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The SSAT test, administered by the Secondary School Admissions Testing Board is an internationally available test typically used by independent high schools to assess candidate qualifications. Information on the test and registration procedures can often be obtained from school counselors, or directly from the SSAT website at http://www.ssat.org/

The Boston University Academy (BUA) is a collegiate high school program located on the Boston University campus. This program is designed to teach a focused, classical curriculum that transitions into full-time college studies after several years. Classes are held in grades 9 through 12 with the majority of students entering at the 9th grade level. During the 11th grade, students take two college courses each semester, choosing amongst the science and foreign language options at Boston University. In the 12th grade, students take 4 university courses of their choosing each semester and thus are participating full-time at the college level. Hence, a graduate of BUA will have earned not only a high school diploma but also have completed 12 college courses, or roughly a year and a half of collegiate studies.

BUA is non-residential, and students live with their families and commute to the BU campus each day. Classes for students in grades 9 through 10 and half of 11 are self-contained and separate from the university population.

The Academy has their own building on the BU campus where their classrooms, computer lab, offices and other facilities are located. In addition, the academy building is adjacent to the central BU library that, along with other specialized libraries, provide students with access to a wealth of information. The BUA program also makes use of the campus’ science labs, athletics facilities, and art/theater/music resources. While the program does take advantage of it’s location on a university campus, students are neither encouraged nor expected to have much interaction with the traditional university population prior to their 11th grade year.

During the 11th grade year, students are taking two classes with the general BU population, but it’s not until full-time studies in the 12th grade year, that students are really able participate in campus life.

BUA prides itself on offering a high caliber classical education, including emphasis on the literature, history and philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome from which much of modern western culture derives. In grades 8 through 11, students take one course in each of the following: English, Math, Science, History, The Arts, and Foreign Language. During 9th and 10th grades, the foreign language must be either ancient Greek or Latin. In most cases, everyone in the same grade will be taking the same courses, with the exception of the choice of foreign language, placement into an ability appropriate math class, and a variety of fine arts electives. Supplementing the primary curriculum are a number of “short courses”, which meet less frequently than normal classes and require less preparation outside of class. The short courses provide elective offerings in disciplines not generally covered in the core curriculum. Finally, students are required to participate in a physical education program, which may be completed through a number of different activities.

Teachers in BUA classes are university caliber and about half have doctoral degrees in their field. Generally they are employed exclusively by the academy and thus are easily available to address student needs outside of class as well as in.

Until the 11th grade, classes are held apart from the general university population, but in the 11th grade students take both science and foreign language with normal university students. At this time they are allowed to choose any classes in these subjects that college freshmen might take. In particular, they don’t have to continue with Greek or Latin and may elect to take any modern language BU offers.

During the 12th grade, students take 4 classes each semester with the university population, and thus qualify as full-time BU students. In addition, there are no longer any restrictions as to subject matter, and they may participate in any classes that would normally be open to freshmen. Every senior also participates in a yearlong advanced seminar on society and ethics. While adjusting to full-time college life, students also receive advising on how to apply to other colleges and universities so that they may continue their studies. As the culmination of his or her work at BUA, each student is expected to produce a senior thesis. The student pursues a major research topic of their choosing with assistance of a BU faculty member. The resulting research paper of at least 8,000 words may be defended before a thesis committee where marks of high honors, honors, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory are assigned.

The curriculum is currently under review so the exact class structure and content may be subject to change, however the Academy has affirmed their commitment to a challenging, coordinated, and classically focused curriculum.

Like many high schools, BUA provides a variety of after-school sports and activities, however unlike most high schools, students (excepting 8th grade) are required to participate in at least one activity each semester. These programs are separate from the normal university population, and only 12th grade students are allowed to participate in clubs intended for typical BU students.

• Competitive Sports Include:
  • Basketball
  • Crew (Rowing)
  • Fencing
  • Sailing
  • Soccer
  • Tennis</UL>

In all of these, BUA competes against other teams in the local area, mostly from area high schools.

• Extracurricular Activities:
  • BUAce - A Cappella group
  • Ballroom Dance Club
  • Chamber Ensemble - Performs instrumental music.
  • Chess Club
  • Computer Gurus - Also responsible from the maintenance of the BUA computer network.
  • Debate Club
  • Film Society
  • French Club
  • Key Club - Assists with new and prospective BUA students.
  • Literary Magazine/Cafe - Publishes The Talisman and provides other opportunities for students to present original writing.
  • Math Club
  • The Palantir - Student yearbook
  • The Paper - Bimonthly student-written newspaper
  • Peer Counselors
  • Peer Tutors
  • Student Council
  • Yoga

As a part of the BU campus community and the larger community of Boston itself, students can participate in a variety of cultural and social events. These can include musical and dramatic performances, art exhibits, poetry readings, lectures, films, baseball games, museum trips, and other activities. In addition, the Academy hosts guest lecturers every week as part of their “all-school meeting”. Finally, some people may wish to note that BUA has a semi-formal dance each year held aboard the Spirit of Boston as it sails in Boston Harbor.

Colleges and universities are typically grouped based on the highest degree that they regularly award, which in the case of Boston University is the Doctoral degree.

Boston University publishes facts and information about their college at: http://www.bu.edu/visit/about/

I have been unable to find a well-defined mission statement to represent the university. The introduction to their undergraduate student catalog serves a similar purpose and can be found here: http://www.bu.edu/bulletins/und/item02.html

A form for requesting more information about BU is available here: http://www.bu.edu/link/bin/uiscgi_admissions_inquiry?ModuleName=inq_part1.pl

For detailed comparison information and college rankings, we recommend America's Best Colleges published by US News & World Reports and available online at a cost of $10.

The above data may be as much as five years old.

Boston is a major city of approximately 574,000 on the Massachusetts coast. Boston University is located along south bank of the Charles River well within the city of Boston. The campus is served by the MTBA Green Line “B” car.