Boston University Top Questions

The best thing about BU is that it is in Boston. The school is too big, even though it has a good reputation. I spend most of my time in the library, or in my room. There is absolutely no college town, or sense of community at all.

There is always something to do in Boston. BU is a 5 minute walk from Fenway, and only a 15 minute ride or less by train to the middle of the city. Copley Square (where all the sports partying goes on) is a 5-10 minute walk, and every year the atmosphere for all the sports teams is amazing. There is a lot of pride for our hockey team. Most people attend at least a few games a year and you can get into every single sporting event by paying a one time $90 fee at the beginning of the year. Classes are usually no bigger than 150 people (depending on what your major is). BU may be one of the most expensive schools in the country, but they give a lot of financial aid and scholarships to help out. Whatever you pay is worth the experience of living on your own in one of the greatest cities in the country.

BU is a college whose "campus" is spread along Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. For me, it was the perfect mix of a college experience, and a city-integrated university. Having come from a smaller town, Boston was a great place to attend school. As a city, Boston is a comfortably sized, moderately populated, entertaining city that was fun and exciting to explore during my four years there. With the newly built Agganis Arena, many huge music acts as well as sports team land on the BU campus during their tours through the country, making it a great place spend a Friday night for BU students and Bostonians alike. The on- campus housing is impressively beautiful, particularly if one stays on campus until their junior or senior years, when one becomes eligible to live in the new high-rise of 10 Buick Street. I lived in 10 Buick for a year and still have yet to find another apartment that rivals it in terms of comfort and it's unmatched view of Boston along the Charles river. The largest complaint overall is the price of tuition. At $40,000 and rising, it can be an added burden that sometimes can raise question marks when places such as the Fine Arts Building or the College of General Studies suffer from long-overdue ned of renovation. However, that voice is being heard to some extent - on a recent trip back to BU, I saw changes being made not only within those colleges, but across campus. It is definitely a college for people wanting a more city-integrated experience within a large university.

What's the best thing about BU? Being right in the middle of Boston Name one thing you'd change. The non-major course requirements. Is your school too large, too small, or just right? Just right How do people react when you tell them you go to BU? No big reaction, positive or negative Where do you spend most of your time on campus? School of Management and the BU Pub College town, or "what college town?" College town! What's your opinion of BU's administration? They're pretty cool What was the biggest recent controversy on campus? Losing the Beanpot. Is there a lot of school pride? Not a ton, but enough Is there anything unusual about BU? They film MIT movies here because we're just that good. What's one experience you'll always remember? the 2004 world series, obviously What are the most frequent student complaints? housing rules and financial aid

I love being in the city. I would change the mascot, and perhaps the 'brothel rule', as I see that as unfair. Plus, I know that from where I come from (southern states) it's a blast to have fraternity and sorority houses co-mingling. People always seem to find BU to be quite prestigious when I tell them I go there, but at the same time, they find it strange that I didn't get into the University of Florida. This is the epitome of a college town, with far more of the city geared toward the college crowd than any other major city I can think of. BU's administration seems to be solid, and I certainly am no expert by any means, but the cost to benefit ratio seems astronomical. There is a $90 fee hidden in the meal plan to account for stolen food items? Who can steal $90 worth of food? There is a decent amount of school pride, but with no football program to speak of, and teams that receive a lot of money but don't put out many wins, it's hard to get a campus motivated. In a small town with a big campus, such as George Mason, BC, FSU, UF, etc. it's easy to get the campus to go to games, because there isn't much else. But Boston has so much to offer that there sports games aren't always the top priority of the student body.

Excellent faculty. Boston is an incredible city for students. Dean Elmore is a great Dean of students, President Brown is a figure head (with a mansion). Lots of red tape, EVERYTHING costs money. BU is more concerned with money (and hockey) than students. Best housing is the brownstones (specialty residences or otherwise). Recent controversies include girls being assaulted at night and kids signing in people they didn't know into large residences resulting in assault.

