<p>Would love to hear from students or parents who love BU and why! My daughter is accepted into SHA and plans to attend. Seems so many posts are often about negatives, which are helpful as well. Would love to hear the postives as well.</p>
<ol>
<li>Great city. Not overwhelming, but a tremendous amount of life and activity. (I live around the corner from BU.) Very safe, lots of character, great museums - the MFA, for example, is free on weekdays to BU students. A zillion restaurants, movie theatres, etc.</li>
<li>Lots of other students, like over 100,000 more. You can meet kids from other schools. You can date them. You can have a social life that extends past your school.</li>
<li>Solid education. My impression is that BU believes in teaching and testing. </li>
<li>SHA is very small, with lots of connections in the hospitality industry.</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks Lergnom! We live in the Midwest so we know very few people with first hand expererience. Interestingly it seems people mainly comment on Boston itself rather than the actual school experience or student body for such an expensive school.</p>
<p>I'm from Michigan.</p>
<p>The reason is at least threefold. First, being in the heart of Boston is, like being in the heart of NYC, a big deal, especially relative to most parts and almost every other city. This is urban life, not suburban, not car-oriented, not shopping center oriented. I know people from the midwest who feel uncomfortable in the business of Back Bay or the corner of Harvard Ave in Allston or Harvard Square because they associate business and crowds with special events or even potential danger. Even going to the movies in the Fenway on a Saturday night when the streets are jammed is an out-of-the-ordinary experience for most Americans.</p>
<p>Second, most colleges or universities talk about their campus or their school spirit or prestige or the town. BU does not have UNC's Chapel Hill campus. Not every kid wears BU shirts like they're uniforms. With Harvard and MIT in literal spitting distance, it's kind of hard to put on airs. </p>
<p>Third, BU is a big school, but it's broken up into many colleges. Each college has a different academic experience. You can't generalize to SHA from CAS or ENG.</p>
<p>Thanks again Lergnom-The location and the SHA school are definitely big plusses in our book. And we are city people, so the crowds and all the energy that go into it are attributes as well. I have just been interested that rarely do people comment on the school or programs as much as the location is all. Other diverse big schools still get that rabid love-it reaction, but the vibe I get from BU is less intense. We are still sold on it and look forward to visiting again for Open House.</p>