<p>Congratulations to everyone who has been accepted or is soon to be. I remember how excited I was when I got my acceptance. It really was a feeling that I will never forget. That being said, a million questions came up in my head from the moment I opened that letter. Sure, I had done my research on the schools I applied to, but I didn’t really know all the specifics about BU. So I’m here to help you guys out if you have any general questions on BU or life up here in Boston. I am a junior who started in CAS and switched to SHA (School of Hospitality Administration) who has pretty much seen it all here at BU. Let me know any questions you may have. </p>
<p>P.S. I will try my best to answer every question asked. However, if the thread gets really swamped, I may miss a few. If I bypass your question, just PM me and I will get back to you very fast.</p>
<p>CUPKSDAD, My son was a bit disappointed to be offered a place in the CGS, and not in the college of communications which was his first choice. </p>
<p>I've been doing a bit of research on the CGS and it doesn't look like a bad option. After students complete the core curriculum, they can transfer to one of the other colleges as long as they meet the requirements (GPA, etc.). They receive the same degree when they graduate as if they were accepted into the college of their choice in the beginning. It also seems as if CGS is more structured - I think that advisors work with students to select their courses rather than students selecting them on their own.</p>
<p>My son is going to have to decide between the University of Miami, where he was accepted into his desired program, or BU, where he will have to wait two years to transfer into the program. He's going to do overnights at both schools before making his decision. If he would have been offered a place in BU's College of Communications, I would have been writing a check for the deposit tonight.</p>
<p>liland - your situation mimics ours. My daughter had also applied to the College of Com. I share your sentiment about CGS (after reading their website) - which may not be a bad way to ease into college & would provide some structure. </p>
<p>My D was accepted directly into the comm school UIUC and so will need to decide between the 2. I will let her choose, but can guarantee that BU would be on top of her choices. </p>
<p>Please let us know what you think of the school after the overnight stay - we visited BU over summer and am not sure that we will have time to travel from California in April.</p>
<p>The campus isn't a classic campus with green front lawns and that sort of thing, but you definitely know when you're on campus and when you're off. You're generally surrounded by tons of students and for the most part, it has that in city campus-y feel. The buildings that BU owns and has classes in are gorgeous, too.</p>
<p>As for the party scene, it's awesome ;) BU itself doesn't really hold many parties, but the countless surrounding schools & frats throw enough for the entire city of boston.</p>
<p>That's disappointing, I always envisioned busting out of my Philosophy class and playing Frisbee on that proverbial collegiate, green lawn. Guess that won't be happening if I choose BU.</p>
<p>I disagree and say that we do have a campus. You really need to visit it yourself though as some people have differing opinions. Most students that I've asked opinions of believe that we do have a campus.</p>
<p>I think BU does have a campus. I visited like 15 schools...so I think I have a decent perspective haha.</p>
<p>I'll just say that the school with the most "campus feel" that was also in a city was Columbia where there was a major green area in the center of campus. I also visited NYU, where there is pretty much no campus and no green space. In Boston I visited Emerson, Boston U and Northeastern. Emerson is small with no campus. Northeastern has really no campus either. There are a lot of streets intersecting it and buildings that are not part of the college around everything. There is a kind of square in the middle and some green space here and there, but not a whole lot. It's not very compact in one area either, from what I could tell.</p>
<p>Boston U though is definitely on campus versus off campus. The difference is that it's one long strip. It's not really a square, except in one area I saw, but instead just a long row of long, beautiful buildings. At one point too you see the river along the whole bank. So BU is very much a part of the city, but you can move into an area that is very "campus" in feeling. I think it really depends on what you're looking for. I hear Boston College has a more traditional campus in the city, but I personally like the BU setup more.</p>
<p>Sorry that was kind of long, and I'm not even the best authority lol</p>
<p>thanks for your perspective, jlee28. i was talking to my brother's girlfriend about BU because she went to Tufts so i was just asking questions about boston in general. she also told me that BU didn't have a campus but i felt that it's a very subjective question and although i've never been there i have looked at the map of BU and i don't mind the set up at all. she also said that it's a little like downtown Miami, which i don't know if that's accurate or not, but i love downtown Miami! so i have no problems with the campus from what i've heard so far :]</p>
<p>Hi Devilsrule! Thanks for answering questions. How would you characterize the typical BU student in terms of intellectual ability? I have read that a large number of valectorians/sals are part of classes of 2011, 2010 etc.</p>
