BC or BU? (and chance me)

whatimgonnado · 08-21-2008, 11:57 AM

i'm really confused between these two.
i guess, bc's reputation is slightly higher?
since i came to US in my 9th grade and didn't take foreign language (my counselor recommended me not to) i'm kind of worried..... although i got 800 for sat ii korean.
before i knew this fact, i was going to apply to BC but.......
is it going to be better to apply to BU?

here are some of my stats

SAT:2060, CR -660 M-790 WR-610 - will going to take one more time
SATII: korean 800, biology 740 - will take MATH IIC & LIT

AP: BIOLOGY 5, AP STUDIO ART 5
GPA: UW : 4.0 W:4.1111 or somethin
did volunteer work for serving homeless in the church organization - (100ish)
muse & environmental clubs - 1 year each
won 7-8 art awards/exhibition, got California Music Certificate level 5&9

I didn't play any sports, which I heard is what BC is looking for...
also, i don't have a whole lot of extracurricular so.. should i apply to BC or BU?
anyways, I wasn't sure about applying to BC so it's okay to recommend me to go to BU.

oh and if you know BU and BC very well or if you are a student of either schools, then can you tell me what is the major difference b/w these two schools.

ColdCase · 08-21-2008, 12:24 PM

Both are very good schools, about the same cost. One may be better academically in one area or another, so it depends on what you want to do, and where you would be comfortable as a student.

BC is more selective, as they don't have an engineering school, but there are exceptions to all the rules. If you can afford it, apply to both. A good essay may get you into BC.

BU is part of the city of Boston, not a traditional campus environment but diverse where BC is its own college community just outside Boston. BU has more engineering opportunities, BC has more of a liberal arts college life flavor, I think.... but academically both are very good. BU upperclassmen live in apartments, BC live on campus. There is no Greek life at BC.

I'd recommend taking a trip to Boston and visit both because I think you would do better and be more satisfied in the school environment that you are more comfortable with. And that's a subjective judgment only you can make. There are many more differences in these school's campus environment than the academic side.

worried_mom · 08-21-2008, 02:26 PM

The two schools are VERY different!

BC is Catholic/Jesuit. It has just 9,100 undergraduates and is located on a beautiful campus in a residential suburb. BC is far more selective (27% admitted) than BU (59% admitted). The 25-75 percentile SAT scores at BC are CR 610-700, M 630-720, W 620-710. For the ACT, it's 28-32.

BU is twice the size of BC (18,700 undergraduates) and is right in the city -- in a very urban environment and no real campus to speak of. SAT scores are: CR 580-680, M 590-690, W 590-670. The ACT score range is 25-30.

Your foreign language requirement is satisfied by your proficiency in Korean, so that's not an issue at all.

And don't worry about not playing any sports for BC. They do look closely at ECs there, but volunteer/community service counts just as much (if not more) as sports with the Jesuits. I would suggest that you strengthen your ECs if you can before applying to BC.

simpson98 · 08-24-2008, 01:55 PM

I'd say that unless the urban environment/atmosphere appeals to you and your personality, I'd go with BC. BU is still a great school, and it probably depends somewhat on your major choice, but BC is a great all-around choice, and is still only a few minutes away from the heart of Boston.

Oh, and you have great shots at both.

whatimgonnado · 08-26-2008, 09:45 PM

Thanks guys!! I'll prob. apply to BC

beanieboo · 08-27-2008, 06:36 PM

you could apply to both... see where you get in and THEN decide

(even though i think BC is clearly the better choice =))

june3buggy · 09-01-2008, 09:30 PM

well from your "profile" it seems like you have done quite a bit of art and you are good at it (studio art AP 5). I personally feel that BU is more artsy school than BC. BC is more acadmically stronger than BU for sure. I suggest that you visit both or do some research on both schools. Figure out what kind of direction you want to go in your career (doesn't have to be specific). Then find out which school has the stronger program of the things you want to do in college. If you still aren't sure, apply both; it doesn't hurt.