And now for the final stop on my East Coast college tours: Boston College
A few takeaways from my visit:
- Set on a hillside in the suburbs of Boston, Boston College is one of the largest Roman Catholic schools in the country. The campus has a cohesive look, with most buildings in a Gothic Revival style architecture. There are lots of trees, open grassy spaces, and a peaceful reservoir in front of campus.
- As part of their Jesuit focus, BC challenges its students to ask themselves the following questions throughout their education: What brings you joy? What are you good at? What does the world need you to be? (Tip for rising seniors: you can see these themes reflected in the school’s supplemental essay questions in their application. Start thinking about your answers to these questions as a way to brainstorm your response.)
- When visiting campus, I highly recommend signing up for an Info Session and Campus Tour (email confirmation came with the best parking directions I’ve ever received for a campus tour). The Info Session was super informative and led by a member of the senior Admissions Team. It also featured a panel discussion of current students. A few themes emerged from the student panelists: a strong sense of community and service to others, engagement and interest in the school’s Core Curriculum required courses, and a deep love of the BC Men’s Ice Hockey team.
- One last cool fact: 95% of BC seniors live on campus. The university offers three years of guaranteed housing, and most students find an off-campus option for their third year (study abroad, apartment in the area, etc.) just so that they can live on-campus during their final year of school. Definitely a sign of a vibrant, highly desired, on-campus living experience.
Go Eagles!
