<p>There isn't much going on in the Bradley site, so if there is anyone on CC who applied to Bradley, let us know! </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I did</p>
<p>10charc</p>
<p>Glad to hear it, boston<em>man</em>2009. Do you think you'll go? Where else are you considering?</p>
<p>Son applied and was accepted to Bradley to study civil engineering. One of six schools, all in the midwest (IL, IN, and WI). He's since ruled out two schools, so down to Bradley, IIT, Northwestern, and U of Evansville. From our last discussion, he was pretty sure it'd be Bradley or IIT (plus, he just found out he was waitlisted at Northwestern). We really liked Bradley when we visited last fall, and he's getting a great financial aid offer (he's a NMF). Once IIT's FA offer arrives, we'll have another discussion, and then possibly a couple road trips over spring break to revisit both schools (we're in WI) before the final decision.</p>
<p>At IIT, the vast majority of students are in engineering or architecture, so one of the appeals of Bradley is the relative diversity of majors and classes (plus, the male/female ratio is a whole lot better from his perspective!). He'd still get a great engineering education, but it'd be a little harder to hook up with one of the major architecture/engineering firms in Chicago for a coop (he wants to build skyscrapers).</p>
<p>My guess? He'll be in Peoria this fall.</p>
<p>I heard somewhere on CC that Bradley offers NMF full tuition. Is this correct? My D has a very high PSAT score and would be a semi- finalist based on last years standards. We haven't visited Bradley yet, but might want to if they give full free tuition to NMF and she is named one. </p>
<p>We have looked at U of I, Marquette, Illinois Wesleyan, and Valpo and right now her favorite school is Marquette.
She will be a frosh in 2010. </p>
<p>Any input you can give would be appreciated. Is the area around campus pretty bad? What were your impressions of Bradley? My brother went to IIT for Electrical Engineering many years ago, and the neighborhood surrounding IIT is not the best. Congrats on your S's NMF status.</p>
<p>I am a double legacy at Bradley b/c my mom, grandparents, an uncle, a great-aunt, and great-uncle all went to Bradley. Except for my mom, all the rest of them still live in Peoria. The area around campus has changed a lot since my mom went there, and the change has been good. The school is still in an older part of Peoria, though not in the really bad part at all. There are businesses within walking distance, and if your son is adventurous there is a city bus that goes by campus (assuming he won't have a car first year.) He can take that downtown and get a transfer anywhere the buses go. </p>
<p>Like college students in other cities, Bradley students need to be alert when walking on-campus after dark and when off-campus. That is a fact just about anyplace. </p>
<p>I don't know anything about the full-tuition scholarship because I wasn't smart enough to score that high on the PSAT. Congrats to your son for his accomplishment. Call the office of financial aid, or email them, and see. For your sake, and Bradley's, they ought to give NMSFs more money to make Bradley more competitive for those students. </p>
<p>Visit campus if you can. When we're in Peoria seeing family, we generally stop by Bradley. Nothing takes the place of a visit and your son will know, for sure, if that's a place he could be happy and successful. Good luck!!!!!</p>
<p>oooops, sorry, nkl811..............I now can read and see you're talking about your daughter. My bad. Well, SHE should visit campus to see for HERself. ;)</p>
<p>nkl811, we weren't aware that Bradley offered National Merit Finalists full tuition scholarships either, but saw it mentioned here on CC a while back. Emailed admissions, and they confirmed it - they just don't advertise it (a plus for my son - he didn't want to attend a school where they actively "bought" status). Still surprised that they didn't mention it to us on our visit last October when we were obviosly interested in the school regardless of financial aid offers.</p>
