The Other Side of Admitted Students Day

By Lulu Schloss

Graphic by Charlie Tran

Admitted Terrier Day is an opportunity for newly accepted students to tour Boston University and get a real feel for the campus. This is unlike a normal tour, because there are college-specific events hosted and a large pool of new students to meet. This day is very important for prospective students who may not be 100% sure if they like BU. It gives them the chance to see the campus, talk to specific representatives from their colleges, and meet other students attending or considering BU next year. As much as these days are important for prospective students, they make life on campus extremely stressful and chaotic for those currently enrolled. 

On the few days of the year when they host newly admitted terriers, you can immediately tell. Our campus turns into a playground for the prospective students. Suddenly, everywhere you walk, large tour groups and families are getting lost on the T. No one knows where they are going, which holds up traffic for students trying to get to class. A once peaceful campus turns into a war zone. Trying to navigate the sidewalk, which is bustling with families and high schoolers unsure of where to go, inconveniences people on their way to class or work. They are not to blame for this, but it cannot help but cause traffic jams and leave students annoyed. We understand that they are new to campus and just trying to explore, but when you are already 10 minutes late to class, your patience slips away and turns to anger. We want the prospective students to enjoy and explore campus life, as long as they stay out of our way and walk at a brisk Boston pace. To be fair, we were all once in their position, but you can't help but get fed up with it once you know the BU campus like the back of your hand. 

The dining hall, once an exclusive place for students, becomes so busy with prospective students that it's hard to enjoy a meal. The lines start to weave and wind all the way through the building, leaving it up to you to wait and eat or make it to your next class. If you do end up waiting in line for 20 minutes for the special food the dining hall has specifically for Admitted Terrier Day, good luck finding somewhere to sit. My roommate had to share a table with a family of four in the Warren Towers Dining Hall, which she said was actually quite wholesome until they started grilling her like she was a tour guide. I personally do not mind having the prospective students and their families in the dining hall; it just becomes an issue when I can’t get my food and eat in 30 minutes. The dining hall staff deserve a shoutout for everything they do to keep it running smoothly when there are thousands of extra students for them to serve. I am aware that it's a privilege to have the resources we do, but it really makes you appreciate how fast and organized everything is daily. 

I still want new students to feel comfortable and accepted by us and our campus, but on days like these, you realize how well off we are. Walking through campus comfortably and eating at the dining hall efficiently is only noticed and appreciated when you see what it’s like without those privileges. I hope all prospective students continue to come to Admitted Terrier Day, but try to be more aware of the other students. That being said, we can handle a few days out of the year being chaotic and disorganized. As current students, we should acknowledge and appreciate how much worse our lives on campus could be