Admitted Student Open House was held on April 22 with students, alumni, faculty, staff, and administrators accompanying the 1,831 guests that attended. A total of 817 admitted students for the class of 2021, approximately half of which were still making their college decision, participated in the event.

Associate Director of Admissions for Special Projects Jane Seaberg was responsible for organizing the event.

“By the end of Admitted Student Open House on Saturday, Admissions had received more than 40 enrollment commitments, which we believe significantly surpasses every other admitted student open house for the day-of deposits,” Seaberg said.

“When students came up to Admissions on Admitted Students Day, we rang a cowbell with a Bucknell ‘B’ on it for each student that makes their deposit,” Senior Admissions Information Coordinator Lara Schmitt said. This was done in an effort to encourage students to put down a deposit in-person during the Open House.

The morning included invitational scholar breakfasts, student-led campus tours, a meet and greet of campus services, information on financial aid, and a keynote address by University President John Bravman. The afternoon offered an opportunity for admitted students to sit in mini classes with possible future professors, attend a lunch and activities fair, and attend separate parents’ and students’ programs to get a closer look at the University.

“We got the opportunity to go in a classroom and listen to a professor talk, and I really got to see how the classroom dynamics work and it was good to be participating in that,” Olivia Martini ’21, an enrolled student from Pittsburgh, said.

The campus featured “Picture Yourself Here” sites that served for students to take a picture of themselves and put it on their social media. Bucky the Bison, the University’s mascot, greeted admitted students on campus and posed for pictures as well.

“We want students to see themselves in the possibilities,” Seaberg said.

Tour guide Allison Ward ’17 donned the Bucky costume for the day, a role she has volunteered for during past Open Houses as well.

“While the Bucky costume can get really hot and stuffy, it is so rewarding and fun to see how excited accepted students are about coming to Bucknell,” Ward said.

Admitted students also reflected on the reasons why they applied to and chose the University.

“I chose Bucknell for their overall sense of community. When I walked on campus, I just felt that I could see myself here,” Kip Hallagan ’21, an incoming student from East Greenwich High School in Rhode Island, said.

Many tour guides noted the difference they felt on the tours during Admitted Student Open House versus a tour they gave on any regular day.

“The tours [for this Open House] were different because you could talk to students in a different way because they were deciding between Bucknell and only a few other schools,” tour guide Caroline Fakharzadeh ’20 said.