Boston College (BC) 3L Taking Questions Forum

[marmot8]

Im strongly considering withdrawing from my wait list options (GULC, Cornell) since I really love BC and am receiving a significant scholarship that cuts my COA to about 100k. Awesome school, love the new dean hire and I could really see myself in Boston.

I want to practice in NYC ideally, but would be ok with Boston for awhile if I could transfer. As students with the power of hindsight, would you recommend I come to BC or go T14 at sticker if given the opportunity? Do you feel like the BC degree is in anyway limiting?

Thanks so much, I appreciate your perspective.

[BCLS Alum]

Keep your debt down from any school, even the T14. The T14 will definitely help you out at OCI, but not significantly more than BC. If you are in the top half of the class at either, you should do fine. The difference is how much of your future salary you want to deduct from your income for student loan payments. 100k is a lot of money.

[sullidop]

How does the housing fair in June work? Do realtors come to this or is it just for people trying to find roommates? Is it possible to find places with a lease starting in August? I'm only seeing places with start dates of Sept 1. 1L orientation is starting Aug 28 - how are others handling this?

Realtors will come to the fair and you'll have the chance to match yourselves up with other students. While the vast majority of apartments start on Sept 1, there are some that are aug 1 or can be made available for early/mid/late august so you can move in before orientation (I'll take a minute to plug my apt which is less than a mile from the law school and will have two beds available in the fall, at least one of which can certainly be made available for orientation...PM for details).

[sullidop]

Im strongly considering withdrawing from my wait list options (GULC, Cornell) since I really love BC and am receiving a significant scholarship that cuts my COA to about 100k. Awesome school, love the new dean hire and I could really see myself in Boston.

I want to practice in NYC ideally, but would be ok with Boston for awhile if I could transfer. As students with the power of hindsight, would you recommend I come to BC or go T14 at sticker if given the opportunity? Do you feel like the BC degree is in anyway limiting?

Thanks so much, I appreciate your perspective.

I would consider Cornell but not GULC (it's a JD factory). I echo BCLS Alum's words and also note that, perusing my friends, the ones with $$$ to BC tend to place higher in the class. Therefore, if you keep up the effort that caught BC's eye I think you'll be just fine.

[Perch]

A few of my best friends live in Fenway and if possible I'd like to live as close as is possibly convenient to that area...any recommendations? Is that even possible?

[skippy1]

Have some questions on apt search. I'm looking for a 2 bedroom in Brighton - Cleveland Circle/Oak Sq. I noticed 2 bedrooms in $1400s seems pretty bad - many of these listings on Craigslist don't include pictures. $1500 seem to start looking better but the broker fees are high - one month! Anyone know if $1600 is a good price range for a 2 bedroom - we just want something clean, close to the Green-B, cat friendly, and in a grad/non-party building. Is $1600 too low ?

[sullidop]

A few of my best friends live in Fenway and if possible I'd like to live as close as is possibly convenient to that area...any recommendations? Is that even possible?

It'll be a little bit of a hassle (assuming no car) but you can definitely pull it. The best course is to live close to the D line stop in Fenway, take that to Reservoir and take the express shuttle to BCLS in the morning and evening. Not as simple as living in cleveland circle or closer areas but definitely do-able.

[sullidop]

Have some questions on apt search. I'm looking for a 2 bedroom in Brighton - Cleveland Circle/Oak Sq. I noticed 2 bedrooms in $1400s seems pretty bad - many of these listings on Craigslist don't include pictures. $1500 seem to start looking better but the broker fees are high - one month! Anyone know if $1600 is a good price range for a 2 bedroom - we just want something clean, close to the Green-B, cat friendly, and in a grad/non-party building. Is $1600 too low ?

1600 is right where things get decent. You can probably get something for less than that, but you will have to pay a full fee (but if you stay in the apt for more than a year the lower rent in successive years will more than off-set the fee). You'll have to go looking with some reputable brokers in addition to CL searches. I highly recommend a meeting with Metro Realty Corp.

[Perch]

A few of my best friends live in Fenway and if possible I'd like to live as close as is possibly convenient to that area...any recommendations? Is that even possible?

It'll be a little bit of a hassle (assuming no car) but you can definitely pull it. The best course is to live close to the D line stop in Fenway, take that to Reservoir and take the express shuttle to BCLS in the morning and evening. Not as simple as living in cleveland circle or closer areas but definitely do-able.

just for some perspective, how does one get to school from cleveland circle, for example? estimated travel time difference?

[sullidop]

A few of my best friends live in Fenway and if possible I'd like to live as close as is possibly convenient to that area...any recommendations? Is that even possible?

It'll be a little bit of a hassle (assuming no car) but you can definitely pull it. The best course is to live close to the D line stop in Fenway, take that to Reservoir and take the express shuttle to BCLS in the morning and evening. Not as simple as living in cleveland circle or closer areas but definitely do-able.

just for some perspective, how does one get to school from cleveland circle, for example? estimated travel time difference?

