College Admissions Insider

There are somewhere around 15 or 16 million high school students in the U.S. But not all of them walk through locker-lined hallways, sit in 20-person classrooms and count down the seconds until lunch period in the cafeteria.

Instead, many students and their families opt for high school learning that happens at home.

In this episode, we're offering helpful insights for home-schooled students who are navigating the college process. What are the curriculum requirements to qualify for college? What do schools look for in home-schooled applicants? How you can prove that you're prepared for the next step in your educational journey? We answer all of these questions and more.

Our guest is Ben Kavanaugh, associate director of admissions for Bucknell. Ben works with students from Northeast states like Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, just to name a few. He also reads every application that comes to Bucknell from home-schooled students.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

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

When you visit campus for a preview session and guided tour, chat with our student ambassadors, or experience an interactive virtual tour of campus, you'll have a front-row seat as you explore this place we call home.

This combination of in-person and virtual visit offerings means you can learn more about Bucknell in the way that fits you and your family best.

If you could run personality tests on the colleges of their choice, what would the results say?

Like people, colleges and universities have their own sets of values, distinctive strengths and lenses through which they view the world. All of these characteristics indicate something about a college's culture and the day-to-day experiences students will have on campus.

In this episode, we're sharing some tips on how prospective students can get a sense of a university's campus culture — from the brochure to the college tour and far beyond.

Our guests are Bucknell admissions counselor Ashley Carnuccio and Dana Pardee '22. Ashley works with prospective students from central New Jersey and New York City. Dana is a psychology and economics double-major from Colts Neck, N.J., who is involved in Greek life, the Bucknell Dance Company, drama club, and more.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

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

We're dropping in mid-week with a special mini-episode to share some recent changes at College Admissions Insider. Bryan Wendell, who cohosted the podcast, is now pursuing new and exciting career opportunities beyond Bucknell — and we wish him the best of luck!

Joining Brooke Thames as the podcast's new cohost is Becca Haupt Aldredge, senior associate director of admissions at Bucknell.

If Becca's name (and voice) sound familiar, that's because she's been a guest on several prior episodes. In fact, she was our first guest ever! You may remember her expert advice on Episode 1: Choosing a College Without Visiting as well as other topics like the role of social media and what to do after you've been admitted.

In this minisode, you'll learn more about Becca, her college experience and her work at Bucknell — plus a couple of fun facts about Brooke.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

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

Whether we met them in elementary, junior high or high school, we all have that one teacher who went above and beyond to mentor and encourage us.

It's easy to think that those wonderful teachers were simply born for the job. But dedicated, compassionate and empowering educators aren't magic — they're made. This episode of College Admissions Insider is for future college students who want to be that wonderful, life-changing teacher someday.

In this episode, we'll discuss how to choose the right major for a future in education, what it takes to earn teaching certification and why high schoolers looking to make a positive impact on future generations might want to consider this career path.

Our guest is Ellen Amarante, Bucknell’s director of professional education. Ellen has experience as an elementary school teacher and has worked at Bucknell for seven years, the last four of those spent working in the Education Department.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

• Bucknell's education degree programs
• Teaching certification at Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• Undergraduate admission requirements
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

Alongside stick-figure families and save-the-environment slogans, there’s another bumper sticker you're bound to see if you spend enough time on the road: "My kid and my money go to [insert university name here]."

It's a sticker that's quite real and honest. And in the spirit of being real and honest, we wanted to share an episode of College Admissions Insider that’s all about the truth behind college affordability.

In this episode, we’ll define need-based aid, discuss how families should factor affordability into their college search, and try to dispel some misconceptions about college costs — all in hopes of demystifying this crucial aspect of the college admissions process.

Our guest is Lisa Keegan, Bucknell’s vice president for enrollment management. Lisa has worked in higher education for over 15 years, with nearly a decade spent in enrollment management leadership roles.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

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

Take a moment to consider what you’re good at — an achievement you're most proud of, a skill you’ve spent years perfecting, or an activity or cause you’ve passionately pursued.

If you’re a high school student on the track to college, there may be numerous merit scholarships out there for you.