Best thing about BU is the campus -- once the beautification project is done, it will be arguably the best urban campus in the US. The campus is what makes BU unusual. Worst thing is that we don't have football, so when the ice hockey team sucks (like it does this year), there's nothing to root for. BU's administration has taken great steps in recent years to be more in-tune with the student body -- they've added cable to dorms, added nice housing, built a fantastic gym, and revised the guest policy for dorms. Definitely on the up-swing.

Boston is (I'm not the first to say this) the perfect college town! That having been said, BU might be a bit too big--both in the size of the campus and the number of students that go here. The campus has 3 T stops (BU East, Central, and West), but the actually campus spreads out even farther. As an English major, as for most majors, almost all of my classes are in one building, so going from class to class is not really an issue. What it does mean, however, is that students in different programs are pretty much entirely cut off from each other. I'm in an a cappella group, so I have rehearsals in the College of Fine Arts building on occasion. If I didn't, though, I would never see much of West Campus at all.

The best thing about BU is that almost every single good thing you will read about in the recruiting materials is true The one thing I would change is the level of outrageous unresponsiveness the administration often displays. The BU beurocracy is probably the one major reason why some people decide to transfer BU is probably one of the largest schools I have seen, but I find that really exciting. Having lived in big cities my whole life I probably would not want to be spending long winter months in a small, quiet village-like place. Besides, there are some dorms/part of campus that feel very cosy even in spite of BU's enourmous size. I think most people react very positively when I tell them I go to BU. In my experience, BU has a very good academic reputation, and my parents rarely miss an opportunity to mention that I go to Boston University. I think all students spend most of their time in the dorms, which is quite natural considering that's where you and your friends live. This is also a reason why choosing a good dorm is really crucial. Boston is definitely a college town, no doubt about it. One thing I will miss about it when I graduate is getting on the T filled 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} by people under 25. On the flip side of that, however, the fact that BU's campus is almost a "college town" in itself may mean that sometimes you have to make the effort to get out and explore other parts of the city. BU's administration is considered by many to be the most unpleasant aspect of the whole BU experience. Some shortcomings of the administration are due to the large size of the school, and one can only sympathize with them on that. But there is also a lot of neglect and what I think is a lack of true, genuine devotion to the BU community that is clear in many administrative policies. Hopefully, president Brown will be willing and able to change some of that, but so far we are still waiting. The biggest recent controversy on campus was probably the draconian guest policy, which was successfully modified to a much more sympathetic one last year. School pride at BU is somewhat hampered by the fact that hockey is the only really "big" sport on campus. I think there is a general consensus that more emphasis on developing good sports teams would elevate the school pride significantly. It is hard to pin point something that is unusual about BU for someone who is so much a part of this community - a true outsider would only be able to do that. BU is 'usual' to me, so I guess everything about it is. The only thing that is kind of strange to me is the art gallery at 800 Commonwealth that always has new art displays, but I do not know anyone who has ever seen any people within the actual gallery.

I personally love everything about BU except the price tag. I love living in Boston, the chance to live in ancient brownstones, being right on the Charles, all that. There's so many classes and activities to choose from, everyone can find a niche. Some people complain that there's no football team (no football is one reason I came to BU, I wanted a hockey school!) but no one went to the games when there was a football team, anyway. There's free stuff going on every weekend, and Boston has so much culture it's hard to be bored.

The best thing about BU is broomball, hands down. I would change the school by admitting fewer snobby kids and by increasing the quality of the academics. When I tell people I go to BU they tend to chuckle, act impressed, or both. I spend most of my time on campus in or near Kenmore square or in my dormitory. Boston is bascially the best college town ever and is probably one of the only reasons to attend BU. It doesn't feel like a huge party town but you're so isolated from people who are younger or older than you that makes it feel very safe and comfortable. I haven't had a lot of contact with BU's administration but I certainly hate their administrative offices. Good luck getting transferred to the right place... The last huge controversy on campus was when the city of Boston thought a light bright was a bomb and spent a ridiculous amount of money calling in the bomb squad to de-activate it. There isn't that much school pride because BU is where you go if you didn't get into your preferred ivy league. For most students BU is a second choice. BU is not that unusual - I've heard the BU, NYU, and Georgetown are all remarkably similar schools in very different cities. The one experience I will always remember is the BU bum. I loved that guy. He had the best flame-adorned Converse ever. The most frequent student complaints are that BU isn't the ivy league they wanted to get into and that BU is so large the social scene can be awkward.

