Bucknell is a private liberal arts school located in rural Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Its undergraduate population is just over 3,600, making this a small school on a big, beautiful campus. Popular majors include Accounting and Finance, Econ, Psychology, and Biology. More than half of students study abroad. The acceptance rate is 34%.
The Prompt
Please explain your interest in your first-choice major/undecided status and your second-choice major, should you opt to list one (250 words maximum).*
Beginning the Essay
The first thing we always tell our students to do is read the prompt over again. What do you think Bucknell wants to see in your answer? Most of these essay prompts can be said another way: “Why X School?” This one is no different. Bucknell wants to know why you really really want to go there. But they also want to know why they should really really want you to be a part of their selective school. So, not only do you have to sell yourself to Bucknell, but your only access to doing so is to connect with an anonymous group of adults who comprise the admissions committee. Your mission is to connect with the reader and to convince them that you and Bucknell are a very good fit for each other.
Your Expertise
Here’s something that’s really important to know: see how they say “Please explain your interest in your first-choice major/UNDECIDED status…”? Ignore that last part. For the purpose of this exercise, you’re not going in undecided. At this point, a lot of our kids mention that they don’t really know what they want to do in life and they’d really like to go in undecided. We don’t actually think 17 year-olds should necessarily know exactly what they want to do with their lives. But the thing is, colleges really don’t want you to be undecided. Schools are trying to build classes of specialists—the best specialists in their respective fields who grow up to be famous experts in a particular area. For the purposes of this essay, you should position yourself as an expert. Before we come back to that, what you should know is saying you’re going to pursue a major in your admissions essay does not bind you to anything. You can totally change your mind and we expect you probably will at some point in college.
Your Origin Story
So, back to the business of your specialty. Throughout high school, you should have been cultivating an expertise in a particular area, from your classes to the clubs you joined and led. Your resume, your teacher recommendations, everything else on your application should tell a story about a niche area you’ve owned for the past four years. “Science” is too broad. Before we go any further, make sure you’ve identified your area of expertise. Now, think back to the moment in which you first got interested in this field. Maybe you were visiting your grandmother and saw a broken lightbulb and became fascinated with electrical engineering. Perhaps you did a project on education policy in middle school and became hellbent on studying political science and public policy. Your first paragraph should be dedicated to telling this story. Remember, though, this essay is really short—just 250 words—so keep it concise.
Connecting the Dots
The next thing you should do is take a deep dive into Bucknell, specifically into the academic area you’re saying you intend to pursue. Learn all there is to know about the classes, especially those 200-level and above. Learn about the professors and what they’re researching. Read up on any relevant clubs. Now, write about why you want to be a part of this academic program and why you’re a good fit. Don’t just regurgitate the information already present on your resume. Make sure to talk about new and unique accolades that tie in well.
Need help with your Bucknell essay? Reach out to us here. We’re great at helping students write standout essays.