College Admissions Insider

There are dozens of reasons a student might choose to take a gap year, a voluntary yearlong break taken between the end of high school and the start of college. It might be to travel, find a job or internship, or complete volunteer or service work.

In recent years, we've seen that about 3% to 5% of students take a gap year after high school. At Bucknell, that number is about 1% of each incoming class.

But what are the pros and cons of taking that year away? How do you apply for a gap year deferral if you've already gotten into college? And what should students keep in mind before and during their gap year? 

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, Bucknell’s assistant director of admissions, Kristin Morrow, offers advice to students deciding whether a gap year is right for them, including insights into how that pause might impact their applications and admission to the colleges on their list.

Read a transcript for this episode

Links:

• Blog post: Is a Gap Year a Good or Bad Idea?
• General information about applying to Bucknell
• For admitted students
• For prospective students
• For parents of prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center
• Bucknell Custom Viewbook

Waiting is the most agonizing part of the college admissions process. You send off your materials and then keep clicking that refresh button until the decision arrives (or your phone dies).

But for a select group of applicants, that waiting period is significantly reduced. These are the students who applied Early Decision or Early Action to their top-choice school or schools.

These students could get a decision as early as December instead of the following March or April — a huge relief, to be sure. Plus, many schools admit Early Decision applicants at a higher rate than Regular Decision applicants.

But before you click submit on an early application, you'll want to make sure you've gone over all the pros and cons for doing so. 

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, Dean of Admissions Kevin Mathes ’07 covers everything you need to know about Early Decision and Early Action.

Read a transcript for this episode

If you have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode, email [email protected].

Links:

• Bucknell admissions dates and deadlines
• General info about applying to Bucknell
• For prospective students
• For parents of prospective students
• Blog post: When to apply for college
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

Waiting is the most agonizing part of the college admissions process. You send off your materials and then keep clicking that refresh button until the decision arrives (or your phone dies).

But for a select group of applicants, that waiting period is significantly reduced. These are the students who applied Early Decision or Early Action to their top-choice school or schools.

These students could get a decision as early as December instead of the following March or April — a huge relief, to be sure. Plus, many schools admit Early Decision applicants at a higher rate than Regular Decision applicants.

But before you click submit on an early application, you'll want to make sure you've gone over all the pros and cons for doing so. 

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, Dean of Admissions Kevin Mathes ’07 covers everything you need to know about Early Decision and Early Action.

Read a transcript for this episode

If you have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode, email [email protected].

Links:

• Bucknell admissions dates and deadlines
• General info about applying to Bucknell
• For prospective students
• For parents of prospective students
• Blog post: When to apply for college
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

Top-tier American universities like Bucknell (which welcomed its first international student in 1858) have been attracting talented international students for generations.

But even as more international students choose to attend college in the United States, the process for exploring, applying to, and attending American universities has not gotten any easier.

This episode of College Admissions Insider is all about the unique — and sometimes complicated — journey that international students must take if they want to attend college in the United States. 

In addition to sharing advice for international students, we also help families living in the U.S. understand what colleges are doing to make international students feel more welcome — and how you can help.

Our guest is Brett Basom, Bucknell's associate director of international recruitment. He’s been in college admissions for 30 years and at Bucknell for three years. In addition to meeting with students from around the world, Brett reviews every application to Bucknell from an international student or an American student living overseas.

Read a transcript for this episode

If you have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode, email [email protected].

Links:

• International Student Services
• Admissions requirements for international students
• Financial aid for international students
• General info about applying to Bucknell
• Information for prospective students
• Information for parents of prospective students

Top-tier American universities like Bucknell (which welcomed its first international student in 1858) have been attracting talented international students for generations.

But even as more international students choose to attend college in the United States, the process for exploring, applying to, and attending American universities has not gotten any easier.

This episode of College Admissions Insider is all about the unique — and sometimes complicated — journey that international students must take if they want to attend college in the United States. 

In addition to sharing advice for international students, we also help families living in the U.S. understand what colleges are doing to make international students feel more welcome — and how you can help.

Our guest is Brett Basom, Bucknell's associate director of international recruitment. He’s been in college admissions for 30 years and at Bucknell for three years. In addition to meeting with students from around the world, Brett reviews every application to Bucknell from an international student or an American student living overseas.

