My college choice has come down to these two schools, and I’m having a hard time picking between them. With less than a week left, I could really use some unbiased input to help me.
The thing is, two of my good friends are going to Pitt, while some are going to it’s branch campus’ with hopes of transferring to main. It’s less than an hour drive for me (compared to the five hour drive to/from Lehigh), so while part of me feels it would be nice to remain kinda close to home and the people I like, part of me wants to start completely anew and get away from my family and the people I only tolerated.
There’s also the prestige factor, with Lehigh consistently outranking Pitt and having a lower acceptance rate, I feel like it would be kind of a waste of potential to go to Pitt, where everyone and the mother will be going. I visited both and had no problem with either save for Lehigh’s food, but these visits did not help me make a snap decision like I hoped it would.
I like the fact that Lehigh is a big party school, but I also kinda dislike the fact that it’s a big Greek life school. I like the fact that Pitt has good internships, but I also dislike the fact that I would be doing work study there. The financial aid packages I got from both would make each pretty cheap, so I can’t really factor that in. Thus I ask, if you were between these two schools, which would you personally choose to study computer science at and why?
Have you visited both campuses? They both have different feels which may help you decide. Class sizes at Lehigh will be smaller and may give you more personalized attention. However, the city of Pittsburgh will provide a lot of internship opportunities for you which is something to consider. Research is going to be available at both schools if you want it. Academics will be great either way, so you can’t go wrong. I would think about whether you want to go to a school with a more urban feel or one with more a more traditional “green” campus.
If you are coming down to a tight decision between 2 schools, maybe look at some review sites to see what current/former students have said? There was some mention of the CS curriculum at Pitt on one site I looked at, making some very specific comments. (I won’t repeat them here, it’s up to you if you want to research it)
I’m a Lehigh grad, but I’ll only comment as to what I know – doesn’t mean it’s the right school for you! Yes Greek life is a big thing there. My experience was if you want that, there is a fraternity/sorority for anyone. They’re as different as people are. Mine with a sorority was a very positive experience. Also Lehigh is making a concerted effort to offer a lot more socially apart from Greek life. The students are very capable and motivated, very few slackers there! I had a 6.5 hour drive and no car, but on bigger breaks I was always able to carpool with someone who was going back to my area. (Knew quite a few Pittsburgh area people who went to Lehigh, BTW!) Lehigh professors tend to be very accessible.
But, also consider that if you want to stay in the Pittsburgh area, that may be easier to do if you’re interning in Pittsburgh and interviewing more easily from that area. So if that’s your goal, perhaps Pitt would be the better choice. Also it sounds like city life is more accessible to Pitt students due to location. Lehigh is in South Bethlehem (not a great area) – campus security is good, and I experienced no crime problems, but as a rule people tend to stay on Lehigh’s campus (which is a good size).