<p>As Andrew Abbott has described in his rapidly becoming classic speech on the "Aims of Education" (<a href="http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0310/features/zen.shtml%5B/url%5D">http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0310/features/zen.shtml</a>) there is little evidence that one particular conception of college education is superior to another, nor is there much evidence that where one goes to undergraduate school has much affect on later success. Further, except for the sciences, there is little to predict what a person will be doing based on his or her major in college. What college does in some small way is to produce a difference in how one might respond to the world from how one would respond without college. It is primarily for that difference we should be choosing schools and curricula, not later success.</p>
<p>My S has no clear cut idea of a major. He chose schools with the most comprehensive core curriculum requirements he could find. He wants to sample the depth of historical and current human thought across many disciplines from their sources. Though not "interdisciplinary" in one sense, this broad foundation showed change him in ways yet unpredicted. </p>
<p>This is the glory of our system, there is indeed a match for each type of student. And there is a school that is eager to provide that match, if only we can find them. That is why this thread (and all the CC forums) is so valuable.</p>
<p>Yulsie, thank you for your thoughtful response. </p>
<p>Again, let me repeat that my questions were not an attempt to put down the program. I also understand that your enthusiasm is based on real life contacts with the teachers. Accordingly you have a MUCH better grasp of the program capabilities and merits than someone like me who reads the website. That is why I asked how this program differed from others. </p>
<p>The issue of building a different major interests me, especially since my own school allows or encourages students to build individual majors. It is not unusual to see CMC's students graduating with majors such as Economics-Accounting-Biology or Mathematics-French Literature. </p>
<p>Please do not hesitate to post about your strong enthusiasm and praise for the program. The discussions about lesser known programs is extremely valuable.</p>
<p>I too stumbled onto that info by chance and it is an outstandingl program at BU. Sometimes in a large school you don't realize that there are smaller divisions for all types of exceptional students like the BU Honors Program. </p>
<p>I respect the fact that at BU, in addition to decent merit scholarships and approximately the top 10% of CAS kids in the Honors Program, BU also pays attention to the other end of things, so to speak, with their CGS program for kids with good stats but a little lower then what they need for admision to BU. They spend two years in CGS before moving into the regular colleges and by that time they claim the performance is indidtinguishable from the standard student body. Knowing that some kids need a little maturity and can become excellennt students in the right college environment its nice to see that work.</p>
<p>Our oldest s is in BU Honors CAS as a Freshman University Scholar (half tuition) and the extra saving is allowing us to approve him studying abroad for a few weeks this summer. There is something to be said for the Univ. Professors Program type of program and the added advantages of being a large fish in a small pond within a larger pond.</p>
<p>I'll be in BU Honors in September. I was impressed with the U. P. Program but just not my focus. I heard someone discussing some of their classes and describing the professors and it is a true scholarly environment. </p>
<p>BTW, can't remember if I posted on this already but I guess our family has done its part to stop the insanity by turning down one Ivy League schools and two others that are on the prestge hit parade. I was around enough of that in High School. My priorities have changed. I want to be challenged and will be but I don't want to be in a bubble with these people...I mean eating clubs, are you kidding? To each his own though.</p>
<p>So I click the thread title, expecting to hear of a tiny unheard-of program in middle-of-nowhere college. But noooo, it is BU, my lovable BU in my lovable Boston (I did a summer program at BU), and it is UNI, the program I was accepted into. This post didn't give me any new details, but the parental reactions are nice to hear, since I seem to lack them at home.</p>
<p>If any parents are familiar with this program and wouldn't mind helping me compare it with a small LAC like Swarthmore or a bigger city-ish Georgetown, throw me a PM.</p>