Just like colleges and universities themselves, higher education scholarships are abundant and diverse. But unlike need-based financial aid, many of these merit awards don’t consider a student's financial situation. Instead, they’re doled out based on a student's accomplishments and talents — from academics, athletics and the arts to niche hobbies and interests.

But questions remain, like who qualifies, how do you apply, and does a merit-based scholarship have any effect on your need-based financial aid package? In this episode of College Admissions Insider, we'll answer those questions and more.

Our guest is Kevin Mathes, Bucknell’s dean of admissions.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

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

You researched every fact and figure about your choice institutions, wrote and rewrote the perfect admissions essay, and connected with everyone from current students to admissions counselors — all in hopes of receiving that life-changing notification that says, “Congratulations! You’ve been admitted.”

Well done! You should be quite proud. But after the confetti settles to the floor, there's still work to be done.

Receiving an acceptance letter on Decision Day is far from the end of the process. Amid the excitement, celebration and relief are numerous decisions to make and actions to take to secure your spot in the incoming class. In this episode of College Admissions Insider, we'll cover what lies ahead after you've been admitted.

How long do you have to make that final decision? How do you officially enroll? And what tips can you use to decide which of the schools you've been admitted to is ultimately right for you?

Our guests are Becca Haupt Aldredge and Lauren Furman, who both serve as senior assistant directors of admissions.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

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

While search engines provide millions of answers in less than a second, there is one life-changing question for which the answer doesn't arrive as quickly: Did I get in?

When you want to know whether you’ve been accepted into your college of choice, things don't happen quickly. In fact, it may be months between the moment you press “submit” on your application and the day that acceptance notification appears in your virtual or physical mailbox.

So what do you do in the meantime? In this episode of College Admissions Insider, we’ll provide a few answers to that crucial question right here, right now. We’ll share tips for making the most of the time leading up to decision release day and advice for how to mitigate anxiety while you wait.

Our guest is Jill Medina, Bucknell’s senior associate dean of admissions. Jill has more than 25 years of work in higher education under her belt, and she plays a role in the acceptance process at Bucknell.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

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

When you visit campus for a preview session and guided tour, chat with our student ambassadors, or experience an interactive virtual tour of campus, you'll have a front-row seat as you explore this place we call home.

This combination of in-person and virtual visit offerings means you can learn more about Bucknell in the way that fits you and your family best.

When do you find "the one"?

Some people don't pinpoint their perfect career path until midway through college. For others, that true passion waits to reveal itself after years of being in the workforce.

But for a lucky few, that dream job shines brightly early on. These ambitious high schoolers are certain of what they want to do with their degrees before they even begin their college search.

This episode of College Admissions Insider is for that last group — the high schoolers who are charting paths to their dream jobs as we speak. In this episode, we’ll provide some tips to guide those students as they lay the groundwork for their future success.

Our guest, Pamela Keiser, is the executive director of career services at Bucknell's Center for Career Advancement. She helps us discuss everything from how to evaluate colleges based on career goals to gaining practical job experience while in high school.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

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

When you visit campus for a preview session and guided tour, chat with our student ambassadors, or experience an interactive virtual tour of campus, you'll have a front-row seat as you explore this place we call home.

This combination of in-person and virtual visit offerings means you can learn more about Bucknell in the way that fits you and your family best.

For high school students who aspire to be doctors or work in health care, there are numerous fields to choose from — areas like surgery, physical therapy and dentistry, to name just three.

But what is the right path to reaching that career? What majors might best set you up for success? And how many years should you expect to be in college?

Helping us navigate those questions and more is Alison Patterson, a pre-health adviser at Bucknell’s Center for Career Advancement. She holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Marshall University School of Medicine, has taught anatomy and physiology at Bucknell, and has been advising pre-health students for more than a decade.

Read a transcript for this episode

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

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

• Pre-health advising at Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• Undergraduate admission requirements
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students

When you visit campus for a preview session and guided tour, chat with our student ambassadors, or experience an interactive virtual tour of campus, you'll have a front-row seat as you explore this place we call home.

This combination of in-person and virtual visit offerings means you can learn more about Bucknell in the way that fits you and your family best.