Boston, MA: Last spring I visited Boston University. After my interview I gave myself a tour of the huge campus, which occupies a large stretch of Commonwealth Avenue.

There are numerous undergraduate schools within the University, offering study in everything from the arts to education to engineering. I was really impressed with the assortment of majors available, and there is no doubt in my mind that everyone could find a field of study to interest them here. There are also plenty of internships and special programs available.

The professors at B.U. are some of the best you'll find anywhere. Most have studied at some of the best schools in the country, and many have doctoral degrees. The faculty ranks fifth nationally for the number of Fulbright Awards.

Currently Boston University has over 28,000 students. One of the problems this presents is that some of the popular classes have over 200 students, and everyone takes the class in an auditorium with just two professors teaching. So don't expect to get heaps of personal attention. Students are expected to solve most of their academic problems themselves.

There are also lots of non-academic activities to choose from. The school offers varsity, intramural and club sports, and there are over 283 student organizations to choose from. The B.U. Bookstore Mall is the largest college shop I have ever seen. It has over a dozen shops on six floors and everything you could ever possibly need or want. Another big plus is that if you don't feel like hanging around campus, you can always take the train anywhere in the city.

One thing I don't particularly like about B.U is that isn't a really attractive college. Some buildings on campus look all right, but the school has a rather drab look. The campus is located on either side of the Green Line trolley tracks, which doesn't help.

Looks aside, Boston University is academically one of the best colleges around. If you're in the market for a large college with challenging academic programs, you should look into B.U. n




Reviewed in 1991