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Applying to college may seem like one big step toward your future, but you'll be more successful — and less stressed — if you instead see that journey as dozens of smaller steps.

In the next four episodes of College Admissions Insider, Becca and Brooke will be walking you through our college planning timeline, offering a step by step action plan to take you from 9th grade through 12th grade and beyond.

Today we’ll cover tips and best practices for students who are in their first year in high school.

Read a transcript for this episode.

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email podcast@bucknell.edu.

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

• Get our official College Planning Timeline
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

https://www.bucknell.edu/admissions-aid/admissions-dates-deadlines

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If there's one thing that's always constant, it's change. Nowhere is that more true than in the field of technology. Like many industries, higher education is transforming in the midst of the newest tech revolution: Artificial intelligence.

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, we'll explore some of the ways colleges are implementing AI assistance, how that impacts the experience for students and families, and what it means for the future of higher ed.

Our guest is Emily Smith, Principal Vice President of Partner Success at CollegeVine — a company that helps colleges and universities optimize their operations with AI.

Read a transcript for this episode.

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email podcast@bucknell.edu.

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

• How to use AI in your college search
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

https://www.bucknell.edu/admissions-aid/admissions-dates-deadlines

When you visit campus for a preview session and guided tour, chat with our student ambassadors, or experience an interactive virtual tour of campus, you'll have a front-row seat as you explore this place we call home.

This combination of in-person and virtual visit offerings means you can learn more about Bucknell in the way that fits you and your family best.

We hope to see you soon — either on campus or online.

Send us a text

Submitting your application is the ultimate way you'll tell a college you want in. But that's just the end of the story. In the years before you apply, many admissions offices will be on the lookout for something called demonstrated interest.

In this episode, we talk about why demonstrated interest has become increasingly important in recent years, what counts as meaningful engagement, and what students should and shouldn't do as they try to stand out.

Our guest is Kevin Mathes '07, vice president of enrollment management and dean of admissions at Bucknell University.

Read a transcript for this episode.

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email podcast@bucknell.edu.

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

• Find your Bucknell admissions counselor
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

https://www.bucknell.edu/admissions-aid/admissions-dates-deadlines

Send us a text

The application is the main way colleges and universities get to know you as an applicant. But it's not the only way. At some schools, students are invited to share their story in-person through an admissions interview.

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, we'll learn why interviews are valuable in the admissions process, what you can do to practice and prepare, and how building interviewing skills can benefit you in the future.

Our guest is Alison Slater, founder of Interview Prep, which provides personalized coaching for high school students to help them make the most of college interviews. (Use code BUCKNELL10 for 10% off coaching booked in 2025.)

Read a transcript for this episode.

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email podcast@bucknell.edu.

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

• Get interview tips and prep resources
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

https://www.bucknell.edu/admissions-aid/admissions-dates-deadlines

Send us a text

For some students, college is just a short drive away. For others, it means crossing time zones, states or even coasts.

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, we’re diving into what it’s really like to attend a college far from home. From culture shock to homesickness to learning how to fly solo (literally and figuratively), we’re sharing stories and insights that can help you decide just how far you’re willing — or excited — to go.

Our guests are Bucknell students Clara Carroll, a senior from Sacramento, Calif., and Terian Williams, a sociology major originally from Atlanta. Both have first-hand experience navigating college life far from home, and they’re here to talk travel, campus life, friendships and how going the distance helped them grow.

🎙️ In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• How Clara and Terian approached their college searches and landed at Bucknell.
• What it’s like to make cross-country moves — and the family conversations behind them.
• The travel logistics and support available to far-from-home students.
• How students stay connected to family while building community on campus.
• Cultural surprises, homesickness and the unexpected joys of a new environment.
• The financial and emotional considerations of attending college far from home.
• Why going outside your comfort zone might be the key to discovering your full potential.

Whether you’re considering schools nearby or nationwide, this episode offers candid advice and plenty of encouragement for students ready to explore beyond their hometowns.

Read a transcript for this episode.

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email podcast@bucknell.edu.

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

• Get to know Lewisburg, Pa.
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

https://www.bucknell.edu/admissions-aid/admissions-dates-deadlines

Send us a text

For some students, their dream school might be right down the road. While for others, it's a road trip, train or plane ride away.

On today's episode of College Admissions Insider, we'll talk about attending school far from home, what that means for your college search, and more importantly, your college experience.

Our guest is with my colleague Cameron Walsh, a regional associate director of admissions at Bucknell.

Read a transcript for this episode

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email podcast@bucknell.edu.

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

• Get to know Lewisburg, Pa.
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

https://www.bucknell.edu/admissions-aid/admissions-dates-deadlines

Send us a text

When so much of the college search is about what you'll do during university, it can be easy to push off what comes after until, well, after.

But knowing what graduates go on to accomplish can be a powerful tool when deciding which schools are on your list. In this episode of College Admissions Insider, we're diving into outcomes.

We'll discover how universities manage and share outcomes data, the best time to start thinking about careers, how parents and families can best support their students' post-graduate goals and more.

Our guest is Pam Keiser, executive director of career services at Bucknell.

Read a transcript for this episode

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email podcast@bucknell.edu.

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

• Dig into Bucknell's outcomes
• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

https://www.bucknell.edu/admissions-aid/admissions-dates-deadlines

When you visit campus for a preview session and guided tour, chat with our student ambassadors, or experience an interactive virtual tour of campus, you'll have a front-row seat as you explore this place we call home.

This combination of in-person and virtual visit offerings means you can learn more about Bucknell in the way that fits you and your family best.

We hope to see you soon — either on campus or online.

Send us a text

Whether you're just now thinking about college or have been visiting campuses for months, there's a step in the college process that all students arrive at: Building a college list.

With thousands of colleges and universities in the U.S., choosing the ones you'd like to attend can feel like a tall order. Good news is you don't have to do it alone.

In this episode of College Admissions Insider, we'll discuss how to find schools that match your interests, how to organize the colleges that make your list, how parents can play a supporting role and more.

Our guest is Stacey Hewitt, a school counselor at Downingtown STEM Academy in eastern Pennsylvania.

Read a transcript for this episode

If you have a question, comment or idea for a future episode, email podcast@bucknell.edu.

Please note: Information presented in this episode was accurate at the time of recording, but may have since changed. Participants may have changed roles or no longer hold positions at Bucknell University.

Links:

• Info about applying to Bucknell
• Application dates and deadlines
• Plan a visit to Bucknell
• @iamraybucknell, our student-run Instagram
• Build a Bucknell Custom Viewbook
• Latest news for prospective students
• Bucknell Virtual Welcome Center

https://www.bucknell.edu/admissions-aid/admissions-dates-deadlines