I’d like to major in economics and international relations.
I was accepted into the Boston University Kirchland Honors College. For Colgate, I was accepted into the Alumni Scholars Program.
They are going to be almost exactly the same price (around 24k).
I would appreciate feedback from anyone who went to one of these schools or knows someone who did. I’m concerned that both have a reputation for being party schools, but I think I’ll be fine with just steering clear of that.
Also, if you happen to know which school is better for these majors or which honors program is better, that would be appreciated as well.
I’m planning on getting master’s degree right after my bachelor’s. So I’m also concerned about which place will get me into the best grad school (unless they are pretty much the same in that respect).
What was your impression of the two when you visited?
I really liked both of them. I felt like BU was vibrant and exciting, but also seemed to lack the scholarly vibe that I want. Conversely, Colgate is in a small town (almost identical to the one I grew up in), so it’s not particularly exciting, but it does seem very focused on academics, which I like. The feel really could go either way.
BU is not even remotely a party school. Where did you get that impression? Unless you are in CGS or Questrom and make it a point as a freshman to hit up MIT frat parties and/or rush a sorority (which are not major groups on campus), there’s no dominant party culture at BU. You can find party people at BU like you can find them anywhere, but it’s not like at some schools where you join the party culture or face social consequences. I went to a grand total of 6 parties in 4 years and they were tame–newspaper & theater parties lol. I didn’t even drink at most of them. (and I had friends and an active social life XD)
Happy to answer any general questions you have about BU/the social scene (and I know there are a few other posters on here who currently attend–you’re more likely to grab their attention in the Boston University forum). I don’t know enough about Colgate to compare the majors/programs, but I can say that for IR, BU has top notch study abroad options. For example, if you do the London Programme, you could intern at Parliament. Just one example.
Colgate would be considered an academically elite school, whereas BU would be considered a very strong school.
It’s hard to believe the same person would like the environment of both schools. Just at the undergraduate level BU is almost six times larger, ten times larger overall. One has a classic incredibly beautiful campus and one surrounded by highways.
Colgate has a big prestige edge. Since they cost the same that’s where I would go.
@proudterrier I got the party scene impression from a handful of people I know who went there. If that’s not the case, then that’s excellent.
In general, would you say most students are focused on being successful/ getting the most out of their experience?
I just would really like to go to school with other people who really place a high value on education.
Also, do you feel like the students actually tend to utilize the opportunities the city gives them (going to museums, shows, etc.) or is that over played?
@OnTheBubble I realize there is quite a big difference in size and location. I just happen to like both schools for different reasons. I was raised by divorced professors. One works at a small school in a small town in New York and the other works at a large polytechnic university in a city in Virginia. I spent a lot of time in both places. I think both types of campuses are great in their own way.
I know that Colgate is a higher ranked school. But ranking is so arbitrary because it can really vary by major.
@proudterrier I know this is terribly specific, but do you happen to know any IR or Econ majors who moved on to grad school? I’m really hoping to go to a competitive masters program at Columbia or George Washington
I found 100% academic fit at BU–I’m a nerd in the best way who really loves school–and found most of my peers intellectual and driven. Of course, it’s also a large enough school that you can ignore anyone who doesn’t fit those parameters 
I absolutely ended up self-selecting my friends group to include people who were passionate, creative, academic, driven, who didn’t like to party and who thought nerdy things were cool (long before that stuff was mainstream!)… I also inadvertently ended up befriending a LOT of high achieving, lower class scholarship kids (like me). I think there was an intersection among that group of people who knew they had to work hard because being at BU on scholarship was a gift (and education is the key to getting out of poverty). I met a few people freshman year who were determined to live out some college stereotype of going wild, and honestly I just decided not to hang out with them I also think BU benefits from being in Boston, period–with all the colleges there, and especially the super smarty pants ones like BC, MIT, Harvard… you can walk into any random place, talk to a stranger who looks to be approximately 18-22 and likely end up talking to someone with academic interests and drive. Boston is a phenomenal college town.
I don’t personally know any IR or Econ majors (in my current friends group), but I could troll Facebook a bit to see what people got up to after graduation, LOL.
These two schools present such different environments that it is hard to believe you don’t have some sort of a preference. BU is a very strong school with over 18,000 undergraduate students as well as grad students and is located right in the heart of Boston. Colgate I’d put at a slightly higher level academically (purely personal opinion), and it is a fairly rural LAC with under 3,000 students. My D is currently at a different LAC and has found advantages for applying to grad school (at least for her) from a LAC included that she was able to do a great deal of research work as an undergrad, that she knew her professors very well and expects that her recommendations were very personalized, and that she found it easy to get involved in and take on leadership roles in multiple activities on campus.
If you are unsure I’d go to both accepted student days and try to picture yourself spending the next four years at both schools.
