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Tell us about a challenge you faced and how you overcame it.

Reflect on a moment when your actions made a difference for others.

Describe one of your passions and why it lights you up. 

These aren't just ideas for your next journal entry. They're prompts you might see when you sit down to write your college essay — one of the only places on the application where students use their own voice to tell an admissions committee about themselves.

 In this episode of College Admissions Insider, we chat about crafting a strong outline, how to keep your reader engaged, mistakes to avoid in the essay and more.

Our guest is Jennifer Hilborn, a former high school English teacher and current admissions reader at Bucknell.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Links:

• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

Apply to Bucknell

• Nov. 15, 2024: EDI application, scholarship application, CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: EDII application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: RD application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due

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There's no shortage of acronyms in higher education, but perhaps none are more important for prospective students than FAFSA and CSS.

For students and families seeking financial aid, these are the essential forms you'll need to submit. Today we'll break down these financial aid forms, the differences between them and some tips for using the FAFSA and CSS to secure aid at the schools on your list.

Our guest is Erin Wolfe, Director of Financial Aid at Bucknell.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Links:

• Learn more about financial aid at Bucknell
• Explore Bucknell scholarships
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

Apply to Bucknell

• Nov. 15, 2024: EDI application, scholarship application, CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: EDII application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: RD application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due

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In this minisode of College Admissions Insider, Brooke and Becca dive into minimum requirements. You'll learn what minimum requirements are, how they might differ between schools, and ways that you can ensure you're on the right preparation track for college.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Links:

• Bucknell's undergraduate admissions requirements
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

Apply to Bucknell

• Nov. 15, 2024: EDI application, scholarship application, CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: EDII application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: RD application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due

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At schools like Bucknell that receive thousands of applications every year, there’s a good chance some applicants will have similar grades, academic rigor, and extracurricular involvement.

But there's a place where applicants can stand out — something guaranteed to be found in their application and no other. We're talking about the college essay — an applicant's best opportunity to show colleges who they are.

Writing a great college application essay doesn't have to be an intimidating process.

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, brought to you by Bucknell University, Brooke Thames and Bryan Wendell share proven tips to help students craft a killer college application essay.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Links:

• More tips for writing a college application essay 
• Information about applying to Bucknell
• Bucknell admissions dates & deadlines
• Information for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

Apply to Bucknell

• Nov. 15, 2024: EDI application, scholarship application, CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: EDII application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: RD application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due

Send us a text

While it may be the student who gets admitted to college in the end, they aren't the only ones with a hand in the process.

From those initial Google searches to campus visits and beyond, parents and families are discovering and learning right alongside their student. On this episode of College Admissions Insider, we're taking a closer look at the parent and family experience.

We'll talk about the role that parents and families play in the college search process. 

Our guests are two parents who also happen to be admissions professionals at Bucknell. Lara Schmitt ’20, P’26 is assistant director of admissions for access & outreach, and Brett Basom P’22 is associate director for international recruitment. 

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Links:

• Resources for parents and families
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

Apply to Bucknell

• Nov. 15, 2024: EDI application, scholarship application, CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: EDII application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: RD application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due

Send us a text

No two college journeys are the same. For some, it might mean attending college right in their hometown, while others might travel halfway or even to the other side of the country for school.

Then, there are those who take their education beyond borders. At the request of one of our listeners, in this episode of College Admissions Insider, we are exploring options for attending college outside of the US.

We'll learn where students can begin researching schools, how admissions can differ from country to country, what the day-to-day learning experience might look like, and more.

Our guest is Chris Pluta is Director of College Counseling at the United Nations International School.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Links:

• Information for international applicants to Bucknell
• Learn about the international student experience at Bucknell
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

Apply to Bucknell

• Nov. 15, 2024: EDI application, scholarship application, CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: EDII application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: RD application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due

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After choosing where to enroll, the next major decision in the college process is, “What is going to live with you in your home away from home?”

In this College Admissions Insider minisode, we're sharing some tips and considerations to keep in mind when packing for your first year of college.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Links:

• What to bring for Bucknell move-in
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

Apply to Bucknell

• Nov. 15, 2024: EDI application, scholarship application, CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: EDII application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: RD application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due

Send us a text

If you've been listening to College Admissions Insider for a while, the title of this episode might ring a bell. In some of our early episodes, we invited real admissions counselors here to talk about how reading applications really works.

Today, we're doing it all again. We'll be chatting about the process front to back — and then some.

Our guest is Kevin Mathes '07, associate vice president and dean of admissions at Bucknell.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Links:

• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

Apply to Bucknell

• Nov. 15, 2024: EDI application, scholarship application, CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: EDII application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: RD application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due

Send us a text

Your grades, extracurriculars and essay responses paint a picture of who you are. But there's another part of your application that colleges and universities pay special attention to:  your intended major.

On this episode of College Admissions Insider, we're providing tips on identifying the primary discipline you'll study throughout your four years. We'll discuss when students should start thinking about their major, what your intended major tells a university and how it factors into the admissions process.

Our guest is Jill Medina, senior associate dean of admissions at Bucknell.

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

Find a transcript for this episode.

Apply to Bucknell

• Nov. 15, 2024: EDI application, scholarship application, CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: EDII application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: RD application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due

Send us a text

There's only so much you can learn about a school from Google. One of the best ways to get to know a college is to experience it for yourself.

An in-person visit can push a college into dream school territory, or send it falling off your list entirely. In this episode of College Admissions Insider, we're exploring how you make the most of a college visit from the options available to setting it up and beyond.

Our guest is Chris Rowe, admissions specialist for daily campus visitation programs at Bucknell.

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

Read a transcript of the epsiode.

Plan your visit to Bucknell.

Apply to Bucknell

• Nov. 15, 2024: EDI application, scholarship application, CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: EDII application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due
• Jan. 15, 2025: RD application, scholarship application and CSS Profile and FAFSA due