Finding Your Best Fit School Spotlight on Boston College

These are a Few of Our Favorite Things... This week our client relations associate Catherine tells us what she loved about attending Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to go to Boston College. I can’t tell you why I wanted to go there or how I knew about BC at such a young age, but the feeling stayed with me up until the time came to apply to colleges. The day I got into BC was one of the happiest days of my life. I could write a book about how much I love BC. But I will try to limit myself in order to capture the essence of BC. Location, location, location. BC is located in Chestnut Hill, between the outer city limits of Boston and the quaint town of Newton, Mass. Everyone always says that his or her campus is gorgeous, but I really mean it. Gasson Hall, the focal point of many photographs of BC, is the oldest building on campus. Newly renovated just two years ago, Gasson is the home of many classrooms and several departments. Students march by this iconic building during freshman year convocation and senior year commencement, making it among the first and last memories of a student’s four years at BC. Boston is just a short T ride away on the green line. One of my favorite cities, Boston captures the old feel of a colonial port city, as well as a vibrant college town. I loved the fact that BC was just outside of Boston: far enough from the city to have its own campus but close enough to enjoy what the city has to offer. Many students consider themselves lucky to live at BC. (Although sometimes they may complain about the stairs: BC is built largely on a hill, but this just means that we have a very fit campus!) Most undergrads are granted three years of housing, so many choose to live off-campus for their junior year. It is a BC tradition to move back onto campus senior year, when all seniors get the chance to live together during their final year at BC. Let’s talk athletics. Falls at BC = FOOTBALL SEASON! On six or seven Saturdays each fall, students get to pack Alumni Stadium in their Superfan shirts to cheer on the Eagles. Nothing is more exciting than the BC v. Notre Dame football games, otherwise known as the Holy War. Upperclassmen have made it a tradition to RV out to South Bend, Indiana to fill Notre Dame Stadium and mix some maroon and gold into the sea of green. Additionally, most may not know that BC has an AWESOME men’s hockey team. Some of my fondest memories are watching the Eagles play in Conte Forum or the TD Garden, and they won the NCAA championship in 2010 and 2012! BC is known as a prestigious Catholic university for a very good reason. I loved that the curriculum at BC was infused with Jesuit principles. Men and women for others, as well as light the world aflame, are two well-known phrases at BC. And the Jesuits really mean it – most, if not all, Eagles will participate in some form of community service by the time they graduate. Some may balk at the â€Å"Catholic† principles taught at BC, but most students loved the simple messages that come out of Jesuit teachings, whether they were religious or not. The core curriculum at BC helps students to graduate with a solid liberal arts education. It is not hard to complete the core at BC, and it creates well-rounded students. I chose to become an International Studies major, an interdisciplinary major that incorporates economics, political science, history, culture, and sociology. For the most part, I appreciated all of my professors, and they were always available if I ever needed help, or just wanted to chat. In my four years at BC, I was most impressed by the BC community on April 15, 2013. Known as Patriots Day in Massachusetts and Marathon Monday to college students, the third Monday in April is a day of celebration for students, as they get the day off to watch the marathon runners sprint by BC, which is located at Mile 21. Unfortunately, this past Marathon Monday will be remembered for the bombings that took place near the finish line on Boylston Street. But I will remember it as the day when BC students made it their duty to comfort each other, friend or stranger. Everyone was proud to be an Eagle that day. I will value the friends I made at BC for the rest of my life, as well as the education I received and the Eagles community. This fall, you can find me in Alumni Stadium wearing my Superfan shirt, cheering on the Eagles and singing â€Å"For Boston†. Go Eagles!