<p>Just a few questions… they’re kind of all over the place, sorry…</p>
<li>How big of an impact does BC’s Catholic affiliation play? Is everyone religious? Does it show in the courses/activities?</li>
<li>Do students at BC feel overshadowed by the nearby Harvard and MIT? </li>
<li>How is BC for a prospective MBA student? (Let’s say someone interested in Wharton, Kellogg, Chicago, Harvard, etc. for their MBA in the long-run). </li>
</ol>
<p>All answers are appreciated!!</p>
<p>1) BC's catholic affiliation plays a small role in the day to day activities of the students. The only visible role religion plays at BC is in the curriculum, with the requirement of having to take 2 theology courses. Other than that, I don't really see religion as a major role on campus. I would say the majority of the students are religious at home, but not many here still practice religion, i.e. go to mass. I personally am atheist/agnostic and I have a fine time fitting into the BC culture.</p>
<p>2) I don't feel that BC is overshadowed by Harvard and MIT simply because there are too many good colleges around Boston. BC in it's own right has programs that are superior to Harvard and MIT and has their own place in Boston's many colleges. Aside from that, BC has the only real major D1 sports in the Boston area, which makes time for a lot of bragging. </p>
<p>3) The college a student goes to for undergraduate studies has little effect on the acceptance to a graduate school. It all depends on how well you do here at BC. Quite frankly, there isn't a whole lot of difference between a 3.6 here and a 3.6 at a state university. As long as you try hard and have the stellar GPA, I don't see why you won't be able to attend those schools for your MBA.</p>
<ol>
<li>Not very much at all. No and no.</li>
<li>Not at all.</li>
<li>You get what you put in- If you work hard and do well, you will be fine.</li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you both very much! I'm really going to have to consider applying now- these were my only concerns about the school.</p>
<p>Lots of Luck</p>
<p>Just a note on the third question--I think miragemirage was dead on when he said it all depends on how you do at the school you attend. One of the reasons I chose BC over UMich and UCLA was that I felt I could do better here and that it would be an advantage when it came time to apply to Law/Grad school. BC offers you a lot of personal attention, your advisor knows you very well, and faculty really come here to teach as opposed to do research (BC enforces this, and if they were more interested in research, they aren't exactly limited in their local options for employers). From the experiences of my friends at larger state schools, this isn't always the case. So, if you want to get into an MBA program, you may find that it is somewhat easier to do better at BC as opposed to another school, not because of grade inflation (which there is not, CSOM is challenging), but because there are more resources available to you here that can help you learn the material. </p>
<p>As for question 1, if you want to be involved with religion here, there are certainly more opportunities at BC than at a non-Jesuit school, through mass on campus, prayer groups, and opportunities to discuss matters of faith and religion with the Jesuits. I know a lot of students who were drawn to BC because it was Catholic, and for them this is a big deal. For me, not so much, but I am fine having it. The Catholic church is a big, powerful organization, having it on your side isn't the worst thing in the world. Furthermore, my theology class was one of my favorites, and I am completely nonreligious. Regardless of what you believe, religion is an important aspect of the world, so it doesn't hurt to know a thing or two about it.</p>
<p>Also, is it true that most of the campus will be under construction for the next four or five years?</p>
<p>Anticipation16 : Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. The only building that is being worked on right now on campus is Gasson Hall. I believe that the master plan is still going to continue but is going to be scaled down greatly. I read somewhere that a student activities building will be built in the dustbowl and a new recreation center as well. As for the others parts to the master plan, those events will be occurring on BC's Brighton campus, which isn't necessarily part of the actual campus as on now.</p>
<p>BC2012guy: One of the reasons why I did not choose UMich was because of the way they handle their business program. After freshman year, students had to apply to their business school, which in my estimation should be extremely competitive, hence you're not guaranteed a spot. I wanted to have a guaranteed spot at top 30 university.</p>
<p>Anticipation16, If you're interested in learning more about BC's 10-Year Institutional Master Plan (IMP), you can read about here:</p>
<p>Boston</a> College IMP - Home</p>
<p>The IMP still needs final approval from the City of Boston. (The public hearing for that will take place in April.) After that, the detailed planning will begin. </p>
<p>No official word yet on how current economic conditions will affect the IMP or proposed construction schedule. If you're going to be a freshman next year, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Many of the initial projects are located outside the main campus -- for example, renovation of 2000 Commonwealth (a high-rise apartment building that BC recently purchased and plans to turn into a dorm) and construction of athletic facilities on the Brighton campus. If there is construction on the main campus, it will likely be just one or two building sites at most over the next 3 - 4 years.</p>