Staying at BU a ‘stigma,’ Academy students say

The Boston University Academy program may be rigorous, but most students choose to attend more highly-ranked schools for college, viewing BU as a safety school, some BUA students said.

“Since we’ve already been on campus for four years, there is a definite stigma attached to going to BU,” College of Arts and Sciences freshman Jacob Magid, who graduated from BUA last year, said. “‘You couldn’t get into a better school? You’ll be seeing the same faces and same places.’” 

BUA, founded in 1993 and located on BU campus, provides about 150 students with the opportunity to engage in a rigorous program featuring BU courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level, according to BUA administrators.

Current BUA senior Will Seltzer said students are justified in not wanting to matriculate at BU.

“I think it’s understandable once you look at the reasons for why the stigma exists,” Seltzer said. “The experience leads some to think that they wouldn’t be challenged at BU. They, after all, are a high school student taking a college class, and in some cases they are outperforming the college students.

He said some of the bias towards other schools may be because of the up-close view students have of BU compared to the others.

“In a sense, the stigma exists because BUA students get to see all of the flaws at BU while their exposure to other institutions consists of a guided tour,” he said.

But Seltzer, who said he is applying to eight universities, said he still is seriously considering BU because of its high quality programs. 

Other BUA graduates said they are content with their BU experiences.

“My classes at BUA were the hardest that I’ve ever had, even as a senior at BU,” College of Communication senior and BUA alumna Kelly Sullivan said. “I was definitely working harder than my friends at public schools, and working at a much quicker pace.”

Provided that they maintain a 3.0 GPA, BUA students are guaranteed acceptance into nearly all of BU’s undergraduate programs, BUA Head of School James Berkman said.

But most students choose not to utilize this guaranteed acceptance. In a typical graduating class of 35 to 40 students, usually only about five go on to attend BU, with many ending up at Ivy League and other renowned institutions, Berkman said, such as Brown University.

By the time they enter junior year, BUA students take about 40 percent of their classes at BU, and seniors are required to take only university courses. Seniors are also required to complete an 8,000 word senior thesis on a topic of their choice, ranging from the humanities to the sciences.

“So often we teach students how to jump through hoops, but we forget to teach them how to choose what hoops they want to jump through,” Berkman said. “One of BUA’s strongest points is that it gives students practice choosing what they want to learn about and how to make those decisions for themselves.”  

However, the school’s benefits do not come without a price. Tuition for the 2009-10 school year was $30,123, with about 32 percent of students receiving some form of financial assistance, the average grant being $17,633.

Many students at BUA said the experience more than adequately prepares them for college, no matter if they remain at BU or go elsewhere. 

“My experience at BUA was great, academically and socially,” College of Arts and Sciences junior and BUA alumnus Joe Hathaway said. “It was a fun, nurturing, and yet highly competitive environment to grow up in. While it wasn’t the typical high school experience, I would do it all over again in a second. I feel like it made me a strong learner, and a stronger person.”