Boston University

Boston University, stretching gracefully along Commonwealth Avenue, stands as a masterclass in urban higher education, seamlessly weaving a global research powerhouse into the very fabric of one of the world’s most intellectual cities. From several high-level discussions with alumni and local professionals, it is clear that BU operates with a merytorical intensity that challenges its students to think far beyond the limits of traditional textbooks. My peers frequently highlight the university’s unique talent for blending a sophisticated, cosmopolitan atmosphere with a genuine sense of intellectual grit, noting that its graduates are exceptionally prepared for the high-stakes demands of the modern economy. In frequent conversations about the Boston academic landscape, the public consensus consistently praises the institution's Questrom School of Business and the College of Communication as world-class benchmarks of professional readiness. I am particularly struck by the faculty's impressive ability to act as mentors and industry gatekeepers, a sentiment echoed by many families I know whose children have moved into prestigious careers immediately after graduation. It is evident from the collective feedback of those I trust that the administration manages this sprawling campus with a transparent and visionary hand, ensuring that "Terrier" pride is backed by serious academic substance. Friends who have engaged with the university’s research centers often describe a high-performance environment characterized by intellectual moxie and a deep-seated respect for interdisciplinary collaboration. The general sentiment among the community is that BU represents a prestigious and dependable pillar of progress that continues to elevate Boston’s status as a global hub of learning. Reflecting on these consistently positive and well-grounded testimonials, I view Boston University as a distinguished institution that executes its complex educational mission with undeniable class and an inspiring dedication to excellence.

Boston University is an incredible place to visit! The campus is full of energy, diversity, and inspiring architecture right along the Charles River. The atmosphere feels vibrant and intellectual, with friendly students and passionate professors everywhere. I loved exploring the mix of modern buildings and history — truly one of the best universities in the U.S.!

Boston University doesn’t wait for the world — it helps define it. In the heart of a city built on innovation and intellect, BU turns ambition into action. From global business and biomedical engineering to law, journalism, and the arts, Boston University thrives on motion — academic, cultural, and professional. Here, you don’t just learn about the world; you live in its center. At BU, excellence isn’t theoretical — it’s practiced. Classes demand critical thinking, professors expect originality, and the city itself tests your adaptability. The competition is constant, but it’s constructive — a challenge that sharpens instead of discouraging. Every lecture, every lab, every late night adds up to one thing: capability that counts. The Boston University network is as global as its mindset. Alumni dominate fields from medicine to media, tech to diplomacy. A BU degree isn’t a paper credential — it’s proof you’ve thrived in one of the world’s most rigorous academic ecosystems. When you leave, you carry not just credentials, but credibility. And then there’s UC Davis. UC Davis markets the dream of innovation — but delivers the reality of inertia. Bureaucracy replaces agility, and students often wrestle with systems instead of ideas. Speak out, and you risk standing alone; stand out, and you’re told to blend in. The culture prizes compliance over creativity — a quiet campus that rarely makes noise in the arenas that matter. Even the outcomes tell the truth. UC Davis’s 10-year ROI struggles to justify the tuition, offering returns that barely keep pace with the cost of living in California. The brand says “prestige,” but the experience often says “plateau.” At Boston University, you evolve — intellectually, professionally, globally. At UC Davis, you endure — bureaucratically, academically, slowly. If you’re choosing between the two: Go where excellence is earned, not advertised. Go where the city fuels your growth, not the system stalls it. Go Boston University. UC Davis just drifts.

Fantastic educational institution with dedicated, caring faculty and staff.

I’ve studied at many universities in the past and I have to say this was the worst one. Their dorm staff/supervisor and management are deplorable. They have racist and discriminatory attitudes. Beware of your privacy if you go there. They’re allowed to come into your dorm room whenever they want and search it.

Former graduate, would highly recommend. Studied hospitality, but became a lawyer; would still completely recommend the hospitality school though. Born and raised in Los Angeles, and wouldn’t change living in Boston and going to BU. BU is an amazing school in a beautiful city! Anyone should consider going to school there, even people who grew up on the West coast.

After visiting Boston University, we headed to Singh’s Dhaba for a meal. The authentic flavors and cozy vibe made it the perfect spot to wrap up the day!

Excellent 👌 place to be a student. Great location

The last six years has been a prodigious opportunity for my WomanBaby & a grerat parenting experience for myself. Aside from the academia aspect, BU provided many prospects for my WomanBaby to build her community & social trajectories. I have met many faculty & employees along the way, who have been nothing less than genuine, attentive, caring & engaging. I must give high compliments to the Dining Hall staff, as I have not seen so many happy & assisting faces amongst a cluster of college students. BU's effortless communication system was a great aid in negating parent worrying. The structure provided parents with updates via emails, emails, correspondences, text & voice messages. My WomanBaby gave me a quick tutorial on the 'Student Central', an amazing community resource for students to easily navigate around BU. & to note, the state of the art laundry facilities streamlines doing laundry with interactive washing/paying options. In regards to campus safety, the Boston University Police Department is located in the heart of the campus, taking crime prevention & personal safety to a higher echelon. I did my due diligence before & during freshman drop off & found the BUPD offers a variety of services & resources. The RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) Program educated women about self-defense tactics to protect themselves against rape & other forms of violence; the Scarlet Safe Walk which provides walking escorts to students & employees seven nights a week, from 10P-2A & bike/laptop registration initiatives to avoid theft & assist the BUPD in returning lost, stolen & or misused items to their rightful owners. Boston University is nestled in the heart of a booming & vibrant metropolitan area. BU's community offers ideal cultural, historical, & academic atmospheres, to ensure a unified entry & continuum to campus life. Unlimited thank-you's Boston University, on behalf of my WomanBaby & myself, it has truly been an adventurous undergraduate & graduate sundry of successful seasons.

