Boston University (BU)

Is Boston University the right place for you? With an average class size of 30 students and a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1, you'll find yourself in classes taught by Pulitzer Prize winners, Fulbright scholars, or a MacArthur fellow. BU offers more than 300 programs of study to choose from, so you can take classes in subjects as varied as biology, broadcast journalism, business, computer engineering, education, film, international relations, psychology, and theatre, just to name a few. If hands-on research is what interests you, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) offers hundreds of research opportunities across all areas of study. You'll have the rare opportunity to participate in research across the humanities, arts, and sciences as early as your first year. With 450+ extracurricular activities and the exciting city of Boston, and you'll never experience a dull moment as a BU student.

Boston University is one of the most diverse research universities in the country. Students come from all 50 U.S. states, more than 118 countries, and a myriad of ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In fact, BU ranked among the top universities hosting the most international students in the US by Open Doors.

Boston University students are extremely engaged, participating in academic clubs, cultural or religious organizations, and community service groups. There are more than 450 student organizations and more than 40 intramural and club sports that students can participate in. You can get involved with organizations such as Alianza Latina, BU Habitat for Humanity, the Debate Society, or the Alpine Ski Team. A separate student government exists at each school and college to manage student affairs, and the Student Union includes members who represent all schools and colleges within the university.

"The student body is vastly diverse" in terms of makeup (partially "because we are an international university"), but most here are said to be "motivated, culturally aware, intelligent, adventurous," "driven and involved," and "very passionate." Perhaps these common traits are why one student remarks that "there is a great sense of diversity, yet an overwhelming feeling of unity." With more than 450 student organizations (including 80 religious and cultural ones), BUers are easily able to have "a wide range of interests both inside and outside the classroom" and are happy to keep a busy pace. A student says, "My life at BU is quite packed because I chose to make it that way." These pursuits and passions also fuel the dialogue around campus, and students are known to be "intellectually stimulating in conversations" and enjoy finding others that share their interests. The highest value seems to be placed on "diversity of thought," as "originality is valued highly at BU."

Students love the university's "urban campus" in Boston's Back Bay, where they can "run along the Charles River," go "shopping on Newbury or in Harvard Square," or frequent "plays and ballets and museums" and the many local "clubs and bars." Boston is the epitome of a college town, and three-quarters of students live on campus in "the heart of Boston," enjoying the "wonderful" support structure of campus life with the pulse of the city just outside their door, as well as the ability to make friends at all of the nearby colleges in Cambridge, Somerville, Allston, and Brookline. A student remarks: "The city itself is like our campus." Campus itself has "a lot of clubs and activities to get involved in," as well as "house parties," "BU hockey games," and "frat parties," and "there is more to do than you will be able to find the time for." As "there's always something interesting going on onand off-campus," students don't have to work hard to fill the hours, but they make sure to keep a balance in doing so and take pride in "being able to find balance in living strong academic lives and exciting social lives as well." One student sums up: "Life at BU is anything you want it to be."