CMU is obviously a great school for engineering but i’m worried about social life and its lack in school spirit. I think if Bucknell or Lehigh had the same reputation as CMU i would go to either of them but i’m not sure
Have you been accepted to each?
@ClarinetDad16 yes
Bucknell and Lehigh have great reputations. You should have good opportunities from any of the three schools you are considering. Fit and cost are important for most people,and if you feel Lehigh or Bucknell are better fits for you than CMU, that is important to consider. My husband graduated in engineering from CMU many years ago. It’s a fine school and he enjoyed it there but has said he would have probably had more fun at Penn State! Good luck with the decision!
@msk123 what major are you considering in engineering?
What are your impressions after visiting? and if you didnt make sure that you get there somehow it will cement your decision
Lehigh is a much better engineering school than Bucknell because it is a research university.
I think research should be a part of any engineering education, and I think the quality of research is much better at research universities. Lehigh doesn’t have enough graduate students so they need undergrads to do research, and it’s really easy to get professor interaction.
Students from any of these schools get jobs, and if “getting a job” is your only goal, then it doesn’t matter. But if doing research at the cutting edge turns you on, stick to the research universities.
Of course CMU has some real superstar professors, so I can’t say that Lehigh is on par with that, but it’s much better than Bucknell.
@Much2learn Chemical or materials engineering
@msk123 the pay range for Chem e and materials engineering/science is narrow. I don’t think this choice will matter from a pay perspective. You will get a great education at all three. I also suspect CMU is a bit more intense.
D attends Lehigh and loves it there, but the others are good too. I would choose the one that seems to be the best fit for you.
Having visited both Lehigh and Bucknell when my son was searching, I can attest, Lehigh has more toys and a deeper and broader curriculum than Bucknell. He didn’t end up applying to either, but we all liked Lehigh quite a bit.