My husband went to BU and wasn't thrilled about the experience. Expensive and not very hands on experience, obtuse staff, not allowing creativity and working with students for their development. We went back recently, visiting the campus and trying to do an event here that would have benefited the students. The staff wasn't interested, jumped to say "No", before thinking, considering, trying to make things work. It would have been more workload for them, so they don't put students first. And treat Alumni like crap, not like family. The only upside is the campus, very pretty, beautiful buildings, nice beach. A few subway stops alongside the campus. Although construction at the main dorms, so harder to navigate. Newer buildings not so great, kind of a sore spot for the eye! Very, very mixed feelings!

a beautiful campus indoors and outdoors... but mostly outside! near the fenway stadium and surrounded by such greenery and the metro (green like) is right there! very safe environment for students

We have visited and toured countless college campuses. Boston University was a beautiful campus and very large; however, my only recommendation is for the college tours go be a little longer and more in depth about the history of the campus. Other than that, we really enjoyed ourselves.

I took my daughter on a tour of the Boston University School of Medicine campus. We arrived unannounced and did not have an appointment however a counselor was able to sit down and speak with us. He was very knowledgeable in the Masters in Public Health Program as he was also a student. After a detailed discussion about the program the ins and outs as well as the cost we were able to take a one on one tour. The campus is beautiful and located right next to Boston Medical Center. We were able to go to the top floor of the campus and see the entire city of Boston. Everyone was extremely friendly, helpful and able to answer all of our questions. The only downside was the $50,000 per year for the MPH program.

I'm impressed. I attended a campus tour with my daughter a few weeks ago and I have to say, I was extremely impressed with the school. Yes, I know it ranks high nationally, but visiting the campus and talking to current students impressed the heck out of me. I'd be thrilled if my daughter attended BU...only negative? That stupid expressway that runs along-side of it between the campus and the river. 4.8 stars

I transferred to BU and there definitely wasn't as much of a campus feel, free events, give always etc. compared to my last university, but I made great friends and liked the work-hard and be independent feeling of BU. The advisors and faculty were very helpful and accessible. I met my fiancé and one of my best friends while going here!

Came for baby sisters graduations. When we went to the first one it was gorgeous and sunny. Came out for the second outdoor commencement and it was pouring rain. 10/10 should've provided more ponchos but a really cool campus and the 2019 student speaker was SO GOOD!

I was here to act in a short film, found the students friendly and helpful, And the campus easy to navigate. The deal: it is easily accessible on the green, B line of the T.

I took my son and daughter to play ping pong and basketball. I was playing the 'HORSE' game on the basketball court; which was open for members. This jerk purposely ran into me so hard, I lost consciousness for a few sec. He wanted to play 5 on 5 and didn't like my family was on the court. I told my son 8 yrs old to get somebody from the front desk for either ambulance or some help. A girl came up, she seemed maybe not mature to make a good choice, but she ask those 5 players if it was an accident. Of course, those are his friends, they said yes, it was an accident. Not only I was ashamed of my kids for trying to play a game with family but I was hurt enough to stay down for a longer time. When someone is hurt, the first thing is to stop everyone from hurting me more. I was so unprofessionally done, I never went back. You watch your back too, there are all kinds of strangers in the gym, and if you want to take your family there, there is no safety net you can protect your kids from. Be very careful or forget to go to such an unsupervised location.

OK so although I complained the whole way through....looking back this was a fabulous experience. Yes, the school is extremely bureaucratic, they often do not appreciate their employees and the red tape is so out of control--BUT --all in all ,this is a fine university. It is one of the biggest universities in the northeast....so it must be a pretty tough one to run..... The big thing here is that there are so many different schools....I am a COM alum and although at the time the equipment was old and really crappy, the profs were great.....and it is one of the top (and oldest) communications schools in the country. BU is not for everyone and it is certainly not the bet place to "find yourself." It is a huge city school with a million options and no campus.....the key to surviving and thriving is getting involved. Choose an athletic group or social group and get involved....make your own click and enjoy yourself.... The same goes for the academics....you are not in Kansas anymore Dorothy.....make time to see your professors during office hours....keeping up when a lecture has 200 people in it is not easy.....the good part is that the classes get much smaller as you get more and more into your concentration. Lastly, I agree with Sarah A. about the MET school. Great for random classes but also great for a second degree....

I don't know what BU is telling their students, but they are entitled, stuck up, obnoxious. These are BU traits that distinguishes the students from other colleges in the area. In the workplace... they are not as prepared or impressive as students from other schools - so, lose the attitude.

My review of BU is written from a graduate student's perspective. I went to BU to get an education, not make friends or get a life experience. The three stars that BU gets is for the fantastic faculty I worked with while I was there and only for them. They were accessible, helpful, insightful and nothing short of what I would want my faculty to be. I felt that my course work was relevant and stimulating. They gave me excellent advice about my career path and offered resources to help me on the way. However, the administration of BU gets negative stars. This school is not geared to graduate students. The nice new gym? Yes, that's lovely but that is not what I need. I need good classroom space. How about wireless internet that works in all the classrooms? Another crazy thought...what about smart classrooms? There are universities out there where professors teach on big screens, not blackboards and overheads. There are only 2 outlets in each classroom so plugging in your laptop usually relegates you to the back of the room. (I know, its crazy, but I like to participate in class discussion.) I need a good library. How about laptop hook ups? I really don't like having to plug my laptop into an outlet with no face plate. How about modernizing the library so that I don't have to stare at crude drawings and carvings of naked chicks in the study carrels? But none of these concerns matter to your average BU student. I shouldn't have to go to the SGM library just to have a nice space to study and work in. It would be fabulous if the library stocked books written by the professors of the University. BU is like your friend that will do anything for a dollar. Sell your email address? Sure thing. Open the parking lots to Red Sox traffic? You bet. There is nothing more frustrating then having to miss class on a game day because BU opened the garages (the one that you PAY a yearly fee to park in...) to Sox traffic therefore leaving you nowhere to park your car. For the price that BU charges these issues should not exist. Obviously every school will have its faults but out of the 5 schools I have attended BU is the one that is the furthest from having their act together. The school at which I obtained my BA and the one at which I will be obtaining my PhD both cost a fraction of what BU does and offered much more by the way of resources. Undergraduate students wouldn't know that of course, they don't know how good a University could be. If you are coming here and you are looking to use academic resources you will have a difficult time. If you're coming to make friends and get the college experience you'll love it. And you'll get a great body working out at that gym.

