<p>I was just wondering how good a school Boston University is. I visited a while ago and really liked it. The U.S. news has them ranked at 60 i think which i thought was pretty low. But if anyone could tell me anything they know, i'd greatly appreciate it.</p>
<p>You really need to see the school for yourself. I was in Boston and looked in at it for my daughter. Although they had some well designed buildings and facilities, it really is a city school. Moreover, you can't just go by the US News rankings withough scrutinizing the components which make up the rankings. BU doesn't have a high peer review. This means that college presidents and deans don't think that much of the school.
Although I personally think you can get as good an education there as at most other places, there are much cheaper places, such as RIT, state universities etc. that offer as good an education at a less expensive price. Although I will say that most kids that I interviewed liked the school. BU also has slightly higher admission's standards than Northeastern University too.</p>
<p>Also, there were some complaints, if I remember, with TAs teaching a number of courses and not speaking english well. You need to ask about this since my interviews were several years ago.</p>
<p>I did, however,like Northeastern better due to its strong coop program. Frankly, I didn't see the allure of BU other than being in Boston. Maybe they have some specific programs of exceptional quality; however I really don't know more than what I have posted about the school. Again, this is my take, and you should visit the school yourself, and check out their programs.</p>
<p>anyone else have any idea. i've visited before. i liked pretty much everything about it. i just don't know much about their academics</p>
<p>Actually, BU has a higher acceptance rate than Northeastern. In my opinion, BU is a better education and Northeastern is a better on-the-job experience. Both have great business programs.</p>
<p>DS goes to BU majoring in music. He absolutely loves it there. He really likes the urban campus, and all that Boston has to offer. He feels that his core courses (requirements) have been quite good, and the music program is excellent although underrated. It was the perfect choice for my kiddo. I agree, if you are interested in BU you should visit for yourself.</p>
<p>thank you so much for your help. i visited boston university this past summer and loved it. i loved how the campus was on the edge of boston along a river. i just wanted to know more about their academics. thanks again</p>
<p>BU has some absolutely phenomenal programs. It has a top 20 law school, an esteemed medical school, a world famous theology school, and a prominent business school. The School of Communication is also illustrious, spawning diametrically-opposed media personalities Howard Stern and Bill O'Reilly. Its premed program is also reputable, and its Economics Department is considered to be in the top-ten by many. </p>
<p>I'm currently a junior, and I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, the school provides a world-class academic program, offering diverse and expansive curricula. On the other hand, it's a huge school where it is rather easy to feel alone. It should also be noted that the school is notorious for grade deflation. </p>
<p>I would advise interested parties not to worry about the academics at BU. The University is very well respected in academia, and you will certainly feel challenged if you aspire to good grades. I would, however, suggest you seriously consider the size of the school. There are some 30,000 students studying there, and it is very easy to go an entire day without seeing a single familiar face. There are of course, pluses and minuses to this, which are contingent on each individual. </p>
<p>Brief thoughts on BU:
It is categorically accepted by the students that the housing policies are horrendous. The food is medicore, though you do have many alternatives being in a city. The location is great - you can't beat being feet from Fenway Park in October. The professors have been exceptional in my experience. The main library is so-so, but there are several supplementary libraries to compensate. The school newspaper is decent. </p>
<p>I should also note that BU has an engineering school that is nothing to sneeze at. My final utterance on the academics: BU offers PhD programs in just about any field, so regardless of your interest or concentration, you will not be limited by the classes offered in that field.</p>
<p>Sorry, this wasn't exactly a cogent post, but I'm exhausted. I'll try to check back to answer any specific questions.</p>
<p>Thank you so much. all that information was very helpful to me. you pretty much answered all the questions i was wondering about regarding academics.
The only other thing id like to know is what you think about my chances.
i have a 3.6 uw gpa, and a 4.1 w gpa. 2050 SATs. SATII-740 math and 680 biology. ranked number one because my school does this thing that if you're have over a 4.0 you are ranked number one. umm. i've taken 6 APs and about 11 Advanced/honors courses. mediocre ECs. Asian male form Alabama
thats about it.
