<p>It is that time of year again - the time when the EA applicants are anxiously awaiting their decisions, the time when RD applicants are getting their applications together, etc. You guys are probably a little nervous, perhaps even a little intimidated, by the entire application process. </p>
<p>But, remember, I was in your shoes last year, and I received a fair bit of advice from the Internet on college affairs, so I thought that I should return the favor by starting a thread for all of you prospective BC applicants out there to ask questions. A few things to consider before asking me a question, however:</p>
<ol>
<li>I am a CSOMer, so I am much less informed about academics in the School of Education, the School of Nursing, etc. But, this does mean that I know quite a few things about CSOM, however.</li>
<li>I live at home, so I know very little about the dorm life matters.</li>
</ol>
<p>But, beyond these possible factors that may stump me from answering your questions comprehensively, I consider myself reasonably knowledgeable about BC (I attend this school, after all!)</p>
<p>If any other Eagles want to jump in and answer questions, feel free to do so. I am not 100% knowledgeable on everything, so some questions may be better answered by others on this message board.</p>
<p>hey thanks for doing this! I am an RD applicant to CSOM. my questions are:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>what do you think of your classes overall? challenging? do students really try hard in them? are academics the priority for most students? good or bad professors? </p></li>
<li><p>how true is the BC stereotype of the rich white good looking catholic kid? are students friendly and down to earth?</p></li>
<li><p>I have heard BC is big on partying. how true is this? are there a lot of… let’s say… alcoholics… on campus?</p></li>
<li><p>how are the facilities, food, etc? where do most students hang out when not in class?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>sorry for the double post, but I took too long to edit my post. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>1) The CSOM classes are definitely challenging. Through my time here, I’ve learned much about business management. I (finance) have had courses in financial accounting, computers in management, finance, etc. and have learned a great deal. There are some BS courses that I took including managerial accounting (slept through most classes and got an A). Overall, the CSOM classes are challenging, but that may be skewed with the professor you take (obviously some are better lecturers/graders/etc. than others). As for A&S classes, some of them are worth taking. Coming from a public high school, I had to adapt to a new mindset when taking classes like perspectives. The A&S core is much like what you take in high school (english, math, science, language, history, arts, etc.) and therefore may not be as challenging for you since most of the material will be review. </p>
<p>The students at BC obviously care about their grades. It would be idiotic to not care, but there isn’t a cut-throat atmosphere like there is at some of the other business schools around the country. Students are willing to help each other when help is needed especially in classes. While academics is a priority for the vast majority of students, you will find your share of students who do not care as much as you do.</p>
<p>The professors I’ve had have been great for the most part. As with every university, you’ll have your good and bad professors, but I think the ratio weighs heavily towards the good side. You will probably find out, the professor you choose has a lot to do with the time you register for classes. I’ve by and large have had excellent registration times, hence I get most of the professors I want. </p>
<p>2) There are a whole bunch of rich with catholic students on campus, but you’ll probably see the same thing at many other top universities in the country (minus the catholic part). Students here, though rich and preppy, are probably not as “stuck up” as you might think. There are very few students who think they’re too good to talk to you, although you will find some in your experience at BC. Students are easy to talk to and very helpful when help is needed. </p>
<p>3) BC is big on partying, but probably not as hardcore as some of the other universities. The lack of Greek life I think helps to quell this a bit. You’ll find plenty of people who love to party and plenty of people who don’t party or drink alcohol. I personally don’t drink alcohol and have surrounded myself with friends who do not tend to drink excessively. </p>
<p>4) BC’s facilities are top notch. The majority of the academic buildings are up to date technologically and all of them are clean. Although I’m not a science person, the science/research buildings look up to date, but take my words with a grain of salt. The food here is not good, but not bad either. I’ve had worse food at other universities. So comparatively, BC’s food is significantly better than some universities, but you’re not going to get a gourmet, home-cooked meal anytime soon. Common hang out spots are in Fulton Hall(business school), McElroy Commons, Corcoran, the Rat, and the Plex. I’m sure there are more, but those are the places that initially come to mind. </p>