From Kenmore to Allston, Brookline and along the Charles River, Boston University IS Boston's University. Dynamic and ever changing, I tell people BU isn't a university for everyone and yet it has something for everyone. It's not a school where you are going to automatically be assimilated into a football culture or greek life and all is thought out for you for your university experience - no. At BU, you have to explore and go out and find your niche. But once you do, it's glorious. I became super involved in my college (holler COM!) and loved every minute. And while people say there isn't much of a campus, I never felt that way. You see the same people all the time walking on the street and all buildings that might be unassuming have big red signs with gold lettering on them. It's home to me. Ok, I know Ugg + mini skirt types went there, but I've met some of the greatest people on earth during my time there. Smart, interesting, cool and REAL. All types go to BU, which is what makes the student body so great. The friends I made at BU are still my best and will continue to be strong bonds. There's so many areas of study - business, communications, art, science, hospitality, etc. - it's hard to not have such a wide range of personas. And just because it's not a football school, doesn't mean Terrier Pride doesn't exist. It has a top notch hockey program that's hard not to get excited about. The Dog Pound, BU's fan club, are full of some rabid Terrier fans. Not to mention they play at one of the nations best arenas. And right next door? A world class fitness facility for students. Soccer and basketball games are also not to be missed! Their International program is top notch. Students at other schools use BU's study abroad program because it's that good. I had friends that went to Ireland, England, Spain, Egypt and Australia, just to name a few. Me? I spent a semester in Los Angeles. It doesn't sound as exotic, but as a film major, the skills I learned there have proved to be invaluable in my career. I had some wonderful professors at BU, some I still keep in touch with and some I call friend. Even the ones outside my major stay with me. No matter what you're studying at BU, you're sure to get a well rounded education and true liberal arts program. Sure, I struggled in making some of my grades, but I always tried to rise to the challenge and always learned something along the way.

This review is strictly for the BU's Metropolitan College. I am enrolled in the Master of Computer Science program with a concentration in security and am taking my seventh MET course this semester. I have a full time job and have gone through the program slowly, taking only one course per semester. MET has exceeded my expectations for continuing ed., especially with respect to the professors. Most have been very knowledgeable and good teachers, too, which is key. I've taken courses taught by tenured BU faculty, industry professionals with PhDs, members of IETF working groups, and even an FBI agent. These professors all had different things to offer, which really enhanced what I took away from MET. The coursework was more challenging than I expected. It was not that bad for the core classes, but the more specialized courses can be very challenging. You're going to spend anywhere from 2-10 hours a week per class on assignments, and most courses have at least one exam. As much as homework sucks, I have always learned the most from doing homework, so I actually think this is a good thing. In my opinion, the professors make or break your experience with MET. My best advice is to just ask your classmates if they have any experience with a professor who is teaching a course you are considering. Most people in the courses don't know each other and would love to talk about this during the break(s). I can't speak for all departments, but computer science has some pretty good career services to offer. MET CS students receive department emails containing info on new job opportunities, and, if you're really good, the CS faculty has connections to help you out. I subtracted one star because, sometimes when dealing with MET, you get the feeling that they are unorganized. I've never had major problems, but you usually have to pick up the phone to make things happen. Email or the web won't cut it. Also, MET feels a lot more detached from the university on a whole than I had hoped, it's kind of like the red-headed step-child of BU. It would be nice to see BU invest more into MET.

I really feel the need to defend BU. I absolutely loved it. Not once have I ever regretted my decision to go here. Like others have said, BU is what you make of it. It's a huge university in the middle of a big city. There's no hand holding going on here. You need to be the one to motivate yourself academically, to get into the classes you want and need for your degree, to meet people, and to take advantage of everything the school and the city have to offer. I'm not sure why so many say that the school is over run with rich white kids (20,000+ rich white kids?). I met people from countries around the world, from all backgrounds. Again, it's what you make of it. If you don't like your dorm, your degree program, the people you're hanging with, move on! You have the options in a university this size. If your experience is bad, there's no one to blame but yourself. I grew up in a small town, went to a very small high school, and wanted to go to a big city university. BU was exactly what I wanted and everything I expected.

You can't spell bureaucracy or bullshit without BU...that being said, BU's a great experience, when taken in its totality. It is, in my opinion, the most perfectly situated college in the world---Fenway Park and Kenmore Square make up one edge of campus (I use that term loosely), the Esplanade is another, and Brookline to the south offers glimpses of the tony lives of BU staff and faculty. The university is huge, well-funded, and increasingly gearing itself toward research. The liberal arts programs include some standouts (Elie Wiesel, Robert Pinsky, Andrew Bacevich, Christopher Ricks, and several other world-class profs call BU home), the Communications school's internship program in LA is a bright spot among otherwise poor career services, and the business school is increasingly well respected, cracking the top 20 in the country. If you're at BU, you're either on scholarships, loans, and grants---like me---to the point where it costs about as much as a state school, or you started off in the College of General Studies and have paid full tuition to allow smarter students to study here for affordable prices. CGS is the only college within the university that really brings it down... I could write more, but you really have to go to know...

