Boston, MA: This past summer the college process loomed before me, dark and menacing. There are so many colleges out there! How can I possibly know which one will be right for me? This seems the universal cry of high school juniors and seniors. Fortunately for me, this panicky feeling ended when I visited Boston University. I have wanted to be a journalist for as long as I can remember, and BU has everything an aspiring journalist could ever want.

BU consists of sixteen different schools and colleges and the campus is a series of buildings which stretch along a two-mile strip of Commonwealth Avenue in Boston's Back Bay area. Most freshmen live in Warren Towers, three eighteen-storey high rises that house close to 2,000 students each. What was most impressive about Warren Towers was the diversity of the students living there. There were students from every country one could ever imagine! Signs tacked on bulletin boards announced meetings for dozens of different clubs and activities. And if you can't find the one that's right for you, you can create your own!

The walking tour around campus, given by upperclassmen, is very informative and was given in an informal way which made me comfortable asking questions about the school. I was able to see most of the buildings, including the library, the cafeteria, and an actual dorm room. Tour groups consist of about twenty people which makes for an enjoyable, intimate experience.

After the tour, I went to the Communications Building to have a look around. I was greeted by a student who agreed to take my father and me on a tour of COM. We visited a TV newsroom, film production areas and even the set for a soap opera that BU COM students produce! My guide answered all my questions and even told me about the dual degree program which allows extremely motivated students to receive two bachelors degrees in four years.

Being seventeen and trying to decide where to spend the next four years of your life can be very scary. If you are looking for a school that is exciting and urban, and will expose you to many different cultures and activities, BU is just the place to end your search. f




Reviewed in 1996