<p>From our visits to IIT and Bradley, both of them seemed acceptable areas, at least during the daylight hours. Both have also supposedly improved in recent years (though I have nothing to base a comparison on). IIT still seemed to be a little sketchy for my tastes, but at Bradley, I didn't have any major concerns - just the usual safety precautions you'd have at any campus. One of the interesting things I noted was the campus safety report for Bradley (all colleges are required to put one out - google "Cleary report") differed from every other college we looked at in that the number of arrests for alcohol violations was many times the number of referrals. At other schools, the ratio was exactly opposite. Bradley being a "dry" campus, it showed me that they were serious in their efforts to prevent alcohol abuse. Not necessarily the only way to do it, though. At Evansville, we were told that offenders were dragged onto the carpet of the University President and dressed down, then given a menial and public punishment - shamed by picking up garbage around campus, for instance. Either way, I'm impressed with the response.</p>
<p>All in all, Bradley came across as a great mix of a small campus, where students get more individual attention, and the availability of a top-notch education.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the great feedback swissmiss3 and knowitsome. Good to hear the area isn't as bad as we heard from some of my D's friends. also I am happy they are cracking down on the alcohol abuse as I know it has a pretty big Greek influence there. We will definitely have to take a trip there this spring or summer. Especially once we find out if my D is a NMSemifinalist.</p>
<p>I talked to an admissions counselor today regarding National Merit scholarships. She told me they unsually give NMSF 1/2 tuition and NMF full tuition. That is a great deal.</p>
<p>As a Bradley student (and soon to be graduate), I have little concern about safety on campus. Significant additions were made to the campus lighting last summer. The campus is well lit, and as you will see if you visit, there are emergency call buttons within distance of just about any spot. </p>
<p>As with any just about any campus, use caution when traveling at night. On campus many people will walk alone at night from/to the library, as all housing/academic buildings are located within one general area. </p>
<p>The area east of campus is the only area that I would avoid, and honestly, there is no reason for students to venture that direction (unless going downtown) as most off-campus housing is north and west of campus, with Greek housing and some off-campus housing to the south. A couple blocks south of campus you will find the historic Moss/Bradley neighborhood, one of the most beautiful areas in Peoria. It was one of the original upscale neighborhoods of Peoria. The St. James apartments (Bradley’s “certified” off-campus housing, jr/sr only) are also well lit and patrolled by campus police. </p>
<p>Overall I am very happy with my experience with Bradley itself. I transferred here after one year at another institution and I wish I would’ve came here as a freshman. The size is just right. Most courses in my major have 20 or less students, and gen ed course rarely surpass 50. Every class Ive had was taught by a Ph.D-holding faculty member. The graduate school is small (around 800, compared to about 5,000 undergrads) so professors give a lot of attention to students. Just about all the professors in my department of about ten faculty know me by name and will say hi in the halls. The career center provides events and activities weekly to assist students in reaching their goals after graduation whether it be employment or graduate/professional schools. </p>
<p>If you want to know anything else, feel free to pm me.</p>
<p>We took a visit to Bradley last week and my D seemed to like it. Marquette is still her first choice right now, but Bradley is a similar school enrollment, and campus wise, and has moved up on her list.<br>
Student 35, what do you think of the Greek scene on campus. Is it a pretty big party scene? Do you think there is enough to do around campus without a car? We didn’t have time to look around the area closely, as we had to rush to get to U of I for a tour. Are there any movie theatres, or malls nearby? Places to eat? We drove by the campustown area with the CVS, Jimmy Johns, and some kind of restaurant.
