Current student taking questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Bucknell University
41

<p>molly-</p>

<p>wow, that ones really coming out of left field. its one thing to say theres a lot of alcohol. there are certainly lots of other things to do, but theres still quite a bit of alcohol consumed every weekend. but drugs? is there some (and i really mean some) recreational marijuana use? sure. but i suspect thats true at all but americas most religious colleges. much more than that? one of my friends said she once saw cocaine at rather shady party. nobody else at the dinner table (maybe eight of us) had ever seen anything and this was sophomore year. </p>

<p>and for those who dont want to be around drugs, dont worry. not only will you be in the clear majority, but even if you dont opt for the choice dorms the ever-ready smoke alarms are on your side. the few people on my freshman hall who would occasionally smoke went outside (and to a dark place?) to do it.</p>

<p>so no, bucknells not grove city or liberty. but its not bard, wesleyan, vassar or oberlin, either. and liberal? on social issues, yes... probably pretty moderate economically. that makes it 'conservative' as far as top liberal arts colleges go, though 'conservative' is a very relative term in this case. it simply means that, you know, there are some actual, real, live republicans (gasp! (im not one of them)) on campus!</p>

42

<p>Hi Eric,
Again, thanks for your honesty. Bucknell sounds like a very normal campus, with very normal college activities. You impress me so much. Would you mind telling us a little about yourself (again)? Are you from Pennsylvania? Did you have a definite academic path in mind when you were looking for schools? Has that changed since you've been at Bucknell? What was your initial freshman experience like? What would you do differently if you were starting all over again at Bucknell? Etc.
Also, is there anything that my child should check out this weekend which might not be on the official tour? Looks like it might rain a bit. My husband and child have never been to the school.... and now it may be where she chosses to attend. Amazing the way things turn out. Thank you.</p>

43

<p>molly-</p>

<p>thanks for the kind words!</p>

<p>first, i am a lifelong central pennsylvanian. i havent quite decided if im proud of that yet, but it certainly makes it humorous to see your friends get legitimately excited about university-sponsered trips to a nearly organic farm. as such, my high school definitely fit into the relatively small, rural category. some really smart kids, but we were the clear minority. anyway... i wouldnt say i had a definite academic path when i was applying to colleges. ive always been very gifted mathematically (i won my first game of monopoly when i was four), so i knew i wanted to do something in that vein, but i wasnt precisely sure what. when i applied to schools i believe i did so as an prospective economics major, though. three years later im getting degrees in mathematics and economics, so i guess i guess i havent deviated much! i did toy with majors/minors in political science, philosophy, art history and physics, however, but decided to graduate early instead. my direct future involves a year of graduate study (and teaching, eek!) at penn state, during which i am going to officially apply to graduate programs. my heart is set on mit; my much more rational brain is telling me rutgers. wherever i end up, i plan on furthering my studies in the foundations of mathematics. ill probably end up in academia from there, but wall street loves people like myself, so who knows.</p>

<p>ah, my freshman experience! it was, in one word, great. im not a particularly outgoing person when in an unfamiliar environment, so i was a bit apprehensive at first (the first day was a bit rocky). but honestly, the university does as much as humanly possible (meaning too much) to keep freshman busy and meeting people during orientation. participation in the activities (starting with breakfast and ending with the 10pm hall meeting) is mandatory, so theres no locking your door and being lonely. what it all means is that by the end of orientation everyone at least has a 'group' of people with which to talk and go to dinner, making the academic transition an easier one. everyone complains about it while theyre going through it (a couple of kids on my hall actually locked their door--i guess there is locking your door--and climbed out the window to get out of stuff), but by the end of the year half the freshman class (including one of the window climbers) applies to be involved in the next years orientation. interesting how that works! </p>

<p>my biggest piece of advice for those first few weeks (and beyond) is to simply keep your door open. everyones friendly. everyones looking to develop friendships. and open door and a 'friends' dvd can carry a girl a long, long way (i nave no specific advice for guys... other than to perhaps go where the girls are or bring a lacrosse stick). and for academics, its as easy as doing your reading. the kids who struggle are the ones who fall behind early. </p>

<p>the things i would do differently are minor. i would have been more outgoing those first few weeks in an attempt to meet more people. and on that same note i would have joined more clubs than i did (go bucknell model united nations!). again, pretty minor, but thats all i can come up with. </p>

<p>as for this weekend, youre going to encounter a bunch of bucknell students clad in bright orange shirts, shirts adorned with the phrase 'ask me' for a reason. the people in them are there to talk to you and answer your questions. so ask away! please. its really boring to just stand there and occasionaly give directions. have them take you where your relatively worthless (unless theyve changed things for this year, theyre going to be huge) tour did not. have them take you through the dorms. investigate the academic buildings (everythings open) where your daughtor will be taking her classes. check out the library and dont leave until youve found and fully appreciated the leather lounge on the top floor. if it is raining hard, drive through the downtown area (find market street and explore from there). if not, walk. heres a link to a lewisburg</a> walking tour to give you some ideas. and really, if you want to see something, just ask someone to show you the way. </p>

