Is Bucknell really that bad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bucknell grad here. The criticisms in a lot of ways are valid. It leans hard into Greek life, and if that's not your thing, it's easy to feel left out. I'll say this: I began in a fraternity, de-pledged because the fraternity wanted all my time, and I had a great time at the school as an independent. Got involved in a lot of clubs and activities that a lot of the Greek students, especially the men, miss, because they are siloed and everything revolves around the fraternity. I didn't sense quite as much with the sororities.

I went to Bucknell from the DMV and I was surprised how few of us there were. (I was 18, not a thing I was paying any attention to when applying.) Most of the student body, I came to learn, were rich kids from NJ/NY/CT. Very white. The word has always been Bucknell is for those rich kids who didn't get into Ivies. Maybe, maybe not.

The campus is great. Walkable and gorgeous. Town is easy and cute and super cheap if you want to live off campus in later years. Its in the middle of nowhere, but maybe three hours from DC and a little more from NY. I had a friend who went to Vanderbilt who didn't once get into Nashville, so it's possible having everything on campus is enough for some people. If you are looking for action, vibrant, busy metro night life, it's definitely not your place. But it's safe and cheap.

Engineering and business schools especially have great track record of producing good internships and careers. Like anywhere else, the school will be what you make of it, and what you put into it will be what you get out of it.

Reasonable post based on my many decades of experience with Bucknell University, but you lose credibility when you try to sneak in any type of association with the Ivy League. It would be a rare occurrence for a student to turn down an Ivy League school for Bucknell. Very rare.

Students do come from families with financial means and can be racist. Overall, they love to party. The campus and the town are beautiful. Kids do well after graduation due, in large part, to their upbringing in successful families. In many ways, Bucknell is similar to Colgate.

[Anonymous]

Bucknell has low SAT scores.

[Anonymous]

I know two people who graduated from Bucknell - both now in their 20s (one a nondrinker), both working in finance, and very successful. They are both so sweet and could not love their alma mater more. Yes it is small, rural, cold and Greek. But if you want to work on Wall St, not be in a super competitive environment, go to parties, get to know your professors well, and make use of a strong alumni network - you could do much worse. My ds is applying to it as a target/likely, but he hasn't visited yet so not sure how he will feel about it - I liked it when I was there for graduation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why spend 90k a year on mediocre school in horrible location.

Personally, I don't find the location horrible. It’s a lot closer to the DMV than New England and it doesn't have endless snow for a good part of the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why spend 90k a year on mediocre school in horrible location.

Personally, I don't find the location horrible. It’s a lot closer to the DMV than New England and it doesn't have endless snow for a good part of the year.

I like it too - cute town, good restaurants and ice cream and shops, outdoorsy activities nearby. campus is beautiful in fall and spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bucknell grad here. The criticisms in a lot of ways are valid. It leans hard into Greek life, and if that's not your thing, it's easy to feel left out. I'll say this: I began in a fraternity, de-pledged because the fraternity wanted all my time, and I had a great time at the school as an independent. Got involved in a lot of clubs and activities that a lot of the Greek students, especially the men, miss, because they are siloed and everything revolves around the fraternity. I didn't sense quite as much with the sororities.

I went to Bucknell from the DMV and I was surprised how few of us there were. (I was 18, not a thing I was paying any attention to when applying.) Most of the student body, I came to learn, were rich kids from NJ/NY/CT. Very white. The word has always been Bucknell is for those rich kids who didn't get into Ivies. Maybe, maybe not.

The campus is great. Walkable and gorgeous. Town is easy and cute and super cheap if you want to live off campus in later years. Its in the middle of nowhere, but maybe three hours from DC and a little more from NY. I had a friend who went to Vanderbilt who didn't once get into Nashville, so it's possible having everything on campus is enough for some people. If you are looking for action, vibrant, busy metro night life, it's definitely not your place. But it's safe and cheap.

Engineering and business schools especially have great track record of producing good internships and careers. Like anywhere else, the school will be what you make of it, and what you put into it will be what you get out of it.

Reasonable post based on my many decades of experience with Bucknell University, but you lose credibility when you try to sneak in any type of association with the Ivy League. It would be a rare occurrence for a student to turn down an Ivy League school for Bucknell. Very rare.

Students do come from families with financial means and can be racist. Overall, they love to party. The campus and the town are beautiful. Kids do well after graduation due, in large part, to their upbringing in successful families. In many ways, Bucknell is similar to Colgate.

Doesn’t say turned down Ivy, says ended up at Bucknell because they didn’t get into Ivy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bucknell grad here. The criticisms in a lot of ways are valid. It leans hard into Greek life, and if that's not your thing, it's easy to feel left out. I'll say this: I began in a fraternity, de-pledged because the fraternity wanted all my time, and I had a great time at the school as an independent. Got involved in a lot of clubs and activities that a lot of the Greek students, especially the men, miss, because they are siloed and everything revolves around the fraternity. I didn't sense quite as much with the sororities.

I went to Bucknell from the DMV and I was surprised how few of us there were. (I was 18, not a thing I was paying any attention to when applying.) Most of the student body, I came to learn, were rich kids from NJ/NY/CT. Very white. The word has always been Bucknell is for those rich kids who didn't get into Ivies. Maybe, maybe not.

The campus is great. Walkable and gorgeous. Town is easy and cute and super cheap if you want to live off campus in later years. Its in the middle of nowhere, but maybe three hours from DC and a little more from NY. I had a friend who went to Vanderbilt who didn't once get into Nashville, so it's possible having everything on campus is enough for some people. If you are looking for action, vibrant, busy metro night life, it's definitely not your place. But it's safe and cheap.

Engineering and business schools especially have great track record of producing good internships and careers. Like anywhere else, the school will be what you make of it, and what you put into it will be what you get out of it.

Reasonable post based on my many decades of experience with Bucknell University, but you lose credibility when you try to sneak in any type of association with the Ivy League. It would be a rare occurrence for a student to turn down an Ivy League school for Bucknell. Very rare.

Students do come from families with financial means and can be racist. Overall, they love to party. The campus and the town are beautiful. Kids do well after graduation due, in large part, to their upbringing in successful families. In many ways, Bucknell is similar to Colgate.

Definitely true. The engineering people like to look at Lehigh as the comp. Lehigh and Lafayette, 10 miles apart, are natural rivals. Colgate and Bucknell have a similar feel and both are in the middle of nowhere, but Hamilton is even more isolated.

[Anonymous]

the outcomes from the Bucknell business school are ridiculously good for a school this size. Fun school and great outcomes, checked the two top boxes for my DC.