So I was just recently accepted into BU’s CGS program in London for January 2021.
I had saw from previous threads that the program was a joke, while others found it really
helpful in finding what major they wanted. For me, I know what major I want to pursue (political science) but I was wondering if there is any way to appeal my application to start in Fall of 2020 instead?
Because I know it is better than being rejected, waitlisted, etc., but I also was not told that the program started second semester and it seems inconvenient for what I plan to eventually do.
Hey,
I’m literally on the same boat as you right now (same major, same situation). From what I’ve heard thus far, if you look on the BU website, there isn’t a way to appeal the decision to start in the fall instead. But if someone could explain what this program means and how they select the students for this program, that would be great!
@zafchardonnay If you are admitted to CGS it means that for whatever reason BU determined that you didn’t qualify for admission to your preferred major. Most of the time it would be due to low SAT/ACT scores and/or low GPA for that program. You are correct that there is no appeal.
@TomSrOfBoston Thanks! That’s still quite interesting because my GPA was pretty much the same as the average Freshman class GPA. On top of that my ACT score was 35, which is fairly decent. Any other possibility maybe?
@TomSrOfBoston Yeah man I visited campus and made it clear that BU was where I wanted to be, especially in the supplementals. I applied for the Trustee Scholarship too. I don’t really know man, I guess anything is a possibility… Thanks though!
From all of the other forums I’ve read, the CGS opportunity seems like a really good one. Not at all a soft rejection or a “joke”. Look more into the other forums and past alumni’s experiences. They are very positive!
@TomSrOfBoston my son’s GPA was 4.0 uw and 4.74 w and ACT was 34, top 2 %, first time taking it. Interesting that those could be considered low. We visited campus and applied for scholarships so not sure how else he could have demonstrated interest. He has some good other options (including a Presidential Scholarship) so BU does not seem likely.
My daughter also applied to CAS but checked CGS as well. With a 4.1 GPA, 5s on APs, 1430 SAT, good extra curriculars, volunteer, work experience, summer language intensive abroad and letters of rec–I don’t feel her stats are low. I actually think this program sounds great. She is interested in a wholistic LAC experience as well and indicated that in her application as well as a desire to go abroad. I’m not sure what the reputation of the program used to be, but it seems to me that the stats of the kids I’m seeing accepted are impressive and varied. I think it sounds like a unique opportunity and she is strongly considering it.
That’s exactly the reason. BU really takes interest into account, so if a student truly wanted to attend they would happily consider the Boston-London program. However, these “other options” show that he wasn’t truly considering BU as a top.
@elhw25, That is completely not true. He wants to start school in the fall. Any student that does not take into account both the college’s program and the price and scholarships is either wealthy or lacks critical thinking skills in my opinion. I can’t see saying to any college I will take whatever you offer me at any price even if I cannot start college with my peers, but if there are people with that kind of blind allegiance to each their own. I work with a BU alumnus. He liked his experience but noted the high cost and said he was only able to go there due to the aid he received. College is a huge investment of time and money and one’s top choice should be based on the best fit for the student’s needs compared to what the college is offering them.
I also just looked through some other forums and it seems like that some schools (including Northeastern) also do this when they have limited dorm space (for some reason). So ultimately, I think it was kind of just a crap shoot regardless of whether a person had a good GPA/test score or not.
Ok. In your comment you didn’t imply that the start term was the main reason that your son wasn’t interested, it sounded as if you were seeing CGS as a bad option as your son’s stats were high. I also never said he would blindly attend, but merely consider the program. Concern for money was also not really mentioned in that specific comment, so I’m sorry, it was just a misconception.
@lys2019 I have not seen recent admission stats for CGS but in the past their SAT/ACT and GPA’s were significantly lower than the stats for the other programs at BU.
It’s important to note that there is more to an application than stats… in the past, the difference was only to help increase rank on US News. However, the students themselves were no less credible to be accepted.
@krystalqiao Thank you for your really helpful input on this discussion, I really learned a lot from your response. I’m currently in the process of committing to BU right now because of this comment.
@bubbles1239876 if you still have questions about the program definitely feel free to contact CGS via email. They can put you in touch with current students and you can ask any questions you may have. You can also attend an online open house or follow CGS on Instagram to chat with current students and advisors on certain days. The CGS website (bu.edu/cgs) has tons of helpful information.