Boston University Top Questions

Find out about the faculty: who they are, the connections that they have, where they worked before, why they left. I love BU's faculty. I think its one of their strongest points. Find out how the administration treats its students and if there is a lot of bureacracy at the school. Check to see that the financial aid will continue to meet the students need not only for the first year, but for the rest of the time the student is in college. Find out what percentage of students graduate on time.

Don't bother with school tours. They only show you attractive aspects to a school, and ignore anything unattractive. I have overheard tour guides on the street outright lie about the housing availability at my school. Instead you should go to a campus, walk around on your own, and ask students (don't approach anyone who looks to be in a hurry; they probably are) what they think of the school. They usually don't mind.

I went about choosing my school based on location first. I knew I wanted a city and if not I needed a beach. My parents weren't thrilled with that, but once they realized there are a ton of schools that they approve of in those perameters they were game. I was fortunate enough to not have to worry about money, so I have no advice there. If you really want to get into a school but you are right on the edge of who they accept, apply General Studies. I was completely rejected from Univeristy of Miami and I applied Communications, but easily got into Boston University College of General Studies, which is considered a better school. And if you're a kid that wants to go far away from home, I would divide the distance you want in half, maybe more. You don't realize how far it is.

Make sure to look at alot of different types of schools and different locations to find a place you relaly feel like you could call home. Big schools in big cities might sound appealing but it is definetly only for people with certain personalities and alot of independance. You need to find somewhere thats comfortable for you so you can grow into who you are not who you think you should be, Parents should not push towards a school because of what they think is best for their child. It really has to be the students final decsion because they will know whether or not it will fit them well. You only get to be 18-21 and go to college once.

Whatever you put into your college experience is what you get out of it. Make sure you love the LOCATION and TYPE of school (urban, rural, etc..) above anything else, because that's where you're going to be living for four years! the next priority should be the quality of the program in which you are interested. Everything else will follow... Anything is possible at any school if you search hard enough.

Start your college search early and expand your horizions. Going to college is not just about picking a major. Also keep in mind what you want to do outside of school: greek life, sports, volunteer. Going to college you'll meet A LOT of different people. People who have more/less money than you, people of different races/religions and backgrounds. It's 2008 and we're no longer a generation who sterotypes and discriminates. Embrace the diversity your environment offers. Don't let going to college get to your head and keep in mind why you're in college: to advance your education. Some people do not have the opportunity you do so make the most of it. Try new things. Study. Party. Be safe. And make yourself proud. Because you are going to college for not your parents, siblings, teachers or friends. It's for you.

You should always visit a school's campus to see if you like it considering that is where you will be spending most of your time. Determine if you like the easy mobility of a city or if you prefer a more rural and quiet atmosphere. A student needs to think about class sizes. Some schools provide all small classes where others can have a 400 person lecture that also breaks down into a 20 person discussion. A good school to pick is one that will challange you to try harder, you don't want to settle for an easy ride. Consider how far away you are willing to live away from home. Being too far away, or close can make or break your college experience. Also you should look for a college that will be a good learning environment and that also will provide good opportunities and guid you into making the right decisions for your major and future career.

Enjoy it!

When chosing a college, you should always make sure you're familiar with the programs that are offered. If at any time you want to change your major, you can always switch without transfering schools altogether. You should also check to see how involved the school is in extracurricular activities, internships, and jobs. This will really help you gain first-hand experience and prepare you more for your career. The main thing is to feel comfortable and actually want to continue with the major you've chosen. And once you're in, make lots of friends! This is the perfect way to introduce your new life and your new home, so its always good to have a happy start. Also, once summer vacation starts, its great to relax and have some down time with family and friends, but you have to remember that you'll only have so many 3-4 month summer vacations left before going off to graduate school or starting your career! So this is the perfect time to start building up experience through jobs, internships, study abroad programs, or even volunteering. Anything that keeps you motivated and ready to lead your future. Good luck!

It is very important to visit your top choices for college before you apply, and at the very least, before you accept. College guides can be deceiving and it is important to get a vibe for the college by seeing it in person. While the college may match your dreams on paper, many people just don't jive with the campus itself once they set foot on it. For me, visiting my top choices solidified my desire to attend them, but for many people, it vastly changes their opinions.

College is the student's experience and all choices should be his or her choice. The student should take charge of his or her experience there, especially considering their entire life will soon be their responsibility.

Visit the campus! talk to people about the classes and what they think about the teachers. Ignore the tour guides, it's their jobs to make things sound good and perfect when no campus is perfect. Stay with a friend overnight if you can and attend a few different classes so you can get a feel of the professors. BU has really bad grade inflation, certain majors are curved to a B while others are curved to a C which is ridiculous. I'm a good student in the biology department and I would NOT recommend a bio major here, there is not a good assortement of classes, teachers are not very helpful, the classes are really large.