Chestnut Hill, MA: The college search process can be strenuous especially when you don’t know yet what you’re looking for in a school. Visiting colleges while only a sophomore in high school can be considered early, but with many options I was eager to begin searching. The Boston area is known for having many colleges and universities, some large some small, some not so well known and some very famous.  Boston is also one of my favorite cities, making it a fitting place to begin my college search.  By visiting schools there I hoped to get a better idea of what I would like from my college experience. My favorite school from this visit was Boston College.
Driving a few minutes out of downtown Boston and up a hill into a smaller suburban town called Chestnut Hill, I arrived at Boston College. I was immediately taken away by the charm of the small, tranquil campus overlooking Boston. The buildings are all uniform with matching stone and architectural structure. I additionally found the location of the college perfect, being in a quieter town with an enclosed campus, while only being a couple minute bus ride away from an exciting, diverse city that has a lot to offer. Boston College has a traditional campus feel being separate from the “outside world”, with the quaint downtown of Chestnut Hill right outside to explore. When the immediate college town begins to feel too small, Boston is right down the hill.

Aside from my first impression of the campus and location, Boston College is also very highly ranked academically and has a national recognized Division I athletic program that attracts many students from across the United States.  On Forbes “Full List of America’s Top Colleges 2016”, based on student outcomes, it is ranked number 22. It overlaps with Georgetown University and the Naval Academy. With only a 29% acceptance rate, Boston College is a difficult school to be admitted into. Out of the accepted students, 70% come from Massachusetts and 70% of students are Catholic. Being a top school in the country, many students apply hoping to become a part of the fortunate 29%.

Boston College further claims that its students’ success after graduation is also due to their liberal arts education, an additional focus on broad general knowledge in many fields that supplements their major. Boston College offers eight schools: management, law, nursing, education, arts and sciences, social work, theology and ministry, and advancing studies. There are a variety of majors in these colleges that appeal and cater to almost everyone.  However, the most popular majors among students include economics, finance, biology/biological sciences, and psychology. While this school attracts academically motivated students, it encourages a balanced and healthy lifestyle by offering many other campus activities such as clubs, intramural sports and constant events to attend. They have strong athletic programs and are nationally ranked in many sports. While visiting schools in the Boston area, I have discovered many aspects I’m looking for in a college. A moderately sized, enclosed campus with access to a more diverse city would be an ideal location. Strong academics offering a well-rounded liberal arts education is also important. Another crucial aspect is to be able to pursue athletics and other campus activities outside of academics. Although college may distant right now, it will shortly approach. In hopes of furthering my education and unlocking the best possibilities for my future, there are goals that should be accomplished in both academics and athletics to be qualified to attend a school such as Boston College.