Bucknell University

Statistics

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Rankings & Lists

School Says - General Information
Begun in 1846 as a "literary institution" in what its founders described as the "wilds of Pennsylvania," Bucknell University has long embraced academic vigor. Today, Bucknell is a top-ranked university offering a personalized and comprehensive liberal arts education to exceptionally talented students from across the U.S. and around the world. With academic programs in the arts, engineering, humanities, management, and social and natural sciences, and broad opportunities outside of class, Bucknell is now much more than a literary institution: It is a place that prepares students for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected global society.

School Says - Student Body
Outside of class, students participate in more than 150 student-run clubs and organizations. These groups focus on anything from social and environmental causes to cultural awareness, poetry slams, dance, pottery, video games, or politics. Bucknell offers Division I athletics along with intramural and club sports. Students can enrich their religious and spiritual lives through multiple University and student-led faith organizations. About half of sophomore, juniors, and seniors participate in Greek life.

School Says - Academics
Bucknell's academic programs are enlivening and inspiring, largely because of the professors. They encourage free-flowing ideas and stimulating discussions across campus, getting to know students personally and challenging them to do their best. The professors are also dedicated scholars who frequently receive awards and grants for their work. Often, they engage students in research and creative projects outside of class. By doing so, they provide students with mentorship and guidance for the future. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1.

In addition to the faculty, visiting scholars and speakers come to Bucknell regularly. Recent visitors include F.W. deKlerk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., David McCullough, Barbara Ehrenreich, Leonard Pitts, and Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Distinctive programs that complement the curriculum include, but are not limited to:
- Residential Colleges Ââ€" http://www.bucknell.edu/rescolleges
- Seven theme-based living and learning environments combine classroom and co-curricular activities
- Themes: Arts, Environmental, Global, Humanities, Languages and Cultures, Social Justice, Society and Technology
- Participating first-year students take a class together and join in programs and social activities that complement their classroom learning
- Bucknell Environmental Center Ââ€" http://www.bucknell.edu/environmentalcenter
- Faculty, staff, and students collaborate on environmental and nature-related learning, teaching, scholarship, and service
- Initiatives: Campus Greening, Susquehanna River, Nature and Human Communities
- Service-Learning Ââ€" www.bucknell.edu/servicelearning o Educational experiences link academic course work with efforts to meet a community need
- Opportunities include Bucknell Brigade to Nicaragua, Katrina Recovery Trips, Alternative Spring Break trips, tutoring in local schools, and international service
- Institute for Leadership in Technology and Management Ââ€" www.bucknell.edu/iltm
- This two-summer program bridges the disciplines of engineering and management for select students in engineering, management, and the liberal arts
- In the first summer, a group of 18 rising juniors participates in an intensive, six-week, on-campus program focusing on globalization, ethics, communication skills, critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership; students hear lectures and attend workshops by Bucknell faculty and corporate leaders, travel to selected industrial and business sites, and work with companies on significant and real-world management and technological projects
- In the second summer, the students (now rising seniors) participate in off-campus internships involving work at the confluence of technology and management

School Says - Admissions
Bucknell seeks dynamic, well-rounded students who embrace challenge, ask provocative questions, and are prepared to take advantage of the rich opportunities we offer. Bucknell encourages prospective students and their families to visit campus to determine whether Bucknell is a good fit. View visit options at www.bucknell.edu/visitbucknell.

The University focuses on academic achievement, evidence of significant talent or ability, personal character, and leadership skills. Grades and recommendations are extremely important, but Bucknell also values applicants who cultivate passions outside of the classroom and contribute to their schools and communities in thoughtful and unique ways. Students who are willing to take healthy intellectual risks in both their academic and personal endeavors are also well suited to join Bucknell's community.

To apply for admission, fill out and submit the Common Application as well as the Bucknell Application Supplement. You can do this on the Common Application website: www.commonapp.org. There is a $60 required application fee. Early Decision students should also complete an Early Decision Form.

Deadlines
- For students seeking to begin college in the fall, Regular Decision applications should be filed before January 15 for notification by April 1.
- SAT and/or ACT results must be submitted before March 1.
- Early Decision candidates may apply for Early Decision I consideration by November 15 or Early Decision II consideration by January 15.
- Transfer student information is available on our website. Applications for transfer students should be submitted by March 15 for studies beginning the following fall and by November 1 for the spring semester.

To request application information by mail, please call 570-577-1101.

For detailed information about admissions at Bucknell, go to www.bucknell.edu/admissions.