<p>Miragemage: Yeah, I actually wrote a Letter to the Editor a few weeks after that article was published in The Heights (which actually got published) claiming that they got their facts wrong and that commuter students are still around and kicking. There are actually a few freshmen commuter students around - I know another one besides myself who also commutes to and from school from Hyde Park.</p>
<p>As for Ny0rker’s questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Classes are mixed, but there are no real “easy” classes. There are classes that will challenge you. For example, I took a class called “First Year Writing Seminar” this semester and the instructor pushed us hard to ensure that we were revising our papers properly - not just for grammar/spelling, but also for structural and logical flaws. (I only got a B+ on my midterm portfolio.) Other classes, like CSOM’s ethics class, “Portico” require a little less effort. (Almost no one gets a C in that class on any assignment, it seems.) As for study habits, the kids here sure study hard. I was in the library today, and it was packed with people studying for finals. I could barely find space for myself.</p></li>
<li><p>The school is indeed dominated by white Catholic kids, but most of them are down to earth and are very friendly. No one cares about what you are wearing or how much money your family has. The school is not necessarily a rich kid’s school either, though there are quite a few people paying the full $54,000 ride. There are plenty of people on financial aid in some form or another, as evidenced by the mere fact that 60%+ of students at BC are on financial aid.</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t live on campus, so I am not so qualified to answer this question. Certainly, there are parties going on. But I daresay that the party culture is barely comparable to the party culture at state schools, however. As for drinking, I had a professor who once polled the entire class on drinking habits. Almost everyone raised their hands when she asked, “Who here drinks on campus?” So, yeah, drinking is a big thing on this campus.</p></li>
<li><p>The grounds are well-kept; there is always soap and paper towels in every bathroom, and the wastebins are emptied several times a day. So, yes, the facilities are well-maintained. I don’t eat on campus, so I can’t say much about the quality of the food - but most people say that it’s merely “okay.” As for “hanging out” on campus, people hang out almost anywhere. Personally, I spend most of my time in between classes in either O’Neil (the main library on campus) or Fulton, home of the business school (where they have those nice long benches in every hallway to recline on!)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>How was the process after your acceptance? Did you have any say in your roommate? Did you attend any of the orientation-like sessions before moving in? Was the transition to BC smooth and well facilitated?</p>
<p>A few days after I paid my deposit, I immediately received a working email account, among other things. Over the next few weeks, I received my pre-orientation materials and stuff. It all arrived in an orderly fashion. Nothing was missing as far as I was concerned.</p>
<p>From what I heard back then, people did have a say in what roommates they wanted to have (a lot of people used Facebook to find potential roommates), but it was not guaranteed. I took my name off the housing lottery, so I never saw the housing form, so I am not quite sure.</p>
<p>I attended my orientation last June. It was a two night stay in one of the dorms on Lower Campus, filled with activities and listening to speeches and stuff. It was pretty fun and I met quite a few people. And yes, attending an orientation session is required for one to properly matriculate. </p>
<p>Overall, my transition was pretty smooth. But granted, I was attending college barely 3 miles away from my house, and on top of that, I was commuting, too. So, obviously my transition was far smoother than say, someone attending BC from the other side of the country.</p>
<p>There is a cemetery adjacent the Brighton Campus. There are also a couple of golf courses and country clubs within a five mile radius of the school. But… given BC’s proximity to surburbia, there aren’t too many interesting locales around here (and I’ve lived in Brighton my entire life.)</p>
<p>But, Boston is absolutely wonderful, though. Go into the city sometime if you attend this school. I feel that most students rarely ever visit the city.</p>
<p>any negatives or things that have irked you while at school? students don’t get loud enough and drunk during the night to disturb others in the dorm, right?</p>
<p>Well, I don’t live in the dorms, so I can’t say. </p>
<p>Stuff that has irked me at BC? Lack of support for commuter students like myself and the hit and miss advising. But, otherwise, it has been fine so far.</p>
<p>Hey, I am a freshman now too. I would be willing to answer any questions also. I live on campus if you have any questions about dorms, residential life, social life or anything else you’d like to know about.</p>
<p>I remember threads like these helped when I was deciding. I am in Arts and Sciences, so I can try to answer questions about academics also.</p>
<p>sorry this is a pretty simple question-
did u apply early, and if so, which day did you find out?</p>
<p>oh, also, what is your comment on the description of bc as a “j.crew catalogue with a hangover”?
