Widener University — Local services in Chester

I graduated from Widener in May, 2015. I was a transfer student to Widener so I was only there for two years, but for the two years I was there, it was great! I was in the B.S. Biology program so I can only speak for the sciences at Widener and I have to say Widener has a great biology program. All my teachers were easily accessible, willing to help me out, and always wanted me to succeed. There are plenty of research opportunities for anyone looking and there are a ton of clubs to get involved in. Widener also has a pre-health adviser (who is the nicest and most dedicated person ever) and pre-health committee who do their utmost to help those who want to pursue professional careers in healthcare; this makes Widener an excellent school for anyone wanting to go into healthcare. I enjoyed all my classes at Widener and felt like I learned a lot there. Widener is very expensive (but it is a private school, what do you except) however they offer a lot of scholarships and grants which reduced my tuition considerably, the cost of attending Widener for me was actually cheaper than West Chester University. Another big plus for Widener is class registration. I know it can be difficult to register for classes at other schools but at Widener they make it very easy for you and most if not all the teachers are willing to sign you into a class in order to help you which is a huge bonus. My only two complaints about Widener is....one: the registrar and bursar office a.k.a Lipka Hall is the most atrocious place on the campus. Mostly everyone there is rude, mean, and not willing to help you at all. Two: the selection of science classes at widener is limited...I wish they offered a greater variety of science classes like pathophysiology, marine biology, or histology...they really only offer core biology classes so if you are looking to take some "exotic" science classes, you will most likely not find them here and if they are offered, they are offered once every other year which sucks. However the classes they do offer, they teach with excellence and you learn a great deal and although the variety of classes is not huge, you will still get a nice mix to pick from. Overall, Widener is a great school with a great faculty who want you to succeed. Widener will give you a sturdy foundation to which to build your career in the sciences. I highly...

I think Widener is a diamond in the rough. I have toured and visited a lot of schools, and my experience has been great.

If you are looking for a big ( Michigan) or really intense ( UCLA) school, then Widener probably is not where you want to be. If you are looking for a good college experience, or you have a degree already from one of those big high pressure schools.. then Widener might offer you a refreshing pace.

The professors really know their students. They work with you, talk with you, and the school is very keen on helping those with Learning differences, which to me is huge given that there are so many who have this issue.

I did not want a high pressure situation. I did my undergrad at USC and my graduate work, round one at UCLA... Widener was a refreshing change, and in 7 weeks I finish.

I thought it was a 1000 percent better than another school that is trying to be an Ivy League ranked school in Philadelphia.... to me, the private NON Ivy League school in Philadelphia was more of a joke. They were more expensive than Widener, you could not even talk intelligently to anyone, and when I ftried to talk about how their tech dept failed students, I was reminded they are a top tier research school which means very little to a student most of the time, and that school was much more expensive than Widener..

I think you really need to examine what you want in a school and then find schools that fit that bill. Widener is a small sweet and friendly school... it is where people care about each other. Widener is not going to be for everyone, but I think in the years to come it might be one of the better schools to embrace.

I also want to talk about tuition. Look, it is a private school, and so it is going to cost more than a state school.. However, if you put it next to UCLA a state school that charges $65K to out of state students, or USC that is a little more... or Georgetown, Drexel, Duke, or other private schools, you are not paying as much, and no one should look at the retail price of a college or university because 85% of all students get some kind of financial aid today...

I am very happy with Widener! The key for any student is to figure out what it is in a college or university that they want. Widener has some pretty impressive alumni... so it can...

The bad:

DANGEROUS CITY. Chester ,Pennsylvania has a very high crime rate. Nowhere is safe in this city. A student was shot inside Widener's parking lot a couple of years ago. Both the city and neighborhood are terrible. Walking too far off campus can put you in great danger. Nothing to do for fun in Chester. The city is rundown and the downtown area is filled with many vacant buildings and trash. ALL Philadelphia universities are superior to Widener because of their locations. Widener Law school is the worst in the area. Their graduates fall far behind Temple, Villanova, Drexel, and UPenn law schools. Widener Law is low quality. I attended Widener Law briefly in the 80's before transferring to a better law school. Widener University's reputation is bad in the Philadelphia area. The quality of Widener, both undergrad and grad programs, are below average. Widener gets a bad Rep and is out shined by Upenn, Temple, Villanova, Drexel, La Salle, and St.joseph's graduates and alumni. Even West Chester University is superior to Widener. My child was interested in Widener for undergrad, but turned away due to their low quality and reputation. Widener is not challenging. That's why too many people graduated with high GPAs. The school is easy to succeed. They don't prepare their students properly. Widener is too expensive for a college located in a city like Chester.

The Good:

Widener University isn't that far from Philadelphia, where there are places to shop, work, intern, and enjoy your college experience. (Attending college in Philadelphia is a better option)

co-op program, small class sizes,

The ability to transfer to...