Bucknell University Top Questions

Bucknell was by far the smallest, and in the most remote location. It was also, one of the best, if not the best school that I was accepted into.

i ask some people if they've ever considered transferring from the Buck and why

some students discuss things about the buck that they think prospective students don't already know

Here's what Laura Denbow, an Executive Director of Alumni Relations and Career Services, has to say about succeeding academically and enjoying yourself at college

Ok, so maybe Bucknell has some kinks in it, but If there’s one thing to Love about Bucknell, it’s the veracity of the student body’s willingness to enjoy themselves a good PARTY. Second to the “white middle class” stereotype, it is the most well known thing about Bucknell. Students here know how to work hard and play hard. This is an exceedingly good quality in a college, considering you want to have the best possible college years in terms of fun and excitement, but you also want to become distinguished scholars in your respective fields (aka graduate with a good degree)- and at Bucknell, you can do both! It is also the single most unifying quality at Bucknell. No matter what issues the student body may have, a good party seems to bring the community together better than anything. A prime example of this is what we call “house party weekend”. On this amazing weekend, and for one weekend only, everyone on campus is allowed to drink without repercussions.. ANYONE! And everyone can get into any frat they want to. There are live bands, and free food, beer, beer, oh and there is beer. Basically, everyone is everyone’s best friend on this booze fest weekend. Other things to realize incoming freshmen, girls- you will get in basically anywhere you want (frats), and guys will get in nowhere. This is only freshman year though guys. So you just have to stick it out for one year when you can rush (which I will talk about next). Before that though, I know the guys on my freshman hall seemed to get by with weekly drunken bashes in their room.

Bucknell is an amazing institution with state-of-the-art facilities and top professors. Most of the students are very intelligent and hard-working, though there are the exceptions--certain students who came only by athletic scholarship, for instance. As a conservative Asian American girl who doesn't like to party, I have found my niche here, and I think almost anyone else can do so, too, if they just put in some effort. I love that I can get a great education along with an amazing social life, and with both I've been able to mature as a person. Bucknell certainly has its flaws, but its strengths more than outweigh them for me.

The reality is Bucknell is full of smart people who don't care to get that much smarter. I longed for a school with a vibrant intellectual culture where students were asking probing questions about life in the classroom and at the bar. At Bucknell, there are few such people. At Bucknell, students bring few probing questions to the classroom and the professors accept well-done, yet intellectually lifeless papers. You can graduate from Bucknell without once having an original thought. At the bar or other social times, there are not wide ranging discussions about world events, politics, and culture. Instead, there is massive drinking. I longed for a group of people who are curious about topics of import and substance. I found few such people. If you want to come to Bucknell to be intellectually stimulated, you'll be disappointed. Go to the Swarthmore's of the world. If you want to work hard (ie. turn in dull, yet well-written papers, and receive faculty praise) and then play hard (ie. drink hard), you'll be quite happy.

People are very smart and sociable.

It's stunning and work is well balanced with play

BeBucknell has a beautiful campus, large-scale greek life, and world class professors. Also, it has great atheltic buildings and a warm surrounding small town. Class sizes are small, which is good because you know your professors on a personal level. Rather than at a large school where lecture halls can have 600 students and you're just a number.