Office of AdmissionsBucknell is interested in selecting for admission those students who can best take advantage of the educational opportunities offered at the university.
In considering candidates for admission to the university, members of the Admissions Committee undertake a thorough evaluation of the quality of the written application which the student submits; the secondary school curriculum of the applicant, with emphasis on both content and performance; aptitude for college study as reflected by the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) of the College Board or the American College Test (ACT); written recommendations from the secondary school counselors and teachers on behalf of the applicant; indications of special talent and school and community contributions; and evidence of personal qualities of character and leadership. Those students with the best academic preparation in high school are more favorably viewed by the Admissions Committee.
To prepare application credentials for consideration of the Admissions Committee, the following steps must be completed carefully.
The application should be filed in the first half of the student's senior year in secondary school, not later than January 1, 2004.
An applicant may receive an early decision on admission if he/she has determined Bucknell to be the first choice college. Applications may be filed with other colleges but must be withdrawn if admission is offered by Bucknell . The application and all required materials must be filed before November 15 for Early Decision I or January 1, 2004 for Early Decision II, including SAT or ACT results and the high school transcript. A form requesting an early decision must be submitted and signed by the student, his/her counselor, and parent. Notification will be made within 30 days and a $200 nonrefundable deposit will be required of accepted students 30 days after notification.
Complete the application form and submit it with a nonrefundable online application fee of $60 (payable online via secure server at time of submission).
Your Social Security number is requested on the application form. If you do not have a Social Security number, you may obtain one by writing to the Social Security Administration Office nearest you.
Submit the School Report Forms to your guidance counselor or principal. Please submit the report forms to your secondary school official as soon as possible during the beginning of the school year in September, or within a day or two after you receive them.
Read and complete the top section of the Teacher Recommendation form and forward the form to a teacher who has taught you in an academic subject.
You are responsible for making arrangements to take the College Board Examination (SAT), or the American College Tests (ACT), and for instructing the testing agency to report your scores to Bucknell.
Applicants to the bachelor of music program are required to have an audition with the music department. To arrange for an audition, please write to:
Music Department Chair, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837.Bucknell offers a variety of curricular opportunties. If you are undecided at this point about your prospective major, we encourage you to check the undecided category. If you are considering more than one major, please list in order of preference. Bucknell admits students to intended majors and frequently experiences an unusually large number of applicants to certain programs; the major you indicate may affect your chances of admission. It is important for you to recognize that the engineering programs are offered within the College of Engineering and are available only through a bachelor of science degree in those specific engineering disciplines.
Bucknell recognizes advanced achievement in secondary schools by granting--to qualified students--university credit, advanced placement, and reduction of distributional requirements. Students receiving such recognition may enroll, while they are first-year students, in advanced courses in the subjects in which they have received the advanced placement, or they may elect courses in other subjects. This plan of advanced placement creates the opportunity to begin work at a higher level, and it may reduce the time necessary to complete one's undergraduate work.
A student's performance on the Advanced Placement Tests of the College Board will determine whether advanced placement and credit will be granted. A student who receives a score of 3, 4, or 5 on a test may receive credit and advanced placement in the subject of the test. In mathematics, the department will decide whether a student who earns a score of 3 should be given advanced credit and placement. Credit will be expressed in terms of the number of courses for which credit has been earned.
Bucknell reviews and evaluates the International Baccalaureate (IB) Higher level courses on an individual basis. Normally, credit is granted for scores of 5 and higher in courses comparable to Bucknell courses and approriate to the degree program. No credit is given for standard level courses.
The 2003-04 comprehensive charge, which includes tuition, general fees, room, and board, is $35,262 a year. Day (commuting) students pay a charge of $28,960 annually, excluding room and board. Laundry, books, and spending money are not included in the above charges. An average of $3,000 should be sufficient to cover these additional expenses. The 2004-05 schedule of tuition and fees has not yet been announced, but should be available by February, 2004. For International students who are not U.S. citizens, please see more details.
A $60 application fee must accompany the application (payable online via secure server at time of submission). A $200 nonrefundable enrollment deposit is required by May 1, and is credited against the tuition bill.
Bucknell understands that many families may need financial assistance for their children to attend college. Therefore, the university is committed to providing financial aid to as many indivduals as possible, students who might otherwise be unable to attend Bucknell because of financial reasons.
The only way to be certain if you are eligible for need-based financial aid is to apply. Therefore, we encourage anyone with financial concerns about college costs to submit an aid application.
To be considered for Bucknell financial aid, first-year applicants for admissions must file the Financial Aid Profile with the College Scholarship Service (CSS). Students actually register for the Profile online at www.collegeboard.com or by calling CSS directly at 1-800-778-6888. International students who are not US citizens should refer to the International checklist.
Early Decision I applicants should submit the completed Profile application to CSS no later than November 15 of their senior year in high school. All other first-year admission applicants, including Early Decision II, should adhere to a January 1 deadline date.
When Bucknell receives the processed Profile information from CSS, the Office of Financial Aid will be able to make an analysis of your family's financial aid eligibility. The Profile is the only application that Bucknell requires to determine if a family qualifies for university financial assistance and to estimate federal financial aid.
It is critical for students to comply with deadlines in applying for financial assistance. Students who do not file aid applications in a timely manner will jeopardize their opportunities for university funding.
If you are awarded university financial aid, it most likely will be in a combination of three forms: grants/scholarships, which are gifts that do not have to be repaid; students loans, which must be repaid after college; and federal work-study, which offers students the opportunity to work on campus.
If you have applied for aid by the appropriate deadline, you can expect to be notified of your financial aid eligibility shortly after you receive your letter of acceptance from the university.
Bucknell University admits students without regard to race, national or ethnic origin, religion, disability, or gender to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at Bucknell, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, marital status, veteran status, or disability in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships and loan programs, and athletic and other university-administered programs. It complies fully with the prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of sex contained in Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972. In employment of both students and staff, Bucknell University is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer.
Public Law #101-542, The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, requires all colleges and universities in the United States to provide literature to prospective students, upon request, which relates crime statistics and the nature of the protection afforded students and their property at that college. This law also requires each institution to provide every person who submits an application, and to all enrolled students and employees, information regarding the institution's security policies and procedures. Bucknell is in full compliance with this law and such information is available to you upon written request, or on the Bucknell University Public Safety website at
http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/public_safety/rights.shtm.
| Graduation Rates | Graduation Rates | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class Entering | Expected Grad. Year | Four Year | Six Year | Class Entering | Expected Grad. Year | Four Year | Six Year |
| Fall, 1991 | 1995 | 85.6% | 89.3% | Fall, 1995 | 1999 | 82.4% | 86.2% |
| Fall, 1992 | 1996 | 83.2% | 86.7% | Fall, 1996 | 2000 | 85.9% | 91.2% |
| Fall, 1993 | 1997 | 83.4% | 87.7% | Fall, 1997 | 2001 | 83.8% | 89.5% |
| Fall, 1994 | 1998 | 81.2% | 86.5% | Fall, 1998 | 2002 | 82.0% | |