I have had a mixed experience here. I went here my freshman year of college and I HATED it; I didn't experience much diversity at all, all of my dorm-mates and classmates were rich white kids from Long Island (but then again I lived near West Campus so they all went to CGS). If I could do it all over again I definitely would've signed up to live on Bay State or in the brownstones in south campus; I visited classmates there and the rooms were beautiful (not to mention some of them were huge!). BU dorms have absolutely archaic visitor policies and the best part about leaving was that I didn't have to get a form signed by like three different people (my roommate, a dorm-mate of the opposite sex, and my RA) when I wanted my boyfriend to visit overnight! BU undergrad is really a place for rich kids whose parents can foot the astronomical bill for them to live in the student village, and super smart not so rich kids who can get the trustees scholarship (full tuition) or one of the half-tuition merit scholarships. if i had stayed i would've left $40,000 in debt! I am going here for graduate school in the fall and I feel tentatively positive about it. I have already had a better experience applying for financial aid and talking to professors than I did as an undergrad, probably due to the small-ish nature of my program. and now that i've reinvented myself from slacker to whiz kid they gave me a sweet merit scholarship! The best thing about BU in my opinion is that it's so much of a part of the city, you can make a lot of connections to help you get a job when you graduate or an internship, and that's important because that's really what it's all about. 3.5 stars.

I am currently in the Distance Education graduate program for criminal justice at Metropolitan College; I will be graduating in the spring of 2015 (if all goes well). With that said - I've found that, in my experience, the staff and faculty at MET are top-notch. You really can't get better than this. They make sure to open themselves up to any questions or concerns - I can't speak for other programs, but the MCJ program is extremely accommodating and helpful. The instructors are well-taught, experienced and know exactly to what they refer. The online lectures, so far, have been the very best part of my time here, and if you enroll in the Distance Ed. programs here, you would do well to take advantage of those lectures. I've only had one class that did not offer them (and I will say that it was, so far, my least favorite). They cull out people who don't take graduate school seriously pretty quickly. The only real downside to this is, of course, the cost. This is a pretty expensive school and unless you have generous financial aid or a trust fund, you're going to struggle to pay. (One class in my grad program is a whopping 3600 dollars.) Still, the name in itself is worthy - almost everyone I know has at least heard of BU before and there are a fair amount of graduates working in Federal government, so it might be worth your time. It's certainly good educational-wise and I have no complaints. The work - for me - was not difficult. It will help if you enjoy writing, because there is a LOT of writing and research in the assignments. This is a research-heavy school, and they emphasize it in the work. If you don't enjoy writing papers - stay away. I'll probably write a review once I graduate, but for now, I have no complaints with BU that would prevent me from recommending them.

Despite what BU students will tell you (and maybe even believe), the school is not as difficult as Harvard. Not to say Harvard is all that strenuous either, if you know what's what. I took some classes there for a while and it was like a big high school in design and student body.

Boston University should change its motto to "He who seeks, finds," because that pretty much sums up how BU works. They offer something of everything for everyone- be it arts, theatre, sciences, parties, religion, sports, or culture. In line with this, BU expects their students to behave like adults. If you have a question or problem, they will happily help you fix it if you go to the trouble of identifying it to the appropriate person, but they won't act as your surrogate mother, either. My favorite part about BU was that most of the students I encountered there were motivated students who wanted to do well in school. The social atmosphere at BU was mellow and laid-back, with no one particular "thing" that you do on weekends. There's no "on Friday we cruise the frats, on Saturday we tailgate for football" at BU. Because it's located in a city, with an ample student population, there are plenty of places to go to satisfy that college itch for raging parties, as well as plenty of places to go shopping, see movies, have dinner, explore, and just hang out- whatever you want, it's there. Even though BU has a reputation for being bureaucratic, my parents preferred dealing with BU to the schools my sister went to because BU always prepared you for what was happening next and kept you in the loop as events progressed. Their offices were always organized and helpful, and could always answer your question, even if their hold music was infuriating (Student Accounting, I'm talking to you!) BU also had the most lenient class registration policy of any of my friend's colleges, since you were allowed to modify your schedule from registration date until the second week of classes. This meant you got between three and six months to modify your classes for a given semester. If you wanted to move, it was a bit trickier to orchestrate that because BU dorms are usually full, but they did allow you to do so with few limitations during the school year. Now for the cons: the worst, worst thing about BU is Student Health Services. If you have your own insurance (not Chickering), I recommend considering one of the local walk-in clinics instead. The doctors there are useless, and every BU student has some hideous horror story about their gross incompetence and negligence. That being said, I can't guarantee any other school's student health is any better. I also think the Career Services could improve. Many of the career-track majors (accounting, journalism, engineering) have their own Career Services, but if you are a liberal arts major like I was, you are stuck with the university-wide career services. I found them to be useless, with no job or internship information that was up-to-date, and the counselor I met with told me that my intended field didn't exist! (Needless to say, there ARE political analysts in this world, just read the op-ed page.) I did make the mistake of not networking with my professors, which would have saved me the pain of dealing with Career Services. I had some of the best times of my life at BU, and the friends I made there and the experiences I had there are the main reason I still live in Boston (hell, most of us still choose to hang out on campus.) Whenever I spoke to my friends who had more stereotypical college experiences (tailgates, kegstands, rural campus) I am so glad I got to go to BU instead. If you're looking for something more than that "stereotypical college experience", come to BU. I promise you won't regret it.

