Boston University Academy

1 University Road

Boston, MA 02215

16 Reviews

School District
Grade

9-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on March 10, 2021

Our daughter is currently a student there now and the school has been way above our expectations. The teachers, the admin staff and the other students have been, on the whole, supportive and dedicated. I would highly recommend this school.
Submitted by parent on February 09, 2020

Some of the best teachers my daughter has ever had were at BUA. Admin is extremely dedicated and I am disappointed the acting head of school didn’t get the permanent position. The opportunity to take university courses is an unbelievable one. Coordinating course schedules is no small feat. This school is not for everyone but for almost any gifted learner, BUA far surpasses any other school option. Overall I very much recommend BUA.
Submitted by parent on November 04, 2019

Our daughter just started at BUA and she is having a great time. The teachers are even better than we thought, they make the boring stuff interesting, and my STEM kid is loving her English and History classes. Work load is not small, but manageable. The small size of the school also allows her the opportunity to participate in things harder to do in a larger school--leadership and even sport team participation. It is a school that exceeds our expectations.
Submitted by parent on September 22, 2017

Great school. Our daughter thrived there and went onto an exceptional college
Submitted by student on June 11, 2015

Nearly every review on this site, whether negative or positive, has drawn the same conclusion about BU Academy: it isn't for everybody. Make no mistake: BUA is a welcoming and enjoyable place, with truly enthusiastic and supportive teachers. But, having graduated from BUA this year, I'd like to define BUA in slightly different terms. BUA is the perfect school for anybody whose commitment to academic rigor extends beyond lip service. If you're prepared to work endlessly for seemingly-lukewarm grades in subjects that you considered yourself strong in, then BUA is for you. If you are willing to take classes populated by university students and taught by professors who don't care that you're a high schooler, BUA will be well worth the effort. If you can manage pressure from your teachers, your peers, your parents, and yourself, all while smiling and laughing at the absurdity of it all, you will enjoy BUA and fit in with your classmates.Conversely, if you expect your teachers' primary concern to be "nurturing" you rather than teaching you, BUA will constitute a rude awakening. If you're looking for classes and seminars that exude intellectuality and haughtiness, but from which you will emerge unscathed and unchallenged, there are other schools that will deliver just that. If you want your high school to affirm your supposed giftedness at the expense of actually testing your talents and developing your abilities, BUA is not the school for you.BUA is unpretentious: students work hard to prove themselves, and the school makes no self-congratulatory claim that isn't backed up by the level of work. For that reason, any bright, hard-working student will get out exactly what he/she puts into BUA. It might not be for everybody, but for the right student with the right attitude, it is the best and most rewarding high school around.
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2015

BUA is unique. The academy is embedded in a major university and offers its students the chance to choose from every academic course in the university s catalogue. All while providing a safe harbor from which these kids can venture into the university environment. My son is about to complete his sophomore year at the Academy and his experience so far has been nothing short of transformational. Yes, he has had to work extremely hard. I attended one of the top universities in the United States and, frankly, he s working harder than I ever did. (That may, in part, reflect the times, but it also reflects the expectations BUA has for its students. One of his closest friends attends Andover Academy; both of them have concluded that my son s curriculum at BUA is significantly more demanding than his friend s curriculum at Andover.) Those who manage to stick it out, though, are rewarded not only with an education of unsurpassed richness and depth but, so long as they maintain a B average, guaranteed admission to B.U. as sophomores. Depending on the University courses they took at BUA, they can earn their undergrad degrees in 2-1/2 years. BUA's amazing. Just not for everyone.
Submitted by student on February 05, 2015

It's very hard to write this review because my time at BUA was simultaneously one of the best and one of the worst times of my life. The students are some of the nicest kids you'll ever meet, and most of the faculty members are phenomenal as well (Dr. Proll is one of the best teacher's I've ever had). After years of being the outcast nerd, I finally found a place with kids like me, who loved to learn and wanted to be intellectually challenged. The downside was the crippling amount of work and the complete lack of caring for struggling students. At BUA, I found myself doing about 5 hours of homework on a week night and a total of about 13 hours on the weekend. I had no time for anything else. While I flourished in many classes, I drowned in the subjects where I was less proficient. Though I was falling behind in classes and had missed a lot of days, the school did nothing to help. The more I failed, the more depressed I became. I ultimately dropped out of the school because of overwhelming depression. Overall, if you think you can survive in a situation in which all you ever do is study, then BUA is the place for you. If not, BUA can ruin your life.
Submitted by student on February 05, 2015

As you can tell from below, opinions of the school can be quite polarized. I like to think that I fall somewhere in the middle and hope to give a fair review. First of all, the school is definitely not for everyone. The workload can be large and unbalanced, stress often runs high, and it can be hard living 2 hours away from some of your friends. However there are also a number of great aspects. Most of the teachers are incredibly supportive, so long as you go to them for assistance and put in distinct effort. While some schools may have safety nets, BUA had a safety lifeline. You need to reach out and grab it, it won't just automatically catch you, and you need to grab on before it's too late. Learning to deal with the high pressure atmosphere has set me up incredibly for activities outside of the school. However, I also have friends who have either developed anxiety problems, or had existing ones worsen because of the high pressure environment. Socially, I've learned to hold meaningful relationships while at a distance, I connect with friends online and savor the time we have together in person. For me, BUA was definitely the right choice.
Submitted by student on August 11, 2014

