small colleges. We’re not talking about UCLA or Michigan here, after all. Both are in the Frost Belt of the Northeast, and I don’t think Colgate’s winters will be any worse than Bucknell’s. My daughter just finished her sophomore year at Colgate, and she absolutely loved it!! She was on the club rugby team (She’s 5’0" so ‘go figure’ and was a good player, by all I heard), made many good friends, and did pretty well academically, too, the last being my main concern, of course.</p>

<p>Hamilton is a very small town, but so are the towns for many, many top liberal arts schools like Williams, Colby, Middlebury, etc. If a small town is a problem, you need to look at different types of schools in more suburban or urban areas, I’d say. </p>

<p>As far as classmates going to Colgate being an issue for you, that has to be your decision. If you want to be ground-breaking in your admission, I suppose you could apply to Oxford or the Sorbonne or someplace totally unusual. But, I imagine you care a lot more about the quality of the college. Colgate is first-rate by all standards. </p>

<p>You are always best going with your guy feeling. Whichever school you just like more is the right one to go to.</p>

11

<p>Both are fairly small colleges. We’re not talking about UCLA or Michigan here, after all. Both are in the Snow Belt of the Northeast, and I don’t think Colgate’s winters will be any worse than Bucknell’s. In fact, this winter was pretty mild in upstate New York. </p>

<p>My daughter just finished her sophomore year at Colgate, and she absolutely loved it!! She was on the club rugby team (She’s 5’0" so ‘go figure,’ and she was a good player, by what I heard), made many good friends, and did pretty well academically, too, the last being my main concern, of course.</p>

<p>Hamilton is a very small town, but so are the college towns for many top liberal arts schools like Williams, Colby, Middlebury, etc. If a small town is a problem, you may need to look at different types of schools in more suburban or urban areas, I’d say. </p>

<p>As far as classmates going to Colgate being an issue for you, that has to be your own decision. If you want to be ground-breaking in your admission, I suppose you could apply to Oxford or the Sorbonne or someplace totally unusual! But, I imagine you care a lot more about the quality of the college, its reputation, its academics, sports, the friendliness of its students, and so on. Colgate is first-rate by all standards. </p>

<p>I’d make a list of all the factors you care most about and then rate each school. You are always best going with your gut feeling. Whichever school you like more is the right one for you. Assuming you can get admitted, of course.</p>

12

<p>S just graduated from Colgate last spring and D2 is a rising junior at Bucknell. So I have a good perspective as a parent and hearing from my kids about both.</p>

<p>Obviously, they are both excellent schools.</p>

<p>Bucknell has more to offer as far as majors. Its engineering is highly ranked. Its business degree is up and coming. And of course it is an excellent LA school.</p>

<p>Colgate is an excellant school. Students have “on average” a bit higher SAT’s. And Colgate is ranked higher on USNews rankings. </p>

<p>My observance, Bucknell has more to offer in terms of towns and is bigger. Lewisberg is a small town but its surrounding area has much more to offer as far as shopping. (A real mall and the usual stores 15- 20 min away vs an hour or so) </p>

<p>Both are the same sports league. I think Bucknell is more greek oriented. (S joined a frat at Colgate and was happy–D did not join a sorority at BU and has had a bit of a challenge.)</p>

13

<p>Anyone know why Bucknell is not listed by this website among “top liberal arts colleges”? It’s also not in the “top universities” list, either, but just in the general list. I suppose they have to have a cutoff somewhere, but considering a few of the schools that made it into the former list, I’m a little surprised. Even with my primarily Colgate POV, I think Bucknell is pretty good.</p>

14

<p>ColgateDad, I don’t know for sure, but I suspect it’s for the same reason that Tufts slips through the cracks. Neither school fits neatly into either the “liberal arts college” or “university” category.</p>