Boston University Top Questions

Another BU student discusses stereotypes about the student body.

Some are some aren't. There are always those special cases where they are true and they are false.

To some extent, certainly there are a great many people who can attend BU and pay for the $40,000+ tuition without the aid of student loans, grants, or scholarships. However, I knew a lot of people who worked their way through BU, received scholarships and grants, and came from households similar to my own.

They are all false, except there isn't too much financial aid and there is a decent amount of school spirit and campus life (you just have to elect to get involved).

I feel like there is a campus, and that each college is what you make it. Certainly, BC has a lovely campus, but they are neither a college, nor are they in Boston. At BU we have the opportunity to truly live in the city, which comes with myriad experiences. That way we learn as much from the city and culture around us as we do from the classroom.

Mostly yes.

I think most people are well off, but with 16000 undergrads, definitely not everyone is wealthy. BU does great with financial aid, so not everyone comes from families with the means to pay almost $50000/year. As far as back-up ivy, I'd say that's fairly accurate. Definitely over 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of people came to BU because their first choice school, usually and Ivy, rejected them (or BU gave them considerably more money).

Not at all. I was really surprised to hear that about the girls here, because relatively few of them fit that stereotype. That's not to say that there are no parties, there definitely are, but people know how to balance their social life and their academics--and the students generally have a good head on their shoulders.

BU students really are nerds, but because the student body is so large and diverse the nerdiness only becomes noticeable after a few months at the school, when one day you walk through the CAS building pulling a small suitcase full of books, and no one even gives you a funny look

Pretty much. I was shocked by how accurate the stereotypes were. And I felt very alone when I didn't fit in.