The school is very good for you if you come from a rich family or if you take out a big amount of loan. However, if you come from a family with the low financial status you're not gonna fit in with anyone here. It's gonna be hard to make friends, be active, or even grab the opportunities available here as most of them require money. The BU Center of Career Development is very useless. It's like asking dating advice from someone who's never been in a relationship. All I can say is do not come to BU if you are from a poor family. You're gonna be stressed not only with the privileged people around you but also the living cost of Boston.

I did not enjoy my time here, in fact I was miserable. The science department is depressing and underfunded and all the professors hate their jobs and would rather be in their labs than teaching. It might be different as another major, but I felt miserable here and cannot wait to graduate in a couple weeks. Also the administrative faculty members are extremely unhelpful and many of them are quite rude. There is very little communication between departments so no one really seems to know what is going on. Additionally I cannot tell you how many times I was talked down to or brushed aside in this university. I felt like a number my entire time here and cannot wait to feel like a person again. I would certainly not recommend going here.

BU is what you make out of it. It's a huge university filled with just everything you could ever want..and ever despise. The location is wonderful. Boston feels like both a city and a suburb at times. BU is sprawled over a big stretch of Comm. Ave nestled between the Charles River and Brookline with ample T stops along it. The medical school and school of public health are located near Albany Street, which isn't quite as nice. Academically, the university is once again what you make out of it. Yes, there are schools and majors that are easy, but there are also very difficult ones. You can attend BU and study everything from art to eduction to computer science to hospitality. Obviously, some schools and departments are stronger than others. The dorms range from tiny, prison-like cells in Warren Towers to gorgeous, almost brand new apartments at Student Village. The dining halls aren't the best, but are way better than a lot of other schools. The gym is beautiful, but a bit small considering the large student body. You can make a lot of good friends, but you may also meet a bunch of obnoxious rich kids along the way. I could go on for a while, but BU is a good school, even if I didn't initially think so.

I did 3.5 years at BU, only 2.5 of which actually took place in MA. I studied abroad for a whole year in Sydney and London and yet still managed to double major and graduate early. Is this university legit? I'm not really sure but it worked out for me. Anyway, I made some of the greatest friends at BU, but unfortunately that's negated by all the lame guys here. One thought Thai food was from Taiwan, another thought polygamy was ok because he hailed from Russia--these are just two of too many. I learned more in high school, but BU has really made me who I am today. Aw, corny but yeah, true--I would've never learned how to cook, do laundry, and handle obnoxious, psychotic girls for roommates otherwise. BU also has the best dining hall! Those crispy egg white omelettes with bacon, tomato, and cheese has alone made my college experience worthwhile and memorable.

BU stands for... Big and Ugly. Deal with it! Martin Luther King did! Do you think your name will be remembered like Dr. K? Moral of the story? BU is a city block, where you take the "T" to class. No fancy campus. Go and make the best of it for yourself. And yes, move out of the dorms as soon as possible. I did, and am a well adjusted, upstanding citizen for doing it....

haha, if I can rate my own alma mater, what else Yelp can't rate? Oh, BU...this is gonna be "emotional"... OK, overall, I like BU. BU isn't bad, its teachers & professors are overall way above par (trust me, i have seen my fairshare of crapy professors & teachers). The students are overall nice, I don't see that many rich white kids from Long Island tho. (sorry, but I do see many rich kids, just not from LI.) I went to ENG and met many smart people. I would say 50% of my good friends today are friends from college. However, I would NOT recommend BU to the kids today. Why not? Because it is NOT worth the money. We all know that BU is expensive, so if you are planning to spend that much money, why not go to Harvard on the other side of the river? OK, if you don't have the grades, how about USC in LA? or Cornell in NY? BU is lack of school sprit and I would say alone with tuition, these 2 are the major drawbacks. I like BU, don't get me wrong, but for how much I paid (sorry, my parents paid, i love you mom & dad) don't come here plz. If you decided to come here anyway, do whatever but just don't study engineering, it's not worth the effort. My college experience was great, BU will be able to do that for you, but so can other schools.

How have I not reviewed my alma mater? And what are people doing, looking at college reviews on Yelp?!? My 1st 2 years in CAS were kinda miserable...I felt like the science labs and the arts/sciences courses in the dumpy old buildings along Cummington St were depressing. I did love the random courses i took to fulfill my electives- Crime and Delinquency (psychology or sociology, i think), American Literature (yay, AP credits allowed me to skip over the basic courses to the good stuff), Advanced Levels of Spanish (see, i was good at espanol at one time), mythology. I also switched majors partway through, and ended up getting a business degree from SMG (or whatever it is called now!). I found the SMG coursework with case study and teamwork emphasis wonderful and I loved studying in SMG...so much that I became a SMG Dean's Host and gave tours to prospective students. I enjoyed dorm living by skipping the freshman dorm that is Warren Towers or West Campus, and went straight for the pricey real estate that is Bay State Rd...students, take it from me...choose a renovated brownstone b/c it'll be a long time with paying off student loans that you will be able to live on the Charles River in a historic house in Boston again. Sigh...I loved my view of the Charles. I also liked walking along BU Beach, and along the Esplanade to sit on the docks on the water. Some of the Student Village rooms have some of the best views in and of Boston. The T runs right down Comm Ave for easy transportation...you'll get used to running to catch the train...and yes, you do have to pay when traveling outbound (boy, does that make me feel old, to still remember when T outbound/above ground used to be free. And hey, it also used to be 85 cents fare, and I used to have to scrounge fare out of my laundry money.) And of course, I went to BU before they built the gorgeous Agganis Arena and sports center...I probably would have been more motivated to go to the gym if there was a rock climbing wall or lazy river pool. Like all other schools, BU is what you make of it...for those who worry about the size, or the temptations of the city, go elsewhere. For those of you who will make your groups or small circle of friends wherever you go, and thrive in culture and excitement of the city, BU's a good choice! (Review #900!)