Not a college town, its a city. One of the Best Things has been Stage Troupe, amazingly large group, amazing people.

Academics. If there was just one thing I would like to change I would name it, but there are too many: bureaucracy, in bed with corporations, don't care what students do or think, more condoms on campus. There are thousands of things. Probably it is too large, but it is fine for me. They don't react. I spend most of my time in the library. Allston is a college town. BU's administration would be best suited to resign and have anyone else take over. Biggest controversy is the terrible administration. What is school pride. Is there anything usual about anywhere. I remember everything. Most students hate the administration.

Best thing about BU is the diversity of the student body, but the worst part is how segregated it is. It is legitmately difficult to spend time meeting people when academics are supposed to be top priority. Also, getting anything done at BU requires murking through so much red tape that it often isn't worth doing. I spend most of my time on campus at Espresso Royale or at my house, the Co-op on Bay State Road, which was the best way I found a diverse and caring community within BU's campus.

Boston is one the best things about BU. It is such an amazing city to be a student in. Also, BU is such a huge school that there is always stuff going on and there all a million and a half things to do. Because it is so big, though, there tends to be a lot of paperwork and beaurocratic drag. Things take a while to get through the system. I would deffinitly have less red tape, though I understand why it's there. On the flip side, BU does a great job of making such a big school seem small and personable. My advisor is awesome, and Dean Elmore is basically great all the time (case and point he just tap-danced in dinner theater). Hockey is where all the school pride is; Boston is a great college hockey town. Also, a lot of pride goes to Boston sports in general. Even if you're from California you'll probably get sucked into Red Sox fever.

The best thing about BU is definitely the people. I'd probably change the cost of school - $45K gets to be a bit much for the pockets. BU felt small for me, but I'm in a serious minority on that. Adding more students would cause chaos in Boston, not just for housing, but for the lines at the student union. When I say I went to BU, people gasp in excitement, and say, "Oh wow, that's so cool!" That is, until I say, "Yea, it was alright." I spent most of my time on campus at the GSU, and not in class. I guess Boston IS a 'college town' because I didn't see anybody over the age of 25 anywhere... I think BU's administration wastes money like it's their job - because it IS their job. Look no further than the Daniel Goldin debacle. I also think that they're behind the times. The biggest recent controversy (when I was there) was the Daniel Goldin thing, I think. That was after John Silber dismissed gays as a subspecies. A lot of school pride? Not really - because there's nothing to really rally behind. So, there's no collective school pride amongst students, but there is a personal feeling of "Wow, I go to BU." It's unusual that - for a school so diverse - there are so few Black students.

One thing I will never forget about BU happened last year during finals time. During finals, the Mugar Library is open 24/7, and many students take advantage of this time to get some actual studying done. For me, I can't study at home, especially now that I live off campus and I'm 21--far too many distractions. I was here until the early hours of the morning several times, and I started to notice a certain girl who was always in the same spot on the second floor. She always looked disheveled and nervous, flipping through notes frantically, making flashcards, highlighting textbooks, etc. It was on about my third night in the library during finals period that I noticed the smell. There was a cloud of odor around this poor girl that was like gym socks and wet hamster. As I left at around 2 that morning, I saw some purple fabric poking out from underneath the table where the smelly girl had formerly been sitting--she brought a sleeping bag, and spent literally 24 hours a day during study periods in the library! It wasn't like she had chosen a particularly inconspicuous spot, either; she was right in the middle of the main hallway! I understand trying to get some studying done, but is it really necessary to camp out in the library? BU is really not THAT academically challenging. At least she could've bathed...

