I have enjoyed @ShootForTheMoon commentary about CGS and his opinions were a valuable asset in our family’s discussions when my daughter decided to apply 4 years ago.
She is now graduating in 5 weeks and has many career opportunities ahead of here. A little about that at the end of this post.
When my daughter was looking at colleges her focus was Boston, she fell in love with the city visiting me when I traveled to my office there. To her “it felt like home” which was the theme of her essay for the school in answering the prompt “why Boston?” Were else did she look? Babson, Brandies, Bentley< BC (ever wonder why there are so many B names schools there?) as well as Tufts and Brandeis. ( others as well in PA and VA_where her brother attended W&M)
Her heart was set on BU, but her test scores were not. She has severe test anxiety and her highest was a 25 in ACT -yes you can get into BU with a 25 and do well. (She was AP in several classes, NHS, French Honor Society and stated a Environmental Science club- not a slacker at all) ranked top 3rd of a very competitive school. So BU is for sure holistic (at least CGS is) in their approach
She (like her brother before her) was all over the map, Environmental science (she’s a repressed hippie), Communications (PR) and many more. She is my baby girl and I wanted her to attend school in a rural campus atmosphere where you can walk home after staying at the library (party) late and feel safe Anyway we visited the school every time she came up to Boston and checked in (4-5 times) went to local events in Philly. I was still pushing her to other schools until I saw on the BU website this hidden little gem called CGS.
Why a gem? I knew my daughter did not really have any idea at 17 what interested her from a career perspective. I am a big believer in liberal arts core for your first entry into college to feel out what you want to do. W&M is the same way as well a many of the Ivy’s where you enter the college before you enter the school where your major resides. That and the smaller intimate class sizes, cohort model that allowed her to make friends without feeling as an outsider. She went in thinking COM ( took COM 101 and said it was stupid -sorry Shoot) Then Environmental Science, then Speech therapy and then finally (we thought) Psy, then finally (yes dual major ) public health.
We requested an interview with someone at CGS to find out more and we got to meet the then dean, nice touch for a big school to take the time to chat at that level. Again my angst was appeased. ( My son go the same thing at W&M but by the president - small schools FTW.). She had another half hour 1:1, don’t; know what was said, but they did go over her qualifications and how intense BU is, to make sure she would be ready. well she was, after that trip, she announced BU was her dream school and applied direct to BU CGS early decision, trying to make her dream come true, she stacked the deck against me ( and my bank account)
A side note W&M just adopted the same integrative approach as CGS in their core across the entire student population, and I have heard from other parents of recent admission seekers a few others schools are doing that as well.
Her essay in response to “why CGS?” was about decisions, choices and college decision angst and how “there is a place for me!” who wants so much out of college and needs direction to get there. It made me cry.
Well she cried when she got in ( and my bank balance screamed) I frankly did not believe she had a chance when looking at others who had applied. There were still some bad parts, her roommates were all exceptionally bright, going to Grad school at Columbia and Georgetown and that worried her. She had to work very hard and she made me proud (Even in CGS BU is not a cakewalk no matter how bright the student is and definitely does have grade deflation but apparently grad schools know this) but she felt renewed confidence that i saw in her essays and then cover letters for jobs.
In her major she did 3.1 overall. She has done to internships her recent one is a Mt Sinai, Harvard Deaconess and had her research project selected for a presentation at a student seminar at Harvard. She was also President of an organization. She studied in the UK for a summer, selected to the CGS program there.
Pro-tip, UK summer is CHEAPER than the same classes in Boston including living there and airfare!!! She also got ahead and ended her last year with only 3 classes a term, allowed for 2 internships.
And now she is gong to University of Pennsylvania to work as a research assistant for a famous professor there, and will attend the School of Public Health Part-time (for free) to start.Good for her because her parents do not pay for children’s grad school ( and my retirement could not afford Northwestern and Penn for sure)
I wanted to share my Daughter’s journey, not just because I am immensely proud, but I know what parents are going through and let others know CGS can be an wonderful opportunity.