<p>I was just curious, but can any of you guys give me a quick comparison between Swarthmore, Wesleyan, Tufts, and Boston College? I’m posting this on other boards as well, but I want to hear the opinions of people from Boston College. Also, is would you guys say Boston College is too religious for someone who isnt Christian, or rather, someone who doesn’t really believe in God?</p>
<p>The religious aspects of BC are there if you want them. If you don't want them, you'll barely know they are there. Nobody forces religion on anybody there. In fact they almost bend over backwards to NOT force religion on anybody there. The 2 required theology courses are typically more historical and philosophical than religious.</p>
<p>I think most people would say Swarthmore, Wesleyan, and Tufts are rated above BC academically. But BC isn't trying to be a place that fosters studying 24/7. It's not trying to be MIT or U of Chicago. It's trying to be a place that offers one of the most well-rounded college experiences in the country...academics, social development, fascinating city, top-notch sports, all on a beautiful and safe campus. Very few schools in the country can match BC for the overall experience.</p>
<p>I agree completely. As a current Boston College student with friends at Ivy League schools, I see the difference between my school and theirs quite clearly: at other schools, one receives a degree, but at Boston College, one receives an education. Academics are difficult at Boston College - plan on spending 8-10 hours per weekend on studying - but they are not cutthroat, and they are certainly manageable. There is really no way of comparing a Jesuit school with a secular one. Boston College's Jesuit identity shapes the school's whole educational philosophy. Everything we do, from academics to extracurriculars to service trips, is meant to make our whole person smarter, more well-rounded, and more able to serve others. Yes, there are daily masses available, but if that is not what you are looking for, you do not have to participate. The Jesuit worldview is, however, manifested in everyone's lives throught their educational philosophy: Men and Women for Others. The Jesuits believe that as part of the 1% of the world's population who is fortunate enough to receive a college education, we have a special obligation to not only appreciate that education, but use it to better the condition of those less fortunate than us. We must find where what we are good at, what we enjoy, and what the world needs intersect. It really does shape the style of education at Boston College, and it is fantastic. Don't let the Catholic thing scare you away from BC, it is a GREAT school.</p>
<p>Well put, Lauren. You get a degree from (fill in name of generic elite private non-sectarian university here), but what does it stand for? What skills are you almost certain to have? What thread runs through your education that is the same as threads that ran through educations there 75 years ago?</p>
<p>Whether or not you like places like BC, Notre Dame, Holy Cross, West Point, the Naval Academy, MIT, and U of Chicago, at least they seem to stand for SOMETHING other than the academic fad du jour...whether it's Jesuit analytical thought, the Great Books, education with values, a passionate desire to figure out how things work, or duty/honor/country, at least the people who choose schools like these have gotten off the fence.</p>