<p>At the information session, I was struck by the accessibility to double major across the university. Is it as easy as the admissions officers made it sound?</p>
<p>My daughter attended a summer program at BU last July so she is pretty aware of the campus and school setup. I was not too thrilled with Warren Towers....</p>
<p>CUPKSDAD- I think liland gave a good description of what CGS is like. After 2 years of general requirements, the student goes into their college of choice and graduates with the same degree that everyone else received. Many find this to a be a very good option, especially if they are a bit undecided on what they want to do.</p>
<p>brieb08- I am fairly certain that you can appeal a decision if you feel that you should have been accepted. However, I couldn't say how effective this is or how many people do this. Definitely call up admissions and ask about this. </p>
<p>ryanwaslike- It all depends on what the person is looking for when they say the word "campus". BU is spread along Commonwealth Ave continuously for almost a mile. As you walk down that mile, it is very clear that you are walking through BU. Its not just a bunch of scattered buildings spread over multiple city blocks. It is a linear campus that does have its nice areas, such as the beach and Marsh plaza in front of the chapel. Bay State road is a really nice place with all its brownstones, and the lawn in front of COM is a fun place to hang out when it is warm. Those who complain about the campus expect the whole enclosed and grassy campus experience that you get at a suburban liberal arts college. That isn't what BU offers and shouldn't be what people expect. Given the typical description of a city campus, I was very pleased with what BU offered as opposed to some other city schools such as NYU or Northeastern.</p>
<p>Giel- Given our location on the outskirts of Boston, there are some great parties in tons of places. However, BU itself is quite strict about their alcohol policies. Therefore, very few parties take place on campus. However, just a few minutes past the BU campus are the off-campus students who live in Allston and Brighton. This is where all the parties are. Some are wild and crazy while others are chilled out and tame. It all depends on what you are looking for and who you know. If you are determined to find a place to party, I'm sure you will find one. But the beauty of Boston and BU is that you are completely free to do other things on weekends if partying isn't your thing. So while we don't party like some other schools, we certainly have enough to keep people occupied and show them a good time.</p>
<p>Mjm1- Northeastern is spread out over a wide area and the NU buildings are interspersed with the regular buildings that aren't university affiliated. This makes for an even lower sense of "campus" than one would find at BU. As I said earlier, as you walk down the BU campus, you know full well that essentially every building is BU and that almost every person you see is a student. This isn't the same at Northeastern, though they have a bit more grass than we do at BU.</p>
<p>ryanwaslike- You'd be surprised. Right outside of the School of Theology building, where most philosophy classes are, is a large grassy area behind Marsh Chapel called the BU Beach. In between the beach and the river is a road, so they raised the ground to make a large hill. Now, when you look toward the hill, the only thing you see is the river beyond. The road below is invisible to us, but we can hear the cars going by. We like to say that it sounds like the waves of the ocean, hence the BU Beach. They have ultimate frisbee pickup games, football in the snow, volleyball in the spring, etc. It really is a nice place to hang out and get at least somewhat of a "grassy quad" feel. Doesn't beat the real thing but it is a nice diversion from the city environment. </p>
<p>thewho123- In some schools or departments, BU does have grade deflation and it has been a problem that alot of students have complained about. However, I have never encountered this problem. I have taken classes in CAS, SMG, and SHA and none of my grades were ever deflated. I think it is more of an isolated thing. Also, in many cases, students who don't do well like to blame deflation when no such policy existed. I have seen many cases of this. I wouldn't worry about deflation here at BU. If you do your absolute best and work very hard, you will get the marks that you deserve</p>
<p>londonb- I know of many students who double major. With the wealth of classes and times that BU offers, many students find ways to fit in 2 degrees. This is a TON of work and will make the 4 years a very structured and planned-out experience but with great reward. In fact, a close friend of mine choose to double major in Art History and Anthropology. If you know what you want to double major in from the very beginning, then go for it. The earlier the better. About Warren Towers, I know it might not seem too appealing at first, but it really offers the best experience that a freshman could possibly have. Freshman year isn't about nice accomodations and spacious rooms. The importance of freshman year is integration into the community of BU as a collective unit with the rest of your class. It is the atmosphere and attitude within Warren that makes it a great place. Obviously, no tour or description can properly show this to you, but I lived there freshman year and can say that I would do it again in a second. The environment is great for the freshman experience. Like I said, it isn't a stunning building and isn't supposed to be. But the experience a freshman will have is great.</p>