| Q: |
Is Boston University a public
school? |
| A: |
No. Boston University is the fourth-largest
independent (private) college or university in the nation. |
 |
| Q: |
How many students attend Boston
University? |
| A: |
Currently, there are 18,521 undergraduate
students and 13,053 graduate students. |
|
| Q: |
With all those students, do
you feel like a number? |
| A: |
Well, even though all students carry a Terrier
Card (the University I.D. Card) with a University I.D. number,
you won't feel like a number in your classes, in dealing
with administrative offices, or while working with your
professors. Your professors will get to know you: 80 percent
of our classes have fewer than 30 students, and only 4
percent of our classes have more than 100 students enrolled.
|
|
| Q: |
Why is there so much building
going on? |
| A: |
Boston University is always on the move,
constructing new facilities and renovating and refurbishing
older buildings. As part of the new John
Hancock Student Village, Boston University has recently
added a Track and Tennis Center, a high-rise residence
hall, the Agganis Arena, and a new Fitness and Recreation
Center. Two more residence halls will complete the Student
Village. A new Hillel House opened its doors in Spring
2005, and a Life
Science and Engineering building opened in May 2005. |
|
| Q: |
Is it hard to get around campus? |
| A: |
Walking is the most popular way around campus,
along with bicycles and inline skates. Public transportation--the
T, as we call it--is also very convenient. In addition, we have
a free shuttle bus, which provides transportation
between the Charles
River and Medical School campuses. |
|
| Q: |
Do you have to walk far to
classes? |
| A: |
Boston University stretches for about a mile and a half
along the banks of the Charles River. It takes about 25
minutes to walk from one end to the other. Most academic
buildings and large residences are located in the central
part of campus. |
|
| Q: |
What’s the weather really like? |
| A: |
Boston has four distinct seasons. The fall
usually has warm (or warmish) days and cool nights. The
trees blaze with red and yellow. The winters can be everything
from very mild to snowy (when students break out the cross-country
skis and snowball fights erupt around campus). The spring
begins to warm up and the campus is beautiful with bulbs
opening and trees budding everywhere. Summers are warm,
sometimes humid, and a great time of the year to walk
around the city, go sailing on the Charles River, or take
in a Boston Red Sox baseball game. |
|
| Q: |
Is Boston an expensive city? |
| A: |
That depends on what you call expensive.
A movie in the evenings is usually about $9 or $10, but if you
catch it before 6 p.m., you will only pay $6 or $7. Video
rentals are about $5. Many museums and cultural institutions
offer student rates, and coupon books featuring clubs,
restaurants, and services are readily available at the
beginning of each semester. |
|
| Q: |
What's the difference between
a university and a college? |
| A: |
The difference lies in the types of degrees
offered. A "university" is an institution of
higher learning that has graduate and professional schools
awarding master’s degrees and doctorates and an undergraduate
division awarding bachelor’s degrees. A "college,"
then, is less inclusive, offering the bachelor's degree
only. A college can be an institution of higher learning
or an undergraduate division or school within a university
offering the bachelor's degree. Boston University is comprised
of 10 undergraduate schools and colleges, nine of which
offer the bachelor’s degree. |
|
| Q: |
Can you give me directions
to campus? |
| A: |
For directions to campus via car, plane,
train, or public transportation within Boston, please
click here. For
detailed maps of campus, please click here. |
|
| Q: |
Where is the Admissions Reception Center
located on campus? |
| A: |
The Admissions
Reception Center is located at 121 Bay State Road,
just outside of Kenmore Square. For a map of campus, please
click
here. |
|
| Q: |
How can I get on the mailing
list to receive publications from Boston University? |
| A: |
Simply fill out our online inquiry
form and you will begin to receive information from
Boston University shortly. We also send out e-mails and
electronic updates to students who have inquired about
the University, so make sure you provide the most convenient
e-mail address at which to reach you, and check that address regularly. |
|
| Q: |
Why should I sign up to be on Boston University’s mailing list before I apply? |
| A: |
While we understand students' reticence to be placed on mailing lists, letting us know you're interested in Boston University allows us to inform you of receptions in your area, scholarship opportunities, and programs that may appeal to you. We send students a combination of publications, letters, and e-mails designed not to inundate your mailbox but to help you decide if Boston University is the right place for you. Our website is a great place to start learning about us, but by joining our mailing list, you allow us to more personally address your interests. Plus, it never hurts to express your enthusiasm for an institution, and submitting our Information Request Form is one way to do that. |
|
| Q: |
What activities are available
when I visit campus? |
| A: |
The University
Calendar lists various lectures, readings, performances,
sporting events, religious activities, social events,
and exhibits on campus for the current month. Check it
out before your visit to discover the many on-campus activities
you can attend during your visit. |
|
| Q: |
Where should I stay when I
visit Boston University? |
| A: |
There are thousands of rooms available in
the Boston area, but we took the liberty of listing some
hotels near campus.
