I just found out that I received the Trustee Scholarship at BU and I’m trying to find out more about the program to determine if it beats out other full tuition scholarships (like Northeastern’s University Scholars Program or Vanderbilt’s Cornelius Vanderbilt scholarship).
I’m particularly concerned about the GPA requirement, and the reputation BU has for deflating grades. I was accepted to the School of Music/College of Arts and Sciences dual degree program, and I’m worried about the stress level I would have.
Just wondering if anybody has any insight into this situation. Any information about BU culture, the Trustee Scholarship, or the School of Music would be much appreciated. Thank you to all in advance!
Are you looking to compare this one to the others because you’ve gotten them all and want to choose the best option or are you just looking for info on BUs in general?
@suzyQ7 a bit of both–I don’t know much about BU but I am very well-informed about Northeastern, so I’m trying to get more info so I can compare them. Also wondering if the 3.5 GPA is feasible.
While I can’t answer as much about the details of BU, from what I know of the three scholarships, they are all about at the same tier.
If you have all three of these available and would be happy at any school, I would certainly be worried about the grade deflation at BU. While there are actually some pros to the deflation, and there is no official policy to cause it, the reality is that GPA’s are lower at BU. The article is slightly dated, but here it is from the horses mouth:
@PengsPhils thanks for sharing the article. It’s very concerning, but I’m still really leaning towards BU because it has a dual-degree program and a high-caliber school of music–something Northeastern really can’t match. If I were to go to Northeastern I would have to give up majoring in music entirely.
I spoke to someone in the CFA/CAS dual degree program at BU (their CAS Major is physics) and they seemed to think the 3.5 GPA requirement wouldn’t be a problem, as they overloaded their course load and still surpassed a 3.5. Could this be because grade deflation has diminished over time at BU? (Or is the person I spoke to just a genius…)
It very well could have gotten slightly better, but BU still holds to the grade deflation - it’s a positive to them in many ways, and there’s something to be said for it. I think it’s probably either full genius or a mix of both - most likely the mix.
Unfortunately, that’s only currently available for Physics, not all science majors. Stil, the minor is of course there, but I understand the difference between major/minor can be important as well as the music caliber.
I’m a flutist and want to major in performance, so Northeastern’s music composition and music industry majors are not exactly what I’m looking for. But thank you so much @PengsPhils for taking the time to do some research for me and offering your input, as it’s definitely majoring me reconsider my options.
No problem! Good luck! The good news is that all three options are great schools / programs - while one may be a better choice than another by some slight margin, I don’t think there’s a wrong choice here.
@physicstudent111 Worth quickly noting that Northeastern does have a joint program with New England Conservatory, which is located next door and is ranked as the 6th best conservatory in the country. Might be worth mentioning it to the people in the University Scholars office as an interest and see where that conversation leads.
@physicstudent111 I’m happy to answer any questions you have about BU! I can tell you that the music program in CFA is pretty amazing. I was in the Symphonic Chorus as a non-music major (such a treat!) and I was completely blown away by the talent of all the music & performance majors. You get some AMAZING opportunities, including to perform at Boston Symphony Hall on the regular. I also lived next door to the Music House (it shares several doors with the German House) and, man, that house is A+. Refurbished w/ practice rooms, etc.
So I’m one of the proponents of “grade deflation is real!” on CC (b/c it is!), butttt I’m also one of the happiest BU alum you will meet, and I found rising to the challenge of academics there really fun and exciting. It meant I busted my butt in my classes, learned a LOT, and got some As I’m really proud of. Generally, if you’re good at what you’re majoring in, you have to worry a bit less about grade deflation–I didn’t have many issues getting B+s, A-s and As in my journalism classes (and my German minor). You can also ALWAYS strategically plan your schedule: some departments and professors are less into grade deflation than others (another pro tip: it’s easier to get As studying abroad sometimes–I got all As on the London Programme). When you’re on campus, you get a pretty quick sense of how to build a strategic schedule that balances learning & being able to succeed. For reference, I graduated with a 3.47, which was magna cum laude level in 2006. I wasn’t a Trustee scholar, but I had one of the merit awards that required a 3.2 and had no issues keeping it. Admittedly, I do know many students who lost their merit aid at BU. I’m confident you could manage a 3.5, especially with being dual enrolled in CFA–AFAIK, grade deflation is NOT as rampant in the performance-based majors.
(and srsly I love BU, if you have ANY questions generally let me know!)
@proudterrier thank you for your reply. Would you say that because of grade deflation and therefore generally lower grades BU students are at a disadvantage when applying to medical and graduate programs? Or would you say that medical and grad schools out there are aware of the grade deflation at BU and take it into account?
@physicstudent111 I’ve heard it both ways. From some, you hear that their lower GPA was a disadvantage b/c at many places it’s a hard numbers game–you either meet the GPA threshold or not. But I’ve also heard, especially for people going for PhD programs, that plenty of schools are aware of the situation and consider it relatively. They know a student with, say, a 3.5 from BU is as good if not a stronger candidate than one from a peer school with easier grading OR a lower tier school with a 3.9. Your standardized test scores will be a boon here, as well. The fact that you can get Latin honors designation at much “lower” GPAs helps with that, as well, IMO. I think it depends, and I have no idea where you could find the students to ask, but I wish there was a recent sample of BU students who went to med school and law school who could say how it worked for them.
@proudterrier Thanks so much for your input. I’m definitely still strongly considering BU and it’s good to know that schools are aware of the grade deflation–but it is still something to think about for sure.
@physicstudent111 - first, congrats on being awarded these incredibly competitive awards. Second, I would pick Blair/Vanderbilt over BU. I am not sure which teacher you were placed under for BU. If it is a flute teacher you like then that trumps Blair but Blair has a great flutist as a teacher!
Congratulations! I am am former Trustee Scholar and so grateful for my BU education. I am also the parent of a senior at Vanderbilt as well as a high school senior accepted to BU. (And I have a graduate degree from Northeastern.) The experience at the two schools (BU vs Vanderbilt) will be very different. You might want to consider whether you prefer a grassy campus in a lovely small city with a great music vibe or the excitement of being right in the city in Boston. Vanderbilt is close to downtown Nashville but has a much more self-contained campus. It also has a fairly big sorority and fraternity culture. It is in the SEC conference - sports are a bigger deal than at BU. I think in your position I would strongly consider Vanderbilt because of the reputation of Blair and general music scene in Nashville. But BU s a great choice too! I would place Northeastern a distant third. (Vanderbilt, like BU, is also known for grade deflation.). If you choose BU, try to live in the TS brownstone on Bay State Road.
Hey I’m also a freshman trustee scholar doing cfa/cas but for visual arts. Did you end up choosing BU? If not, my friend is going to vanderbilt with the cornelius vanderbilt scholarship for music too!