Can anyone list some pros and cons about Boston College? My S is trying to make the final decision in the next few days as many are!! Thank you!!
He was accepted into the Carroll School of Management.
Here’s how I see them given my limited knowledge:
Pro:
- Strong academics and academic rep
- Strong student body
- Lovely campus
- Greater Boston location
- Good sports scene and healthy social scene overall
- Mostly upbeat/mainstream student body
- Not trying to game the USNews ranking
Con (for some…):
- Boston winter weather
- Distance from Boston (the city)/inconvenience in getting there
- Crunchy kids might find it too preppy/sporty/mainstream
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BC is a Catholic Jesuit school. That can be a pro or con depending on the student. If the student values a Jesuit education, whether he is Catholic or not, it is a pro. If he will be bothered by crucifixes in the classroom or seeing the occasional Jesuit on campus, then it is a con.
It’s one of those schools that seems to be able to walk the fine line between too much and too little. Enrollment is big enough so that students don’t see same people every day, but not so big students will feel overwhelmed. It has grad programs, so faculty is engaged in research, but undergrads don’t feel neglected. Campus straddles Boston/Newton line, so Boston is right there, but campus is very safe and peaceful. Has big-time sports, but they don’t dominate. Academic quality is there, but not to the point where students don’t have time for anything but studying. Religious events are available, but aren’t forced on anybody. Theology classes are required, but often have philosophical, historical, or psychological focus.
Housing not guaranteed all 4 years.
A large portion of freshman live on Newton campus and have to take a shuttle to the main campus - This can be seen as a pro or con. It’s slightly inconvenient and it separates you from the rest of the freshman class, but it can also be seen as community building for the group that is there.
Difficult to switch into other schools
The Jesuits do education well
One big “pro” for your list is the hiring last week of a new AD,
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/college/2017/04/bc_introduces_young_energetic_ad_martin_jarmond - this is a big & important hire.
The new Recreation Center will be finished in 2 summers.
And you probably know that CSOM has excellent faculty and programs.
Good luck with the decision!
Where do the kids generally hang out? We took a tour and saw a couple of dorms, but the ones we saw didn’t have a room with a big tv or game tables, etc.
@tennispilot Almost every dorm has a TV lounge and a study lounge, at least. Some are hidden in the basement or the top floor. In fact, I’m pretty sure Kostka Hall is getting renovated this summer and then ALL dorms will have lounges.
Besides that, when it’s still nice out, people sit outside on the lawns. When it isn’t nice out, you can find people in the dining halls or hanging out in their rooms with friends. Upper campus also has the O’Connell House in the middle of it, which has game tables, movie rentals, a dance studio, and a grand piano.
Pro: CSOM is really good. The kids have a lot of job opportunities with job fairs coming to campus.
Con: If you are not interested in business, nursing, or teaching, it is very difficult to find good support. For example, although BC has pre-med advisers, it does not really help pre-med students.
He chose the state school cause it was less expensive but still looks back at BC–really preferred BC!! Thinking of transferring but–it’s STILL significantly more expensive…
boseownr-
If your kid is interested in finance, economics, or marketing, I honestly think transferring is the way to go. Brand name matters a lot in these concentrations and CSOM will get your son exposure to jobs that a MA state school cannot (MA state schools are generally ranked very low). If he ever wants to go back for an MBA, it will look better as well (assuming that grades are similar).
For concentrations such as accounting or IT, it won’t matter so much.
Biggest downside would be cost. BC is a pretty expensive school.
The OP would have decided by last May 1.