<p>Does Bucknell have a good International Studies Program? And how are the clubs/organizations?</p>
<p>I'm not familiar with the IS program, although I did notice they have a lot of study abroad opportunities. My son is class 08 and has found that there are many clubs and organizations, and you can always start one if they don't have one you like! He is active in College Dems and Debate.</p>
<p>How does your son like Bucknell? Is the fact that it is so rural and the surrounding town offering very little to do a drawback? Also, how are minorities treated - are they encouraged to join everyone else socially?</p>
<p>My son absolutely LOVES Bucknell. There are a lot of things to do on campus and some live music venues and shopping off campus. There are also a lot of opportunities to go to D.C., Philly, or NYC for trips. There are so many campus organizations, and nice gym facilities and intermural opportunities that he has not complained of being bored. First year students are not allowed to have cars. </p>
<p>As for minorities, I can't speak from direct experience. It is still a predominantly white campus. There are some specific organizations for various ethnic groups, but generally most students join in all the campus activities. I think I know what you are getting at...I was at UVa back in the early 80s and a lot of the minority groups seemed to be self-contained or separate. Probably talking to minority students would give you a better idea about this.</p>
<p>This is a nifty link called A year in the Life which follows freshmen around their first year. <a href="http://yearinthelife.bucknell.edu/user?action=listStudents%5B/url%5D">http://yearinthelife.bucknell.edu/user?action=listStudents</a></p>
<p>If your student would like to contact my son, let me know.</p>
<p>Thanks texastaximom. What prompted my question was the fact that my daughter attended a minority weekend at Bucknell and was a little surprised at how it went. The admissions staff went out of their way to make everyone comfortable but achieved the opposite. This was due in part to the fact that they segregated the minorities with the minorities in dorms. It was almost like they were confined to a seperate area. In addition the menu was ethnic. It was an interesting approach. She still feels the campus was beautiful and the school is awesome so she may still apply. Her thought is that she could help foster a more diverse community that functions together instead of seperately.</p>
<p>I would have to ask my son more about what he sees. It does sound like they tried too hard to make Bucknell look "ethnic" when they would have done better to just have the kids visit in a natural setting and place them with a variety of students, like they would be during the school year. Maybe match them by academic interest instead. These are exactly the same issues I heard raised about the UVA "Spring Fling" weekends so many years ago. Only minority students were invited that weekend, and they were placed with other minority students. </p>
<p>Did your daughter think that the minority students attending Bucknell were segregated in general? Or just for the purposes of this weekend? I can see why you would want to investigate further. And maybe at some point, if it isn't too awkward, she could mention to Bucknell that she did have concerns about being invited to a weekend that was so segregated. Or better yet, initiate a change in the minority recruitment process should she decide to attend there. </p>
<p>Would your daughter be able to visit again on a different weekend? I feel that a lot of the recruitment weekends are contrived affairs. It's hard to get the true feeling of the campus because everyone is trying sell the school. Like the brochures and catalogues in the mail! Perhaps your daughter could better explore on her own the various activities-- and cuisines! We can somewhat understand being different (not to make light of your situation)-- because there were only 8 Texans this year and they are quite the novelty. Eventually they figure out that while my son does have cows in his backyard, he does not wear a cowboy hat, ride rodeo, or like country and western music. Tacos are nice, but he perfers pizza. </p>
<p>*as an aside, another college--not Bucknell--sent my son a personalized letter from a student who kept talking about a Tobey Keith concert. I guess she figured since we were from Texas....my son is more of a Green Day type of guy. </p>
<p>As far as the schooling....we are extremely happy with the small classes and the variety of majors and minors. Our son has been able to do some things like participate in debate--actually go on the tournaments, write for a publication, and even sing at open mic night--things he would not be doing at our large state uni. His freshman seminar is taught by his academic advisor. It has 15 students and meets twice a week. I think I saw my academic advisor about three times in four years! The Biology professor added a section on Bioethics because the section was mostly non-majors, and it spiced it up a bit for them. These are the things that have made the difference to our son. It's hard to quantify some of them, and it may not be what is important to your daughter.</p>
<p>Anyway, the invitation stands. If she would ever want to contact him let me know. Or we could try to have him dig up someone in an activity or academic area of interest of hers. </p>
<p>Good luck on the application process! We've got another one graduating this year, so I will be haunting the boards until April.</p>
<p>texastaximom:
Thanks for such a detailed response. You are so perceptive - that is exactly how my daughter saw it. She felt it would have been better if the admissions staff had included the minority students in the dorms with everyone instead of seperating them. She also thought serving ethnic food achieved the opposite effect of what they were striving for - to make the students feel welcome. I suggested she write her essay/personal statement on this subject but in a positive light. She is adopted asian in a white family so she feels very comfortable in a diverse environment. On another note - this college process is sooooo stressful. This is my first experience and I did not attend college so I am learning a lot about the process. Thanks for the offer to contact your son for info - I will share that offer with her and contact you if she would like to do that.</p>
<p>Any time! I'm just trying to repay the debt of gratitude I owe the folks on these boards that helped me last year. The process is always changing, and everyone gets knocked for a loop the first time they have a child go through this process.</p>
<p>One of the BU upperclassmen we met this summer is an adoptee from Samoa--her parents are BU alums, and there is a girl that is from Japan on my son's floor. We can try those contacts as well. Whatever I can do to help.</p>