Current BC Freshman answering any questions

<p>The BC Confessions page kind of scares me. Is that realistically a good portrait of what BC is actually like?</p>

<p>Due to finances I have to get a work study job and I really want to find an internship. How am I going to meet people and make friends? Will I have any time? I will be so far from home and I don’t want to be lonely :(</p>

<p>Hello, </p>

<p>D was accepted RD to CSOM, and loved the college during her visit before getting admitted. Will be visiting Admitted Eagle Day but had a few questions:</p>

<p>1) How disruptive to classes and student life is the ongoing construction on campus? until when is it going to continue?</p>

<p>2) Is the majority of Freshmen housing off main campus, and do they have to take a bus to the BC compound? Is there a way to get housing within the main campus as a freshman?</p>

<p>3) Do students tend to live on campus for all 4 years?</p>

<p>4) Finance and Accounting seem to be the top concentrations in CSOM, how do the rest of the students do in placements? </p>

<p>5) Is there a particular vibe in CSOM, is it cut-throat or collaborative? Is there an entrepreneurial culture at CSOM?</p>

<p>If I may ask, over which other schools did you choose BC CSOM?</p>

<p>Thanks so much for your help, really appreciate it very much.</p>

<p>Parent here:</p>

<p>1) The only ongoing construction is St. Mary’s Hall, which is a Jesuit residence, so the impact on students is nil. Other construction, of Admin offices, is in the planning stages, but awaiting City approval. (the lower part of BC is in the City of Boston, so requires City permits.)</p>

<p>2) ~40% of Frosh live on Newton Campus, decided solely by lottery. Yes, BC runs shuttles between Newton and Main campus daily (and late into the evenings).</p>

<p>3) Approx. half of all Juniors have to live off campus, some on study abroad. The offer letter will say whether your student will receive 4 years of on-campus housing. Most choose to move back onto campus for senior year.</p>

<p>4) Quant and vocational majors do well at most every college. Others, including the liberal arts majors, need to seek (hard) to find jobs.</p>

<p>5) Collaborative.</p>

<p>Thank you very much bluebayou. My D’s letter did say 4 years on campus housing so is that not offered automatically to all freshmen in their acceptance letter?</p>

<p>Do they allow you to tour Newton Campus on Admitted Eagle Day?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Correct, it is not offered to all.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>It would have to be a self-tour, since the logistics of getting the masses over to there would be problematic. </p>

<p>btw: Besides Frosh dorms, the Law School is located on Newton Campus.</p>

<p>My daughter “heard” last year that if you wanted to live on upper you could volunteer for a forced triple. This is what she did with two others she met on the BC Facebook and is happily in a forced triple on upper campus.</p>

<p>^^^ Its good she is happy in the triple…personally I have seen these forced triples on a tour and I think its criminal that you get charged $60k and have to live like that.</p>

<p>Thank you bluebayou! So Freshman housing is either commute to Newton Campus 1.5 miles away or compromise in a forced triple on main campus?</p>

<p>How would you go about organizing a tour of Newton Campus? If we got there by ourselves would they allow us to tour the building?</p>

<p>Last question - how well do the Asians assimilate on campus? Is the overall community segregated? </p>

<p>Thanks a lot!</p>

<p>lovemom,</p>

<p>Freshman housing is divided up into two campuses - the Newton campus located off the main campus or on Upper campus which is part of the main campus. About 40% of incoming freshmen get placed on Newton while the others get housing on Upper. The forced triple option is a way to guarantee a spot on Upper campus without leaving things to chance. So, if you are definitely opposed to living on Newton, then this would be a considerable option. Everyone else on Upper has doubles, natural triples, or quads. Another way to try to secure a spot on Upper is to apply for Healthy Living special interest housing, which is a floor on Upper campus dedicated to promoting living without substances, etc. </p>

<p>Depending on how many other people are planning on going to Newton, you can either park directly on the Newton campus and take a tour yourself or park on main campus and take a shuttle to Newton campus. Once arriving on Newton, I am not sure if there are official tours but if not, you can have someone let you into one of the dorms and get a peek at the living conditions (which are actually pretty nice). </p>

<p>And lastly, I am an Asian and I can tell you that it is very easy to assimilate into the culture at BC. Many people think that Asians do not seem to integrate with the rest of the community, but that is because there are many international students, and those who grew up in an Asian community who choose not to do so. If you are an Asian seeking to be part of the “main culture”, then you will have no problem. If you have anymore questions regarding this topic, feel free to ask. </p>

<p>I hope I was able to answer your questions and congrats to your daughter for getting into such an awesome school!</p>

<p>Is living on Newton campus really that big of a deal? Because if they are still nice dorms and aren’t too inconvenient to get to, then I wouldn’t mind just sticking it out there for one year with a ton of other freshmen…</p>