Sure. To get to school from cleveland circle you hop on the express shuttle to newton campus. This ride takes about 10-20 minutes depending on traffic. If you are not able to get the (two) morning or (one) afternoon express shuttles, you'll have to take the main campus shuttle (runs every 10-15 minutes between main campus and cleveland circle) and then the shuttle to newton campus (also runs every 10-20 minutes between main campus and newton), reversed for ride home. Alternatively, you can take the B line to main campus and then grab the newton shuttle. This process can take 30-50+ minutes. Living in Fenway will add 15-25 minutes to your ride, depending on how the T is running.

It's do-able if you always hit the express shuttles or have a car.

[Perch]

is it hard to have a car though in that area? I assume street parking is stressful if not impossible, and I heard neighborhood permits are upwards of $500/mo? I'd really prefer to not have to get a car and just rely on public transportation.

[sullidop]

is it hard to have a car though in that area? I assume street parking is stressful if not impossible, and I heard neighborhood permits are upwards of $500/mo? I'd really prefer to not have to get a car and just rely on public transportation.

500 a month? Lol, no. I'm fairly certain that on-street permits are free ( http://www.cityofboston.gov/parking/res ... udents.asp ) but you need to have your car registered in Boston. You're looking at 120-150 a month if you want to rent a space and not reregister your car.
You definitely can rely solely on public transportation and live in the Fenway or Allston Brighton, it'll just take 30-50+ minutes each way to school.

[skippy1]

What if we are not close to the BC shuttle - since it only makes a limited number of stops in Brighton? Can we take the Green-B to the Brighton campus? Is that a relatively easy commute?

[Perch]

is it hard to have a car though in that area? I assume street parking is stressful if not impossible, and I heard neighborhood permits are upwards of $500/mo? I'd really prefer to not have to get a car and just rely on public transportation.

500 a month? Lol, no. I'm fairly certain that on-street permits are free ( http://www.cityofboston.gov/parking/res ... udents.asp ) but you need to have your car registered in Boston. You're looking at 120-150 a month if you want to rent a space and not reregister your car.
You definitely can rely solely on public transportation and live in the Fenway or Allston Brighton, it'll just take 30-50+ minutes each way to school.

ok, getting closer. how about if im really gettin my study on till the wee hours of the morning. doesn't the T stop at 11pm or something?

[RPK34]

Have some questions on apt search. I'm looking for a 2 bedroom in Brighton - Cleveland Circle/Oak Sq. I noticed 2 bedrooms in $1400s seems pretty bad - many of these listings on Craigslist don't include pictures. $1500 seem to start looking better but the broker fees are high - one month! Anyone know if $1600 is a good price range for a 2 bedroom - we just want something clean, close to the Green-B, cat friendly, and in a grad/non-party building. Is $1600 too low ?

1600 is right where things get decent. You can probably get something for less than that, but you will have to pay a full fee (but if you stay in the apt for more than a year the lower rent in successive years will more than off-set the fee). You'll have to go looking with some reputable brokers in addition to CL searches. I highly recommend a meeting with Metro Realty Corp.

Why Metro Realty Corp?

[sullidop]

Have some questions on apt search. I'm looking for a 2 bedroom in Brighton - Cleveland Circle/Oak Sq. I noticed 2 bedrooms in $1400s seems pretty bad - many of these listings on Craigslist don't include pictures. $1500 seem to start looking better but the broker fees are high - one month! Anyone know if $1600 is a good price range for a 2 bedroom - we just want something clean, close to the Green-B, cat friendly, and in a grad/non-party building. Is $1600 too low ?

1600 is right where things get decent. You can probably get something for less than that, but you will have to pay a full fee (but if you stay in the apt for more than a year the lower rent in successive years will more than off-set the fee). You'll have to go looking with some reputable brokers in addition to CL searches. I highly recommend a meeting with Metro Realty Corp.

Why Metro Realty Corp?

Rental agents in Boston pretty much show all the same apartments. Metro, for whatever reason, has a ton of exclusive listings at really good prices.

[sullidop]

What if we are not close to the BC shuttle - since it only makes a limited number of stops in Brighton? Can we take the Green-B to the Brighton campus? Is that a relatively easy commute?

I'm getting a little mixed up with the lingo. BC has three campuses: Main (undergrads, MAs, phds), Newton (law school) and Brighton (school of theology). I think you mean take the B line to main campus and then the newton shuttle from there? Yeah, that's not a bad commute. The Newton bus stop is 3-5 minutes from the T and the bus ride is 10-15 minutes in the morning.

[sullidop]

is it hard to have a car though in that area? I assume street parking is stressful if not impossible, and I heard neighborhood permits are upwards of $500/mo? I'd really prefer to not have to get a car and just rely on public transportation.

