I am probably applying ED for Boston University CAS, but there’s a slight chance that I might have to go to CGS. What’s its reputation currently? Looking at posts from 2011, there are just a whole bunch of “crayons glue and scissors” jokes. I’m wondering if it’s still the same (sort of a inferior reputation) in current times and other students look down upon CGS students. Also, wondering if you could transfer out of CGS to maybe any other colleges BU has to offer. Thanks.
If you are referred to CGS you cannot transfer within BU until you finish the 2 year CGS program. As long as you have a 2.0/2.3 (depending on the program) you have guaranteed transfer.
Thank You!
Yeah the crayon glues scissors stigma will annoy you. From my personal, anecdotal experience (not generalizing), my friends and I have discussed CGS as the school for dumb kids who can afford the tuition. The thing is, CGS does offer scholarships, so our perception of cgs is pretty skewed and inaccurate. Apply to CAS if you can.
If you do a search for cgs on this forum, you will find the same comment above repeated…always from people who did not attend. If you read the postsof people who attended, they will tell youit is an excellent program, and many end up doing an extra sudy abroad. our daughter was in cgs, and a professor told her that cgs students are better prepared than others for their other BU coursework because of the small class size and more consistent/rigorous reading and wring program. Do you want to believe silly casual remarks, or students who attended?
I have a lot of friends in CGS. Yes the rep may not be as good as Questrom for example. But there are A LOT of people in CGS trust me. There’s nothing to be ashamed of and it is a great program. I’ve seen people voluntarily apply to it because they had no idea what to study. It does help quite a few people! I haven’t heard anyone mention the crayons generalisation. Once you’re in college you’ll realise that no one really cares and you are all attending the same college and that’s all that matters! You will only be in CGS for two years as well. Best of luck man.
CGS will always have a bit of a stigma (as most of the colleges do–College of Optional Math [trueee & was my FAVE PART of COM], English No Good [often true & a good joke], Sex, Money, Greed [Sorry, Questrom, it’ll be SMG to me forever!]), but the secret most students don’t know (especially those who joke about Crayons, Glue, Scissors) is: CGS kids end up fine. More than fine, in many cases. And once you graduate from BU, no one will ever know you were in CGS unless you tell them. At the end of the day, a BU degree is a BU degree, and anyone who is a snob about CGS will hopefully be cursed with crappy career options post graduation.
Four of my closest friends from BU were in CGS, and by extension of them, I know even more who did the program during my time at BU. Ten years out, with only one exception (for my dear friend is a bit aimless, career wise), they are all doing amazingly, and in some cases BETTER than peers who went right into COM. One works in promos for ABC. Another has been gainfully employed at multiple advertising agencies in major cities, and is making probably four times the salary I am (LOL). Another is a successful TV comedy writer (has worked on multiple shows for Comedy Central). Another is a producer for a mid-market TV news station. They all were in CGS, they all graduated from COM, they’re all gainfully employed in their fields and AFAIK, happy.
So CGS is really not the worst thing that could happen to you. It’s better to be accepted into CGS and by extension BU than to be rejected, right? And while there ARE plenty of “kids of rich people who couldn’t get in to any of the other BU colleges” at CGS, there are also a lot of scholarship kids. Students who maybe didn’t come from the most privileged background/best high schools and couldn’t quite compete with prep school/$$$ SAT prep/helicopter parented kids. And BU sees potential in them–and that they would benefit from CGS’s small class sizes and close attention paid by professors–to groom them into amazing students and human beings. Two of the friends I mentioned were scholarship kids from slightly rougher areas/high schools who needed that transition between high school and college. Another had crappy high school grades from sophomore year because a parent died. They had potential, BU felt they would contribute to the community/be great students, and so they were admitted to CGS.
So I’m pro CGS. The BU kids who make fun of them are jerks.
So true @proudterrier.
My daughter had no clue what to study and applied directly to CGS. I did not want my “little girl”" going to a big school in a big city ( I am a true fan of liberal arts programs, I have run huge international departments those students were the most versatile and because valuable contributors faster than most) The small liberal arts college feel in a big school appealed to me - and I would not have permitted her to attend if not.
It is also a place were other students who are on the border for acceptance or preparedness to focus on attacking core courses without all the distractions a big school can present.
Its the largest college in BU. My son attended William and Mary and his experience was very much the same, you don’t declare a major until you finish 2 years of LA coursework. IN fact W&M is now modelling thier LA requiremnts as interdisciplinary just as BU has been doing for years in CGS
CGS is right for some people not others, that’s all there is to it…
I wish they would give it a better name though, how about college of liberal arts??? Maybe we can get some big money CGS grads to donate to change the name, maybe that will help make it more attractive
If you think that you would be even the slightest bit unhappy in CGS, answer “no” to the question on the application that asks if you would like to be considered for CGS should you not be accepted into the school that you requested. When I applied two years ago, I knew that the business school was where I belonged, and I would’ve rather been rejected to BU than accepted to CGS. Not to say that CGS is a terrible school to be in- it just wasn’t meant for me.
There is certainly a stigma toward CGS, but don’t let that discourage you! Like the previous posters said, there are plenty of students in CGS, and there is no reason to be ashamed of being one of them.
The College of Arts and Sciences used to be called the College of Liberal Arts. CGS used to be called the College of Basic Studies. I agree a name change is needed. Actually in recent years a couple of CGS alums have made major ($10 million) gifts to BU.