Boston College Top Questions

Is the stereotype of students at Boston College accurate?

Jillian

in my experience maybe this is 5{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the BC population but most people i have met are real people and not stuck up at all. honestly, because the college is about $50000 a year including room and board, yes many people are rich but not many flaunt it around. i was surprised that BC is much more diverse than anyone lets on, the problem in my eyes is that the students ourselves unintentionally segregate-it sounds a lot worse when i put it like that, but one of the big groups on campus is called AHANA standing for: African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American. people group themselves together ergo the asian kids all seem to have asian friends, etc etc. its a real shame because i have found if people dont rely on this, people can fall into natural groups that will, yes, have diversity. a group on campus does go around and sit down at other peoples tables at lunch in order to switch up the different diversities. in general, if people dont cop out, you get to meet some really different and awesome people here. drinking is a big part of the social scene but its not the complete picture. i am only a social drinker and i probably only go to parties once or twice a month. the rest of the weekends i have tons to do with friends while being sober ESPECIALLY in boston. being 5miles from downtown boston (30minutes on the subway from central boston) is a great thing because there are endless things to do in the city-unlike some small colleges where the only thing to do is drink in small dorm rooms. my suggestion is that if you plan on dirnking, make sure you make more than just drinking friends-i have heard of ppl who have had this problem and it's much better if you have friends to hang out with sober as well! as a freshmen dont get caught up thinking everyone gets smashed every night thursday-sunday, because they dont

Paul

Let me describe some qualities of the majority of the BC population. The first thing is that the student body is preppy. There is a large percentage of guys who wear polo shirts (with popped collars), chinos, and leather flip-flops all year round. There are also a great number of girls who dress like something out of an Abercrombie advertisement everyday. While this is very visible, there are still a great number of people who wear sweats and t-shirts 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the time, so casual wear is very common. If you are hipster, punk, or anything else outside the box, you will find others like you few and far between. I remember seeing people who dressed funkier their first months slowly dull down their personal styles to fit the general populous. The second characterization describes the student body as children of upper-middle class who are self-centered. For the most part the students do come from upper-middle and middle class families. This lends itself to children who went to good high schools and who haven’t been through any times of struggle, so it is easy to think that they are all self-centered. Although lots of people you will meet will be somewhat self-involved, they can still be great people. Most of my friends at BC had elements of self-centeredness, but if anyone ever gave me any trouble, they were always the first people to stand up and support me. In return, I would do the same for any of them without hesitation. With respect to everyone being from the Northeast, I would have to agree. Most people are from New England, New York, and Chicago. Despite this, I had good friends from California, Germany, Japan, Maryland, Missouri, Singapore, and Virginia, so the campus is somewhat geographically diverse. Also, BC is truly a sporty school. It is ranked one of the fittest campuses in the US and most students are big supporters of BC athletics. The football games are renowned and quite the spectacle (although we nearly never rush the field). Although I liked the sporty environment, I could imagine it would be difficult to enjoy BC if you dislike sports. Saturdays during football season are so focused on the game that everything else is put aside. I remember one girl who didn’t like sports at all and typically went home every home game weekend freshman and sophomore year. Since she never really connected with the environment at BC or too many of the students, she eventually transferred. The last stereotype of BC is that there isn’t much diversity. Speaking of the ethnic diversity at BC, I think that this statement oversimplifies it. There is a proportionate number of students from Asian and pacific island countries, but blacks and Latinos are underrepresented. These students may feel alienated because of this. BC’s AHANA Students Programs Office helps to support these students. They do a great deal of good work, but it is an ongoing effort. Another underrepresented group at BC are gays. The gay community is very small and excluded from receiving direct funding from the administration. The administration tiptoes around the gay students because supporting them would conflict the religious background of the school. Because of this, I think it unfortunately takes a more self-confident minority student to thrive at BC. Although I believe the school could do more for minority students, I don’t think the administration reflects the student body. Almost everyone is accepting and welcoming of any student regardless of race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

Court

The positive stereotypes are, and while there are always a couple rich snobs running around every elite, private, expensive institution, the vast majority of Boston College students are down-to-earth, hyper-involved, incredibly intelligent, and very passionate about what they are studying and what they are involved in.

Steve

I would probably say a good portion of the student body is doing well for themselves financially but you are probably going to find more of the super rich at a place like Boston University because it takes more than money to get into BC. BC's students are probably more heavily christian than most colleges, but it hasn't affected me at all (unless you take a religion or philosophy class, then you'll never hear the end of it from them. public (high)school all the way). Also, while I'm sure there are a high number of conservatives here, I feel like, as on most college campuses, the student body is generally quite liberal.

