Hi I know this may sound like a dumb question but I don’t really know much about BU. I was rejected to all my top choice schools that I thought I would get into and accepted to BU, which I decided to apply randomly. I am not sure what I am majoring in but probably business, finance, or biology. I did look up some information about BU but i thought it would be more accurate to hear it from actual BU students or future BU students. Does BU have a good reputation? Are there a lot of opportunities?
Boston-based father here. BU has a very good reputation in the business and medical community in both Boston and NYC. Lots of amazing internship opportunities. You should definitely feel proud. There are thousands of students who would love to be you!
BU acceptance rate is only 25% for 2017.How about its computer science , and computer engineering? Is its reputation in this field also good? :-*
Yes, BU is a very good school and enjoys a very solid rep. Go have fun and get your degree.
What is the relationship between BU and Northeastern in terms of reputation? I know BU has typically ranked higher than Northeastern, but with NEU on the rise, could Northeastern gain more prestige in the near future?
Well, this is the BU forum so you’ll encounter mostly people who think highly of it! I am a ridiculously proud and happy BU alum. I got a broad, rigorous education that made me a better critical thinker/human being–from Philosophy courses, to Women’s Studies, to German (my minor), to Soviet Politics–I learned about the world, but also found my expectations challenged and my perspective expanded (I mean, that’s what college should do!). I developed as a person, and found deep and valuable friendships. In the industry I’m in (film/TV), BU grads have a reputation for being hard-working and driven but unpretentious. I think this speaks to the rigor found at BU but also it’s lack of competitive atmosphere/a highfalutin attitude. Every BU alum I’ve met, even if we never knew each other at school (or they attended years earlier/later), I feel a connection with them. I find the majority to be smart, thoughtful, and passionate. And I think not being Harvard, MIT or BC makes us humble haha (and we share the same Boston-school in-jokes!).
Regarding the other user’s question about BU vs. NEU… personally I think most of the work NEU has been doing is admirable but is a lot of window dressing/marketing/rankings gaming. NEU is a perfectly fine school, but it will take a LONG time to rewrite their academic DNA, and frankly I don’t think they’ll ever completely change their “personality”–schools rarely do. And there’s nothing wrong with that? I think it’s a great school for practical majors, with the co-op program being a strength. So I advise students considering both to really consider their personality and what they want from their program. Both schools are good, and ultimately prestige is overrated. BU didn’t even rank when I attended and it didn’t impact the quality of education I received, or the value I took from my degree (or what people “in the real world” thought–99% of the time, where I went to school doesn’t matter at all). So NEU being “highly ranked” (and BU joining in the circus, sigh) doesn’t mean much to me.
@proudterrier Thank you so much! I knew I would get a somewhat biased response by posting on BU’s page, but I think it was good for me to hear from all perspectives. 
Could you tell me anything about the “personality” of Northeastern? Or at least of how this school is perceived by outsiders~ Also, did you feel like there was every a connection between BU students and Northeastern students when you attended?
Hey! Northeastern student here:
What I think @proudterrier is talking about with “personality” is that the two schools, while having many similarities, more and more these days, can attract very different students. Generally speaking, you’ll get more of an LAC in the city feel with BU, while Northeastern is a more technical and professionally oriented school with the co-op program and its strengths in Business and STEM. Northeastern will be known well in industry, the northeast, and many technical fields while BU will be more known in academia across many subjects. Of course, both are known in the reverse as well, but this is the “primary” way the schools are viewed. Northeastern also used to be a technical commuter school, who has invested a ton in changing to a more traditional residential college, and improving more of their academic programs. Some is window dressing done for rankings, but there are a lot of big tangible changes as well, from facilities to faculty hiring and more programs being offered and invested in. BU was seen as the stronger school academically for some time historically, though they are more peers now.
I will say this: Northeastern’s “personality” certainly has changed, but it will always have the co-op program as its centerpiece, which has defined the school for over a hundred years. I think part of the reason Northeastern has risen and become so popular is because a big part of the reality of education today is that how it works to set up your career is important. Not everyone can afford the luxury of education for the sake of education, which is why the conversation of college selection has shifted a bit.
BU and Northeastern students do share a few bonds: both laughing when BC claims to be “in Boston”, a strong hockey rivalry (This is where personality shows. BU students chant “SAFETY SCHOOL” at Northeastern, who chants back “WE HAVE JOBS”), and in generally are very friendly with each other. As a general student, you won’t interact too much with the other school, but it isn’t uncommon to have friends at the other. I have a few from a past internship myself
To answer the original question in the title, absolutely BU is a great school with plenty of opportunities. In respect to Northeastern, the difference really comes down to fit, not quality. Both are great schools, depending on what you want to do.
PengsPhils sums it up well, but honestly, aside from co-op, Northeastern and BU are about as similar as two universities can be. I can’t imagine being happy or unhappy at one, and having the opposite reaction at the other. I believe that Northeastern has slightly more greenery on it’s campus, which isn’t really that much.
@PengsPhils nailed it! I agree with everything they said. I tend to advise students wanting to do “practical” fields to go to NEU b/c the co-ops can’t be beat. NEU is better for CS, too. And if NEU offers more money ALWAYS follow the money. The one exception to practical fields is journalism, IMO–BU’s program is highly ranked, and that’s what I attended for.
Though I don’t know: I would not have been happy at NEU, personally. When I matriculated at BU in 2002, there was definitely a “vibe” and personality there that fit me to a T and NEU would have made me pretty miserable (all the NEU kids I know party wayyyyyyy more than I ever wanted to–I think of them as more fun people, haha. I’m a bit of a drip!). It just wasn’t what I would have wanted. Perhaps it has changed enough now that a student could be equally happy at both, but I tend to think a student who knows themselves well/does their research will feel one is slightly better for them than the other.