Hey if I want to major in biology with a pre-med track, which school would be a better fit in terms of academics + research? Also, if I prefer a social environment that is diverse and not extremely preppy, which school would fit me better socially? I’ve heard that both schools kind of have preppy stereotypes but idk if they are true. It’s okay if some students are preppy, as long as the majority aren’t and that anyone can find a group where they can fit in.
And to clarify, by preppy I mean upper class, snobby, wearing ridiculously expensive clothes every day and driving BMWs all the time.
Thanks a lot! I’ll try to answer any questions you might have if you ask me.
There are more similarities between these schools than differences. Both fairly preppy. Bucknell has more of a party school rep. Both offer good opportunities for student research. Richmond has the paid internship program where they give you $4k to fund a summer internship which is kind of neat. If you can, you should visit both and see what vibe you pick up. Can’t go wrong with either
How much can your family afford? How much aide (merit or need) are they known to provide?
Also, do you want city or small town?
– Bucknell is beautiful but really is in the middle of a lovely but tiny town close to nowhere. UofR is in a city and right off of I95 to connect you to many other areas.
Bucknell will be cold and snowy in the winter - but can’t be beat in the spring and fall. Richmond’s climate is milder.
I have family that have attended each and have loved their schools
Both outstanding LAC - have been to both many times
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@novicemom23kids I appreciate you offering some advice. However, both of the schools have provided pretty good merit-based and need-based aid, so the total cost is about the same so that’s not really a factor to compare
That is outstanding - I knew Bucknell to be generous with money but I wasn’t sure if Richmond was as generous. Both campuses are beautiful and both schools have great reputations for outstanding instruction. Both schools are much more diverse than they were in the 80’s and 90’s - hopefully you will get a chance to visit both campuses - the locations are extremely different from each other.
I am certainly no expert on either school but i have been to both enough to know that while on paper they look very similar - you really need visit to get a feel for the community. I was on Richmond’s campus with my D recently while visiting family in Richmond - I would be happy if she wanted to attend. We live in PA and my college roomate/bff worked at Bucknell until a few years ago, so I have been to Lewisburg and Bucknell many many times. It is a very rural area with not much to do outside of campus activities. The school it top notch - amazing profs. and very friendly little town.