<p>As a recent graduate who tries to stay as informed as possible about intellectual life at BC, I’m going to try to help out this senior. This answer will address the intellectual environment/honors program questions.</p>
<p>@BlackRose101: On the baby-Ivy question: What makes Boston College unique is the school’s emphasis on educating the “whole person.” I have siblings who have gone to very very top ivies, and they would probably say that this is a positive aspect of BC. By educating the whole person, I mean to say that Boston College really cares about you as an individual outside of the classroom and that there is an emphasis on service in a broad sense of the word. There is also a big emphasis on discernment, intellectual curiosity, and lifelong learning. </p>
<p>The other big difference would be that despite having graduate programs, BC is very much focused on undergraduate education. I had several professors tell me that they preferred undergraduates to assist them with their top research projects over the grad. students. The fact that BC’s undergraduates are so valued is huge for developing relationships with your professors, which in turn is important for letters of rec, academic advice, and just your general happiness and sense of support as an undergraduate. You may get this same feel at Princeton and possibly Dartmouth as well. At Harvard, many of your classes would be taught by graduate teaching assistants (TAs), and the TAs may be writing many of your recommendation letters (even if the professor signs them). Again, much of this depends on major/your own course decisions.</p>
<p>In terms of academic rigor, I would say in my experience (I was in the honors program), you can have an extremely challenging and intellectually enriching experience at BC, but as you would at any college, you need to be sure that you are seeking out the difficult classes and are taking the initiative to challenge yourself. There are easy majors and courses at any college. It’s hard for me to prove BC’s rigor beyond telling you about my experience, but the best tangible proof I can give is the record on fellowships. [Table:</a> Top Producers of U.S. Fulbright Students by Type of Institution, 2010-11 - Global - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“Table: Top Producers of U.S. Fulbright Students by Type of Institution, 2010-11”>Table: Top Producers of U.S. Fulbright Students by Type of Institution, 2010-11)</p>
<p>BC had more Fulbrights this past year than Duke and Georgetown and only 3 fewer than Princeton and 1 fewer than Harvard. (It’s important to keep in mind that BC winners are nearly all undergraduates). BC has had amazing success in the Truman Scholarship competition each year. I believe BC won an award from the Truman Foundation in fact for their repeated wins. In 2009, BC had two Marshall Scholars. We’ve had several Goldwaters in recent years. Last year alone, BC had a Truman winner and two Rhodes Scholarship Finalists (1 in the MA/CT district; 1 in the NJ/NH/ME/RI/VT district). Finalists for the Rhodes/Marshall are in the final 12-15 students interviewed in those regions, and BC tends to be competing in the toughest regions based on where students’ home residences are located. BC also had some undergraduate NSF winners in recent years.
In addition to all of this, I know several recent graduates are at top graduate programs. In recent years (past 3 yrs), students have gone to the following top 10 programs in their fields: (Stanford PhD (Chemistry); Skaggs-Oxford Fellowship; Harvard Medical School; Harvard Law School; Kennedy School at Harvard; MIT PhD (Political Science); Columbia PhD (Philosophy); Princeton PhD (Mathematics); UNC PhD (Classics); Columbia Law. And, this list is just what I know from reading recent BC publications.</p>
<p>Fellowships/grad school records are revealing because it shows how BC students stack up against other students in national competitions. Moreover, it also speaks to the attention given to students during their undergraduate years, faculty support, and resources available for academic projects/research etc. </p>
<p>I would urge you to check out this student group: [bctalks120111[/url</a>]
[url=<a href=“http://www.bctalks.org/about-bctalks.html]About”>http://www.bctalks.org/about-bctalks.html]About</a> BCTalks - BCTalks: An Undergraduate Lecture Series](<a href=“http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/publications/chronicle/FeaturesNewsTopstories/2011/features/bctalks120111.html]bctalks120111[/url”>http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/publications/chronicle/FeaturesNewsTopstories/2011/features/bctalks120111.html)</p>
<p>If you have not been invited to the honors program, I would apply immediately once you are at BC. Make an appointment with the director and try to get in 2nd semester of freshman year or start of sophomore year. This will make a huge difference in your intellectual experience. </p>
<p>@m11304: So, yes, you can get into the HP program second semester freshman year and first semester of sophomore year. More often than not, they will be pleased to be approached by a student who wants to be challenged. I once heard that students who are not admitted by BC admissions (and are instead admitted by the faculty once at BC) end up being the top students in the program come senior year.
Best of luck to both of you!</p>
Also, how’s the Middle Eastern/South Asian population (I’m a Muslim Pakistani)?</p>