Hey guys,
I am having trouble choosing between Boston University and the American University of Paris (AUP) and I a hoping to get some input on what the better option is. I should start off by saying that I got into both schools, and that I would far prefer AUP to BU because of the location (paris). I love french culture, speak pretty decent french, and therefore I would like to be more immersed in the culture by living in Paris. The obvious problem is that Boston University has a much better academic reputation. Therefore, I am asking if it is worth it to sacrifice the academic reputation (and possibly the better education) of BU to live in Paris? Moreover, does it really matter for undergrad, I feel if I get decent grades at any school I should be able to continue on to a good grad school, or does where I earn my undergrad degree really matter that much for grad school?
A little more background information
I’m an American from New York
I am transferring from a school in Montreal called Concordia
and I just dont want to do an abroad program, I feel that living in a place for 3 years or longer offers a more immersive experience than going for 4 months or so with a bunch of other Americans.
Thanks,
sorry for long post.
Your odds of getting into a good graduate program are much better with an undergrad degree from BU. ACP is for Americans – and Europeans – who have money, but not necessarily any academic ambitions.
Why don’t you just study abroad for a year? That’s always an option, and it’s quite substantial for immersion. Have you been to Paris? For me it’s really not some magical land; people just smoke everywhere and are rude lol.
Anyway, if you want your college experience to be a cultural experience rather than an academic one, go to AUP. Honestly, if I were you, I’d simply try to attend one of the public universities there; it would be a much better ‘cultural’ experience. It’s also substantially cheaper (duh) and even the Grandes Écoles are far less expensive.
But you do you. It’s not like BU is Harvard or anything; it’s a standard school.
Why are you leaving Concordia?
Would you consider joining another program than AUP - what are you going to study?
Would another place in France be acceptable?
I don’t like the grading system at Concordia. Unlike the American system, at Concordia they have a limit of how many As they can give out, so you end up having to compete for grades with other kids and I hate it(out of a class of 100 they may be allowed to give five A+). From the research I have done this seems common outside the states so I really want to be in an American school system. As far as other programs I did apply to science po, but they told me that they don’t accept transfer students into there undergrad program, and I don’t speak good enough French to be really comfortable going to a school entirely in French, which makes the other programs in France impossible.
Also I have been to Paris many times, I’m actually heading there in a couple of weeks. I agree it’s not a magical land, I think that I just like it because I learned French in Montreal and I really love French cooking, other than that I just like European culture in general and want something diffrent. I’m going to be studying political science, thinking about double majoring in business
Beware that there are many classes in the US where students are graded “on a curve”, exactly like at Concordia.
AUP is widely seen as a school for rich kids who want to loaf about in a cool city till they get their trust fund or a job at Daddy’s company, and/or couldn’t get into a business school. You do have some middle class kids but there was an international student who was interviewed and had $8,000 in pocket money each month (yes at first I thought it was $800 which is already a lot for pocket money, but nope that was $8,000 a month).
@achilles900 That kind of grading isn’t uncommon in the US!
MYOS is right about AUP. It doesn’t have a very good reputation in the US - or Canada. I know people who taught there. They weren’t exactly impressed with the level of the students, or their commitment to education.
So I’m hearing a lot of you guys say similar things about aup having a lot of rich kids who don’t care, but the thing is I really don’t mind that. In fact, financially I’m lucky enough that the expenses at aup really don’t matter to me, some might even group me in that rich kid category, but I do care about my school work and am willing (and do) work hard. I know that the aup reputation is not nearly as good, but for those who think it matters for grad school could you explain why? Would having an 3.7 or above gpa at aup put me at a disadvantage when applying to law school when I’m competing with people who have similar GPAs who went to a school like BU or NYU?
Hmm, I don’t know about you, but if I had the dough I’d want to get my money’s worth. A public french university would probably offer a lot more value tbh. Also consider that your peers will influence your schoolwork; if students in my classes were unmotivated, discussions would fall flat and we would learn nothing. AUP is just … not quite there.
We’re not top law schools and already we’re talking about a low-academic rigor/spoiled rich kids school. How do you think law schools will react ?
Attend BU for sophomore year, spend junior year abroad in Paris, come back fluent, graduate and have the best of both worlds by enrolling at sciences po Paris for a Master 's degree .