BuddyPress.org

roseeveltrp, you’re correct!

You need WordPress MU.

BuddyPress only works with MU at this moment in time.

Some day down the road BuddyPress will support regular WordPress, but not now.

Here’s a good guide for transitioning from WordPress standard to MU:

http://welcome.totheinter.net/2008/10/04/how-to-migrate-from-wordpress-to-wordpress-mu/

It helped me!