<p>My son looked very carefully at both UR and BC last year. Academically, the two schools are very close (in terms of student profile, rigor of classes, etc.) However, the Rochester Curriculum provides much more flexibility in terms of electives and being able to complete double – and even triple – majors, whereas BC’s core curriculum requires a much broader base of different subjects that I think gives you a more balanced liberal arts education.</p>
<p>Because UR is much smaller, it has a tight-knit student population that surprisingly has as much school spirit as BC, even though it does not have the big-time sports scene. There seemed to be more opportunities for undergraduate research at UR than BC, but that may be a function of the individual departments. You can do research and get to know your professors at BC too, but it takes a bit more effort on the student’s part just because BC is bigger.</p>
<p>If you are interested in neuroscience, UR’s Medical School and teaching hospital are literally next to the campus and there are tons of opportunities for internships and volunteer service.</p>
<p>The biggest drawback to UR is, without a doubt, its location. Although the UR campus is beautiful (right on the river) and in a safe area, there is absolutely nothing going on outside the school. As a destination, Rochester just cannot compare to Boston. UR tries to make up for that by having lots of events on campus, but one could easily get tired of seeing the same people and doing the same things for four years.</p>
<p>In the end, my son chose BC over UR, even though UR had offered him a sizable merit scholarship (vs. $0 from BC). It was not an easy decision, however.</p>