The University has officially set another record for their new student application pool, receiving 11,364 applications as of Jan. 17. 

This year’s record broke last year’s record of 11,263 by more than 100 applications. Lisa Keegan, vice president for Enrollment Management at the University, said that applications are still coming in and to expect roughly 200 more applications come May.

“Our team was able to resume some fall travel to high schools and college fairs, and we have been welcoming prospective students to the University through campus tours and small-scale open house events,” Keegan said in a press release. “We have experienced increases in applications from the South and West and attribute that success to Bucknell’s presence with regional representatives in California and Florida.”

The press release, offered by the University’s director of media relations Mike Ferlazzo, provided a few statistics about the demographic of the applicant pool. 

There was an 18.5 percent jump in first-generation college student applicants, a 15 percent increase in international student applications, and a 7.5 percent increase in students of color that have applied.

Combatting the new challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought college recruitment new obstacles to face. According to the press release, the University has implemented new ways to invite applicants to learn about the University, including virtual tours, self-guided tours and a few more.

Many current first-year students have some experience with virtual tour options. It seems that many appreciated the effort and enjoyed the campus from these digital tours, but once they got here they realized it was very different.

“The virtual tours just showed me little parts of the school,” Trevor Drescher ’25, an engineering student, said. “What sold me is when I visited and was able to see the campus. When I took the virtual tours I had an idea of what I thought the campus looked like, but that was nothing like it is.”

While administrators seem thrilled about the influx in applications, some students worry about what implications the number could have on housing selection. With renovations to Vedder Hall, and growing concerns of mold outbreaks across campus this year, the University has already struggled to find a place to put many students, even offering housing in local hotels to ease the pressure.

It is important to keep in mind that these students have not been admitted yet. Still, the prospect of another record incoming first-year class has frightened many.

“I’m actually terrified about what this many students potentially coming here could mean,” Jack Renaghan ’25 said. “I’ve heard so many housing horror stories from older students about room selection. If they admit as many students as they did with my class I just think we’re in trouble.”