Hey everyone! I have been accepted into Hamilton and Bucknell and am struggling to choose between the two. I have not seen these two schools compared on CC recently so I hope this post isn’t too redundant. Both schools seem pretty similar, which is making it more difficult to choose between them. I really like Bucknell’s campus and D1 sports, while I also really like the open curriculum at Hamilton. Any incite on differences between these two schools would be greatly appreciated.
Bucknell is more pre-professional given the large number of students in engineering and business. It also has that work hard, play hard attitude.
I don’t think day to day they are that similar.
Socially, Bucknell is more brash. Hamilton more on the intellectual side but I’m sure they have fun as well.
Both have great campuses. Bucknell has incrediblely supportive alumni. Hamilton I don’t know.
My son verbally committed to Bucknell then went NESCAC. We visited Hamilton as well.
While I can see how these schools may be on the same student’s list, they do have different vibes. Hamilton much smaller, more intellectual vibe, very strong writing program, a true liberal arts school. Bucknell very Greek centric, party school rep, with good engineering and business programs. Both have pretty campuses in rural locations.
You should try and visit or at least speak w/ students at each
Academic interests?
With a 100 point difference in their 25th percentile SAT scores (CR+M), these schools’ student profiles are not particularly similar. However, if academic-related distinctions such as this do not seem meaningful to you in terms of the experience you are seeking, then non-academic factors, such as Bucknell’s D1 sports program – which appeals to you – can be given greater weight.
Hamilton is stronger overall (with an alumni network in the far reaches of … everything, from Wall Street to DC…) and the open curriculum is great if you want to explore.
Bucknell will be a bigger “party” school and if Greek life is a key element for you then it’s to take into account.
and how much of the difference is attributable to hamiltons ‘text-flexible’ policy? the cds makes it very clear that scores arent being reported for 15-30% of the class. and that doesnt even touch the question of whether individual sections are being reported for those who have strong verbal and weak math scores, and vice versa. either way, its an unfair comparison.
more help could probably be provided with more information on academic interests.
you need to visit them - drop everything that you are doing and get to them - accepted students weekend is ideal
the vibe will feel different and one will feel more right for you - these are the next 4 years of your every day life - get yourself there somehow
My D13, applied to and was accepted to both schools. My husband and I loved Hamilton (as did my D) but she ended up choosing Bucknell. I think she ultimately preferred the larger size as well as Lewisburg itself compared to the tiny village of Clinton, Ny. She also got merit scholarship to Bucknell for theatre and had met many students at a scholarship weekend. So she was comfortable with that. And she had had a slightly terse email exchange with a theatre prof at Hamilton which put her off. Hamilton now has a beautiful new art and theatre building which she would have enjoyed. Looking back I think she would have been happy at either and I think she would have enjoyed Hamiltons open curriculum as she has had to squeeze in some courses at Bucknell that she wasn’t that interested in. I think it probably comes down to size, open curriculum vs some requirements, how you feel about Greek life which is pretty dominant at Bucknell, and just how you feel about the overall vibe… They are both good choices and both have strong alumni networks.
“and how much of the difference is attributable to Hamilton’s test-flexible policy?” (# 6)
15.8% of Hamilton’s attending students submitted neither the SAT 1 nor the ACT (and were admitted under the 3-test option). Under the Hamilton-diminishing assumption that non-submitting students tested, on average, at a level a full 60 points (CR+M) below Hamilton’s reported 25th percentile score, the impact on Hamilton’s scores across their range would be -23 points. With this adjustment, the difference between Hamilton and Bucknell at the 25th percentile would be 77 points.
(Sources: Hamilton website, CDS, algebra.)
By ACT scores from the common data set, these schools’ student profiles appear to differ even more substantially:
Middle range ACT scores
Hamilton: 31-33
Bucknell: 28-32
Thank you so much for the great responses! I will most likely be majoring in polysci or econ. I am planning to visit each school this weekend and hopefully will come to a decision after that. I’ve been hearing that Bucknell has a rowdier social scene in terms of greek life, etc. How much more so would this be than at Hamilton? It also seems like Hamilton has a slight edge academically and intellectually. How much more rigorous would Hamilton’s academics be compared to Bucknell’s? Thanks again for all your help!
Hamilton’s economics department, as measured by faculty publishing, is among the strongest in the country: “Economics Departments at Liberal Arts Colleges,” “US Economics Departments,” IDEAS (online). For the study of U.S. politics, they have their notable semester-long program in D.C., of course.
Bucknell has some notable academic strengths – of which I’ve posted positively online elsewhere – and would be more than suitable, but perhaps not exceptional, for your particular academic interests. Its listing by PR as the 4th “Top Party School” is not much more than aggregated anecdote, but it is a factor students do consider.
Another possible difference in scores - Bucknell fields 25 D1 sports teams with ~3,700 students. As a point of reference, UConn has 22 teams with 31,000 students. Bucknell is top 5 in the nation in athlete graduation rates. I reckon there are at least as many, if not more, kids at Bucknell with scores at or higher than Hamilton. In my view, they are both impressive schools, but with different vibes. @momofzag made some nice points of differentiation.
You should pick the one you like most. In the real world it won’t matter out of these two.
Thank you so much for your help! I’ll let you know my impressions after this weekend
It’s hard to beat Hamilton for Economics and Poli Sci as, with writing, these are among their strongest points both in academics and in alumni network.
Bucknell has a dominant Greek scene, with everything it implies (good and bad). If it’s for you, great. If it isn’t, I don’t think Bucknell would be a good fit.
They’re sufficiently different that you’d know after 2 days on campus which one you like best.
Do report back after your visits! 
Give both colleges an even shake and let us know how you make out, @meemook. Good luck.
You have to apply into the economics major at Bucknell 2nd semester sophomore year. They cap it at 100 per year. If more than 100 apply it becomes competitive based on gpa. Something to think about.
Hey everyone! I’m just now getting back from the accepted student days at Hamilton and Bucknell. They were both great! Unfortunately, I love each school more and have made no progress choosing between them. Here’s what I thought, and feel free to add/correct anything I say here.
Bucknell felt much bigger the whole time, probably because it has twice as many students. Bucknell has the edge with the campus, which I thought was gorgeous (not that Hamilton doesn’t have a wonderful campus as well.) They do seem to have larger class sizes, and the graduate programs (including a new MBA program) seemed to be growing in influence as well. I did visit a Bucknell Super Saturday and it was everything it was reputed to be. The greek scene at Bucknell is thriving and Bucknell probably has a slight edge in terms of social life.
Hamilton felt smaller, more personal and more intellectual. The class sizes are smaller for Hamilton and with no graduate students, the focus was purely on the undergraduate open curriculum. For this reason, I thought Hamilton had an edge with academic programs, if only slight. I do worry about having enough to do at Hamilton though, as it seems like Bucknell seemed to be the more socially happening place. I found the surrounding areas to have similar amenities, although Hamilton is close to Utica, which gives it another slight edge.
All the other factors didn’t seem different enough to give either school an edge— the food, dorms, and internship programs are excellent for each school. If you have any other info which could set either school apart, I’d love to hear it, thanks for your help!