Enrollment: 18733
Average SAT: 643
Average ACT: 28
Most Popular Majors: Business/Commerce, General,International Relations and Affairs,Psychology, General,
Regular Application Deadline: 01/01
Student Faculty Ratio: 14:1

Undergraduate Receiving Need-Based Financial Aid: 128
Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid: $19,069.00

Great College Towns

School Says - General Information
Located along Boston's Charles River, Boston University is a coeducational, private, independent university with a stimulating learning environment. The university is a well-known and respected research institution dedicated to cultivating innovation and ingenuity. Boston University boasts a faculty of world-renowned authorities who are committed to undergraduate education. Most freshman and sophomore level classes have 27 students or fewer. Boston University's 10 undergraduate colleges and schools together offer more than 250 major and minor programs of study. Students have a wide variety of programs from which to choose, including biochemistry, broadcast journalism, business, computer engineering, elementary education, international relations, physical therapy, psychology, and theater. Boston University's student body is one of the most geographically diverse in the nation; it includes students from nearly 100 foreign countries as well as from all 50 U.S. states. More than 400 campus organizations invite students to participate, including community service groups, intramural sports teams, performing arts groups, and student government, as well as academic, cultural, and professional clubs.

School Says - Student Body
Boston University students excel every day, participating in academic clubs, cultural or religious organizations, cutting-edge research, community service groups, and professional internships. A separate student government exists at each school and college to manage student affairs, and the Student Union, the governing body that presides over all of the university's student governments, includes members who represent all branches of the university.

School Says - Admissions
The Board of Admissions judges each prospective student individually. The board's main focus centers on the merits of a student's high school record, but required standardized test scores (SAT and SAT Subject Tests or ACT), personality and integrity, interests, teacher and counselor references, and other relevant qualities are also considered carefully. All candidates must have graduated from high school or earned an equivalency diploma to be considered. For admission to the College of Fine Arts, students must either audition or submit a portfolio. A few select programs require interviews. Students should consult the Boston University website at www.bu.edu/admissions for additional information. Boston University also considers students with transferable credit from other institutions for admission. Boston University considers applicants for September or January admission, depending on the program of interest. Transfer students cannot be admitted to the Accelerated Liberal Arts Medical or Dental Programs, the College of General Studies, or the Metropolitan College Science and Engineering Program. Transfer students also may not apply for January admission to the College of Fine Arts School of Theater. Boston University does not allow transfer students to apply as Â"undeclaredÂ" to any school or college. Boston University offers early decision (which is binding on the applicant), early admission, and deferred admission options. All applications for early decision must be submitted by November 1 and applications for regular admission must be submitted by January 1. Accelerated program and select scholarship applications must be submitted by December 1. Transfer students seeking September admission must submit application forms by April 1. Boston University accepts qualified applicants regardless of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, or gender to all of its activities and programs.

School Says - Campus Life
Boston provides an environment rich in intellectual and cultural stimuli; no other city in the world can compete with Boston's remarkable concentration of higher education facilities. Boston attractions include numerous museums, major league baseball at Fenway Park, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and a thriving theater district. The city has an atmosphere of excitement abetted by its many college students, who make up 20 percent of Boston's population during the academic year. Boston is the quintessential college town. The city of Boston provides many opportunities for internship and research positions. The Boston University Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) helps students locate research positions both within and beyond the university; the universityÂ's Career Center works to provide students with internships in any number of fields.

School Says - Cost Aid
Tuition for the 2007-2008 academic year was $34,930; standard room and board was $10,950. Additional, mandatory fees equaled $488. Allowances for the cost of books, supplies, travel, and other incidental expenses brought the total cost of attendance for a resident student to $48,900. Costs for the 2008-2009 academic year have not yet been announced.The Office of Financial Assistance offers comprehensive services to help students and their families finance the cost of a Boston University education. The university offers a wide variety of financial assistance programs and provides resources to help students and their families become as well informed about payment strategies and financing options as possible. Merit awards, need-based grants, loans, student employment, and a payment plan are all offered. Because Boston University believes scholars should be encouraged and recognized for their efforts and abilities, the university is committed to offering a variety of scholarships to selected freshmen. University need-based grants are offered based on several factors, including calculated financial need, academic achievement, and the availability of funds for a student's program of study. While every effort is made to assist students with limited resources, the university does not have sufficient funds to offer a grant award to every admitted student who has calculated financial need. Those who present the strongest academic credentials are most likely to be offered grant or scholarship aid.

Students Say - Academics
Boston University's greatest strengths, students tell us, lie in "the choices students are granted. Do you want to be an alterna-teen or a jock? Do you want to drink or go to shows? Do you want to study ballet, bio, or film? Do you want a scenic riverside location or an energetic urban one? You can have all of the above at BU, which is both overwhelming and exciting." A "top-notch educational institution in the middle of one of the best college cities in the world," BU is the perfect place for independent students anxious to explore all options. As one student puts it, "BU not only allowed me access to more than 65 majors in my school, the College of Arts and Sciences (I tried out astronomy, international relations, psychology, and anthropology before deciding on anthro/religion and French), but also majors in other schools (I took two drama classes in the College of Fine Arts)." Many are drawn here by the "top-notch pre-professional programs" that include "an excellent communications program," a "great management program," and "a great biology program." Students note that "BU fosters independence: Students can do whatever they want; they just have to have the motivation." Academics "are very, very rigorous," with more than a few students hypothesizing the existence of an unwritten "grade deflation" policy, which, understandably, they regard as unfair.

Students Say - Campus Life
BU "doesn't have a campus in a traditional sense, and that takes some getting used to. It also means that most of your social life isn't centered on the university," but more on the city itself. To many here, "Boston is the perfect city. Easy to walk around; not as big and crazy as NYC; and plenty to do on the weekends besides party," such as "walking all the way downtown, passing through all the big entertainment areas, or walking over to Cambridge and Central Square or down the river and over the footbridge to Harvard Square...A short T-ride puts you in the North End with its Italian food heaven. If you can't find what you're looking for within 20 minutes of campus, you just haven't looked hard enough." Parties typically occur off campus "since the university has a fairly strict alcohol and drug policy which, RAs monitor closely. The off-campus parties are typically big (100-plus) and, of course, have beer and cheap liquor more than accessible. The bar and club scene is also big, with Lansdowne Street only a few blocks away, so going out to drink and dance on the weekends is also pretty common." Cabs are easy to snag so getting around the city is "pretty simple." For those who prefer to stick with school activities, "The school makes a real effort to get students involved and to provide activities for us, albeit through our yearly undergraduate student fee. They have comedy clubs, student concerts, and several interesting lectures for every interest imaginable, etc."

Students Say - Student Body
The undergraduate student body at BU is more than 18,000 strong, so "there is no 'typical' BU student." Students here "tend to be liberal and politically aware, but other than that, one of the most desirable aspects of BU is that there are no "types." Because BU has strong athletics, as well as strong programs in the arts, "there is a nice mix" and "everyone seems to get along well enough." This diversity adds an amazing dynamic to class discussions. This is one of the most valuable aspects of a BU education." That said, many here tell us that "a solid majority of people are very rich, well dressed, and reasonably snobby." New England prep-school grads are well represented, but so, too, are a broad array of states and nations.

New York University
Boston College

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