Bucknell University Admission
Bucknell University Undergraduate Program
Bucknell University Application

The Facts

Bucknell University is a moderately sized, private school located in the town of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The school is home to over 3,500 undergraduate students and approximately 200 graduate students. The university is divided up into several smaller undergraduate colleges including the schools of arts and sciences and engineering. The school of engineering is particularly prestigious, and many Bucknell students go on to be important members of their field. The university offers students over 72 majors; some of the most popular choices are in the areas of management, biology, economics, mechanical engineering, and accounting.

Admission to Bucknell is growing increasingly competitive, especially for a school of its moderate size. Last year, over 8,000 students applied for admission and about 3,000 were accepted; of those, about 900 students enrolled for the coming Fall semester. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1230 to 1370, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 28 to 32. Furthermore, over 69% of those admitted were ranked in the top 10% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about 3.67.

Bucknell University has a very manageable student to faculty ratio of 12:1, and it is rare to find an upper level class with more than 20 students in it. Some of the introductory classes are held in lecture format, and have around 100 students; however, this is an exception to the norm. Most of the classes are held in intimate discussion forums, and the school never allows T.A.'s to teach classes, only seasoned professors. Even freshmen get the benefit of being taught by some of Bucknell's most distinguished faculty.

The Social Scene

The town of Lewiston is quite small, and doesn't really have much to offer besides a couple grocery stores, gas stations and a shopping mall. There are a few bars around, but they usually have a strict carding policy, so they aren't very popular with students. The Greek scene is huge at Bucknell, and fraternities and sororities are the most common form of entertainment. Drinking is definitely the most popular activity at Bucknell, and most students' weekends are filled with partying.

The Bucknell campus is quite pretty, and many students love the country club feel. The campus does feel fairly secluded, but this doesn't seem to bother students, who say it helps them to keep focus on their studies. For those who crave some urban excitement, the university does offer several free shuttle buses to various nearby cities.

The dating scene is pretty good, but not terrifically diverse. Expect to come into contact with lots of the same thing... but hey, at least you won't be thrown off.

What’s Good

“The campus is really nice, and feels like an exclusive club. It helps you to focus on what you are here for.”

“There is always some sort of party happening here, and it's nearly impossible to be bored on the weekends.”

“People here are really friendly. If you are new, people come up an talk to you right away. It's fantastic.”

What’s Bad

“You live in a little bubble here, and don't really get exposed to the outside world at all.”

“The partying can be a bit ridiculous sometimes. If you're trying to get some early shut eye on the weekends, it's usually too loud.”

“The introductory classes are so silly. I don't think I learned a thing in any of them.”

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