Bucknell University | Student Reviews | Best College

Student Profile

Porky Pig

Class: Senior
Major: Other
Gender: F

High School:
Transfer Student: N

Big Picture

One thing I can't complain about was the education I got, for the price I had to pay (I've been on almost full scholarship for the past four years). As a double major in the liberal arts, I was able to avoid most of the "bad" faculty (East Asian studies, Biology, and International Relations, some in the Engineering school, to name those of which I've heard). As a senior now, I've realized the considerable amount of academic growing I have gone through. As for the size of Bucknell, I think that as an undergraduate institution, it was the right size. Maybe I'm a bit biased, but small, it seems, is better for undergraduate. Sure, you run across that awkward guy you hooked up with a few weeks ago more often, but *shrug* such is college. Most people still don't know about Bucknell. If they do, it's usually because we ruined their bets during March Madness of 2005 or they read somewhere that we're the 3rd-most expensive college to go to that doesn't carry as much academic clout as others in the same price range (read, the Ivies). "What college town?" Lewisburg is really nice and quaint, but it really isn't a college town at all. There's nothing to do. Sure, there's stuff going on oncampus, but really...not so much going on. On nights when I go out with my friends and try to find something to do, we usually go off campus or just end up doing what everyone else does: get drunk. It's really depressing sometimes that that's the only thing we can do here, since we're so much in the middle of Nowhere, Pennsylvania.

Academic Life

Professors are usually pretty good about knowing names. I've had coffee or lunch with more than a couple of them, not necessarily to talk about class. The "big" classes usually only have about 60 students in them, and that really only happens at the introductory level (in the sciences). After that, classes are rarely ever bigger than 25 people, and in seminars, class size ranges from 6-15 people.

Student Body

As a person who would be considered "diverse," I had an OK experience. I don't mind not having others of my culture or race around me, but I do have a few, so it's nice to chat with them at times. As regards other "diversity" issues, I know Bucknell is trying very hard to make the campus more diverse; they could, however, do a better job of integrating diverse students. I can't blame the administration, though, because most of the student body do not necessarily have the social "tools" to be able to seem welcoming to an international student--they either ask questions that are meant to seem like they are interested or they don't talk to you at all and look awkwardly away (that is, until they find out that you can put together an English sentence). I'm hesitant to say whether Bucknell is clique-y. It is, definitely, more than not so; the sororities, fraternities, and sports groups usually hang out with each other, and those who do not belong in one of the three hang out with their respective "clubs" (African/African-Americans -- POSSE hang out only with each other, as do Hispanics -- OHLAS, Asians -- S(tudent)A(sian)A(wareness) (at) B(ucknell), and international students). It's very separated and very few have the ability to meld into multiple groups. Four tables: football players, freshmen (who have not yet been sucked into the Greek system and therefore are blissfully ignorant), sorority girls having their monthly SISTERHOOD LUNCH OMG, and the Writers of Rohan (yes...the "writers").