Tell me about Boston University . . .

[Anonymous]

the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

don't have any personal experience, but I have heard rumblings about grade deflation

[Anonymous]

In some ways seems at times like a real estate company first, university second. Quite similar to GW. Campus is bizarre, very very long and narrow strip along the Charles River with the Mass Pike on one side and the river on the other. Some enormous dorms. Boston is a great place to be in college, but don't get the impression that most students really are focused on the academics there. I was faculty there in the mid 2000s.

[Anonymous]

I like the analogy to GW- physically that's true. But it's a much bigger school with a better academic reputation. Also very close to lots of good stuff in Boston.

[Anonymous]

I was just there recently. It is very urban with no campus. If your child wants to go to school in the middle of a nice city then it is a good choice. If your child wants any type of campus with green grass then it is not for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In some ways seems at times like a real estate company first, university second. Quite similar to GW. Campus is bizarre, very very long and narrow strip along the Charles River with the Mass Pike on one side and the river on the other. Some enormous dorms. Boston is a great place to be in college, but don't get the impression that most students really are focused on the academics there. I was faculty there in the mid 2000s.

Not similar to GW at all. BU is in a great college city. GW is a bunch of random buildings of no architectural merit whatsoever in DC.

[Anonymous]

Expensive and it is like living in the city. Better choice would be state school.

[Anonymous]

I think it is better to go to a state university and then move to a city to work and have the urban experience rather than pay BU $60,000 a year for city living.

[Anonymous]

I went to graduate school there but it was years ago. I hated it. Expensive, limited housing and a lot adjunct professors who did not know how to teach.

[Anonymous]

Went to law school there but 30+ yrs. ago so not really relevant today. Odd campus setup as noted. Great location. Loved Boston and BU Law School was/is excellent. No problem there with the adjunct faculty issue, law faculty is/was nationally known as top notch but that's not the undergrad life.


For undergrad, need to look into current rep school by school for reputation, etc. Very large contingent of NY area / Long Island students when I was there, almost stereotypically so. May not be the case as much now.

Campus is a strip, but I remember afternoons sitting in the sun on the Charles River, sometimes albeit w/ STorrow Drive in front of you (but you could get to the riverbank side of Storrow too).

I'm sure it's wicked expensive now with housing, etc.

[Anonymous]

I have been there on a number of occasions recently and also know many kids who have gone there in the last 5-10 years and generally come away unimpressed. The location is cool right on the river but it is not that convenient for the city, though the T is right there. Academics are middling, price is anything but and I think the analogy to GW comes from the fact that GW's former President came from BU and instituted many similar policies -- both schools have their endowments tied to real estate and it does run like a real estate company. One problem with BU is that from some of the buildings you can actually see Harvard and that totally bums them out. I think you can have a good experience there but it is worth making sure it is a good fit. For those who have not been there in awhile, the area around BU has spiffed up a lot, great for adults but not so sure for the students since the restaurants/bars are quite expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been there on a number of occasions recently and also know many kids who have gone there in the last 5-10 years and generally come away unimpressed. The location is cool right on the river but it is not that convenient for the city, though the T is right there. Academics are middling, price is anything but and I think the analogy to GW comes from the fact that GW's former President came from BU and instituted many similar policies -- both schools have their endowments tied to real estate and it does run like a real estate company. One problem with BU is that from some of the buildings you can actually see Harvard and that totally bums them out. I think you can have a good experience there but it is worth making sure it is a good fit. For those who have not been there in awhile, the area around BU has spiffed up a lot, great for adults but not so sure for the students since the restaurants/bars are quite expensive.

The Harvard angle may be true for the undergrads. At the graduate level, not necessarily. For a long time it's been the running line that both BC and BU law schools are superior to Harvard for actual legal education, quality of teaching, etc. You don't get the white shoe snottiness factor and the line into high paying jobs in BigLaw but you come out a better lawyer. It's an observation I've heard many times from professors who have taught at Harvard and come to either BU and BC and been more impressed with the students at the latter, who aren't there in many cases just to get their "ticket punched." People I know who have gone to HLS and work there don't necessarily disagree.

But for undergrads you are probably right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been there on a number of occasions recently and also know many kids who have gone there in the last 5-10 years and generally come away unimpressed. The location is cool right on the river but it is not that convenient for the city, though the T is right there. Academics are middling, price is anything but and I think the analogy to GW comes from the fact that GW's former President came from BU and instituted many similar policies -- both schools have their endowments tied to real estate and it does run like a real estate company. One problem with BU is that from some of the buildings you can actually see Harvard and that totally bums them out. I think you can have a good experience there but it is worth making sure it is a good fit. For those who have not been there in awhile, the area around BU has spiffed up a lot, great for adults but not so sure for the students since the restaurants/bars are quite expensive.

I think if you're looking across to Harvard wishing you were there it says much more about you as a person than BU as a school…I've never heard this before and I think it's a bit on the crazy, dysfunctional side.

From what I know, BU has a pretty solid reputation academically (possibly stronger for graduate work than undergraduate, but that's the case for many schools) so I think the argument about the academics is lost. Arguments could be made about it's location as a city school without a "real" campus and the cost, but it is a solid school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In some ways seems at times like a real estate company first, university second. Quite similar to GW. Campus is bizarre, very very long and narrow strip along the Charles River with the Mass Pike on one side and the river on the other. Some enormous dorms. Boston is a great place to be in college, but don't get the impression that most students really are focused on the academics there. I was faculty there in the mid 2000s.

Not similar to GW at all. BU is in a great college city. GW is a bunch of random buildings of no architectural merit whatsoever in DC.

Huh?

I get that Boston is the ultimate college city, but DC is high on any list -- GTown, GW, American, Catholic, Trinity, Gallaudet, Howard + schools in VA and MD nearby.

GW has more of a campus feel than BU (which isn't saying much).

[Anonymous]

My brother and sister both went there and loved it. The city feel doesn't appeal to all, but the kids are nice and the other schools are nearby. My brother did his undergraduate there and then his MBA at Harvard.