^DP. Admission to BU is possible with slightly lower grades and scores than for BC.

Anonymous wrote:BU and BC are different in the ways described. Also BC has a more UMC/rich kid feel. A bit preppy. Serious students on their way. BU more diverse.

Not a lot of overlap in students though. The kids are very different. BU is a lot closer to Northeastern. BC much similar to Duke.

Kids do not interact. Campuses not near each other in practical terms.


BC much harder to get into.

MUCH harder? How so? BU 30% lower acceptance rate. BU has almost twice as many applicants. USNWR rankings are BC-39 and BU-43. According to 2022-23 CDS (BC hasn't completed 23-24) BC median SAT (34% reporting) was 1490. BU (23%) was 1430.

BC is not much harder to get into. It attracts a much whiter, private catholic school student body. Think Notre Dame.

BU is more diverse and for kids who want/like an urban campus. Think NYU.

BU and BC are different in the ways described. Also BC has a more UMC/rich kid feel. A bit preppy. Serious students on their way. BU more diverse.

Not a lot of overlap in students though. The kids are very different. BU is a lot closer to Northeastern. BC much similar to Duke.

Kids do not interact. Campuses not near each other in practical terms.


BC much harder to get into.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boston College is better academically and ranked slightly higher (if you care about rankings). It’s harder to get into and has a better reputation overall. BC has more of a traditional campus - beautiful architecture and grounds. BU is an urban campus. BC also has better athletics with football, basketball, hockey, and lacrosse drawing good crowds and school spirit. BU really only has hockey. Know many people who did not get into BC and ended up at BU.

Acceptance rates
2024
BU-10.7
BC-14.7
2023
BU-10.9
BC-15.5
2022
BU-14.0
BC-16.7

https://www.ivywise.com/blog/college-admission-rates/
https://admissions.blog/boston-universitys-acceptance-rate-drops-to-10-7/#:~:text=BU's%20overall%20acceptance%20rate%20during,accepted%20roughly%2014%25%20of%20them.

BU is the slightly easier admit, punts some students to spring (following in NEU's footsteps a smitch) and even after that still having test scores just a tad under BC's, and has less of a self-selecting applicant pool. That said, they are fairly close for admission, and it's possible to get into one but not the other.

Northeastern doesn't have Spring admit.

N.U.in: is a Spring admit program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boston College is better academically and ranked slightly higher (if you care about rankings). It’s harder to get into and has a better reputation overall. BC has more of a traditional campus - beautiful architecture and grounds. BU is an urban campus. BC also has better athletics with football, basketball, hockey, and lacrosse drawing good crowds and school spirit. BU really only has hockey. Know many people who did not get into BC and ended up at BU.

Acceptance rates
2024
BU-10.7
BC-14.7
2023
BU-10.9
BC-15.5
2022
BU-14.0
BC-16.7

https://www.ivywise.com/blog/college-admission-rates/
https://admissions.blog/boston-universitys-acceptance-rate-drops-to-10-7/#:~:text=BU's%20overall%20acceptance%20rate%20during,accepted%20roughly%2014%25%20of%20them.

BU is the slightly easier admit, punts some students to spring (following in NEU's footsteps a smitch) and even after that still having test scores just a tad under BC's, and has less of a self-selecting applicant pool. That said, they are fairly close for admission, and it's possible to get into one but not the other.

Northeastern doesn't have Spring admit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boston College is better academically and ranked slightly higher (if you care about rankings). It’s harder to get into and has a better reputation overall. BC has more of a traditional campus - beautiful architecture and grounds. BU is an urban campus. BC also has better athletics with football, basketball, hockey, and lacrosse drawing good crowds and school spirit. BU really only has hockey. Know many people who did not get into BC and ended up at BU.

Acceptance rates
2024
BU-10.7
BC-14.7
2023
BU-10.9
BC-15.5
2022
BU-14.0
BC-16.7

https://www.ivywise.com/blog/college-admission-rates/
https://admissions.blog/boston-universitys-acceptance-rate-drops-to-10-7/#:~:text=BU's%20overall%20acceptance%20rate%20during,accepted%20roughly%2014%25%20of%20them.

BU is the slightly easier admit, punts some students to spring (following in NEU's footsteps a smitch) and even after that still having test scores just a tad under BC's, and has less of a self-selecting applicant pool. That said, they are fairly close for admission, and it's possible to get into one but not the other.

Anonymous wrote:Boston College is better academically and ranked slightly higher (if you care about rankings). It’s harder to get into and has a better reputation overall. BC has more of a traditional campus - beautiful architecture and grounds. BU is an urban campus. BC also has better athletics with football, basketball, hockey, and lacrosse drawing good crowds and school spirit. BU really only has hockey. Know many people who did not get into BC and ended up at BU.

Acceptance rates
2024
BU-10.7
BC-14.7
2023
BU-10.9
BC-15.5
2022
BU-14.0
BC-16.7

https://www.ivywise.com/blog/college-admission-rates/
https://admissions.blog/boston-universitys-acceptance-rate-drops-to-10-7/#:~:text=BU's%20overall%20acceptance%20rate%20during,accepted%20roughly%2014%25%20of%20them.

Boston College is better academically and ranked slightly higher (if you care about rankings). It’s harder to get into and has a better reputation overall. BC has more of a traditional campus - beautiful architecture and grounds. BU is an urban campus. BC also has better athletics with football, basketball, hockey, and lacrosse drawing good crowds and school spirit. BU really only has hockey. Know many people who did not get into BC and ended up at BU.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BC is small and traditionally Catholic (tho not overtly so any more)

BU is large

Both are places people go to when they don't get into Harvard but still want the Boston experience and to rub shoulders with the Harvard kids. I am not joking.

I don’t know where you got the idea that BC & BU kids are actively trying to rub shoulders (or any other body parts) with Harvard people

Oh just having grown up nearby and seen it with my own eyes, decade after decade....

Anonymous wrote:BC is small and traditionally Catholic (tho not overtly so any more)

BU is large

Both are places people go to when they don't get into Harvard but still want the Boston experience and to rub shoulders with the Harvard kids. I am not joking.

Our tour made BC seem very Catholic.

Both schools seem great, but offer different experiences. We have friends with kids at BC and it seems like students from ALL Boston schools interact. Sixty percent of the city is students during the school year. It's an awesome place to go to school.

Anonymous wrote:BC is small and traditionally Catholic (tho not overtly so any more)

BU is large

Both are places people go to when they don't get into Harvard but still want the Boston experience and to rub shoulders with the Harvard kids. I am not joking.

I don’t know where you got the idea that BC & BU kids are actively trying to rub shoulders (or any other body parts) with Harvard people

BC is small and traditionally Catholic (tho not overtly so any more)

BU is large

Both are places people go to when they don't get into Harvard but still want the Boston experience and to rub shoulders with the Harvard kids. I am not joking.

They’re just different; one isn’t “more academic” than the other. BC is suburban (but with 3 MBTA lines that stop at chestnut hill campus). BU is urban and squeezed between the mass pike and the Charles river. It looks across to MIT. Aside from hockey, BC will have bigger sports culture. BC will be your “more traditional” setting with a leafy campus and quads.

Both are in Boston. How different are they?which one is better if DC is looking for a more academic place to learn.