i know bc is preppy but i thought drinking was not prevalent on campus…</p>
<ol>
<li><p>what do you think of your classes overall? challenging? do students really try hard in them? are academics the priority for most students? good or bad professors?</p></li>
<li><p>how true is the BC stereotype of the rich white good looking catholic kid? are students friendly and down to earth?</p></li>
<li><p>I have heard BC is big on partying. how true is this? are there a lot of… let’s say… alcoholics… on campus?</p></li>
<li><p>how are the facilities, food, etc? where do most students hang out when not in class?</p></li>
<li><p>So far my classes have been decent. Some are really similar to high school, some took a while to get used to, but it really depends on what school you’re in, and what classes you’re taking. I went to a really small high school, so at first it took me a while to get used to big classes, but so far I have found that as long as you do the work and go to class you should be fine.</p></li>
<li><p>I definitely understand that stereotype, there is always some truth behind a stereotype. Yeah, there are a lot of white rich Catholic people here, but it is like that at a lot of top schools. Once you actually get here, you will start to meet tons of different types of people. It may not seem like it at first, but there are tons of different types.</p></li>
<li><p>Yeah, BC is big on partying like many schools are. Like xx5xx said, there is no greek life which changes things. A lot of the partying is off campus or in the mods, which are senior housing. If you don’t party, you can definitely find thing to do. Being close to Boston is amazing, you will never be bored.</p></li>
<li><p>Overall, the food is good. Not amazing, but good enough. It can be hit or miss, but after a while you will figure out the good things to get. Some dining halls are definitely better than others. (For example, I think Lower is the best for dinner, Hillside is the best for lunch). When not in class, students usually hang out in the dining halls (there are hangout areas in them, a lot of people also do work), there are some little cafes around, and a lot of the buildings have lounges.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Kay- "did u apply early, and if so, which day did you find out?</p>
<p>oh, also, what is your comment on the description of bc as a “j.crew catalogue with a hangover”?
i know bc is preppy but i thought drinking was not prevalent on campus…"</p>
<p>I applied regular decision, found out in April.
Haha yes, I have heard that before, people joke about it. People are definitely well dressed here, but not everyone is preppy at all. I don’t think there are many preppy people, other schools must have more. Drinking is pretty popular, but if you want to you can avoid it. A lot of freshmen get caught up in the partying thing because they think everyone else is doing it, but if you want you can find other things to do. Drinking is pretty hard to avoid at any college.</p>
<p>I am a student at BC as well (senior in CSOM).
Here are my thoughts on the questions that have been asked.</p>
<ol>
<li>what do you think of your classes overall? challenging? do students really try hard in them? are academics the priority for most students? good or bad professors?</li>
</ol>
<p>Overall I have liked a majority of my classes. I did not find my philosophy and theology classes to be too interesting but I wouldn’t coming in. Depending on what classes and professors you take classes may be easy or hard. I have had several outstanding teachers who have been very challenging but very fair at the same time. No professor is out to get you. They actually do care about your development both personally and academically which I was surprised with. I think there is a good split between those students who study a ton and those who find they don’t need to.</p>
<ol>
<li>how true is the BC stereotype of the rich white good looking catholic kid? are students friendly and down to earth?</li>
</ol>
<p>I would say almost all students are not stuck up and are pretty down to earth.</p>
<ol>
<li>I have heard BC is big on partying. how true is this? are there a lot of… let’s say… alcoholics… on campus?</li>
</ol>
<p>Like people have mentioned, most schools are party schools and BC is not an exception. If you do not like drinking that is fine though. I didn’t drink my first two years in college and still managed to have a great time here.</p>
<ol>
<li>how are the facilities, food, etc? where do most students hang out when not in class?</li>
</ol>
<p>Some buildings are pretty old but I believe the new plan is to update many of these buildings. The food is not terrible but is pretty much the same all the time (most colleges are like this though I think). The student gym could use some work as there are not a ton of machines and crowds build during peak times. They are planning to revamp this though. When students are not in class they will be attending sporting events, hanging out in their dorms, bars off campus, or some of the dining halls.</p>
<p>How was the process after your acceptance? Did you have any say in your roommate? Did you attend any of the orientation-like sessions before moving in? Was the transition to BC smooth and well facilitated?</p>
<p>I don’t really remember the process to be honest. I know you have a choice of picking your roommate or being randomly assigned. I did go to the orientation and thought they did a good job with it.</p>
<p>Some Negatives</p>
<p>I think the academic advising could use some help. You have to be a little more proactive than I would have wanted to be.</p>
<p>Hopefully this was helpful. If you have any other questions let me know.</p>
<p>About partying: I definitely think BC falls into the “work hard, play hard” mentality. As a freshmen, who never really drank in high school, I started drinking here and you kind of get used to seeing stumbling people punching in their codes to get in their rooms. </p>
<p>However, there seem to be a good amount of people who don’t drink; a few of the girls on my floor don’t and they are the most fun at parties. It’s all who you hang out with; if they NEED to party then you’ll notice a lot of drinking.</p>
<p>Regardless, I would say take a weekend off, go into Boston, hang out with friends and watch movies. Partying doesn’t need to happen every weekend and unfortunately, for some, I think the culture around BC might suggest that.</p>