Bucknell values the perspective of home-schooled students. At Bucknell, your professors become mentors as they challenge you to be an innovative, creative and active learner.
Home-schooled applicants submit the same application and testing as other students, but we require additional writing samples.
In academic year 2019-20, Bucknell began a five-year pilot program where students are not required to submit an SAT or ACT score as part of their application.
For the 2023–24 application cycle, our test-optional policy applies to all applicants, including athletes, home-schooled students and international students.
We encourage home-schooled students to enroll in a college summer program during the summer before their senior year of high school, or enroll in a college course while in high school during their junior year or first semester of their senior year.
Please note that all students who choose to enroll at Bucknell will be required to submit an SAT or ACT score before they begin their first year. If students choose not to submit SAT or ACT scores with the application, the scores will not be used in the admissions decision. However, they will be used in the assessment of the test-optional program. If you have never taken the SAT or ACT and do not have scores available, you will not be required to submit a score upon enrollment.
| Early Decision I | Nov. 15 |
| Early Decision II and Regular Decision | Jan. 15 |
Start with either the Common App or Coalition App.
Personal essays must be submitted electronically through the application website.
Pay the nonrefundable $50 application fee or request a fee waiver through the application website.
*Note: for the 2020-21 application cycle, home-schooled students may choose to be test-optional because of challenges applicants may face in taking standardized testing during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This policy change will be re-evaluated at the end of the 2020-21 application cycle.
All applicants to all of Bucknell's degree programs are required to have completed a minimum of two years of a foreign language (in the same language) in secondary school.
Note: Coursework taken prior to the 9th grade does not count toward the two-year requirement.
All applicants to all of Bucknell's degree programs are required to have completed a minimum of two and one-half years of college-preparatory mathematics.
Engineering applicants and applicants to sciences or mathematics majors are expected to have completed a minimum of three years of college-preparatory mathematics, but their secondary school programs should include as much work in mathematics as possible.
Engineering applicants are required to have one year of either chemistry or physics; however, Bucknell strongly recommends a minimum of three years of science, including chemistry and physics.
Important Dates
Early Decision I application due (CSS Profile)
Early Decision I application due (FAFSA)
Early Decision II application due (CSS Profile and FAFSA)
Regular Decision application due (CSS Profile and FAFSA)
Early Decision I deposit due
Early Decision II deposit due - early March
Regular Decision deposit due