Widener University Pennsylvania

I don't really know anything much about Widener, but other schools, in the northeast that you might want to also consider with Coop programs are Drexel and Northeastern.

Widener has a very good business school. Well known for strong alumni network (they don't call them The Pride for nothin') and great internship opportunities. Not cheap. Close to $50K, with about 20K max academic aid. Some of the dorms will remind you that it used to be Pennsylvania Military College. Freshmen can commute if they live less than 50 (I think) miles away. Don't be scared off by the location. Campus is secure and safe.

Athletics are a big draw for Widener. Something like 1-3, 1-4 full-time students are athletes, too. Coaches do all they can for them. Most teams are usually competitive. Mid Atlantic Conference, so most of the games are local.

If your son wants to play baseball, email the coach. They recruit. I'm sure he'll invite you guys to a game. The stadium is next to I 95. Pretty cool vista. Widener is right over the Commodore Barry Bridge from NJ.

Birdman thanks for the suggestions unfortunately Drexel no longer has a baseball team and Northeastern is probably a stretch academically.

AntzDad what's the town of Chester like? From the website it looks fairly suburban within commuting distance to Philly. Widener's internship program is the main reason I became interested in the school. Speed loves to be out doing and learning things and would much prefer that to a more philosophical and theoretical education sitting in lecture halls all day. My older son is the complete opposite he is a Poly Sci major at Rutgers and enjoys nothing better than a spirited discussion with his professors. Different kids different interests.

If anyone else has any more info or suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.

I won't sugarcoat it for you. Much of Chester is depressed. There are some places in town nobody should go. That said, Widener is pretty much self-contained. It's not as spread out as Penn, Temple or Drexel. There seems to be plenty of parking, so you're not likely to get a letter in the mail saying you owe $500 for unpaid tickets (like some people I know) My son has friends at Widener. He sometimes winds up there on weekends he's home. I have no worry about it, at all. He's fine. They have a shuttle bus that drives students around for late night munchies or whatever.

Widener is close to everything. Philadelphia and Wilmington are minutes from campus. Public transportation is available to both. This is a big metropolitan area. Opportunities abound, not just in the city, but all over.

Just like city kids who should be able to find their way out of the woods, I think every young person should have the urban experience. You don't have to like city life; just be able to get around and function (and know where to park!). Eating lunch outside, on the sidewalk, just watching everything, makes the whole day in the city worthwhile.

The best thing you guys can do when seriously considering any school is go there. Let your son walk around. See how it feels. See what the students are like. One thing I learned last year was the schools that I liked weren't always the ones my son liked.

I checked out Chester on the internet and saw the crime and economic problems. Actually, it seems fairly similar to the New Brunswick area surrounding Rutgers and my older son has been just fine. I agree the only way to know is to actually visit the campus see it and talk to some of the kids. But with baseball season here our time for campus visits this spring will be limited so I am trying to narrow down the list. We've already hit all the NJ schools that interested him and got that down to his 2 favorites we are now focusing in on the PA schools.

At first look Widener seems like a good fit......except of course for the price!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by SpeedsDad:
......except of course for the price!!!!!!

Beware. They have a very convincing, aggressive sales pitch- head and shoulders above most. Think of it as a chance to see that Widener marketing skill in full effect.

with my first two kids I learned that the stated tuition is much like MSRP for a car. No one really pays it. Many schools have these "scholarships" that virtually everyone qualifies for that reduces the stated tuition to a more reasonable (for college tuition anyway) price. This way every parent gets to brag that Junior is a "Scholarship Student".

I am hoping Widener is one of those so that I can get the tuition at least in shouting distance of what I have been paying for my other two.

We went to an Open House this Spring my son was very excited by the Hospitality Management program, the campus and the students we spoke to. He was a little disappointed by the field being off campus. He tried unsuccessfully to reach the coach after our visit and then the coach resigned shortly after. Yesterday he received a very nice email from the new coach, Mike LaRosa from Neumann University.
Has anyone heard anything about the future of the Widener program or Coach LaRosa? The school itself seems perfect for my son I am hoping the baseball part will work out. Of course there's still the tuition problem LOL!!!!!!

Any info or insight is greatly appreciated!!!!

Anyone? Lots of views no posts.

BUMP

Anyone? Anything?

How about info on the Neumann University program where Coach LaRosa was the Assistant?y

We went to Widener this summer after a tournament we had there. My son was looking at engineering at Widener. We took a tour and sat through an informational session. While it does appear to be a depressed area. the school seems safe and academically sound. We tried to talk to the baseball coach but unfortunately they were in the process of finding a new coaching staff. (they have since found one). Overall my son seemed to like the school very well.

www.bristolcountyeagles.org

My son has had some contact with the new coach Mike LaRosa, formerly an assistant at Neumann U. Coach sounds like a really good guy and said he was planning a Fall baseball camp tentatively set for Oct 23, 2011. We will definitely be attending.
We went to an open house in the Spring and were very impressed with the school. My son is considering Hospitality Management and their program is one of the best. If your son is looking for Engineering and competitive D3 baseball he should look at Rowan University here in NJ. Their engineering program is terrific, the baseball team is very well coached by Coach Ranero and is usually ranked nationally. Also they are putting in enormous amounts of money into the school, the entire campus is brand new and growing, they just added an entire medical school. Unfortunately, its not really a good fit for my son academically.

Thanks SpeedsDad,
We actually wanted to get down to Rowan during the time we were there and just ran out of time. I have heard a lot of only good things about it so I think we are going to try a visit in the fall. We focused on Lafeyette, Lehigh and Widener while we were there. Coach LaRosa sounded like a good fit there. Good luck!
www.bristolcountyeagles.org

Widener has a very nice ballpark for a D3 school. Don't know anything about the new coach but team is usually pretty good. By all accounts campus security does a good job at keeping things relatively safe.