Agonizing over Boston University VS. Boston College.

Question

Alright, so I'm trying to decide between Boston University and Boston College.

With Boston College I like their curriculum better; I want to end up in investment management, and they have a specific asset management curriculum that is VERY intricate and deep. During the application process they also made me feel more welcome/wanted than any other program. Issues started to arrive after this however. Now, I already have a master's from BC, I enjoyed the campus/environment. I had a 3.8 in that program. My GMAT is a 730, their average is a 670. I have a few extra years management/work experience as well, beyond their average. I also interviewed well, I thought. I figured I was in line for a pretty hefty scholarship. Instead I got wait-listed. Their suggestions are to get extra recommendations, retake the GMATs, or show them more transcripts. The last two were clearly out since I exceeded their averages, and my recommendations got me full scholarships from other programs. I wrote a letter detailing my qualifications again, and why I thought I was a great candidate. I heard back a week later that I had been admitted, with a half scholarship. I began communicating with them again, asking to reconsider for a larger scholarship. Eventually they agreed, and now I have a full scholarship.

In the meantime, Boston University had already accepted me and offered me a full scholarship. From the very day I was admitted they have communicated with me constantly about upcoming opportunities to meet fellow classmates, current students, faculty, etc. They have had sponsored events to get the community together, including a full weekend event where we got to meet the career services people, faculty, etc. and I've gotten to meet a ton of people from the program, all of whom have made me feel welcome. BC doesn't really do anything like this; I contacted them and asked. They did say there are student orgs that occasionally do things, which is nice, but the program itself doesn't sponsor/hold/organize anything. Also a factor, when BC was hemming and hawing I put in a $1000 deposit to BU.

So now I'm torn; During the application process BC was great, I really saw myself going there, and I love the curriculum, it's EXACTLY what I want (assuming I don't change my mind while in the program). I felt so welcomed, and it seemed like the whole admissions office knew my name. Since then though it was like pulling teeth to get in, and get a competitive offer. BU on the other hand has a curriculum that is good, but I just prefer BCs. However, they have been amazing ever since the interview, and I feel like they've gone the extra mile to let me know I'm a wanted member of their community, and they've done great in helping everyone meet & mix before classes. I'm stuck.

sailhard22 · Answer

I got the same impression from BU. My deposit for BU is due in one week and I am equally torn between the two schools. BU's process felt more personalized and they definitely did more to "woo" me. They have a student reception coming up too. On the other hand, Boston College just sent me a standard acceptance email and directed me to their website. Nonetheless, BC has a great program and I don't want to let the admissions procedure influence me too much because really it's the quality of the program and the professors that're important. In the end BC has a slightly better program for what I am interested in and it's slightly cheaper to boot so may end up with BC.

AccipiterQ · Answer

I ended up going with BU. I already had the 1000 in there. I like BC's curriculum slightly more, but it came down to the reaction I was getting from each school. As you noted it's the quality of program and profs that are important. Both programs are ranked well; some rankings have BU ranked significantly higher, but again for the field I am looking in BC may be slightly better ranked. As a career changer though I am looking for a program that is going to be supportive. With BC once I got waitlisted (which when you look at my application NEVER should have happened), everything was like pulling teeth. Trying to get in, then once they took me getting them to up the scholarship. Getting information was a pain too. They DO have an admitted students website that has some good information on it, but for a program that doesn't accept a lot of students there was surprisingly little interaction. I actually inquired as to when they would be having an admitted students weekend/day/etc. and was shocked when they told me that they don't do anything of that nature. Every other program I looked at does. I heard from BU alumnae, current students, career services, admissions, and student services, all within a week of getting in. I continued to hear from them on a weekly basis. I JUST heard from my first BC current student this past week, and it was the first time I've heard from anyone at the school. To me that shows that BU is going to be more supportive and a greater aid once classes actually begin, and ultimately that's what made up my mind. I'm actually somewhat shocked, when I set out down this path last year and was reviewing programs I figured I'd be going to BC; I absolutely love their curriculum, and during applications they were the most welcoming school. But since I got waitlisted the whole thing was a very cold contrast, and I could envision myself at some point down the road saying to myself "I should have KNOWN things would be this difficult, look how much of a pain it was after I got in just getting basic information from them".

I hope you make a decision that you're happy with, and that results in the best fit for you.

acoolguy · Answer

Hi,
I am in the same boat as you were last year. Post-MBA I want to get into Asset Management/Finance and from the BU open house got an impression that BU is a really good school but their strength lies more in Health Sector and non-profit MBAs. Finance/Asset Management is a kind of weakness for them. Even few current students told me that without mincing any words.
On the other hand I definitely felt that the school is much more welcoming to prospective students and their focus on team building might turn out to be equally important if not more than the actual curriculum. Can you shed more light on how your experience has been at BU ? How easy/difficult it was for you to find internship. How helpful were career services and alumni ?
Thanks !

Ade7 · Answer

Hi does a full scholarship for MBA+MSDi program cover both Tuition and summer tuition + fees or just Tuition?

Agonizing over Boston University VS. Boston College.

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