School Says - Campus Life
With its green spaces, red brick buildings, and striking vistas, Bucknell's 400-acre campus is a quintessential college environment in the heart of scenic central Pennsylvania. The shops of historic downtown Lewisburg lie within walking distance of campus. The University is located within three to four hours of New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh by car. For more information about Bucknell's location, see www.bucknell.edu/explore.

School Says - Cost Aid
For the 2010-11 academic year, tuition and fees are set at:

Tuition: $42,112
Standard double room: $5,768
Meals: around $4,170
Student activities fee: $230Please do not view the "sticker price" list above as an obstacle to attending Bucknell. The University offers a range of financial aid options to students with demonstrated financial need as calculated by the university. These include scholarships, grants, loans, and student employment. Bucknell considers each family's situation on an individual basis and reevaluates cases annually to accommodate families' changes in financial resources.

- About 50 percent of students receive financial aid from Bucknell, and 62 percent receive financial aid of some form.
- The average financial aid award for first-year students with financial need in the fall of 2009 was about $25,000 including scholarships, loans, and work study.
- The average loan total upon graduation is about $19,000.
- With its unique combination of professional programs and the liberal arts, Bucknell offers an education that provides lifelong personal and career benefits. Consider it an investment worth making.

Important Note: If you are applying for financial aid, you must submit your CSS PROFILE by November 15 for Early Decision I and January 15 for Early Decison II and Regular Decision applications.

Students Say - Academics
Bucknell University delivers the quintessential East Coast college experience, with a balanced combination of "great academics, a liberal arts education, beautiful campus, sterling reputation, and a great social scene." At this prestigious small school, instruction is top notch because "teachers are all interested in their subject matter and are always willing to let class discussion take its course." If you need extra help or just some words of advice, "professors are incredibly available. They will always drop whatever they are doing to take as much time as is needed to help a student." In fact, "you get so close to some teachers that you baby-sit their kids or have meals with them." Bucknell offers a challenging yet non-competitive environment, where "students are always willing to help a classmate who is struggling, which is a rare characteristic on today's elite campuses." Additionally, Bucknell's excellent facilities and ample co-curricular opportunities-including a "fantastic" overseas program-complement the undergraduate experience. A senior adds, "I've had the opportunity to do research, and this is one of the best experiences I've had at Bucknell." The school runs well, and there is "very little red tape" holding up administrative functions-a rarity in the world of higher education. Bucknell staff members are "always willing to help you," and the administration is generally student-oriented.

Students Say - Campus Life
An idyllic place to work and live, the Bucknell campus is "gorgeous," and when the weather is nice, "people are always playing football on the quad or reading textbooks on benches with their Ray-Bans on." Whether you like cinema, chess, or soccer, "there are over 130 clubs and organizations, so there is something for everyone." In addition, "Fitness in general is very popular here," and "many students will go to the gym in their free time." While student interests may vary, there is one uniting factor: "Greek life is really big on campus," and the party scene is hopping. A current student elaborates, "Weekends are when the books are tossed on the shelf and every student on campus...hightails it to various fraternity parties." That said, students acknowledge that Greek life isn't for everyone. One student reassures us that while "Greek life is definitely a visible part of the social life at Bucknell," it's "not the only option," and "it's not necessary to go Greek in order to have a social life here." Whether affiliated or not, students may choose to "attend university-sponsored movie showings or go to the theater downtown, watch a movie with friends in our hall lounge, go to the 7th Street Cafe for a smoothie, or go to other university-sponsored events, like concerts." In downtown Lewisburg, students enjoy "all types of little shops and restaurants, as well as one of the only original art deco movie theaters left in the country." If you want to take a break from the "bubble," "Bucknell also provides plenty of opportunities to get off campus with trips to NYC, D.C., local hockey games, skiing areas, and other events."

Students Say - Student Body
While there are exceptions to any rule, Bucknell students are predominantly "white, upper-middle class, and from the Northeast." Attracting many like- minded recruits, Bucknellians are "rich but never flashy, classic preppy, intellectual, driven, friendly, social, and very active." Bucknell undergraduates also claim to be a particularly attractive set. Says one, "Our school seems to defy nature with the number of beautiful people on campus." On the whole, most Bucknell undergraduates "find a good balance between school and social life, and they are often dedicated to extracurriculars." Greek life is huge, and many undergraduates "party as hard as they study." However, academics are always first priority, and "a student who skips class on a regular basis is very rare." On this small Pennsylvania campus, "there really isn't a lot of diversity," and a student jokes, "It looks like we go to school at a country club." Still, "the school works hard to bring minority students and international students here through various scholarship programs."

Other Schools To Consider Top Programs