<p>Anyone with info out there about Boston University Academy? There are some threads in CC but they are now somewhat dated. Would love to hear more recent opinions and facts.</p>
<p>In particular, I was wondering how many classes at BU (the university proper) does a BUA student take? I know that biology in the 11th grade is at the university. The online info is a little unclear about this. Some of the older threads that some students take all of their courses in 12th grade at the university. Is this still true? Common or uncommon? What about 10th grade?</p>
<p>Other thoughts and info on BU Academy would be most appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>Well - feel free to PM me. My child just graduated from BUA.
How many classes students take at BU is somewhat variable.
Rarely, (zero to two per year) a 9th or 10th grader will take a BU course.
All 11th graders take at least one semester of bio at BU - they are together with BUA kids in lecture, but with BU kids in lab. Most 11th graders take a second semester of bio as well. Most, but not all 11th graders take a full year of language at BU. (BUA kids take two years of Latin or Greek in 9/10. Sometimes there is third year Latin, or more rarely Greek at BUA.) Some 11th graders take one more BU course.
All 12th graders take some course at BU. Most end up taking three each semester, some take four, some take two. (All BUA kids must take calculus. The non-mathy ones take it at BUA as seniors. Some also take an English/language/history course/courses.
Most end up with somewhere about 8 to 12 one semester courses at BU.
Access to BU courses is very generous. BUA kids can, and do , bypass requirements and generally get highest priority in seat assignments.
My child, who was rather aggressive about BU courses, ended up with 12 courses.
10th graders don’t often take BU courses because they have a lot of requirements at BUA - they generally have to take a full year of Greek or Latin, a full year of BUA history , a full year of BUA English, and a full year of chemistry and math (which is normally pre-calc.) I’ve not known of any who did university courses except in math, although I think some may have done language (if they were very advanced in the classics) or science (probably if they transferred in with chemistry at roughly an AP level.)</p>
<p>I can give you more thoughts , but it’s probably better if you ask more questions.
Oh - and the next open house is Oct. 17.</p>
<p>Doh…that’s SUNDAY, Oct 16, from 1-3. Individual tours and interviews, of course, during the week. And, prospective students often spend a day shadowing a 9th grader - if that would be of interest, I recommend calling BUA fairly soon.</p>
<p>Hello - As a new BUA parent, I just wanted to add that we’ve found BUA to be an extraordinary school and community. My daughter transferred into the tenth grade this year, and her experience has exceeded our high expectations in every way. We could not be more pleased. </p>
<p>We don’t have firsthand knowledge yet of the BU courses, but she is looking forward to that for next year. If you have questions about other aspects of the school, I’ll be happy to share our experiences.</p>
<p>I am a senior at BUA. By the time I graduate, I will have taken 18 classes at BU, roughly equivalent to a second semester junior in college. This is abnormally high and I have not heard of someone taking more in my time at the school. Here is info on the classes people take in each year at BU.</p>
<p>In the 9th and 10th grade, few people take classes at BU. Maybe one person takes math at BU or in sophomore year advanced Latin. I know of one person who took physics and chemistry at BU because he was in differential equations as a freshman but his parents had to really push for this. BUA will not let you take classes other than these at BU during these years. However, as a BUA student you can register for BU classes at an extra fee. This means that you can take any BU classes you want during the school year or summer if you can pay and they fit your schedule.</p>
<p>In the 11th grade, people usually take language and biology at BU. Unless you are in Latin III, you take your language class at BU if you take a language. Some people take other classes instead. First semester, everyone takes a horrible biology class at BU. Second semester, they try to get you to take biology at BU but about a third to a half of the class takes another class of choice. Anyone who is in math higher than calc II first semester junior year or multivariate calculus second semester junior year can take math at the university as well. Occasionally they will approve overloads junior year but there have only been two cases of that when I was at BUA. I overloaded first semester junior year but I had been pushing for it since freshman year and had high grades.</p>
<p>In the 12th grade, the number of BU classes varies. The only classes people have to take in the 12th grade are two semesters of English. This can be fulfilled with a very limited number of BU classes or a senior seminar at BUA. If you have not taken calc I by senior year, you will take that at BUA or BU (you choose). Some seniors take calc II and multi at BUA senior year but most choose to take those at BU. All other classes are at BU. It is extremely common for a senior to take all their classes at BU.</p>
<p>nemom is right that the average number of BU courses is 8 to 12. Please let me know if you have any questions.</p>
<p>They do admit people with Asperger’s and at least a few per grade have Asperger’s. They are tiny and do not have the facilities for a learning center. I have Asperger’s and was fine with the support but I came from a small private middle school with little support already. They are good with getting academic accommodations both at BUA and BU.</p>