Boston: the American college capital. From nearby Chestnut Hill, home base to rival school Boston College, to Cambridge and Harvard, this area is chock full of universities, students and everything you could possibly need.
BOSTON COLLEGE
First and foremost, for the sake of understanding our rivals, BC is neither in Boston nor a college. Its main campus is perched atop a hill six miles from downtown Boston and is host to almost 10,000 undergraduate students, making it one of the largest Jesuit universities in the country. The rivalry between BC and BU is just as intense as that of Red Sox-Yankees. Aside from beating BC during the regular hockey season, one of BU’s goals is winning the Beanpot, the famed local hockey tournament among BC, BU, Harvard College and Northeastern University. While BC has won the tournament 13 times, BU has won 28 ‘Pots and has appeared in the final round each year since 1994, losing only twice to – who else? – BC. If you find yourself compelled to step foot in enemy territory, take the Green B line outbound all the way to the last stop. With its football and basketball teams both in the Atlantic Coast Conference, BC attracts prime matchups against the nation’s top squads each year.
HARVARD
Aside from its historical value and academic triumphs, Harvard, located just across the Charles River in Cambridge, has most recently made headlines with its pending plans to expand into Allston, much to the dismay of many residents. The project includes plans for new dormitories, museums and other learning facilities. To visit Harvard on the T, catch the Red Line at Park Street. But if you’re feeling more adventurous, take a walk down to Massachusetts Avenue and take the No. 1 bus to Harvard Square; you’ll be able to experience more of Cambridge while riding above ground, giving you more chances in between to jump off and explore.
NORTHEASTERN
This private university, located next to the Museum of Fine Arts and Symphony Hall, is well known for its distinctive five-year co-operative program with an emphasis on professional internships for undergraduate students. With an unusual amount of open space, greenery and seven new dormitories built on campus within the last eight years, Northeastern has recently begun to shed its dubious title of “Concrete Jungle” given by the American Planning Association in the late 1970s. Northeastern had been considered one of the ugliest universities in the country until a campus rejuvenation project started in 1988 placed it among the most beautiful urban campuses. Northeastern is just a short walk from Massachusetts Avenue, and you can also get there by transferring to the Green E Line at Copley. Once above ground, there are multiple stops where you can explore this new campus, as well as the Museum of Fine Arts.
EMERSON COLLEGE
A school dedicated almost exclusively to communication programs, Emerson is located in the heart of the city, alongside the Boston Common and at the entranceway to the Theater District. Emerson has most recently been in the news as one of several Massachusetts schools involved in a student-loan scandal. Dean of Enrollment Daniel Pinch was fired over the summer for collecting a $36,000 kickback in return for recommending Collegiate Funding Service Inc. to students.
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is located across the Charles River in Cambridge. A pioneer in research and technology, MIT is a highly prestigious school that was once used as a research and development center during World War II and is home to the second largest university-based nuclear reactor in the country. Though MIT has produced 63 Nobel Laureates, it is infamous for its lack of academic scholarships and noticeable absence of female professors and is one of few schools that has never awarded an honorary degree. In May, the university announced plans to divest from companies that have business dealings with the Sudanese government in response to the current violence in Darfur, where state-sponsored militia has been massacring civilians for more than five years.