<p>hope you enjoy your visit! and be sure to steal a balloon.</p>

44

<p>Hi Eric.
You are rather an amazing guy..... Does the school know that you are providing such a helpful service? You do a great job answering questions.
My daughter is looking at some great schools, and she is very seriously considering Bucknell. You have helped alot. This is a rather huge decision.....She was also very impressed with the West Coast rep that came to her school. So while we have never been to Bucknell, and really don't know much about it, ... between you, the rep, the school's correspondence and the website..... she has developed very good feelings about the academics and the friendly atmosphere. She is excited and looking forward to the open house. Thanks so much for all your help.
MM</p>

45

<p>Hi Eric,
Your topic is great. It helped me to learn a lot of new things about Bucknell.</p>

<p>I am an international student, and I will attend Bucknell this fall. I have a question, and I will really appreciate if you can answer it for me. Is it difficult to change major at Bucknell? When I filled in my application, I declared accounting as my first-choice major. But now, after talking to several people about the chances to find jobs in my country, I found out that maybe major in economic is better for me. So could I change my major? If I could, what should I do? </p>

<p>Thank you very much for providing very helpful information.</p>

46

<p>cyclops-</p>

<p>thanks... and congratulations for choosing bucknell!</p>

<p>the only students who enter bucknell with declared majors are those who have gained admission into bachelor of science programs (engineering, business, education, some hard science majors), with the only potential exception being performing arts majors (though im not sure of this). all other bachelor of arts candidates enter as undeclared and cannot declare until the end of their sophomore years unless a bachelor of science degree is declared. what is important for you is that you are wishing to transfer out of a bachelor of science program, a move that has no restrictions. anyway, the short answer is that yes, you can switch out of accounting and into general undeclared status within the college of arts and sciences. youll declare an economics major later. and id start with a call to admissions (you may be forwarded). </p>

<p>as ive previously stated, a move into a limited-enrollment program is more difficult. programs that were somewhat difficult to transfer into for my class were business management and biomedical engineering (a new program at the time, things may have changed).</p>

<p>most of the above isnt applicable to you, but i figured id explain for everyone. and again, congrats!</p>

47

<p>Hi , im an international who got accepted to Bucknell. I just wanted to get one thing straight . I get the impression that bucknell is predominantly an institution for middle/upper class americans who are nice & friendly to each other. What i want to know is how are relations between them & bucknell's miniscule international student population. Am I likely to feel alienated if I go there? (apologies if this is offensive to anyone, but i would really appreciate some feedback on this)</p>

48

<p>Congrats on your acceptance! And your comments do not come off as wrong, I feel that you are just trying to gain information. I'm guessing you did not get a chance to go to the admitted students day last Saturday.</p>

<p>I think that the student percentages would support that it is a predominantly white student body, and I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of middle class and upper class students. But that being said, I feel that the Bucknell students would be friendly to any student who is kind hearted and open to making friends. Will you be open to your experience at Bucknell or are you arriving because you didn't get into another school? I think a lot depends on your attitiude. One of may best friends is Asian, which I am not, and she assimilated so well in America, that her international upbringing is a non-issue except when she shares her customs, which then become fascinating.</p>

<p>If you are looking for certain international foods, or stores, your choices will be limited in Lewisburg. Maybe current Becknellians can comment on school clubs or groups designed for an international student.</p>

49

<p>satn-</p>

<p>bucknell is certainly a friendly place! it is also a school that attracts a lot of middle and upper-class americans, as you stated. however, that has more to do with outside circumastances than anything else (kids from educated families are more likely to do well on standardized tests and thus get into a selective institution like bucknell, theres a stigma that private educations are unaffordable to all but the rich, et cetera). thus, bucknells socio-economic traits are pretty common to all selective american colleges, particularly those that are private.</p>

<p>on being international, 'embraced' would be the word i would actually use. as you probably know, bucknell has a special orientation program for international students (between 30-40 enroll annually, i believe) that alllows them to develop friendships before the american students begin arriving on campus. once we arrive, you get to go through the general orientation program where youll find that many of the students around you will be interested in your background and culture. i wouldnt say its overbearing (i didnt learn that one of my friends is actually FROM japan until i knew her for a year), but curiosity certainly is there. if anything, i think its a bonus during this time; youll have an instant conversation starter.</p>

<p>once the semester starts many internationals choose to join a cultural</a> awareness club, but its certainly not mandatory. between international orientation and the fact that many join an internationally focused organization, id say its most common for internationals to have a smaller group of international friends in addition to their larger group of american friends, many of whom will be excited to invite you to their homes for breaks!</p>

<p>in the end, while bucknell doesnt have a large international population or a diverse city within walking distance, its students and faculty appreciate and enjoy what many internationals bring to campus, where theyre often among of the most interesting individuals (we didnt choose to go to college in another country, after all). so if youre excited about going to college in the united states are content not being in a city, bucknell is a great choice.</p>

50

<p>I was just wondering how strong the english department is at Bucknell. I know that it's very well-known for engineering and sciences, but how is it for the non-sciences?</p>

