What do you plan on majoring in? That makes a huge difference, re: alumni network. But I can tell you for entertainment, the alumni network is substantial. BU alum are all over all the major media conglomerates, especially Comcast/NBCU and CBS. A majority of BU film & TV majors end up in Los Angeles working in the industry. I was a journalism major, and ended up in LA working in TV anyway. I didn’t use my alumni connections to get a job, but once I was here, it’s been awesome that a LOT of the top executives at my company (NBC) are BU alum. The Hollywood Reporter did an article on it recently, focused on women: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/boston-university-hollywoods-secret-female-755053 BU has strong footing in other industries, as well, many of which also have a SoCal presence, but the entertainment industry is the most obvious. BU has an LA office location, as well as somewhat frequent alumni events. I’ve felt more strongly networked to BU out here than when I lived in Boston post-graduation.
School spirit is a special animal at BU. It’s not the way you think of it for say USC or UCLA. There’s no football team or lifelong dedication to/association with school colors, though a subset of students really get into hockey spirit (and get Boston Terriers as pets after school XD). If you’re not into that, you can choose not to get into it–I like that at BU there’s no one overwhelming school culture; you’re able to find your own social groups and do your own thing. But there’s definitely a BU solidarity that sticks with you after graduation. I feel a real affinity with anyone who went to BU, and I’m relentlessly positive/glowing in terms of talking about how much I loved going to BU and how it changed my life. You can run into another BU kid and have an automatic shorthand, inside jokes/references, frame of reference… it’s nice.
I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the size of BU, though I’m a city kid that really likes large environments. That said, I didn’t come from an overly large high school–it was about the size of yours. BU has a ton of micro communities–within schools (COM, ENG, SMG, etc.) and majors, as well as housing communities. So my COM class only had about 450 people in it, and I lived for several years in German House, which only had 26 residents. My JO major itself had about 100 majors and we weren’t all in the same classes–so I was in courses with only 20 or so fellow students. If you make an effort to talk to your professors, go to the office for help, etc. you end up on a name basis with people and it feels inclusive. I joined the school newspaper which was its own niche. I became an RA and became a part of that sub-community, too. Some of the larger majors, especially within CAS, it can be harder to get that smaller feel especially in lower level courses (the ones taught in auditoriums with 400 kids, etc.), but as you move up in your major, the classes get more specialized & small. I knew all the faculty in my German minor, for example.
I went from Georgia to Boston, which isn’t as extreme as California, but it’s doable! The key thing is having the right gear. If you face a Boston winter without a good coat, shoes, hat… you will be miserable. But if you have the right winter wear, you just get used to it. Don’t bother buying anything in SoCal–you can’t really buy anything that will be hardcore enough for Boston (not even hoodies)–but once you’re there, you can shop local, or order online from New England companies that specialize in this stuff. My go-to was Land’s End–great wool coats & snow boots & you could get stuff on clearance during the summer. You need two kinds of boots–one kind that can manage light snow/cold/ice, and another pair that is hardcore for serious snow–best if they have “lift” in the heel, liner to keep your ankles dry and good traction. And you’ll need either wool socks or heavy duty socks that you layer to wear with them. I also got an amazing ankle length Michael Kors down jacket at Filene’s Basement in Boston for only $200. I loved that coat (currently in storage!). OH and the right gloves are so important. You can use those cheap “one size fits all” ones in the Fall/Spring, and in winter the BEST gloves are actually mittens–look for the kind that are Polartek with cut out fingers & a mitten top (so you can flip the mitten top to use your fingers for things like your Charlie card, but otherwise stay toasty warm). Ditto: some kind of hat that covers your ears + scarf to fill the gap between the top of your coat & your face. I would invest $500-$700 in winter gear your first year and that should see you through all four years. But most of the year: September-early November and March-May you can do with a couple of BU hoodies, jeans, basic gloves/scarf/hat.
(I hope that gear stuff doesn’t sound scary. I honestly miss layering XD)
Happy to answer any other questions you have!