500 a month? Lol, no. I'm fairly certain that on-street permits are free ( http://www.cityofboston.gov/parking/res ... udents.asp ) but you need to have your car registered in Boston. You're looking at 120-150 a month if you want to rent a space and not reregister your car.
You definitely can rely solely on public transportation and live in the Fenway or Allston Brighton, it'll just take 30-50+ minutes each way to school.

ok, getting closer. how about if im really gettin my study on till the wee hours of the morning. doesn't the T stop at 11pm or something?

The last T leaves at 12:10 from BC, from Reservoir at about 12:20, and the shuttles run until 2am. http://www.mbta.com/uploadedFiles/Docum ... hedule.pdf

[skippy1]

What if we are not close to the BC shuttle - since it only makes a limited number of stops in Brighton? Can we take the Green-B to the Brighton campus? Is that a relatively easy commute?

I'm getting a little mixed up with the lingo. BC has three campuses: Main (undergrads, MAs, phds), Newton (law school) and Brighton (school of theology). I think you mean take the B line to main campus and then the newton shuttle from there? Yeah, that's not a bad commute. The Newton bus stop is 3-5 minutes from the T and the bus ride is 10-15 minutes in the morning.

Yep - sorry I meant the Main campus - I too got confused. We can also take the T to main campus and then the BC shuttle to the law school from main campus right? That's what I assumed most law students did.

[skippy1]

I could've sworn I posted about this in the afternoon - but I can't seem to find it. If this is a double post I apologize in advance.

I'm looking at a worst case scenario of not being able to find a lease start before Sept 1. I have friends I can stay with so I can still attend classes. Wondering if other BCLS students have gone thru this.

[sullidop]

What if we are not close to the BC shuttle - since it only makes a limited number of stops in Brighton? Can we take the Green-B to the Brighton campus? Is that a relatively easy commute?

I'm getting a little mixed up with the lingo. BC has three campuses: Main (undergrads, MAs, phds), Newton (law school) and Brighton (school of theology). I think you mean take the B line to main campus and then the newton shuttle from there? Yeah, that's not a bad commute. The Newton bus stop is 3-5 minutes from the T and the bus ride is 10-15 minutes in the morning.

Yep - sorry I meant the Main campus - I too got confused. We can also take the T to main campus and then the BC shuttle to the law school from main campus right? That's what I assumed most law students did.

Correct, a lot do that. There's even a handy app to track where the shuttle is.

[sullidop]

I could've sworn I posted about this in the afternoon - but I can't seem to find it. If this is a double post I apologize in advance.

I'm looking at a worst case scenario of not being able to find a lease start before Sept 1. I have friends I can stay with so I can still attend classes. Wondering if other BCLS students have gone thru this.

Yeah, it's an unfortunate common occurrence. If you're picking up a place from an outgoing student you might be able to assume the lease a little earlier...otherwise couch surfing it is.

[IsleMet]

Hi All,

So, I was in Boson last weekend and looked at 20+ apartments in Brighton, Allston, and Brookline. Honestly, I only found 3-4 that I would even consider living in (most had at least one significant negative--dirty, tiny bedrooms, bad location, etc.). I found one place in Brighton that is about 2.5 miles from the law campus and about a 4 minute walk to the Sutherland T stop (10 minute walk to the Chiswick shuttle). It was $2900/month and I negotiated with the landlord to get 3 parking included and the fee cut down by 70%. 4 beds, 2 bath, duplex, good condition, back deck. Would I be dumb to not take this place? I'm trying to figure out if I should jump on it or if I should wait and visit again in a few weeks.

Also, if you'd like my impressions of what I looked at, feel free to ask! I have decided that I definitely want to be in Brighton. I plan to either drive or bike to school every day.

[mettasutta]

-Can law students use the gym on the undergrad campus?
-Does BC dominate the rest of New England as it does in MA? Would a BC grad have a major leg up over UConn, U of Maine grads in their respective states (assuming similar class rank)?
-How much influence does BC's Jesuit heritage exert on the culture of the school?

Thank for for all of your helpful, detailed responses thus far, sulli and BCLS!

[sullidop]

Hi All,

So, I was in Boson last weekend and looked at 20+ apartments in Brighton, Allston, and Brookline. Honestly, I only found 3-4 that I would even consider living in (most had at least one significant negative--dirty, tiny bedrooms, bad location, etc.). I found one place in Brighton that is about 2.5 miles from the law campus and about a 4 minute walk to the Sutherland T stop (10 minute walk to the Chiswick shuttle). It was $2900/month and I negotiated with the landlord to get 3 parking included and the fee cut down by 70%. 4 beds, 2 bath, duplex, good condition, back deck. Would I be dumb to not take this place? I'm trying to figure out if I should jump on it or if I should wait and visit again in a few weeks.

Also, if you'd like my impressions of what I looked at, feel free to ask! I have decided that I definitely want to be in Brighton. I plan to either drive or bike to school every day.

Did that price include heat/hot water?