Megan

While there are some students that fit the JCrew catalogue stereotype, most don't. A majority of the students walk around in sweat pants and sweatshirts, and for the few students who choose to get dressed for class, it's a complete mix. Alot of the students here are however athletes, participating in anything from intramurals to Varsity sports and unfortunately, there is not a whole lot of diversity when it comes to race, the majority being caucasian or asian however, religion is not thrown in anyones faces or forced upon anyone and individuality is encouraged.

Madeline

Answer to the question: Describe the stereotypes about the students at Boston College. Are they accurate?

Madeline

Answer to the question: Describe the stereotypes about the students at Boston College. Are they accurate?

Madeline

Answer to the question: Describe the stereotypes about the students at Boston College. Are they accurate?

Valeria

Yes

Caroline

for some, yes. but for the majority of the students this stereotype is false.

Chris

Generally, yes. Obviously not in all cases.

Christine

You do find that most students do dress in the "preppy" style but there are just as much people who will dress in sweats. There are some gym rats and it there is some pressure to look good. All students who attend were the best in their high schools so this carries into college. Everyone wants to be the best which motivates everyone. As hard as students work, they party just as hard if not harder. Drinking is very popular, but there are mixed answers if you ask "is there pressure to drink?" I guess it depends on the crowd you're with. I never felt pressured, but sometimes you find it's just less frustrating and more fun to go with the crowd. Volunteering, especially service trips, is very popular. Applications are necessary for some trips which can be very frustrating, but in the end very rewarding.

Greg

In some respects, maybe.

Chris

oh for the most part. they perhaps a bit exaggerated. the stereotype applies to the majority of the student body, and its certainly the most visible, prominent portion. However, a lot of people actually study very hard and are very concerned with grades, perhaps too concerned. but a lot of those people are quiet and hidden away in their rooms.

Bianca

On the surface most of the stereotypes about BC are true. When I first set foot on campus I wasamazed by how beautiful and how wealthy everyone was. Everyone just looked insanely put together. I was like, what about going to class in your pajamas? However, once I learned the names designers jeans and why cashmere is better than cotton, I also learned that BC students are the most down to earth and friendly kids out there. Somone will always hold the door for you or offer you advice about classes and what teachers to take. There is a tremendous sense of community on the campus, and all of the students have a sense of pride in the school.

Dan

A lot of students are rich and white, but that certainly doesn't define everyone. BC is lacking in diversity, but that doesn't mean everyone falls into this stereotype. You are guaranteed to meet a large majority of good, stand-up people at BC.

Morgan

Although BC is vastly preppy, it is such a large school that this fact is diluted but the large student body. There is truly a group of every type, and more importantly, there are students that choose not to identify with any group at all. It is an easy school to find your niche. BC is composed of a very serious, intelligent student body and people that are not afraid to work hard. To add to that however, those same students are able to put their work behind them and take time to hang out and have fun. They are very well around and aren't afraid of the "work-hard, play-hard lifestyle." While many BC students are well-off and you will find the occasional snob, this by no means defines the student body. Those couple snobby kids find each other and go off and exclude themselves from the rest of the student body, which benefits everyone in the end. Overall though, there are many kids that are from lower income and on scholarships and it would never be known unless they offered the information.

katie

Some are. It is not as big of a party school as people think because school is so important and because it's gotten harder to get into. I have found that students' taste in music and such is pretty generic - not too much variation from the mainstream. Also, students tend to stay on campus much more than I expected and not go into Boston. What would surprise people is how concerned BC students are and committed to service. It is the norm to go on alternative spring break and volunteer weekly. Also, they are very suburban and uncultured.

Dan

It seems ridiculous to imagine a school with B.C.'s reputation having the B.C. stereotype. Such an environment cannot produce well-balanced, mature, young adults for a increasingly globalized and diverse world. I matriculated to Boston College with the idea that the stereotype was just a poor generalization and could not possibly be true. I imagined that there would have to be a broad, if at least a interesting student body and the school itself would provide ample opportunities and support for any type of student. Yet, after going to Boston College, talking to a multitude of students from as diverse of backgrounds you will find at B.C., and spending time meeting people from other schools, I can honestly say the stereotype is completely true, both about the school and the vast majority of the schools students. At B.C., if you do not conform, or if you reject such a environment and the attitude that comes along with it, you will feel like a black sheep and not receive the best education you could.

Regina

The preppiness and tons of jocks are definitely true, and if not jocks then just athletes.