It doesn’t work for everyone, not everyone cares to start college abroad and miss out on first semester freshman experience.
@Riversider The CGS London program starts in the Spring semester in Boston and then summer in London.
Happened to be on CC for another child, and wanted to give a comment from the perspective of a graduate of 2015. Here’s a few little tips: (1) DD was told by a professor that CGS students in her major (Communications) are his favorite, as they have learned a cohesive set of writing, discussion, and analytical skills that make them very strong students in their Junior year. (2) DD rather easily got an internship in her major between junior and senior year, and was very well prepared to accept a FT position upon graduation. She believed that her education at BU was outstanding. (3) There is a rule at BU that she discovered where if you keep a certain GPA you can overload at no cost. After 1st semester of freshman year, she took an extra class outside of CGS each semester. Absolutely EXCELLENT idea in her case. These extra classes, combined with a summer in London, meant that she saved a substantial amount of room/board/tuition because she graduated a semester ahead. Her younger sister will be stuck with 4 years of tuition because her school does not allow students to overload. Although she also loves her choice, I really miss the option to take an extra class, as she was able to explore topics that would not have fit into her schedule otherwise. We are big, big fans of CGS and BU.
HI, Thank you for info ! My son was just accepted to the CGS start date Jan 2021 summer in London. Wasn’t sure what to make of it, but after reading a few positive posts I feel more comfortable. He is pre-med, sounds like CGS students are allowed to take classes outside of CGS ? If so was there red tape to tackle ?
Accepted! CGS too.
I’m not an expert @AimeeS , but the CGS is stupposed to be 2 years “liberal arts” and 2 years a specific college. In your son’s case, College of Arts and Science. According to the FAQ section of BU’s page, it says:
“Will I be able to explore different majors and take classes at other BU schools and colleges while at CGS?
Yes—in fact, you are required to take courses at BU’s other nine schools or colleges. Like many of our students, you will likely choose electives to explore academic disciplines or professional areas in more depth and to start accruing credits towards your intended major.”
Again, I am confused if I can take classes in different colleges in BU during the first 2 years. or only after…???
I was accepted to CGS and I love the idea of study abroad. In fact, I think I mentioned wanting to go to England in my common app, so this is perfect. Still waiting to hear back from several schools, but if they do not work out, my decision will probably be between the CGS program or just starting regularly at Northeastern.
Each semester, you will have a max of 3 CGS classes, and you are required to select electives from the other colleges to fill in that fourth class. But with AP credit (Lang, Bio), you can cut down the amount of CGS classes to 7 total.
What AP classes do CGS accept for credit? Am I able to double major?
Congrats! For the CGS real-deal: Stay tuned for virtual admitted student programming that will be posted on your son’s admissions portal and the CGS website: www.bu.edu/cgs.
For AP credits applied at BU, see the AP credit guide: https://www.bu.edu/admissions/files/2018/06/Advanced-Credit-Guide.pdf
Whether you begin your studies in CGS or one of the other schools and colleges at BU, double major options are available to you.
As a CGS student you will take the required interdisciplinary CGS courses as well as several electives toward your major, or to explore a major.
No red-tape! CGS students have clear and defined pathways to a degree. No problem! Many of our students are pre-med. Get ready for chemistry 101, scholars!