I was a freshman two years ago. I wanted to post something because I left after my freshman year and I wished someone had told me more about how the school works. I think it's telling that the students who write positive reviews feel the need to put down their classmates who left. It's an environment that's not supportive and the teacher's were not available. Overall I did not leave because I was not doing well in school, but because I felt like the school had some serious weaknesses that I didn't think I could live through for another three years. I am not at Commonwealth and am much happier- the teachers are more supportive. Before you commit- make sure you know what you are getting into- if you read the final two sentences of the previous comments and imagine a place where the teachers, your fellow students and the administrators are all saying that to you and see if that is an environment where you would thrive.
Submitted by parent on April 11, 2014

Our son was recently accepted at this school. It was a decision between this and Commonwealth. Yes, Commonwealth has great reviews as a nurturing school, etc... but he felt that the instruction and the community was more to his liking at BUA. He's a fidgety kid and some of the revisit classes at Commonwealth were lectures which are totally not his learning style. For me personally, the admissions staff at BUA are great and approachable. For the parent interview, the interviewer was the most awesome interviewer we've ever met. Down to earth and engaging. A model for what all interviewers should be like. And we've done plenty of interviews during the past few years trying to get our kids into private schools to escape the dreadful public schools. The vast majority are cold and distant. So we'll see how it goes. I plan on posting again in the fall or early 2015 to let people know how it went.
Submitted by parent on June 16, 2013

There are better schools in the Boston area that will do more to nurture all aspects--both academic and non academic--of your child. For the very gifted, try RL, BH, windsor, Commonwealth or Milton. The school heads are approachable there and care about more than the bottom line. You'll be much happier if you shop around.
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2013

Amazing kids. Amazing faculty. It's a remarkable place. BUA is not for everyone. But for the bright and highly motivated student, it's without peer. Really.
Submitted by parent on October 15, 2012

So the truth is, if you are a smart kid, you'll have a great experience. If you are not willing to work hard, go someplace easier. Pretty simple equation. No, BUA is not for everyone--that's the point.
Submitted by student on May 08, 2012

i think it is ridiculous the negative reviews that are one here. i can relate to where they are coming from, but they are a little extreme and generally submitted by parents. in my four years here, i have definitely faced some ups and downs (mostly due to my own personal habits), but BUA has done nothing but help me with them. granted, freshman and sophomore years are incredibly hard and not very flexible, but once you get over that hump, nothing is going to get in your way. the comments that say that the school is not flexible are obviously from parents of students that didn't last the full time here. by the time i graduate in 12 days, i will have amassed 56 credits from BU, and i got them in the classes that i wanted. i took music theory and economics at BU when everyone else chose to take biology and french or spanish or whatever they wanted. i took calculus at the university instead of the academy just so that my schedule would work so i could take all the classes i wanted. while i agree that the principal doesn't know what is best for any student, parent, or teacher, it hasn't really effected my experience. choosing BUA was the best decision of my life and it will be yours too
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2012

My child is currently a BUA student. The level of academics and the quality of the teaching are stunningly good. Really. The homework workload can be heavy at times, but if the student is smart and self-motivated, then it's not a problem. Honestly, I was shocked to read some of the negative reviews posted here. We have found the school administration to be completely honest and willing to work with us when issues arose. Our experience with BUA administration has been great. I strongly suggest that when choosing a high school, one should talk one-on-one to current parents/students- don't rely on anonymous postings (even this one!). And, importantly, let the prospective student visit the BUA, attend some classes, and decide if this school is right for them. After all, they are the ones who attend the high school... not the parents. I enthusiastically recommend BUA if a student is smart, self-motivated, and wants an exceptionally good education from excellent teachers- and, if the student enjoys the BUA community of enthusiastic/diverse/quirky scholars!
Submitted by parent on January 28, 2012

Though the two posts below find it odd that many reviews share a very positive experience and similar language, it is clear to me as a current parent that it is because many students and their families are having or have had a terrific experience at BUA, and not because the positive reviews are somehow insincere. Families considering BUA should apply and explore the school firsthand! My daughter was fortunate to have excellent choices in the decision process, and attended Revisit Day not knowing that BUA would be her first choice. After spending a day there, she felt that academic and personal "fit" that is so important in choosing a school/college. We have been extremely impressed with the talent and dedication of her teachers and the rigor of the coursework, and we had high expectations going in. We haven t had occasion to interact beyond social reasons with the head of school, but all the administrators we ve worked with have been very insightful and approachable. She is receiving a superior education and having a blast! Five stars means excellent, not perfect - no school is, but BUA is indeed excellent, in our experience, and we enthusiastically recommend it.