<p>Im from northern florida and was recently accepted to both BU and UF. Considering that cost is irrelevant, which school has a better academic reputation? Im going to be majoring in economics btw...</p>
<p>If cost doesn't matter, I would would pick BU. Reasoning: 1. Boston seems like a much better place to live (more to do and see) 2. possibility of taking classes at Harvard 3. the program seems higher ranked (at least the grad program does).</p>
<p>I would have to agree with ASMAJ. Boston area is college student paradise: 200k+ students spread out over a large metropolitan area that goes from the bucolic to the high-tech. If cost is irrelevant and you don't mind the crude winters, go for it.</p>
<p>Surprised you Gators are selling your own school short...UF is ranked higher undergrad overall...as well as in undergrad and graduate business than BU.</p>
<p>UF academics might have an edge over BU, but Boston>>>Gainesville</p>
<p>UF is barely ranked higher than BU in undergrad. At that point the ranking is irrelevant. So... don't even talk about that. </p>
<p>You just need to assess which place is a better fit for you. Boston is a big plus.</p>
<p>Boston being >> Gainesville is very subjective. Very. Is weather a factor? Are big-time college sports? Is crime? BU isn't exactly in the best part of Boston either. As someone that went to school in Boston, I would pick Gainesville...but I realize that Boston can be awesome for some people...so it is true the OP needs to weigh the pluses and minuses and figure out what is best for them.</p>
<p>If money wasn't the deciding factor and you can deal with the long harsh winters then I would choose BU. My daughter, faced with the same choice though (she got into BU School of Management), chose UF. She realized that she really was a Florida girl who did not want to be cold. She has never regretted her decision. I went to Boston U for undergrad and then lived in the Boston area for 10 years post. My husband went to MIT. Boston was and still is a fabulous place to be. Approximately one in five people (between Sept and May) are college age!
The entire city and suburbs are accessible via public transportation. There is so much to see and do. College sports is practically non existent at BU though...didn't bother me any but some of the die hard tailgaters would miss that. It is is a descent section of Boston which has been redone since I lived there twenty years or so ago. We go back and visit almost yearly since many of our friends still are in the area. We LOVE BOSTON. Make a list for yourself as rogracer said and then decide what is most important to you. I will say one more thing for Boston, having the opportunity to mingle in town with students from about 20 or so other fine colleges and universities was wonderful. We do love UF and our Gators but there is a more intellectual atmosphere in Boston (as opposed to Gainesville).</p>
<p>UF is what it is. Check out this link:</p>
<p>University</a> of Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</p>
<p>I'd give the slight edge to UF is you want to live in the south.</p>
<p>I always thought BU had more national rep, no?</p>
<p>Anyways if cost isn't a factor, I'd choose Boston over Gainesville in a heartbeat. There's nothing wrong the occasional football game and party, but Boston is a real, vibrant city with things to do that don't involve the typical college scene.</p>
<p>UF has a higher peer assessment score, but is about even with BU in street credibility. </p>
<p>I would also like to add that I think UF's peer assessment score is vastly underrated. Most of the Dean's who are filling out these surveys barely know how to use the internet. It's just going to take time for perceptions to change.</p>
<p>Am I the only one who would PREFER to live in Gainesville over a crowded city? Heck, if I were chosing IVYs, Id take Cornell or Dartmouth 100X over Columbia or Brown.</p>
<p>No, Tom, you're not the only one...as I mentioned in my earlier post. I spent most of my young adult life in Boston, including grad school...and I grew pretty tired of it. Great city...and I certainly understand why people want to experience it....but having grown up there, all the negatives (and there are many) eventually grind you down...and I'd had enough. I'd pick the weather and college-town experience offered by Gainseville now.</p>
<p>The problem is that the best & brightest Floridians feel that UF is an entitlement to them. Their had previously been a culture of medicority within the student body and everyone thought we were just a Southern Football School.</p>
<p>The shift really started to happen in the 1970's when the South Florida kids started being admitted in droves, and President Lombardi truly made everyone buy into the notion that this institution is truly a National Research University (early 90's). FYI: UF was tied for the 29th overall best public back when Lombardi first came in, and in 2007 we were the 13th overall best public and the trend is just going to keep getting better as the population increases.</p>
<p>Flash-forward to 2008, and we still have that culture clash within the University. As each year goes by the University makes more progress into being a National Academic Powerhouse.</p>
<p>Yes, UF will always have some of the Southern Charm & Tradition, but the Research is really starting to heat up, and the diversity is really changing this Flagship University for the better. </p>
<p>But make no mistake: The future is so bright for UF that we will all have to wear shades...</p>