The Boston Environment

Boston is a geographically compact, but culturally, racially, and ethnically varied city. It is located where the Charles River meets the salt-water Massachusetts Bay. Harvard Medical School and its affiliated institutions are primarily located in Boston, although the main campus of Harvard University is across the river in Cambridge. There are forty-three colleges and universities in the greater Boston metropolitan area, contributing to its large and diversified student community, and to all of the extracurricular offerings that characterize such a community. Both the academic and commercial sectors offer a wide range of cultural and sports activities for the spectator as well as for the participant. Recreational opportunities are also many and varied, not only within the city, but also at nearby beaches and mountains.

In contrast to many American metropolitan areas, Boston has several urban residential neighborhoods and an extensive public transportation system. Thus, it is a city filled with human activity and energy on evenings and weekends, as well as during working hours. As in any large urban area, life in Boston has both positive and negative aspects. While there are many areas in and around Boston that students find appealing, rents are higher than the national average, so that sharing space and costs with roommates may be an attractive option. Students in general, and minority students in particular, have found that some neighborhoods are more welcoming than others.

Students talk about Boston

Alumni talk about Boston

Students in Boston