You can research other options at Boston University’s
Visitor’s
Center, where additional hotels are listed as well
as online city guides and hotel search engines. |
|
| Q: |
What do you recommend seeing
and doing in Boston when I visit campus? |
| A: |
Where do we start? Boston is full of historical
sites, museums, galleries, shopping, restaurants, theatres,
nightlife, and music to suit every taste, to name just
some of the things there are to do in the city. Depending
on the season in which you visit, you could shake hands
with “Paul Revere” (dressed just as he was back in his
day), take a whale watching cruise, see an IMAX movie,
eat oysters where Daniel Webster used to, watch street
performers, or take in a hockey, basketball, or baseball
game. To figure out what’s happening in the city, visit
Boston University’s Visitor
Center, Boston.com
or Citysearch. |
|
| Q: |
When do you give campus tours
and information sessions? |
| A: |
Our tour and information session schedule
varies depending on the semester. To see a complete list
of times and offerings, please view our Admissions
calendar. You can even schedule an itinerary for your
visit to campus. |
|
| Q: |
Can I sit in on a class during
my visit to campus? |
| A: |
Of course! In fact, we encourage prospective
students to sit in on a lecture to discover what it’s
really like to be a student at Boston University. Generally,
class visits are available Monday through Friday while
classes are in session, but you need to check with the
Reception Center to be sure. Simply visit us online, fill
out an itinerary telling us what day you'll be on campus,
and one of our representatives will contact you to coordinate
a class visit. Please note that class visits require two
weeks' advance notice. |
|
| Q: |
How can I learn more about
Boston University if I'm not able to visit campus? |
| A: |
Every year, representatives from the Office
of Admissions travel the country and the world delivering
presentations about Boston University and the many opportunities
available here. We visit hundreds of individual high schools and host receptions for students and their families. Check out
our travel schedules
online to see when we’ll be in your area. In the meantime,
we encourage you to explore our website to learn what
really happens in the classroom, meet students and faculty,
and learn the answers to all your questions, including
how long it takes to walk the length of campus. |
|
| Q: |
Will you be visiting my local area this year? |
| A: |
To find out if admissions representatives
will be traveling near you,
check out our travel
schedules online. Unfortunately, we can't visit every school or city every year, so please feel free to contact us at 617-353-2300 or admissions@bu.edu if you have questions about the University. |
|
| Q: |
Will you attend any local college
fairs this year? |
| A: |
Admissions representatives attend numerous
college fairs every year. To find out what college fairs
Boston University will attend nationwide, check out our
travel schedules online. |
|
| Q: |
How can I learn more about
Boston University if I live in another country? |
| A: |
The Office of Admissions travels the globe
each fall giving presentations about Boston University.
To find out where we’ll be, please check out our travel
schedules online. In addition, we have several international
liaison offices that coordinate visits to various
countries and can assist you in learning more about the
University. Of course, you can also call or e-mail the
Office of Admissions, and we’d be happy to teach you more
about Boston University. |
| For more information about visiting
Boston University, please go to Explore
BU. |
Explore FAQ