@proudterrier So it isn’t difficult to kind of just surround yourself with really academic people? I’m excited about the honors college because it’s residential so I’ll be living with other really academic people like me. But I was also worried that I might end up isolating myself. Are clubs/ music really accessible?
Also you mentioned income status… Which is something else I was concerned with about both schools. My parents are professors, so I know that I’m privileged in an “educational” sense, you could say. But I live entirely off of my dad’s income and I have three siblings so we definitely have a pretty modest lifestyle.
Is that an issue at BU? Like is there a lot of pressure from the wealthier students?
Because based off of how much aid they gave me, I’m assuming that I’m pretty below average for BU students.
So Kilachand Honors didn’t exist when I was there, but I can’t imagine it will lead to you isolating yourself–if anything, it’s giving you a built in social group that will be comprised of the academic people you’re seeking. People comment a lot on how big BU is, but it never felt that large to me. My UG class had about 4,500 people in it, and I think now the UG classes are actually smaller–under 4,000–but those undergraduates are spread across a LOT of colleges, departments and majors. So I was in COM, and my “COM class” only had 450 students in it. Of that, maybe a quarter were journalism majors, and only half of THOSE were print journalism majors. So across the 16,000 total undergraduates on campus at the time I attended, I was only sharing resources in my major with 200-250 of them–and obviously we weren’t all in the same classes at the same time. Average class size was 20. IR is a slightly larger major, in a larger school (CAS), but you’re Kilachand, which is more sub-divided. It won’t feel like a large school–but you’ll get all the benefits (ie: resources, choices, options, etc.) of one. That’s how I saw it, at least.
So because of size, BU breaks down into a lot of sub groups–some are defined by school/department/major (the CGS kids bond together, the Questrom kids, CFA, etc.) but this is also achieved via housing. Kilachand has its own housing unit, so like I said, you’ll automatically “find your people” because you will be living with them. But beyond that, you can explore other choices in latter years. To give you an example, I lived in the German House for two years, so I got to live in a cozy brownstone on Bay State Road and make all sorts of new friends that I wouldn’t have made in my major. I was a German minor, so it was a way to further connect to that. There’s a Music House, a French House, a clean living house, etc. etc… lots of choices. Between housing community, major community, potentially minor community, groups you join, etc… you’ll have a lot of opportunities to make different friends. I don’t think the honors college will isolate you that much.
By clubs/music, do you mean student groups on campus? Or, like, dance clubs and concerts? XD Student activities and music on campus–if that’s what you mean–are pretty accessible. You just have to pick the thing you’re into and go for it. For me, that was the newspaper, and for freshman and sophomore year, the BU Symphonic Chorus, which I was able to join as a non-music major. There are a ton of things you could potentially join; if you have specific things you’re thinking of, let me know!
(I just wrote you an essay on class at BU, so I’m going to PM it to you instead)
These analyses may give you a rough idea of your choices’ respective economics programs: “Economics Departments at Liberal Arts Colleges”; “US Economics Departments” (from IDEAS).
@merc81 thank you, those stats were really helpful. It looks like both schools are pretty comparable for economics!
@proudterrier I was a bit more concerned about student groups as my name suggests, I’m a bit of a music nerd. I was wondering if there was a lot of competition to join orchestras/bands/choral groups? Also, is the pep band a tight knit community? I know it tends to be at some schools with really great sports, like BU.
There are lots of music opportunities at BU! Some are more competitive than others, but you have the benefit of a lot of choices. Non music majors can audition for several ensembles that are part of CFA–so you have the opportunity to rehearse & perform among music majors, under the direction of the amazing CFA staff. I was in the Symphonic Chorus for two years and it was incredible. I got to sing Beethoven’s 9th, Brahms’ Requiem and Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem–the first two were on my “choral bucket list” so I feel pretty lucky. I had to audition, but it wasn’t like… 100 people for 2 spots or anything; a decent number of non-music majors got in, they just gave preference to CFA students. I think I had an edge auditioning as an alto (and sometimes I sang tenor on specific sections of the score), and as a German speaker. There are orchestra opportunities too.
Then there are student groups. There’s Stage Troupe and BU On Broadway who both do musicals every year; I’m 99% positive they need students for the orchestra (ie: I don’t think they use any official CFA group, though I could be wrong). Or, if you want to do singing, they’re of course all open audition groups for the parts in specific productions. The one caveat I found is you have to be a pretty good dancer; I am not, ergo I never got cast XD There are a ton of a capalla groups, if that’s your poison. I mentioned the Music House–another great way to be involved in the music community w/o majoring. They have practice rooms in the basement!
Pep band is pretty tight-knit. A friend of mine was in it and I know she hung out with her band friends a lot. I don’t know much beyond that though 