Boston, home to over 100 colleges and universities, has earned its reputation as the best “college town” in the U.S. With so many schools in close proximity, it’s easy to compare colleges that represent a wide range of selectivity, campus settings, and sizes. In many ways, it’s the perfect place to begin your college search!
To make the most of your trip to Massachusetts, we suggest taking a realistic approach: if you’re short on time, focus on schools that are in range (where your scores and grades are similar to those of admitted students). See, for instance, the Accepted Student Profile for Tufts University and Boston College to better gauge how your data points compare to their freshmen classes.
BOSTON-AREA CAMPUS VISITS: SAMPLE ITINERARY
Day 1: Cambridge Campus Visits
When you visit, begin your day at Tufts University where you can attend a 70-minute campus tour led by current students (don’t forget to pre-register!). Stroll past the “The Daily Cannon,” a replica of the U.S.S. Constitution cannon that’s painted over on a nightly basis with colorful announcements and messages. As a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), Tufts offers a comprehensive liberal arts education and 150+ majors and minors. It also boasts a particularly strong reputation for its internationalism. The average class size at Tufts is 20 and the student-faculty ratio of 9:1 ensures an intimate and individualized learning experience. The academic quad, home to many of the academic buildings on campus, is often filled with students playing frisbee or studying in small groups. Before you go, read more about Tufts admissions statistics.
In the afternoon, head over to the Harvard College Admissions Visitor Center in Cambridge, MA for your campus tour. Be sure to ask about Harvard’s unique residential system, which consists of 12 Houses, or residential undergraduate communities. Your tour guide can also shed light on the many interdisciplinary concentrations for undergraduates—there are more that 3,700 courses in 50 undergraduate fields of study available! To continue exploring campus on your own, download the Visit Harvard mobile app and take a self-guided historical walking tour. Be sure to check out our summary of Harvard’s admissions data over the years.
Both schools are easily accessible on the T, Boston’s subway system, and provide a useful contrast between a smaller liberal arts college and large research university. In between campus visits, you can grab coffee at the popular Tatte Bakery & Café, browse for a new book at the Harvard Coop, or watch rowers practice on the Charles River. At the end of a busy day, debrief over dinner in bustling Harvard Square. Don’t forget to take notes!
Note: Future engineers and physicists might prefer to use this day to tour MIT.
Day 2: Boston Campus Visits
If you’re interested in a more urban campus, Day 2 is for you! BU and Northeastern are located less than 5 miles apart in the heart of the city, near Boston’s historic Back Bay neighborhood.
Boston University hosts in-person tours and information sessions where you can experience campus and meet current students. According to Forbes, BU is ranked #7 for international students, with 150 countries represented on campus. It is also known for its seasonal events and school spirit—as a BU student you can watch the ice hockey team compete in the Beanpot Tournament, attend the annual Lobster Night in the dining hall, and cheer for runners in the Boston Marathon (or run it yourself!) alongside your classmates. Read more about BU admissions here.
Northeastern University is best known for its emphasis on experiential learning and signature co-op program. Through this curriculum, students are able to alternate semesters of academic study with full-time work to gain valuable real-world experience. On campus, Northeastern students are active in more than 400 student clubs and often pursue multiple academic interests at once through the many Combined Majors available. Register for an in-person information session led by admissions staff and attend a tour of the Boston campus with a current student Husky Ambassador.
Are the Red Sox in town? After your campus visits, walk to Fenway Park in Kenmore Square to root for the home team. Or, if you need a more low-key activity after a busy day, plan a visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the site of a famous art heist, to contemplate works by Rembrandt, Titian, and John Singer Sargent.
Day 3: Chestnut Hill Campus Visits
Boston College, a private Jesuit school, is located in scenic Chestnut Hill. In addition to its lively football and hockey fans, BC is also known for its meaningful traditions like the First Flight Procession, a lantern-lit journey for freshmen that mirrors the path students will follow on graduation day and ends with a blessing. While you visit campus, be sure to ask your tour guide about the rigorous core curriculum and check out the newest facility to open on campus: the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society. BC received almost 40,000 applications for the Class of 2025 and is bound to break records yet again this year. Read more here: Boston College Acceptance Rates & Statistics.
Depending on your time, interests and school range, we suggest amending the itinerary above by adding (or replacing) campus visits to Emerson College, Babson College, MIT, and Brandeis College. Female-identifying applicants might want to add a trip to Wellesley College, a noted women’s college in the Boston suburbs.
Days 4-6: Bonus Campus Visits
If you’re able to plan a longer trip to Massachusetts, rent a car and drive down Route 2 to Western Mass! On your scenic road trip to see top-ranked liberal arts colleges like Amherst and Williams, you’ll drive past Clark University and Holy Cross in Worcester. Other schools in the Pioneer Valley include UMass Amherst, Hampshire College, Smith, and Mount Holyoke. While you’re in the neighborhood, don’t miss top-notch cultural institutions like the Clark Art Museum and MASS MoCA.
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Liz graduated Magna Cum Laude with high honors from Dartmouth College and earned her MA and PhD in Art History at the University of Virginia, where she taught undergraduate courses, earned the All-University Graduate Teaching Award, and received a Fulbright Research Grant.
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