I was went to BU for my BA and thought it was a great school. It's not big on campus and not big on community but if you want to take some really interesting and often kind of random classes with excellent professors BU is for you. Where else could you take an entire class on Dostoevsky? Or an entire class on depression? Or an entire class on French films? And since BU is so huge, people don't tend to smother you with advising and you can test out of a lot of lame requirements with SAT and AP scores. Also, no one checks to see if you have the appropriate pre-reqs for classes. Just register and take whatever you want, but, of course, make sure you actually get a degree. :) This is not the place to go if you want to be in a fraternity or sorority, hang out all the time in quads and get a real "college experience", but if you are kind of anti-social like me and like taking random classes with great profs on really interesting stuff, BU is all you. They also have that new, cool Fitness and Recreation Center, which I think indicates they are trying to make BU more community based. I'd also like to give a special nod to BU's Metropolitan College, which is the continuing ed school. After I graduated I took a bunch of courses here for fun and they all rocked. If you're the type of person who likes to take random classes at night to keep yourself entertained, definitely check out MET. The quality of the professors was on par with most of my undergrad profs. To respond to Dan S.'s comment, I don't think many people pay full tuition, unless you are one of those academically challenged rich kids in CGS. BU is pretty good with finaid if you have good high school grades and SATs. Personally, I had a lot of scholarships from BU plus need based aid, making it the same price as state school. Also, you have to consider the location in the price of the school too. Even if you could go to state schools cheaper, BU's location ROCKS. Coming from NY, I would much rather be at BU than say SUNY Oswego in the middle of nowhere.

I have to give BU five stars. It's the love of my life. Like many people have mentioned, it's not for those who don't want a big, urban (and far from pretty) campus. It's right in the city, and I personally think that's one of the best things about it. BU also provides endless opportunties -- because of both the location and the school itself. My professors have been great, and they are (well, some of them anyway) always willing to help you with internships and whatever else you need. There are definitely a ton of white rich kids, but there's more diversity than down the street at BC, that's for sure. I started at CGS, and I'm not rich nor academically challenged, so I'm not sure you can take those words as 100% truth. In fact, my CGS classes have been more challenging than every one of my CAS & COM classes. I've also had more work. I've had more one-on-one time with professors, and two of my best friends were from my freshman year classes. CGS has a bad rep, but it deserves more credit than it gets. I don't judge one school over the other. They all have their pros and cons. The only thing I don't like about BU is the cost -- although same goes for most colleges I'm sure. It's a ton of money, and even with grants and scholarships, it's not easy to pay for. They are pretty decent in handing out financial aid, but it doesn't mean they'll give you a lot.

This review is for the Metropolitan College, where I earned my master's in city planning. This program appealed to me because all the classes are at night - the programs at Met are designed for and aimed at people working full time and commuting in just for classes. When I started, the program was in a bit of a shambles, but once Enrique Silva became the advisor it improved leaps and bounds. The choice of classes improved and a certain notorious charlatan of a teacher no longer works there. I found the professors to be excellent--interesting, challenging, and helpful. But the career guidance and networking is not excellent.

I didn't have a great time during most of my four (cough-andahalf-cough) years there, but that's mainly because much of it was spent clutched in the possessive talons of a psycho girlfriend. I suppose I can't really fault the school for that, though the resentment does tend to bleed over in my darker moments. The schoolin' was great, though, and I did have some great times before I met the crazy. If you're not from Boston and thinking about going: Winter is very cold and summer is very humid. The other two too brief seasons are awesome.

I had a friend who came here. It is a pretty nice urban campus. Spread out for sure, but the facilities are nice and the student housing ranges from dorms to apartments and seem to be able to fit anyone's tastes.

As a two- time visiter of BU as on a college tour, I would say to all of you interested in this school that it is defiinitely a CITY SCHOOL. I grew up in NYC and am looking for a college that is in a big city. I enjoyed my extensive tours here. You defintely get a feel of Boston; it is a different vibe than NY. I do not know about the academics very much but I would say that from other Yelpers, that it is top notch. Expensive, but I got my financial aid. :P Overall, great feel. City dwellers will have no problem fitting in, like me. P.S.- FLASH MOBS WERE GREAT. The school spirit is sky high! GO RHETT.

A "campus" much in the way that NYU is - with the addition of respectable athletics and a river, coupled with the removal of tragically hip student body and a couple grand in tuition - the Terrier mindset ain't one at which to scoff.

A great school at a great location. Faculty here are very supportive and graduates generally get decent opportunities. I was a former PhD student.

Case Gym- PROS Great hardwood floor. Easy on my knees. Walking distance to plenty of places to get a bite to eat. CONS Small bathrooms. No water fountain on that floor. Paying for parking stinks! Tight quarters for parents who want to watch their kids play.

