<p>I’d like to know if people agree that BU is underrated?</p>
<p>I’m a current student here and I’ve found the work very challenging yet rewarding. I’ve been able to find internships, take classes with wonderful professors, and plenty of advising. I know from my internships and from my friends’ internships that BU students are highly sought after. I think the campus is wonderful, and when they are done the beautification project this spring, it will be even better. The location is unbeatable – right in Boston, an extremely safe yet exciting neighborhood. There are tons of groups to get involved in, great athletic facilites, and a huge variety of housing options. I even think the food is great. Sure not everything has been fantastic and I have some complaints, but overall I am having a really wonderful experience. </p>
<p>I really feel like BU has it all, or pretty darn close to it. So why do people rag on it so much?</p>
<p>D would probably have gone there if they'd given her a decent merit offer....she loved the school. We just couldn't justify the $$ difference between there and where she got the best merit aid offer.... BU's loss!</p>
<p>I think the biggest problem is how much they overrate their mindset that the school should be much more challenging than need be. Not saying a degree factory is necessary, but the average gpa, along with the truth regarding grade deflation says a lot.</p>
<p>Eh, college is supposed to be challenging. But what you say is true about the grade deflation. I hate courses where the prof says "Oh my average is about a C plus. If you have a B minus, then you are doing great!!". Sure, in the context of that class, I'm doing fine, but it hurts our GPA's and doesn't help us in the long run. BU gets a bad rap from people mainly because it costs so much and they don't see the marginal benefit compared to other schools. This is a completely logical argument. Also, in most publications and rankings, the CGS scores are factored in. This brings the average GPA slightly down, therefore making some naive high school kids think that BU isn't as great a school. Perhaps these are some reasons. I also think BU is a great place and am very proud to be here. I was accepted to a few colleges that some might consider to be "better" rankings-wise, but I am happy with my choice. It has its problems but any college does.</p>
<p>The reason is pretty simple: the local schools and the local culture are based on prestige, prestige, prestige. Across the river is the school which the newspapers here refer with only a hint of irony as "The World's Greatest University." Harvard's self-love is tremendous. MIT isn't as shameful but they're not exactly shy about proclaiming their prestige - and I have to say that with regard to undergraduate education, MIT deserves the accolades much more than Harvard since Harvard's prestige is wrapped in its vast Institutes and graduate schools. </p>
<p>Boston is a competitive prestige market. You have the niche schools like Tufts - which trumpets IR to distinguish itself as a prestige school. You have BC, which has invested heavily in becoming the area's sports power (because that generates publicity and male applications, etc.). Even Northeastern has its "co-op advantage." </p>
<p>BU is merely a very, very good school with higher academic standards in many areas than more prestigious schools. </p>
<p>And BO5TON, aren't you transferring out? </p>
<p>The average GPA at Yale is over 3.6. That's grade inflation. BU doesn't have grade deflation but it doesn't give an average grade of an A- just for showing up. (That gpa was calculated from honors info released by the school assuming a normal distribution.) </p>
<p>I'm not saying that some grading practices aren't silly. I can give specific examples. Here's one: in some schools, languages are tracked so native speakers are separate. At BU, I know that if you're in a relatively less popular language area, you are in with the native speakers and the teacher may not account for that. It's not grade deflation but it is unfair.</p>
<p>Grade deflation is very prevalent. Why grade on a 100 scale if the the high score for a class is 82. It just doesn't make any sense. Unless BU accepts me for Law School, there really is no advantage here.</p>
<p>I disagree that grade deflation is "very prevalent" at BU. I've only had one class (SMG Accounting class) that ever curved grades down when the average got too high. For the most part my grades have been boosted, if anything (although let it be known that the majority of my professors have not curved my grades in any way, and my GPA is a 3.5).</p>
<p>This is what I think it is... everyone comes in to BU at the top of their high school class. Not everyone can leave BU at the top of BU's class. It's as simple as that. Everyone comes in as an A student, not everyone can leave that way. At BU, you're with 16000 other top 10% of high school students, so it seems only reasonable that the standards are higher.</p>
<p>I don't understand BO5TON's comment about "BU making college harder than need be." What did you expect? College to be easier than hs? Go to community college if you think that.</p>
<p>Also, the University puts several programs in place for students who need extra help. For example, there's the Educational Resource Center for tutoring in pretty much any subject. Also, the different undergraduate programs have their own tutoring services. There are also lots of honor societies, grad student organizations and the like that offer help to those in need.</p>
<p>I think the grade deflation "problem" at BU is inflated. I will admit, it does happen on occasion. But it's not as rampant as people make it out to be.</p>
<p>Also, I think Lergnom hit it on the nose by saying that BU's biggest obstacle is also one of its biggest strengths -- the fact that it's in Boston. BU is constantly being compared to the other schools in the area and never really able to be looked at in its own right. And besides, I think BU is alot better than a lot of those other schools some of those rankings consider more prestigous (just a note -- a lot of those rankings contradict one another -- BU is top 50 in the world in some, not even top 50 in the US in others -- *** is that?).</p>
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And BO5TON, aren't you transferring out?
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<p>Already did.</p>
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I don't understand BO5TON's comment about "BU making college harder than need be." What did you expect? College to be easier than hs? Go to community college if you think that.
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<p>I expected a challenge, but I also expected professors who were there to help, as well as teach us so as to prepare us to succeed in the courses. The CGS program was presented in a completely untrue light.</p>
<p>I took college classes before and they were (IMO) taught better and the classes were much more fair.</p>
<p>as a hs student, i dont feel like BU is underrated at all...in fact in my school atleast it's regarded as a very good school and alot of top students from my class are actually applying. when i tell people it's my top choice, everyone always is like "wow thats a great school".</p>
<p>I think Lergnom is right about the whole grade deflation business. At BU, the average grade is going to be the average grade. Most of the time. Some profs may differ. I'm in ENG and in my Chem class the average would be an F if it wasn't curved. So the Prof has said the average will be made to be higher. Its that simple. In most classes the average will be made to be a 70-something.</p>
<p>When you have a Giant, Flying, Flame-throwing, Elephant that is known as "that school across the river"* in your neck of the wood, competition is pretty intense. Seriously, Harvard is the Voldemort of Boston collegiate scene. No school dares to utter its name.</p>
<p>*This term has been used by BU, BC, Tufts, and I'm sure that if Brandeis has a river between itself and Harvard, it would use it too.</p>
<p>"You have BC, which has invested heavily in becoming the area's sports power (because that generates publicity and male applications, etc"
- Very true. BC gained a lot of applications from traditional ACC states. I think the Globe reported about this a few months back. We all got to find our niche to explore. Unfortunately, BU's niche is in its great Grad schools instead of undergrad.</p>