The Admissions Office at Bucknell plays crucial roles year-round. Helping prospective students visit Bucknell and ultimately admitting the best applicants, their presence and work fundamentally affects the recruiting process. Located at Freas Hall, the admissions office’s immense staff joins efforts with students and professional staff members. Student employees help run events, work in the office and can be seen around campus giving tours. One of its biggest events, the admissions office handles Open House weekends, one of which was held this past weekend on Saturday, Feb. 17 for Bucknell’s spring semester.
Over 200 prospective students, along with their family members, attended the Open House over the weekend with 562 guests in total. With substantially more guests than expected for a normal tour given on a weekend, an Open House event is an opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the University outside of just a campus tour. Bucknell’s Open House aims to showcase the unique aspects of Bucknell life and what makes it special compared to other universities.
There are many aspects of an Open House that the admissions office curates to differentiate it from a regular tour experience. Carrine Phillips, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Bucknell, shared her thoughts on Open Houses.
“Open Houses can be useful tools for Admissions Offices to recruit prospective students simply through enabling them to explore, in-person, the unique qualities that an institution possesses,” Phillips said. “For Bucknell’s Open Houses, we believe in the importance of in-person exploration by enabling students to connect with faculty, staff, students and our campus spaces. We’re cognizant that many students may discover and learn about Bucknell through our website and/or social media platforms, but we feel that enabling a student to get their ‘boots on the ground’ and visit in-person helps them to take a deeper dive in learning more about Bucknell.”
The Open House was full of events for prospective students to participate in. The day started with a welcome by the Assistant VP and Dean of Admissions, Kevin Mathes ’07. He provided an overview of the application process so that prospective students can start thinking about their application.
Associate Provost Joseph Tranquillo joined the Open House and presented Bucknell’s approach to a liberal arts education. As one of the unique features of Bucknell, the Admissions Office likes to showcase the curriculum during the Open House. Student Panels for each college were also hosted and moderated by students at multiple locations on campus. Following the panels, current Bucknell students were available to answer any questions the prospective students and families might have about Bucknell.
Students were also given the opportunity to hear from Director of Financial Aid, Erin Wolfe, who hosted a Financial Aid information session. The goal of the session was to help families of students understand the different ways to finance a Bucknell education. At the conclusion of these different presentations and panels, students and family members were led into a tour of campus with a Bucknell Admissions Ambassador.
Bucknell Admissions Ambassadors provide tours as well as logistical support for the Admissions Office. At Open Houses, these current students aid the staff by mingling and welcoming families assisting with college panels, guest speaking and the Admissions Office in many other ways outside of logistical support. Admissions Ambassadors also have the role of being a direct resource for prospective students and their families.
During the Open House, anyone could approach the Admissions Ambassadors. Students working the event during their Saturday morning provided assistance by answering questions or pointing guests in the right direction. They also gave tours of specific academic buildings such as Holmes Hall so that prospective students can better understand what classroom settings consist of at Bucknell.
Carrine Phillips shared that the Admissions Ambassadors are known around campus for the energy they bring to events such as the Open House: “Our Ambassadors bring their “’ray energy” and help to foster a welcoming sense of community that’s eager to answer questions and share why they chose Bucknell – and why they continue to love it so much!”
Admission Ambassadors enjoy running events like the Open House and showcasing their University. “I always enjoy getting to show prospective students and their families around our beautiful campus,” said PJ Whitworth ’24.
Open Houses are just one of the many events the admissions office at Bucknell offers. Students can also reach out to their admissions counselor assigned to the area they live in to ask specific questions about Bucknell. Students that are not able to visit campus in person can take a virtual tour of campus to gain a better understanding of the campus. To schedule a tour, RSVP to a future open house, or view additional admissions information regarding admissions, visit https://www.bucknell.edu/admissions-aid/admissions.
