Hi everyone.
I’m having the same problem as a lot of other college applicants right now: picking which college to go to. I’ve been lucky enough to get the full Trusteeship Scholarship at Boston University, along with admission to their Kilachand Honors College. I am an international student, and I applied for aid at WUSTL, and have received around 24,000 $. At BU, I will only have to pay for the dorm and for food, so the difference in cost comes to 25,000 $ a year.
BU’s Trustee scholars program and the honors college seem to be very tight-knit communities that have a lot of activities as well as academic involvement: lectures, trips, Opera House/play visits, banquets, and a lot more. But WUSTL is considered to be a lot more prestigious, and has a much higher ranking (14, vs BU’s 42). However, I don’t know if BU’s honors college and Trustee scholarship make it as good as WUSTL. I have applied with an undeclared major to the College of arts and sciences, but am more inclined towards political science majors, and am considering going to law school after 4 years.
I am really conflicted. Any suggestions/advice? Is the higher cost worth the prestige of a better ranked university?
Ultimately I think it comes down to if you would have to take out loans. If you would have to for WashU, go to BU. If not, and you think the investment is worth it, go to WashU.
Also, if money is a real concern, and you are serious about going into law (though it does not sound like you are sure) then you absolutely should go to BU. Law school costs $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. And job prospects for the vast majority of lawyers are dismal. It’s only if you can make it into big law (to do so you would need to graduate from a top 1-10 law school at the top of your class and even then there’s no guarantee). Then at a big law firm (where you’d work 80+ hours a week) you would need to pay back alll that money.
And it does not matter nearly as much where you went for undergrad as does your GPA, LSAT and demonstrated interest in law to get into a top law school. Nor does it matter nearly as much where you went for undergrad if you go to grad school in general.
It does not sound like you are sure about law school though. I do not know all that much about BU, but I do know that at WashU they are well known for their academic flexibility. I’m pretty sure the majority of the students do more than just a major; I visited over the weekend and both my hosts were double majoring (one was also minoring in writing). I also met several students who had successfully switched from one school to another (arts school to arts and sciences and arts and sciences to engineering school).
Either way you have two great options. Once you decide though, you just need to run with whichever you pick and make the most of those resources. Good luck!!!
Edit: I’ve been reading more about BU’s honors program. It sounds truly impressive (unlike, tbh Northeastern’s). They only matriculate about 100 students into it; being one of the top 100 freshmen at BU could seriously (if you put the work into it) bring you just as far as being a student as WashU. Good luck!!!
If you are looking to go to law school, this becomes even more interesting. Law schools care mainly about GPA and LSAT. Prestige will go out the window mostly here. However, BU is known for its grade deflation. Fine for students who want more of a challenge, less so for someone wanting to get into a law school. I’m not sure if law schools would consider the grade deflation, I would recommend getting an opinion there.
I think either is a good choice, and it’s important to remember that. I think in this case considering which environment you’d be happier in would be a good idea.