I read somewhere that apartments and housing options are limited for upperclassmen. Is that true? Thanks so much for your input. It really helps!</p>
<p>I don’t know much about the Greek scene, but I suppose there are a decent number of Fraternities/Sororities. Here’s their website: [Bradley</a> University Greek Life](<a href=“http://www.bugreeklife.com/]Bradley”>http://www.bugreeklife.com/)</p>
<p>I didn’t have a car with me my first year and I was fine. My family is about an hour away so if I needed any major I’d wait till I went home. If I needed to go somewhere that nobody else was going, I took the bus. [url=<a href=“http://www.ridecitylink.org/]CityLink[/url”>http://www.ridecitylink.org/]CityLink[/url</a>] stops by campus off University St. and can get you pretty much anywhere in Peoria for cheap. </p>
<p>There is an outdoor mall in the northwest part of town (Shoppes at Grand Prairie) which 10-15 drive on I-74, which has a nice stadium-style movie theater. There’s also Northwoods Mall about 5-10 minutes away. </p>
<p>The Campustown area you mentioned has a few restaurants - subway, chinese take out, and a couple pizza places. It also has a blockbuster, CVS, and the only grocery store within walking distance, Save-a-lot. The on-campus food selection has improved significantly since I’ve been here. One of the cafeterias was recently renovated and expanded; they also extended their hours this year. There’s a Super Walmart on Allen Rd. (15 mins.) and another across the bridge in East Peoria (5-10 minutes). There’s also a Target near War Memorial Dr. and Sterling Ave. </p>
<p>Between St. James, the Student Apartment Complex, and the many houses/apartments around campus, housing for upperclass students shouldn’t be a problem. It will only be limited if you wait until the summer before to start looking. St. James Apartments are quite nice for a decent price. There is a lottery each fall for the following school year.</p>
<p>Most of the basic are located near campus. If not, you can get from campus to essentially anywhere in Peoria in 15-20 minutes max.</p>
<p>Interesting times for the seniors making their final decision - hope all of you find the place that’s right for you.</p>
<p>Hey swissmiss3, how’s your search going? From your other posts, you’re looking at a lot of great schools - quite a variety there. With your background, I’m sure you’ll do great wherever you choose. Is Bradley still in the picture? My son just revisited his two finalists, and I expect he’ll be making his decision within the week. A close call, but I’m still expecting Bradley to win out.</p>
<p>Knowitsome, I am still sitting on the fence, so to speak, about where to go. The only bad thing about Bradley (to me) is that they offer no Asian foreign languages. I even called their foreign language department to ask because I want to learn Japanese. They only offer the basic, 1950-1960s-era choices: French, German, Spanish, and Hebrew, an interesting option but not what I’d like.</p>
<p>Last week my dad took me to see Wisconsin and Indiana and I prefer IU to Wisconsin because of the appearance of the campus and it seemed smaller. I’m still waitlisted at Bucknell and Washington & Lee and will send them both another letter of rec as well as a tape of me playing my bass or contra alto clarinet. I hope that my music and desire to be in their bands will help them see that they want me. If not, then I think I’m leaning to Indiana or UConn, where I could be in their bands. Next week Dad’s taking me to his personal favorite: U of Arkansas. They are the cheapest college I was admitted to, and he wants me to see it before deciding. The only drawback to them is that I probably would not make their band since I’m switching to tuba (never played it before) and won’t be good enough to make band freshman year. Their band director was quite nice and offered to have their tuba players work with me all year to help me qualify sophomore year. </p>
<p>At this time, I have no idea where I’ll go, and it’s starting to wear me down. There are surely other students who are in this boat with me, and they probably all feel anxious too. Good luck to your son on his decision, and I hope Bradley welcomes him with open arms. </p>
<p>If he ends up there, be sure, absolutely sure, that you eat at Avanti’s in Peoria. They used to have a restaurant right off-campus when my mom went to Bradley; I don’t know if it’s still there. Now they have a location out near Northwoods Mall and that’s the one we always eat at. They are famous for their bread and marvelous sandwiches. My grandma loves their lasagna, my aunt and uncle love their gondollas (sub-sandwiches), and my mom loves their meatball sandwiches. Heck, all of it’s good! </p>
<p>Please let me know where your son ends up.</p>
<p>Don’t get down about your decision. I know it’s depressing when you get excited about particular colleges that don’t reciprocate your affection, but it almost always works out great in the end. Yes, W&L would be fantastic for you, and Bucknell is a great school, too, but I know you would enjoy the other schools as well. It’s easy to make assumptions about each place, but a great (or not-so-great) reputation doesn’t mean it’ll be that way for you.</p>