Read a transcript for this episode

If you have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode, email [email protected].

Links:

• International Student Services
• Admissions requirements for international students
• Financial aid for international students
• General info about applying to Bucknell
• Information for prospective students
• Information for parents of prospective students

Most of the material you'll find about applying to college covers all the steps leading up to applying — and then it stops.

But what happens if you end up at a school that's not the right fit? Or what if you attend a two-year school and want to transfer to a four-year university?

That's where transferring comes in. How is the process of applying to transfer different from the first-year application journey? What are schools looking for in prospective transfer students? And what are some things to watch out for along the way?

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, brought to you by Bucknell University, Brooke Thames and Bryan Wendell offer a guide to transferring colleges.

Our guest is Caro Mercado, Bucknell's Associate Dean of Admissions and the professional in charge of Bucknell’s transfer program. 

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email [email protected].

Read a transcript for this episode

Links:

• Transfer student admissions requirements
• Financial aid information for transfer students
• Transfer credit information
• General information about applying to Bucknell
• Information for prospective students
• Information for parents of prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

Most of the material you'll find about applying to college covers all the steps leading up to applying — and then it stops.

But what happens if you end up at a school that's not the right fit? Or what if you attend a two-year school and want to transfer to a four-year university?

That's where transferring comes in. How is the process of applying to transfer different from the first-year application journey? What are schools looking for in prospective transfer students? And what are some things to watch out for along the way?

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, brought to you by Bucknell University, Brooke Thames and Bryan Wendell offer a guide to transferring colleges.

Our guest is Caro Mercado, Bucknell's Associate Dean of Admissions and the professional in charge of Bucknell’s transfer program. 

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email [email protected].

Read a transcript for this episode

Links:

• Transfer student admissions requirements
• Financial aid information for transfer students
• Transfer credit information
• General information about applying to Bucknell
• Information for prospective students
• Information for parents of prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

As you explore colleges, you’ll see these two words everywhere: “liberal arts.”

But what does that phrase mean? What kinds of students might benefit most from a liberal arts education? And how might the day-to-day experience at a liberal arts school differ from life at a different kind of school? 

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, brought to you by Bucknell University, Brooke Thames and Bryan Wendell take a closer look at the benefits of a liberal arts education. 

Our guest is Kim Councill, Bucknell's associate dean of faculty in the Division of Arts & Humanities and also a professor of music education.

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email [email protected].

Read a transcript for this episode

Links:

• Bucknell undergraduate admissions requirements
• Information about applying to Bucknell
• Five advantages of attending a liberal arts university
• Information for prospective students
• Information for parents of prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

As you explore colleges, you’ll see these two words everywhere: “liberal arts.”

But what does that phrase mean? What kinds of students might benefit most from a liberal arts education? And how might the day-to-day experience at a liberal arts school differ from life at a different kind of school? 

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, brought to you by Bucknell University, Brooke Thames and Bryan Wendell take a closer look at the benefits of a liberal arts education. 

Our guest is Kim Councill, Bucknell's associate dean of faculty in the Division of Arts & Humanities and also a professor of music education.

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email [email protected].

Read a transcript for this episode

Links:

• Bucknell undergraduate admissions requirements
• Information about applying to Bucknell
• Five advantages of attending a liberal arts university
• Information for prospective students
• Information for parents of prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

After 8th grade, the warmup rounds are over, and suddenly everything starts to count. 

By 9th and 10th grade, every class, activity, and test has the potential to help students get into the college of their dreams. 

It’s no wonder that’s the same time parents, teachers and counselors start expecting students to think about their college plans. 

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, brought to you by Bucknell University, Brooke Thames and Bryan Wendell take a closer look at those 9th- and 10th-grade years

Our guest is Carrine Gadoury, a Bucknell alum who is now an admissions counselor at Bucknell. 

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email [email protected].

Read a transcript for this episode

Links:

• Bucknell undergraduate admissions requirements
• Information about applying to Bucknell
• Bucknell admissions dates & deadlines
• Information for prospective students
• Information for parents of prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center