I was accepted at all of these schools but now can’t decide where to go. I’ve been accepted to the Business Schools as a future finance major at Lehigh, Miami, and SMU. I’ve been accepted to Bucknell’s college of management as a markets, innovation, and design major. I also plan on going to law school after my undergraduate education. I’ve been to all the campuses except Miami, which I’m visiting this weekend, and love them all. I plan on rushing a sorority. Any advice would be helpful.
Also I’m an OOS student, but I have been awarded a merit scholarship for $7,000 a year at Miami.
@scarlettbutler If money is an issue, go to the cheapest university. If not, I would choose Lehigh. I’ve heard they got an amazing business school.
SMU Cox is probably the top ranked business school on your list but all good options.
Lehigh for sure. The business school is great especially for finance majors. It’s also the strongest academic school you got into.
They would all be good for undergraduate business and for law school placement.
Bucknell is the smallest and most rural, and the most like a traditional liberal arts college. It might have the prettiest campus. Lewisburg is cute but small, and is a long way from any major cities. The College of Management at Bucknell is smaller and has fewer specialized majors and courses than the other two schools on your list.
Miami (Ohio) is the largest and most like a traditional state university. Have not been to Oxford, but it is supposed to be a great college town. Slightly less selective/prestigious than the other two, as reflected in its #79 USN&WR ranking vs #44 Lehigh (Bucknell is ranked separately as a LAC). Not far from Cincinnati.
Lehigh is a small university, larger than Bucknell but significantly smaller than Miami. Located on the side of a mountain, lots of stairs. Bethlehem is an old steel mill town, you might find it grittier than Lewisburg or Oxford. More professionally oriented than Bucknell, more noted for engineering and business than for liberal arts. Comprehensive business school. Relatively close to Philly and NYC.
I would lean towards Lehigh or Bucknell; there may not be any significant advantages to Miami if you don’t like a larger school and don’t qualify for in-state tuition. Lehigh and Bucknell are in the same league, both literally and figuratively (in literal terms, it’s the “Patriot League”). Would choose based on fit or finances.
OP. Did you mean Miami in Oxford, or the one in Coral Gables, FL?
$7k per year would bring Miami’s tuition yo what, 24-25/yr oos. If there is no merit aid at Lehigh or Bucknell, that’s going to be about 25k/yr difference.
An extra 100k might be useful for law school.
If the money is even close at either PA school, the question is different. I might lean toward Lehigh if it was close enough $ wise.
It probably comes dow to finances and what kind of experience you’re hoping for.
Oxford is hopping on weekend nights, and the campus is broken up into quads, so it never really felt that large to me.
I know nothing about social life at the other two.
Full disclosure, I went to Miami.
I’m assuming the OP meant the university in Miami OH (and not the university in Miami FL) because of the reference to out-of-state tuition. The Ohio school is a public and has separate in-state and out-of-state rates; the Florida school is a private and only has one rate.
Be sure to ask each school about Pre-law counseling and activities on campus for pre-law students. Good advising can be valuable as you take Graduate exams and work to construct the best possible Law School application.
I meant Miami University in Oxford Ohio
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My daughter essentially had the same choice. She applied EA to Miami and was accepted into the honors program with a large scholarship, but also applied ED1 to Lehigh and was accepted, so ultimately declined Miami. She was considering ED1 to Bucknell until the very last minute. Had she not been accepted to Lehigh, she might have applied ED2 to Bucknell, but we did agree that first, she would have to think carefully about how she could justify the increased expense over Miami (she got one hail mary ED but if she was not accepted, we agreed that the Miami scholarship was pretty compelling).
Before she applied, we visited all three schools twice and she loved all of them but had a distinct opinion about each. She is not a business major, so can’t speak to that but can speak generally to atmosphere and her experience. She had (and I witnessed) extended exchanges with professors at all three schools, and they were all very engaging, but the Lehigh and Bucknell professors went much deeper with her. That said, Miami frankly has more students, so that may be why. Generally, Miami seemed really fun with very happy kids, but seemed less academic (a bit college “lite”); Bucknell seemed preppier and more homogenous, a quintessential college campus; and, in her words, Lehigh seemed the most diverse (in terms of academic interests and opportunities). To her, aspects of Lehigh seemed a bit more high and low, respectively, but appeared to allow the most opportunity for positive challenge and personal growth over her 4 years.
p.s., having already been to college, and knowing how little it really matters (especially when you have these three great choices) in the scheme of life, I confess that I might have gone to Miami myself, it seems pretty awesome, especially at a discount, but I loved all the schools.
Please PM me if I can be helpful.
going greek smu may be good, little late ghere though with may 1 decision which did you pick?
I picked Miami. It made the most sense financially for me because I plan on going to law school. Miami also has a 97% acceptance for seniors who apply to law school. Generally, I felt I could get the same education at a lower price at Miami than Bucknell, Lehigh, or SMU.
Great choice.