<p>For instance, I’m a Wisconsin grad and once again live in Madison after being away for 15 years. Great public university, has a strong department in my son’s intended major, but not a good fit for him. My wife went to UConn as an undergrad - not at UW’s perceived level (in her major or in general), but worked out well for her.</p>
<p>This forum has many posters who get hung up on which school is “better” than another. All in the eye of the beholder, and rarely of great importance after your first job. With my son’s background, he could reasonably apply to ANY school and stand a decent chance of being accepted, depending on what they’re looking for, yet outside of Northwestern, he only applied to “second tier” schools. They were the ones where we felt he’d be most likely to be happy and successful. Come graduate school, his list of what’s important will likely be very different - less of a need for a strong disability services office, for example (we hope!).</p>
<p>So whether someone else says UConn or Arkansas or Indiana (great music program!) aren’t at the level of (fill-in-the-blank), you have to find what’s right for you. After considering fit and finances (not inconsequential - I’m a dad, too! - but certainly not the primary factor), you’ll end up choosing one of the SEVERAL colleges that would meet your needs. In a year, you’ll be saying you made the right choice because YOU are making the most of what’s available at your chosen school. Pick a path, then choose to be happy.</p>
<p>BTW, wanting to learn Japanese is so cool!!! Where does that interest come from? My son likes anime, but I don’t think he ever liked it so much as to want to study Japanese (he’s taken French for 5 years). Outside of bad Japanese sci-fi movies with monsters climbing skyscrapers (his interest - skyscrapers, that is. Well, sci-fi, too. And maybe monsters to some degree, for all I know), I don’t know that Japanese culture has ever had a big attraction for him (more China and the Middle East, where they’re (surprise!) building lotsa skyscrapers).</p>
<p>Too bad that Bradley doesn’t scratch that particular itch for you. Finding the place that meets most of your needs can be so subjective, but if some place doesn’t even carry one of your wants while others do, there’d have to be a lot of other positives to outweigh that lack (or some way outside of school to meet that need).</p>
<p>It’s also interesting how different the setttings of your preferred schools are. W&L is so different from IU, for example, in size and location, and the political leanings of the majority of the student bodies range from quite liberal to quite conservative (if you’re into that sort of thing). My son quickly discovered that he didn’t like the large schools, yet at the same time, didn’t want to be in the middle of nowhere. Glad you’re visiting your candidates and getting a first-hand impression. Once a school meets your basic criteria, comfort and fit are so important (which drives analytics like me crazy - how do you quantify stuff like that?)</p>
<p>Ganbatte!</p>
<p>I guess I’m like your son because anime hooked me in and made me become the Japanese-lover that I am today! 
You’re right about picking the best fit rather than the name. I’ve lived most of my life in a teeny town and gone to small schools. Wisconsin seemed SO big to me! I think Indiana seemed smaller and more personal because we saw it the day before Easter, when most students were home for the holiday. I wish your son the best of luck picking the right fit for him and your family budget. :)</p>
<p>Well, DS finally made his decision, and as I suspected, it’s Bradley. He seems happy, and I’m certainly very pleased with his choice. Seemed the best fit for him, and it’s one of the schools which gave him a great financial aid package. I became convinced during our search that smaller schools have so much more to offer as far as personal attention, particularly academically. You do give up some things by not attending the larger schools, but I feel it’s most important that you’re well known and have connections in the areas of the school you’ll be utilizing. I guess that for many (most?) people, the ideal situation is a small but well respected department in your major at a larger institution that offers all the peripheral stuff you want. Not the situation for DS, but I’m confident that his decision to attend Bradley will work out well for him.</p>
<p>For those of you still anguishing over your decision, when conflicted, I’ve often made a choice in my mind, then lived with it for a day or so and thought about how my decision made me feel. If comparing all the tangible stuff hasn’t led you to a clearcut decision, then it’s likely that your gut feelings will point the way. Any red flags will nag at you and lead you to reconsider another option. When the result is regret that you’re missing out on something, that’s a sign, too. Of course, if two choices both leave you feeling the same way, then either should work (or both may be wrong, and you may have to take a step back). Trust your feelings (and, uh, let the Force be with you?)!</p>
<p>I hope those of you coming to Bradley are equally happy with your decision, and best of luck to those choosing to go elsewhere!</p>
<p>Since Bradley is considered to be a ‘regional’ school, do many of the students go home on the weekends? Is there enough to do on campus to make it fun for out-of-state students?</p>