Prospective Students
Resources and Information for
It probably started when you were a kid.
You started questioning why things work the way they do. You began taking apart electronics to see if you could put them back together. You reshot your favorite movie scenes, performed kitchen science experiments or ran a business in your front yard.
In short, you stepped off the beaten path to find your own way. That journey of learning, and all the experiences and discoveries along the way, has been leading you to something great. At Bucknell University, we're ready to help you get there.
How to Apply
You'll apply to Bucknell using either the Coalition Application or the Common Application — it's your choice.
Our application opened Aug. 1, and the first deadline (Early Decision I) was Nov. 15, 2020. The next and final deadline for Early Decision II and Regular Decision applicants is Jan. 15, 2021.
We'll review each application personally, looking far deeper than test scores and GPA to find students who are engaged in the world around them and passionately in pursuit of their own distinct purpose.
We Did It!
On-campus Learning
Bucknell is proud to celebrate the completion of a semester of on-campus living and learning this fall. Thank you to the dedicated faculty, staff and most of all students who made an in-person semester possible amid unprecedented challenges.
Expert Admissions Advice, Now in a Podcast
Listen to College Admissions Insider, the podcast that delivers helpful strategies for each stage of your college search. Guests include experts in Bucknell's Office of Admissions, but the advice is designed for students interested in any school. New episodes drop every two weeks. Available everywhere you listen to podcasts.
Take Our Driving Tour
Explore Bucknell's campus from the comfort of your vehicle. In our Admissions Driving Tour, listen along as a Bucknell student shows you the places and experiences that make Bucknell unique.
Visit Options
We typically have two options for families wanting to visit Bucknell: in-person information sessions followed by a guided tour and virtual visits.
Because of an increase in positive COVID-19 cases on campus, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel all campus visits through December. This will allow us to mitigate the spread on campus as well as protect the health of our visitors. Please check out some of our virtual visit options below.
Virtual Visits
We continue to offer virtual information sessions, hosted by an admissions counselor and current student(s) as well as virtual student ambassador chats and virtual student ambassador tours hosted by current students.
Learn more and schedule your visit using the link below.
Bucknell at a Glance
Faculty:
360+
Average class size:
20
Worldwide Alumni:
54,000
Academic Majors:
65
Student-faculty ratio:
9:1
Classes taught by faculty:
100%
Coronavirus and Your Academic Record
Bucknell understands that a student's educational opportunities have been disrupted by COVID-19. We want prospective students to know they won't be at a disadvantage because of how their high school chose to handle the spring and fall 2020 semesters. We've adjusted our admissions policies in the following ways:
- Expanding our test optional policy for the 2020-21 application cycle to include home school, international students and recruited athletes.
- Accepting the Duolingo English Test for international students for whom English is not the first language or whose primary language of instruction for at least three years of secondary school was not English.
- Accepting AP Scores from the spring 2020 examinations.
- Understanding that high schools across the globe handled the pandemic differently. This may include various methods of instruction, grading and alterations to school calendars. The Admissions Office understands this and will continue to evaluate each student in the context of their high school. No student will be at a disadvantage for how their school decided to continue their education.
- Understanding that spring extracurricular opportunities were cancelled and fall opportunities will be different. Further, we understand that summer opportunities were largely cancelled or greatly altered given how each community considered how to handle the pandemic. Students will not be penalized or disadvantaged for their extracurricular activities being different than what they were before the pandemic.
- Understanding that, given all of the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, it is okay to focus on your mental health, your family and the things that bring you joy.
- Understanding that prospective students and their families are making the best decisions for their personal situation.
When I was applying to college, I was really looking for a school where you have the opportunity to try a little bit of everything. What's amazing about Bucknell is how many students adopt this mindset. So many of my friends are musicians, dancers and/or athletes — and they're amazing scholars as well!
Ryan Bailis '21, computer engineering and management
Office of Admissions
Location
One Dent Drive