51

<p>Where else are you considering?</p>

52

<p>Well, I've narrowed it down to Bucknell and Colgate. I was completely decided on Bucknell until I recently learned that Bucknell has only 4 English professors and a bunch of professor assistants, whereas Colgate has 12 English professors. Those numbers are also pretty similar in the Political Science department, which I'm interested in as well.</p>

53

<p>I'd go to Colgate for English. I don't know about the quality of poly sci at those schools.</p>

54

<p>Ericatbucknell, can you comment on the financial aid situation? My d is a hs jr and thinking about applying in the fall for East Asian studies. (BTW, do they have many majors in the East Asian department?). Is the aid mostly in terms of loans? Thanks for your time!</p>

55

<p>sorry if my answers are a bit awkward. im headed to (drumroll) vienna! tomorrow for an international mathematics symposium and consequently havent exactly been doing well when it comes to sleeping or thinking cogently.</p>

<p>college13-</p>

<p>ive talked about both the english and political science departments before. you can search for my complete answers, but in short i dont know much about the english department (though i know poetry is very strong and was very impressed with the history class i took). its a larger program than i had thought, though (60 graduates in the class of 2004). i can say, however, that the three political science courses i took were all excellent; id strongly recommend the school to a prospective political science major.</p>

<p>on assistant/associate/full professors, dont worry about it. first, schools approach the tenure process differently, so a cross-school comparison isnt very beneficial. second, trying to become a full professor as an associate (both have tenure) is a lot of work with the only real benefit being an increased salary. thus, many people dont pursue it. and last, i really havent found any real difference in the quality of assistant, associate and full professors, making it all moot (or not moot, i hate that word).</p>

<p>lbp-</p>

<p>i can say that i am very happy with my financial aid situation. bucknell has asked me to take out the standard stafford loan every year, but beyond that all of my need has been met through grants (except for freshman year; my brother was in school and part of my award was work study). in fact, they have awarded me more than my demonstrated need the last two years, actually allowing me to decline most of my stafford loans. to put things into context, im going to graduate from bucknell with ~4k in debt (some of which is subsidized). my brother graduated from penn state with ~22k. more generally, looking at the bucknell common data set (2003-2004), the average award for those determined to have need is $17500 in grants and $4000 in loans.</p>

<p>east asian studies isnt a particularly popular major (seven graduates in the class of 2004), and i dont have any first-hand experience with any of its classes or professors. however, i do have a friend (class of '05) who loved the program, spending a total of a year in japan. he also majored in economics and is now in law school.</p>

56

<p>LBP, my daughter applied to Bucknell this year as a potential East Asian studies major, and was accepted. Although my d has just decided to attend Smith, Bucknell made the first cut of her review, enough for her to apply.</p>

<p>She has a friend who WILL be attending Bucknell next year. I don't know what her friend intends to study, but one of her criteria was also Japanese language courses.</p>

57

<p>I was just wondering about the dorms in bucknell; which are the best halls to live in, where do you do laundry and the bathrooms are shared by how many students each?</p>

58

<p>jeeshan-</p>

<p>unless things have changed, all freshman are assigned their rooms based on a one page housing questionaire sent over the summer. however, specialized housing options (substance free, residential college, single-sex) are located in the same halls every year, so in that regard one can have knowledge of his or her housing situation. none of the freshman dormitories are freshman-only. however, your hall will be: all</a> freshmen are housed in one of six dorms. oh, to answer your question, mcdonnell and smith are the nicest buildings open to freshmen. </p>

<p>there are pay laundry facilities in every dormitory building with sufficient washers and dryers for you and your friends to do all of your laundry at once (which is nice), but things can get a bit busy on a rainy saturday afternoon. also, if youre lucky, one of my friends will be an ra in your building; shes known to fold all of your clothing for you if she needs a dryer and your stuff is sitting, dried, in one! (really. shes that nice.) for those who may be interested (read: lazy and not into truly experiencing college, hehe), theres also a local service that will pick up your laundry and wash it for you. i have no idea what it costs, but some people do utilize it.</p>

<p>on the bathroom issue, it depends on your hall. the public website used to have hall floorplans, but im unable to find them at the moment. however, there are fewer than ten people per bathroom in mcdonnell and 15 in swartz (halls are coed, with two bathrooms per hall). other halls would be similar. </p>

<p>hope i helped! if you have any more questions, feel free to ask away.</p>

59

<p>Where do students go to play some pool, air hockey, maybe a game room? Wheaton College in Illinois has a really sweet center, named after Todd Beamer, with a gaming area and small private areas for study, tv or contemplation. </p>

<p>Now that my daughter is attending we have a lot of questions. Which residential colleges are housed in McDonough Hall?</p>

60

<p>Thanks for replying to my post, eric & snajean. the replies helped a lot.
That being said, can you tell me a bit more about freshman housing options? (single? double? apartment style?) And in which hall is the Society & tech. residential college located? If I want to study engineering but don't want to buy a computer until the 2nd semester (when Windows Vista comes out), can I get by for the first few months without a computer of my own?</p>