The best thing about BU is the campus. Of course, its big and its located right in Boston but its a great college town! My school is not so big at least not for me but just the right size. When I do tell people back home that I go to BU, they are often impressed and frankly I don't disagree. Boston University is a great university with divers majors and so many other opportunities. I love the BU administration here. I feel since I more involved in my school I know more administrators all of which have such a passion towards the students here. If you're walking down the street, they'll greet you and even though they might not know your name, those two seconds they take out of their day to say "hello" makes you feel good. Concerning school pride, I don't think we have a lot of it. We do brag about our hockey team but not that many or even the majority of BU students attend the games.

I'd say the best thing about being at BU is really just being in Boston and being surrounded by people who are your age and with your same lifestyle all the time. Mostly I'd just change some aspects of dorm life like the fact that we have to sign in guests and that you can't go into a building other than your own after 2am. I understand it's for safety, but it's really inconvenient. And with all the money coming into the school, it's amazing how little of it is coming into the living conditions and is pouring straight into new facilities. There is one really good dining hall on campus which has pretty good options, and there is a nice student central where a lot of people go to meet and spend time between classes. One thing I really like is being able to walk around campus and see a new face every day. There are something like 40,000 students at this school, and yet somehow, surrounded by all these complete strangers, I feel like I know everyone. The school really does shrink as soon as you settle in and meet people and get into the swing of things. I spend most of my time in my dorm in West Campus, which is like its own little community. I'm sure it's not the most proud school, but I really love seeing people really happy to be here and showing pride at sporting events and functions. Thus far, the things I'll remember most are the goofy things I've done with friends.

Best thing about BU is its size in the sense that you can really try out anything. I would do a complete overhaul of the classes that are designed to grade more on the format of an answer rather than the content. Certain classes are run where they clearly don't know how to utilize your time, or they don't really test you on material (they'll ask really stupid, trivial questions instead). The problem is they aren't isolated to one department. They're scattered and can even only be part of an otherwise decent class. I was expecting BU to feel too large, but it's actually not because of all the subdivisions within the entire massive community. People were more impressed than I was when I said I go to BU. I feel proud to attend BU, and people definitely respect the international relations and premedicine programs. If I'm on campus, I'm either in my dorm studying and relaxing or in class. Crunch times I go to Mugar Library, which instantly makes me buckle down and study like a demon. Boston is a college town because there are college students everywhere, but when you go into the city,it also doesn't feel like one because despite the kids your age, there are even more people who aren't and who are just going on with daily life. Charles River campus feels a lot more like a campus than a lot of people say, just because the majority of buildings are BU buildings and nobody else has business walking down those sidewalks besides BU students. It's technically open, but the sidewalks still fill with BU students going to class every half hour. I would change the way the administration is run. A lot of times it feels despite the ridiculous tuition that very little of the money comes back to the students (ex. my physiology lab required us to buy latex gloves for dissection days, which feels like giving your little brother a $20 to go get you ice cream and him coming back with 10 Pokemon cards and saying the $20 wasn't enough). That said, despite being bulky and slow and bureaucratic, stuff does get done. Eventually. We recently had a change in guest policy, which made the rules for having even other BU students over somewhat less psychotic compared to the guest policies of pretty much anywhere else. Biggest recent controversy probably was the change in guest policy. It was a big change, and it relaxed a lot of things. The students were more than overjoyed, but there were a couple instances of people being assaulted in dorms. Whether it was actually more frequent this year since the change went into effect, I doubt it. School pride depends on your social group. A lot are completely apathetic, some take pride in what they do through BU, others are fanatics, and these people tend to paint themselves red and go to hockey games. Our guest policy is still unusual. Our "campus" is unusual. The frat parties out in West I guess you could say are unusually crowded and sketchy and "dry up" quickly. Most frequent student complaints are usually to get more money to come back to the students. And because of the guest policy, there is a tangible air of distrust and hostility between a lot of students and the administration.