i know these chances questions get annoying but if you could answer, it'd be very helpful seeing that you're a student at BU. thank you very much.</p>
<p>My son is a BU freshman and having the time of his life. The key is FIT. When he toured BU last summer, he loved it. It sounds like you do too. Initially he was not considering such a large school (16K undergraduates) but the size has afforded him some wonderful extracurricular opportunities as well as academic offerings. The other night he attended a presentation by Bob Ryan, a Boston Globe sportswriter. Next week he is going to a lecture by Elie Wiesel, who speaks regularly at BU; he is one of its "name" professors. </p>
<p>BU considers the rigor of your HS academic curriculum above all other factors. Have you challenged yourself by taking many APs if your school offers them? BU is generous with merit aid scholarships. ED candidates have priority consideration for university scholarships ($15K, half-tuition). Another scholarship offers $10K. You might be in the running for one of those.</p>
<p>Fit is key. BU is very strong in several fields, such as Biomedical Engineering, Economics, Communications, music etc... Plus, BU has a very good international reputation. BU is not an elite university, but it is certainly well respected. Being rankd #60 is not a bad thing. There are close to 2,000 universities in the US. Being ranked in the top 100 is very respectable. There is almost no difference between #1 and #30 or between #30 and #60.</p>
<p>Personally, I do not like BU purely because of its setting and atmosphere. But if you like it, go for it.</p>
<p>I don't go to BU but my neighbor is a sophomore there and I talked to her about BU when she was back over the summer.</p>
<p>She loves the city, but she really doesn't like the school. She doesn't like the campus, she thinks the classes are all large & impersonal, the professors don't care much for the students, most of the people she met seemed really snobby, the administration is not very helpful, and the rules are too strict, specifically for who can and cannot enter the dorm rooms. She had a bunch of other negative things to say but I can't remember them off the top of my head; this conversation was about 3 months ago. </p>
<p>Another person I know who recently graduated from BU said that he was miserable freshman & senior year, but he liked it sophomore & junior year.</p>
<p>As for your chances, I have a very similar transcript & my GC gave me an 80% shot at admission.</p>
<p>Even if you think you want a small school, or a traditional campus, it's worthwhile to tour several different settings. My S knew he wanted to be near a big urban area, so we toured the usual suspects: BU, NYU, GW, American, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins. But he also looked at Brandeis (20 minutes' from Boston) and Drew (45 minutes from NYC). It confirmed his opinion that he wanted to be directly in the city.</p>
<p>I strongly agree with those who say you need to consider whether BU is a fit for your personal academic goals. My D was in the small school of music and got a great education there; she also had some wonderful teachers in the liberal arts classes she took. She had many friends in the fine arts program, which was also good. Both these programs are quite small & intimate, even though the university as a whole is huge.</p>
<p>The BU School of Communications is excellent and kids who graduate from there get wonderful jobs. In fact, all my D's friends (they graduated in 2004) seem to have found excellent jobs in the fields for which they trained.</p>
<p>Housing is terrible, but there are plenty of attractive off-campus options nearby. And as has already been noted, the location cannot be beat.</p>
<p>Please note that BU just changed their admission's policy and has added two SAT II requirements, unless you submit the ACT. If you are applying for the BA/MD programs, you must submit the SATII. Be advised of this change.</p>
<p>We actually looked at both BU and Northeastern for their art and design program. The problem with both of them is that they are not NASAD accredited. I guess if you are majoring in painting or sculpture, it isn't as much of a problem,but I personally prefer the accreditation.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>Housing is terrible>></p> </blockquote>
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<p>I would agree that the large dorms are terrible...BUT the apartments (south campus and Buick Street) and the Brownstones are actually quite nice. DS is also in the school of music. His largest class was a history class (one of his core requirement courses) and it was about 40 students. He says his music courses are very small and personal...as is the whole music department. EVERYONE knows everyone in that department, and they are a close knit group. He too really wanted to be IN the city, not near it. The availability of the T right out the dorm doors makes the city of Boston the campus.</p>
<p>Average academics with no school spirit.</p>
<p>my friend who goes to BU is forced to live in a hotel the whole year. so i guess housing isnt too great at BU.</p>
<p>Actually, that hotel is pretty nice. The rooms all have private baths and are a nice size. The hotel has nothing to do with the quality of the housing...there simply wasn't enough of it for all the admitted students.</p>
<p>I was a jockette at BU in the 70s, in SPC (School of Public Communications). As a jockette, I was housed at West Campus, with ready access to the athletic facilities, and a fantastic skyline view of the city and the river. We could also watch all field events from our suite. Since I had practices and worked out a lot, that was a great location. Also got to know some pretty cool guys, including several who would become the heroes of the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team. The ones who beat the commies. The 700 Towers, on the other hand, were commonly known as "The Zoo," and that was putting it politely. I think that was where they got the idea for the famous "bar scene" in Star Wars. I liked BU, but it was more about the city than the school, for me, and if I had it to do over again, I'd probably do something very different. But then I might have turned out differently, so there ya go. I wouldn't want that.</p>