Small Class sizes at Boston University?

<p>I am a junior in High School and I am considering applying to BU to study neuroscience and go into pre-med;However, I am dyslexic and I know I am going to need individual attention from the professors in order to do well and the school is huge! BU’s profile on Princeton Review says that the student to faculty ratio is 13:1 and the average class size is 28 which seems great but I find this extremely hard to believe considering that the undergrad enrollment is 18,000+. I’ve found some great liberal arts schools with notable neuroscience and pre-med programs that are smaller and seem to fit my needs but they are all in podunk towns and I would much prefer the urban setting that BU has to offer. Is it possible to go to BU and get the individual attention that I need in order to be successful?</p>

<p>If you need individual attention from day one BU is not the place for you. Nor is any large research university. Freshman lectures may have 200-300 students.</p>

<p>What about individual attention that’s not necessarily from the professor? Do they at least offer some kind of private tutoring outside of class?</p>

<p>Private tutoring would be arranged by you at your expense.</p>

<p>Consider CGS at BU. I think they tend to keep classes small, and by the time you are a junior and transfer to one of the other schools or colleges within the university, classes will be smaller because higher level courses tend to be smaller and more specialized.</p>

<p>To get individual attention, especially in the large intro lectures at BU, you’re going to have to go to office hours frequently of either your professor or TA (or both!). Since BU is larger, no one will hold your hand or ask how you’re doing-you’ll have to seek out any help you need on your own. </p>

<p>That being said, BU does offer some free tutoring services, especially for freshman courses, in the Educational Resource Center. </p>

<p>I would say it is difficult to get individual attention right off the bat, but if you look for help you can find it!</p>

<p>Would this delay my graduation? Or is it still likely that I can complete my undergrad in four years if I do this</p>

<p>If you do what? CGS? I think it is structured for students to finish in 4 years.</p>

<p>If you choose CGS, you will graduate on time unless you choose a major in Sargent College, which there it could be difficult</p>

<p>this kind of bugs me because it seems that you are paying the cost of a private university for a public type of education? i am planning on applying to BU as a safety transfer school but i would be hesitant to attend, my reasons for this is why would anyone play private tuition prices for 200-300 + classes? i dont care if their intro because thats a complete joke, i am sure tuition costs could be better spent and get another prof instead of jamming 200-300 kids in a class at a private university. i know that this type of stuff happens at other colleges but still, i dont see the point in paying private tuition for a public education .</p>

<p>Sheesh, chickenfried, you can do whatever you want. BU is a research university. To be a research university, you have to be decent-sized. It doesn’t have to do with public vs private. Professors at research universities, whether public or private, are expected to do research. The ones in the sciences need lab space, and they also teach grad students. You can’t expect that the university should just “get a prof.” Just because you are paying more for tuition at a private vs at a public in your home state doesn’t mean the private university gets more money necessarily. Public universities are funded by tax dollars! That is why the tuition is low for in-state students! If you want small classes, go to a liberal arts college. Just don’t expect to become an engineer, business major, or physical therapist. Don’t expect your science professors to be doing cutting edge research (although some do at LACs, but on a budget and more slowly). I am not saying there is anything wrong with liberal arts colleges. There is a lot right about them, namely that they often have faculty passionate about teaching as well as smaller classes. But they also don’t have some of the things research universities have.</p>

<p>Honestly, if you have trouble teaching yourself material especially on a pre-med track I would not go to BU. I’m a freshmen pre med here and I absolutely hate it and have had a horrible experience with my science professors, especially chemistry. The class average for the first test was a 45. They act like they want you to fail and make the tests unreasonably difficult. The professors/class sizes are the main reason I’m transferring. I should not have to teach myself everything especially when i’m paying 60 grand for an education. CGS may have smaller class sizes, but they are also looked down upon and have more requirements for gen eds so I wouldn’t advise that for pre-med. Just my opinion, hope you find a good fit!</p>

<p>Nope! All my writing classes were small</p>

<p>If you are looking for small class sizes, I would not recommend attending one of the largest research universities in the country. Look to Emmanuel if you’re searching for a small Boston-based school. </p>