<p>Living on Newton is like living off-campus. The disadvantages that come with Newton mainly have to do with the fact that it is separated from the main campus. You will need to take the shuttle to and from Newton, which can be frustrating at first because if you miss the one you need, you could be late for class. But people on Newton quickly adjust to the shuttle schedule, so this is a nuisance to some, but very manageable. </p>

<p>Surrounded by freshmen on Newton, it becomes a lot easier for you to make friends in the beginning of the year. Newton kids usually develop a strong sense of community and tend to stick together throughout their four years at BC. </p>

<p>Like most places, some people love it, most people like it, some people hate it. Although, most of the Newton students I am friends really like it. So, no, living on Newton does not mean the end of the world. You just need to adapt to the off-campus situation and you will most likely enjoy living there.</p>

<p>Thanks! That sounds good enough for me, I think. I haven’t even definitely decided on BC, so I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it :)</p>

<p>Are microwaves and small refrigerators allowed in the dorm rooms and can these appliances be leased through BC?</p>

<p>I don’t know how much of this is true but this what I have read about Newton from Newton people:</p>

<ul>
<li>Easier to make friends on Newton b/c it’s all new freshman who don’t know anyone</li>
<li>Newton’s “freshman only” campus results in a very tight-knit community </li>
<li>Newton’s campus feels like a small, intimate college within a huge university<br></li>
<li>Newton dorms were recently refurbished</li>
<li>Newton has better food because it’s near the law school</li>
<li>Newton rooms are bigger than rooms on upper. </li>
<li>Newton bathrooms are cleaner. </li>
<li>Newton’s common rooms have pool tables, big screen TVs, workout equipment, wireless internet connections. study lounges with wireless connection as well. </li>
<li>There are lots of grassy areas to play ultimate frisbee, whiffle ball, read, hang out.</li>
<li>The shuttle runs until 2am. </li>
<li>you get the feeling of “going home” after class.</li>
</ul>

<p>In the end it doesn’t matter which one you prefer, you get what you get.</p>

<p>Kimisizer, Thank you very much for your detailed response to my questions, really appreciate that a lot! </p>

<p>If I understood this correctly, 40% of freshman live on Newton, and 60% on Upper; but still the 40% who live on Newton end up being a tighter knit community because they are all living with fellow freshman only. Are the 60% on Upper all in forced triples? Do they not get a chance to bond with fellow freshman as much because they are all spread out on Upper with students from all years? Aren’t there freshman only floors on Upper? </p>

<p>My D would consider the Healthy Living option and the Multicultural Leadership Experience Floors - can you comment on these experiences? Are these 2 on Newton or Upper?</p>

<p>Glad to know that Asians can assimilate into the main culture!</p>

<p>There are lots of valuable discussions about Newton on this BC forum. They are well worth doing a search and reading. Here’s one data point. </p>

<p>Our son lived in Newton. On parents weekend, a bunch of them (guys & girls) organized a big dinner (for 37) in Boston’s North End. A number of us parents sat together for dinner. </p>

<p>Several of them went to BC and lived on Newton years ago and told us how happy they were to see their daughters and sons on the Newton campus. One dad who lived on Upper was dating his Newton girlfriend then (now his wife sitting at the table) and he told me he was often jealous to see how close all his girlfriend’s Newton’s friends were.</p>

<p>Not everyone loves Newton. The bus ride does get to be a pain,. But our son and his friends said they had a lot of fun there.</p>

<p>Thank you very much jpm50. We will be at Admitted Eagle Day next Sunday and will do a search on CC about Newton today, so D can make a decision as soon as we return. The bigger picture decision is whether to stay in our large in-state public ivy or got BC CSOM, and the living situation will be a big consideration.</p>

<p>Happy to know that there is a tight knit family in Newton that somewhat makes up for the inconvenience of the bus ride to Newton.</p>

<p>@Rastaman</p>

<p>Microwaves (<1000W) and fridges are allowed in rooms. I am not sure if BC lends items such as these; I have never heard of anyone doing something like this so my thinking is that you would need to bring your own. </p>

<p>@lovemom</p>

<p>Upper is reserved solely for freshmen. It’s just that there aren’t enough rooms on Upper to house the entire freshman class so a good chunk of them get assigned to Upper. And no, only a few rooms on Upper are designated as forced triples. Most people live in doubles, but there are also options for singles, triples (natural), and quads. I live in Medeiros on Upper, which is the honors housing, and I absolutely love it. Being able to find friends easily is not a different situation on Upper - in the beginning of the year, before school starts there are lots of opportunities during Welcome Week for the freshmen on Upper to get to know each other. I would say that you can find tight-knit communities on both Upper and Newton quite easily. The Healthy Living option is indeed on Upper and is one floor so there is a separate application process for that. As for the Multicultural Leadership Experience option, I am not sure where it is, as I do not know anyone involved in the program. If you would like to inquire about it, I would email ResLife at <a href=“mailto:reslife@bc.edu”>reslife@bc.edu</a>.</p>

<p>It is my understanding that Bank of America is the only on campus bank. Do most students signup for a BofA account and what is the minimum amount required?</p>