Should I attend Boston U?

College Search & Selection
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<p>I was accepted and currently am planning to attend BU in the fall of 09. I was accepted into their college of arts and sci. I will take their premed courses and intend to be a bio and psyh major. I've been reading a lot about grade deflation here at BU. I've actualy heard about it many times actually.
-----Can anyone comment on grade deflation here at BU?</p>

<p>-----As long as I work hard will it still affect me? Like it doesn't make sense why a teacher would give a student a D or C if she/he master all the required work. </p>

<p>Would that grade deflation hurt my chances of getting into med school or would name and rigor of the courses off set the potentialy low GPA? </p>

<p>What are some of hte highlight of Boston U?</p>

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<p>bump bump bump</p>

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<p>A bit late for ‘should you attend’ questions unless you have done something unscrupulous like tell two schools you are coming.</p>

<p>Grade deflation is when a school lowers its average grades over a period of time. I strongly doubt that’s what you have been reading about. It’s likely you mean that the average grade in a school is lower than other comparable schools. That’s possible but not something that I’ve heard about BU. </p>

<p>Schools known for giving out an average class grade lower than comparable schools are places like Reed College, Harvey Mudd, McGill University etc. This still doesn’t matter for grad school as grad school admissions will already know this and factor that into the process. On the plus side of things, being a really good student in a hard grading school can really make your CV stand out. </p>

<p>On the down side, it can make a difference for someone leaving college for the work force as the hiring manager may have no idea that your 3.1 may be equivalent to another school’s 3.5.</p>

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<p>BU is overpriced and not worth it.</p>

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<p>John Silber always used to say that open admissions was a good thing, so long as there wasn’t open graduation.</p>

<p>When I was at BU during the 80’s, and the average GPA was apparently 2.90, there was an enormous difference between the top and the bottom students. You’d have kids who could get A’s with little effort, and kids who would break their backs and get B’s and C’s. I suspect the student body is stronger top to bottom than it was back then. Maybe the effortless A is less common now. I don’t know. I also don’t know whether BU was a safety for you, or an enormous reach.</p>

<p>In any event, there hasn’t been grade deflation at BU, but rather very modest grade inflation over the last twenty years. It’s discussed to death here:</p>

<p>[BU</a> Today: Grade Deflation or Not?](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/today/node/1962]BU”>http://www.bu.edu/today/node/1962)</p>

<p>[College</a> Confidential: Can We Settle Grade Deflation Debate?](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/boston-university/588075-can-we-settle-grade-deflation-debate.html]College”>Can we settle grade deflation debate? - Boston University - College Confidential Forums)</p>

<p>[New</a> York Times: Can Tough Grades Be Fair Grades?](<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/07/education/07education.html?_r=1]New”>http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/07/education/07education.html?_r=1)</p>

<p>[College</a> Confidential: Boston University Grade Deflation](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/199512-nytimes-boston-university-grade-deflation.html]College”>NYTimes: Boston University grade deflation - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums)</p>

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<p>Boston. Terrier hockey. “An enormous public school education at private school prices!”</p>

<p>People on CC like to point out that college, anywhere, is what you make if it. That is so true at BU. If you’re the kind of kid who falls through the cracks, or you need a lot of mentoring/counseling/help, BU can be a nightmare.</p>

<p>I got a ton of financial aid, so the huge price tag Brown Bear always brings up wasn’t an issue for me, and I feel like I owe BU a lot, but the bottom line is that I came out of college a huge Loren Pope style proponent of small LAC’s.</p>

<p>Nobody should attend Boston University without their eyes wide open. It is absolutely not for everybody. Just like everywhere, only more so.</p>

<p>But if you’ve done your homework and know that BU is the place for you, I wouldn’t let the ‘grade deflation’ scare you away.</p>

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<p>I’ve heard the rumors about grade deflation at BU, but the friends I have who go there are doing fine and haven’t really complained much about it. Granted, they’re all very hard workers, but I think if you work hard, you’ll be fine.</p>

<p>I agree with Angry Dad, BU is what you make of it. Big and (very) urban schools aren’t for everyone, it’s not the most “nurturing” environment, but it’s a place that gives you lots of opportunities to do really well. That’s a major highlight–just the opportunities that exist in Boston. It’s a great place to be a student.</p>

<p>But, I’m not a BU student (nearby rival school!) so I’m just basing my opinion as a boston student with friends there…</p>