Question: "I keep hearing that BC is very Caucasian and preppy. Do you feel like you fit in just fine? Is the student body diverse enough? Also, do you know if there are any Southeast Asian/Indian clubs/dance groups and such? A Capella groups?"
Answer: BC is definitely NOT all Caucasian and preppy. Of course you have preppy students but that is a rumor stemming from the fact that BC back in the day was a very white-dominant school. Today, we have a very diverse population of both Caucasian and AHANA (African, Hispanic, Asian, Native American) students. There are a great variety of culture groups and dance groups. I am a member of UGBC this year and my mentor is the Director of UNITY, which is a liaison between UGBC and the AHANA Leadership Council and we plan a lot of diversity events. One event in particular featured three cultural dance groups on campus. Furthermore, next year's president and vice president have a lot of AHANA initiatives on their platform. The culture groups that you talk of are very widespread on campus.
Question: Do you like your classes/professors?
Answer: I love my classes and professors. I love my CSOM classes and I have such dedicated professors who do whatever they can to help you through the course, and through the four years of college. Professors are also very accessible. I frequently meet with professors to not only get extra help but even life-chat. Even though I am in CSOM, I still have to take a bunch of Arts and Sciences classes such as Philosophy and Theology. I have had two Jesuits as professors and they are amazing at what they do and you also have them as mentors as well, they aren't just professors.
Question: Why did you choose BC?
Answer: I'll admit it wasn't my first choice and I didn't think I would end up here, but now that I am here, I can't imagine going anywhere else. It was a really great fit for me. A couple of my favorite things about BC besides what I've already mentioned are:
- beauty (love the churches and Fulton Hall, the home of CSOM)
- proximity to Boston (we have our own T stop and we have a shuttle that goes to another quicker line. The trip takes about 10 minutes)
- great social life and school spirit, particularly during football season
- MARATHON MONDAY which was so much fun and inspirational. BC is such a crucial spot during the race and so a lot of people gather on the streets to cheer on runners.
- such amazing people that you get to see, befriend, work with, and talk to every day
Question: Where do you currently live and do you recommend Upper Campus or Newton Campus?
Answer: I currently live in Fitzpatrick on Upper Campus. Regarding Upper vs. Newton, it really depends on the kind of person you are because there is no difference between the two, save the bus transportation necessary for students who live on the Newton Campus. I am not a bus-person at all. I need to be able to walk back to room whenever I need to because I tend to forget books, laptop, homework, etc. in my room....and I can't run on any other schedule beside my own.
Question: How do the housing/roommate situations work?
Answer: You can choose your roommates through the ResLife portal which you get access to once you decide you want to come here. Your freshman year roommate is usually randomly chosen based on a housing profile you fill out about how neat you are and whether you want to use the room to study, socialize or relax. You can also choose a roommate if you've met someone at Freshman Orientation that you want to live with: generally people do get who they request. Freshmen housing assignments don't come out until August. After freshman year, there is a lottery you enter with your friends based on the number of people you want in your room.
Hope this helps you make this important decision! If you have any more questions about CSOM, BC, or anything about college, shoot me an email (fangda@bc.edu)!
Good luck! Hope to see you on campus next year!