Never could put into words how I felt about BU until I read the reviews of others here. They are absolutely right about the structure of the school- CGS (which was CBS when I went there) supports a lot of the financial aid with students that pay full tuition and fight to "make" the school. I think that is great, a win-win for everyone involved. The biggest point that is made in the reviews and the one I would like to emphasize myself is that BU is what you make of it. There is no holding hands there. If you want t o take fluff courses and get an 160,000 piece of paper-that is your right. If you want to push it and take hard courses, go ahead. The only thin BU makes you do is complete the courses in your major and fit the formulas for the other courses. The dorms are what you would expect. You will be forced to grow up quick or get eaten alive. That is college ladies and gentlemen and if you can deal with it and learn it will make you a better person. The campus gives you a great idea of what the school is like, there are very little resources other than the fact that you are in THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD. There are tons of resources in the city of Boston and you are right in the middle of it all. In conclusion, it's not an "A" school like Harvard or Stanford or Duke. It's also not a legacy-born on third base think you hit a triple school like BC. It's a good school that you can make into a great one with effort and perseverance. P.S. Anyone who writes that there is no school spirit is not to be trusted. The spirit of BU grads is strong.

UPDATED: I wrote my original review the summer I graduated a year early from BU. As you can imagine, I was overjoyed (I gave it 5 stars) and I felt it necessary to defend my soon-to-be alma mater. Now, looking back one year later, having got into grad school at Georgetown and Northwestern (thanks to BU!), I have to clear the record of a few things I 'forgot' to mention. BU is essentially a city school that carries with it the best and the worst. Best in that it's in Boston (you better like Boston, if you're coming here. It may be your only refuge from the school) and of the things I listed below in my earlier review. Worst in that it's 1) UNDERFUNDED: Take a look inside CFA, CGS, COM, CAS, Mugar, and you'll know what I mean 2) DIVERSE, which is good, I know, but BU does not foster the utopian "let's all be friends and get along!" attitude. It's pretty cliquey and very much like high school on a much larger scale. Don't be surprised how close-minded this 'liberal' school pretends to be 3) COMBATIVE: Traffic and congestion is inevitable being located right on Commonwealth Avenue. Every year people get injured or die in a freak accident from crossing paths with cars or the T. Be cautious, especially if you're always on your iPod. 4) BUREAUCRATIC, it's expensive and hard to get your voice heard, but just learn to deal with it and make it work for yourself. All and all, my advice is to turn your eye away from the worst, and seek out the people, places and activities you like the best. It's the only way you'll stop believing "it sucks to BU." ORIGINAL REVIEW: More than anything else, BU IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT. While most just complain, here are BU's most overlooked good points: 1) LOCATION whether it's Newbury/ Back Bay area to the East, Allston/ Brighton to the West, Brookline to the South, or Charles River/ Cambridge to the North, you're within walking distance to all these areas. It takes some getting out of your comfort zone, but do some exploring and take advantage of where you are! Oh yeah, and Fenway Stadium is in our backyard. 2) SMG (SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT) by far the most impressive looking school on campus. It's even got it's own Starbucks! The library is better, private conference rooms, marble floors, high-rise ceilings, oh yes, this is what you'd expect from a school like BU. If you can cut the curriculum, it's definitely worth it (in $$$). 3) FITREC & AGGANIS ARENA this multi-million dollar facility is incredible. At Fitrec, you can workout, play ANY sport imaginable, join a team, take classes, get a personal trainer, climb the rock wall, etc.! http://fitrec.bu.edu/ And as a BU student, you also get pre-sale discounts on all the concerts at Agganis Area, which has some of the biggest names come through. If you haven't been inside, even for a hockey game, you'll think you just entered into a professional stadium. http://www.bu.edu/agganis/ 4) WEST CAMPUS FRESH FOOD CO. is the best dining hall on campus, or college for that matter. It's been newly remodeled in recent years and offers stations catering to all sorts of tastes, from ethnic to brick oven to grill to panini maker to stir-fry to vegetarian. http://www.bu.edu/dbin/dining/westfloor.html 5) STUDENT VILLAGE otherwise known as, "StuV" is the newest, most posh dorm housing on campus. It's also the most expensive, but for the price, you can live with either 1 or 3 of your closest friends and each get to have your own room, share a kitchen and living room AND have a stunning view of the Charles River all to your own. 6) BAY STATE ROAD I'm partial to Bay State, because to me, it represents quintessential Boston. Most of the brownstone buildings have been refurbished in order to preserve the colonial feel. Some of them still have their crystal chandeliers, crown molding and hard wood flooring, and in the spring, expect all the pink blossoms on the trees outside your window to be in full bloom. 7) BU STUDY ABROAD which boasts having 61 programs in 34 cities in 21 countries throughout the world! It is the premier study abroad provider in the U.S., with over 2,100 students from over 200 colleges and universities this year alone. I went to London over the summer and it was fantastic. Housing was accommodated by BU and my classes were taught by BU professors (just with English accents). http://www.bu.edu/abroad/ So, this and many more reasons why BU deserves 5 stars, it's up to the people to decide how they should make their own experience, and not depend on BU to make it for themselves. *And as a side note: What is with these addresses?! This is NOT where BU is located. It stretches along Commonwealth Avenue, from Kenmore to Babcock St. T Stops along the B line.

Yeah, that's right. Five of 'em. Look. It's fierce, most of the people suck, it's enormous, and if you're sad and lonely it's only going to go downhill from there. But BU is not highschool II, not by any stretch of the imagination, unless you went to a completely unsupervised city school that was mostly student-run and allowed you all of the opportunities to roam and explore a city... can you see where I'm going with this? I'm both disappointed and not surprised that the reviews aren't five stars, because on one hand I adore this school for all of its imperfections and for the edges it continues to round off of me -- but I also know that a lot of kids are looking for a circular-plotted campus with beautiful buildings and trees and whatever. I say they should have done better research when they applied to colleges. This is the city, like it or not, and it's the most college-friendly city in the whole country. You're going to get the best of Boston right here at BU. Not Northeastern, not Suffick, not any other university in Boston -- and certainly not the Cambridge contingent! You can't maintain any kind of illusions when you're here. This is the down and dirty, and if you look for it you'll get one of the best educations out there. Give it up. There's my defense of BU. You're welcome.

