<p>hey guys!</p>
<p>i want to study in the field of medicine. is BC a good choice? </p>
<p>and also, does it give good financial aid?</p>
<p>there is no undergrad field of medicine at any college. The pre-health track at BC is just as good as anywhere else. But the Core can be a plus or a minus. The Core will ensure that you can write well, so it will help on the MCAT-VR and everything else you do in life, including health care if that is your ultimate field. OTOH, for pure science geek/nerds, the core requires writing-style courses which maybe difficult and limit your science electives. But note, however, that Core requirements can be fulfilled with AP credits.</p>
<p>With the exception of ~15 full tuition scholarships (to the tippy-top of the applicant pool), BC does not offer merit aid. BC offers good need-based aid for its tier of colleges, but the more selective colleges tend to be more generous.</p>
<p>oh what i meant was i want to be like a biochem or chem major, but im not sure if BC is strong in science because i have heard that they are good in business major and such</p>
<p>No doubt that BC is strong in biz/communications. But for a liberal arts-style college, it’s Chem program has pretty good offerings. Of course, a college with an Engineering program will typically have a “stronger” physical science program, including more depth and more breadth. One big plus to BC’s Chem for example, is that bcos it is smaller, its easy to obtain a lot of faculty time.</p>
<p>Thus, it comes down more to the type of college you want to attend. A big, research Uni which would have top-ranked physical sciences, or a smaller college with a slightly different focus. Of course, then there are college like Johns Hopkins which are smaller and extremely strong in Chem.</p>
<p>Dear jellybea : Let’s offer some concrete perspective on the Chemistry program and my oldest (senior) is a Chemistry major. Our oldest has already been referenced/published in a PhD paper and is about to have a major paper published jointly with a professor at the University who runs one of the research labs. This work has paved the way for graduate school studies and offers. In terms of grants, Boston College’s Chemistry department has been incredibly successful over the last decade and the program is incredibly well funded from outside sources. </p>
<p>Chem/Biochem are extremely challenging areas time wise as lab credits do not accrue towards your course count as done at many other institutions. You will work hard, you will get more than your money’s worth, and you will learn. Overall, the faculty is an excellent TEACHING faculty in addition to a RESEARCH faculty, a rare combination of the two.</p>
<p>scott:</p>
<p>For the Class of '14 and beyond, BC has changed its graduation requirements which no longer disadvantages science majors…labs now count for graduation credit. From the BC Bulletin:</p>
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<p>btw: IMO, the fact that BC previously did not count labs for course credit sends a message about the “status” of science courses at BC, a school which touts the totality(?) of liberal arts…</p>
<p>“You will work hard…” Yes, but why should such students have to had to work harder, longer, and pay more (lab fees not covered by finaid)? Appearances are important. The not-so-subliminal message is important…</p>
<p>Dear bluebayou : When the Class of 2014 changes were announced, my senior (Chemistry/Economics dual major) and sophomore (Mathematics/Chemisty dual major) both just chuckled and offered the following time-honored collegiate words: “Not Fair!” I defused the discussion only by offering that both are getting more “classroom and professor” attention for the buck. I am not sure that my retort was well received :-)</p>
<p>Both however were part of the Honors Program, so that I am grateful for their liberal arts education. As we know, this graduating generation is expected to make approximately four significant career changes whereas my/our generation might have only been through two. Perhaps, the very best training for that new landscape actually does reside in a robust liberal arts education.</p>
<p>scottJ:</p>
<p>IMO, BC shoulda given the '13’s the choice to follow new or old rules, sort of a transition class. The fact is that the course curriculum has been changed, such that some lab courses have been renumbered/combined and/or no longer offered. Thus, the '13’s have a lot of potential advising needs. :)</p>
<p>But I agree with you regarding the A&S Core. Even the scienc-y students will learn to write and express themselves well by the time they leave Chestnut Hill. Such educational skills will last a lifetime, long after they’ve forgotten how many carbon atoms…</p>