Boston College

Boston College (BC) has it all. Great academics, great athletics, a gorgeous campus in a beautiful suburb just outside the number one college town in the country, Boston.  BC is a jesuit school and as such focuses on developing the whole person intellectually, socially and morally.  To reflect the ideals of community, spirituality, and social justice central to Jesuit teachings, the school requires classes in philosophy, theology and cultural diversity,  Other aspects of the core curriculum include literature, science, history, social science, writing, math and the arts.  All students in all four colleges are required to take the BC core curriculum which determines 15 out of 38 courses required to graduate.  Each school then has its own core curriculum for that school.  The philosophy, theology and ethics departments play a significant role in developing the culture of the entire campus including a strong focus on volunteer work.  

When applying to BC, a student applies to one of four colleges/schools,  the business school, the school of education, the school of nursing or the college of arts and science.   The business school, or Carroll School of Management, is the second largest of the four colleges with 450 incoming freshmen. Economics and Finance are the strongest concentrations.  The school of education is home to 120-130 freshmen.  Students specialize in either elementary or secondary education.  Nursing is the smallest school with 85-90 freshmen and one of the most highly regarded nursing schools in the country.  The college of arts & sciences is the largest with approximately 1,585 students and 30 programs.  The strongest programs are Chemistry, English and Political Science.  If you do not know what you want to major in, it is recommended that you apply to Arts and Science.  However, if you are deciding between one of the pre-professional schools and arts and science, apply to the pre-professional program.  It is easier to transfer into arts and science than a pre-professional program.

BostonCollege students in the past have been characterized as a J Crew catalogue come to life and walking through campus, the description seems justified.  The typical student is white, Catholic (70%), from the Northeast and usually has family who went to BC.  However, with 9,000 undergrads you are bound to find the diversity you are looking for.  Jesuit teachings stress tolerance which means if you don’t fit this mold, you are still welcome and can find a home here.  BC students are also hardworking and ambitious.  They have also been known to party hard although that reputation is diminishing with stricter rules regarding alcoholic consumption.