This is a great school, but there are few concerns I have which I will express here. If you get in trouble at school, the sanctions can be over the top and outright unreasonable. I was involved in a case where the authorities filing my police report blatantly made up evidence and exaggerated the situation to make it sound worse than it actually was. After talking to judicial affairs about that, nothing was done about it and my side of the story was treated as insignificant, despite it being my word against theirs at the end of the day.

*************************************3.5 Stars**************************************** I am going into my senior at BU and have some mixed feelings about it. First off, the money, like for many universities, is somewhat ridiculous. It's like stealing candy from a baby. The financial aid department helps out a bit to try and help make BU a little more affordable. If you have financial need then they usually try and do their best to meet you up to it. The middle class are really the ones that hurt from this. They are too poor to afford school, and have too much money to get enough financial aid. Class sizes are a pretty big with the intro classes, but if you go into one of your smaller schools then for junior and senior year, the class size becomes reasonable. The first year or two makes it difficult for you to not feel like just an ID number. If you fight through it then the second half of college is much better. Like any school, you will have professors you love and professors you hate. If you do enough research on ratemyprofessor then I wouldn't worry too much about that. There are also plenty of research jobs with professors in the college of engineering and other of the smaller schools within BU. I cannot complain, BU has done its job for me. I have had 3 internships with very respectable and well known companies. BU is a good name and companies will look for that. Make sure you get in touch with the career development offices because it makes job hunting a lot easier. Some of the schools at BU have their own job board websites. If you start looking early enough then you shouldn't have a problem. Overall, college is what you make of it. If you try hard enough, you can have fun and succeed anywhere.

What can I say about BU.... Inaccessible faculty, Grade deflation, don't even dream of trying to appeal a grade. You are lucky to see a professor on the street to dispute a grade and it is a miracle if they get back to you. Grade deflation is not a myth. Being Ignored by the faculty and administration is a fact of life. I have had an Interviewer who was a BU alumni tell me that they do not hire BU grads. He was just curious about the current state of the university. Dan Goldin - look him up and you will find the administration and trustees serve themselves. Commonwealth avenue improvement project = 3/4 billion dollar project that did a lot for public land while facilities (science and engineering buildings) that needed updating were ignored. This seems like a huge waste of money. If you can spend that kind of money in the middle of a recession, you can lower tuition. One star for the location in Boston. For 4 years, I don't think I could have lived in a better location, unless BU was not there. Overall, there is no network or alumni pride so to speak. For being a sister school of USC, it is pretty pathetic.

This might be a circular comment, but I think it's quite true about BU: be proactive when you get there, and you will find the world (literally) at your disposal. Circular because I think BU attracts proactive, driven students to begin with--at least, those were the friends I made. I feel a bit strange reviewing BU (where I got a double BA in CAS) in this kind of a forum, but I'll take this opportunity to post up five SCARLET (woo!) stars for the university that gave me so many avenues to success.

I went there for graduate school. The campus is very big and gorgeous. But i don't like it when the train runs in the middle of the streets on campus. I feel that we are half of the street college. My fav place is bu beach right next to the chapel. I always had lunch over there.

Where else can a girl from whitebred Connecticut go to college and learn about other cultures, get a great education, and basically learn about life? BU did that for me. It made me become more outgoing (since here you are one of the masses) and it tought me how to take care of myself, and it tought me how to learn. I made some great friends here, got a great education, and BU helped prepare me for the journey called life. If you want a small, idealic picture postcard campus, with lots of ra ra school spirit, warm and fuzzy marketing, and hand holding, don't go here. If you want to learn, expose yourself to all different types of people and cultures, and basically grow up, this is the place for you.

I loved my 4 years of undergrad at Boston University. Originally enrolled as a hospitality administration girl, I quickly grew apart and moved onto SMG. SMG gave me the best 2.5 years of my life. I literally think the business school is what saved my sanity. The professors are outstanding, intelligent individuals. If you reach out and you're lucky, you might actually find a pretty solid mentor. I definitely graduated with a wonderful education that actually scored me a job well before the big commencement day! Woohoo! All that money paid off!!! Breakdown: Education -- 5 stars Dining Hall Food -- depends where you go, but Warren Towers and Myles Standish get 4.5 in my book! Enoch makes the best egg white omelets, man! Career Placement -- strictly limited to the career placement office in the school of management, I think they need a little bit of work. We're still not getting those big, big names some of our fellow Boston colleges are getting, but they've been making huge strides! They helped with my job hunt, so they're getting a 4. Agganis Arena -- absolutely awesome. I wasn't a huge fan of the Jonas Brothers and all of their teeny bopper fans, but it's awesome that we get to buy tickets early. FitRec -- AMAZING!!!! ONE MILLION STARS. Housing -- not the greatest, but if you or your parents are willing, go get yourself a nice stuvi apartment if you must do on campus housing. If you're rich like the 65+% of the student body, you can move "off campus" somewhere pretty posh and still be close to if not on campus grounds. Overall, a very positive experience. I really have nothing bad to say about anything, but I do believe many of the CAS kids will disagree.

BU is great, especially the College of General Studies! They care about their students MORE than ANY other college I know. They are very passionate about what they do and the students will never have such great professors and advisors...unfortunately many don't realize this until after they leave CGS! Grades are just the same as other schools but you get to try different courses which is a wonderful way to be certain of your major. And these are courses you'd need to take for your major anyway (distribution courses). Again, great school allaround. I would look forward for my kid to come here!

You get a decent education for a very high price. My advice is to connect to a professor or section head to make your stay at BU worth while.