2008-2009 Boston Secondary Application Thread

[eagle34]

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Did any of you guys complete the optional essays? I am struggling to come up with something for the timeline essay - I want to highlight my "advanced" training in the arts (piano, voice, dance, and theatre), but I can't figure out how to list my theatrical resume in a "narrative" format. I'm considering just leaving it blank, but it's just so hard for me to do that!

For the other supplemental essay, I'm considering writing about why I want to go to Boston University, which shouldn't be so difficult since almost every secondary asks that question anyway.

DO NOT write about why you want to go to BU!! During the interview session, one of the big things that Dr. Weinzburg talks about is the ability of the applicant to know that he really wants to go to a certain medical school until at least a month after his interview, when he/she realizes that BU is truly for him/her. So, I truly suggest not writing about wanting to go to BU because I think this will not only not help you, but might hurt you somewhat.

 

[chad5871]

DO NOT write about why you want to go to BU!! During the interview session, one of the big things that Dr. Weinzburg talks about is the ability of the applicant to know that he really wants to go to a certain medical school until at least a month after his interview, when he/she realizes that BU is truly for him/her. So, I truly suggest not writing about wanting to go to BU because I think this will not only not help you, but might hurt you somewhat.

😱 Ooh, wow... thanks so much for responding with some great advice! I will definitely not write about that for the optional essay, then, and instead just leave it blank. I can't think of anything else I could put there anyway.

 

[yuiness]

Has anyone else not gotten the email invite yet? :/ My AMCAS was verified 6/16 and I still haven't heard from them...

 

[sss403]

Has anyone had their letters marked as received? I sent them in 6/12 via VE, but BU has not received them, although both Cornell and GT have sent me final completion emails/received them....they are also participating in the AMCAS trial program.
tnks!🙂

 

[seven87]

Has anyone had their letters marked as received? I sent them in 6/12 via VE, but BU has not received them, although both Cornell and GT have sent me final completion emails/received them....they are also participating in the AMCAS trial program.
tnks!🙂

I was wondering the same thing

Except GT hasn't told me they received them. Mine were in AMCAS on 6/24.

 

[aixoise]

i havent gotten it yet either- give it until the middle of next week before you start worrying.
plus, they dont screen (i dont think)

 

[The South Face]

Has anyone had their letters marked as received? I sent them in 6/12 via VE, but BU has not received them, although both Cornell and GT have sent me final completion emails/received them....they are also participating in the AMCAS trial program.
tnks!🙂

Naa, mine been marked as received elsewhere using Virtual Evals, but still NOT received at BU

 

[hellosc]

yea..same here...i haven't received it yet and my AMCAS was verified 2 weeks ago...

i'll give them a call middle of next week

 

[ar2388]

still no BU secondary.. verified 7/3 or so..

 

[p30doc]

Naa, mine been marked as received elsewhere using Virtual Evals, but still NOT received at BU

I sent the letters through AMCAS's new letter program, and BU still doesn't have them as received, but the names of my recommenders are now listed on BU's page.

 

[bozz]

you guys realize that all you have to do is designate a letter on AMCAS to BU to be able to submit the secondary .... right? You don't actually have to have a letter sent to AMCAS yet.. let alone have BU actually receive it.

 

[m_rivera84]

Just checking, once you 'finalize it' , it has been sent?

 

[bozz]

Just checking, once you 'finalize it' , it has been sent?

wondering the same thing, there was no submit button or anything

 

[polyoma40]

DO NOT write about why you want to go to BU!! During the interview session, one of the big things that Dr. Weinzburg talks about is the ability of the applicant to know that he really wants to go to a certain medical school until at least a month after his interview, when he/she realizes that BU is truly for him/her. So, I truly suggest not writing about wanting to go to BU because I think this will not only not help you, but might hurt you somewhat.

This may be up for debate, but I think what you are saying does not make sense. My two cents that is clearly these "I want to goto XYZ because the website says ___" essays are a little overstretched, but they are so commonly done that I find it hard to believe it could hurt you.\

 

[m_rivera84]

wondering the same thing, there was no submit button or anything

just confirmed they receive it after you finalize it. got an e-mail related to it

 

[rockydoc]

I could not upload a picture of myself no matter how I tried to resize it. so i just finalized without submitting a picture....is this ok? did anyone else have this kinda issue?

 

[eagle34]

You can mail them the picture. Just put your AMCAS # on the back of it.

 

[smgfan]

still no BU secondary.. verified 7/3 or so..

Yeah, I was verified mid-June, still no secondary. A little concerned, only because so many others schools have sent theirs asap on schedule w/ all other posters. Thoughts on the hold up? Reason to worry? (3.7/33T)

 

[Diksha]

Has anyone else not gotten the email invite yet? :/ My AMCAS was verified 6/16 and I still haven't heard from them...

Me. They have not yet contacted me.

 

[hellosc]

i havent received BU's secondary yet....

am i suppose to assign my ref letters on amcas before i get my secondary?

 

[icarus8]

For those who have finalized their secondary - have your letters been marked as received? I turned in the secondary last Wed., and my other LOE schools that I have turned in have marked them as in. Just wondering.

 

[seven87]

For those who have finalized their secondary - have your letters been marked as received? I turned in the secondary last Wed., and my other LOE schools that I have turned in have marked them as in. Just wondering.

Nope I asked them and they said they were having problems with the AMCAS LOE system.

 

[p30doc]

For those who have finalized their secondary - have your letters been marked as received? I turned in the secondary last Wed., and my other LOE schools that I have turned in have marked them as in. Just wondering.

Nope, I submitted last week and same issue.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

For those who have finalized their secondary - have your letters been marked as received? I turned in the secondary last Wed., and my other LOE schools that I have turned in have marked them as in. Just wondering.

nope...and neither has creighton.

 

[halekulani]

still no BU secondary.. verified 7/3 or so..

opposite of you

not verified yet, but received BU secondary

maybe BU is like GW where they just send them out whenever they feel like it?

 

[icarus8]

Nope I asked them and they said they were having problems with the AMCAS LOE system.

Figures.

 

[sss403]

Hey guys,

BU Marked my letters as received today...I guess the system is 'fixed'. All the sections say YES, but I have not gotten a completion email...anyone on the same boat?

 

[JackInTheBox]

Hey guys,

BU Marked my letters as received today...I guess the system is 'fixed'. All the sections say YES, but I have not gotten a completion email...anyone on the same boat?

Same here. When I called this morning, the woman I spoke to said that they were having technical difficulties and they hadn't gotten anybody's letters yet. Between the time I called and now, my letters were marked received =)

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Hey guys,

BU Marked my letters as received today...I guess the system is 'fixed'. All the sections say YES, but I have not gotten a completion email...anyone on the same boat?

here...they marked them all YES yesterday, but no email.

 

[The South Face]

Hey guys,

BU Marked my letters as received today...I guess the system is 'fixed'. All the sections say YES, but I have not gotten a completion email...anyone on the same boat?

Yeah, it seems that they fixed something, cuz my letters are marked as received, too.

 

[seven87]

Same here, but no email yet.

 

[BDNF]

Same here. When I called this morning, the woman I spoke to said that they were having technical difficulties and they hadn't gotten anybody's letters yet. Between the time I called and now, my letters were marked received =)

Did you get an email saying you were complete?

 

[JackInTheBox]

Did you get an email saying you were complete?

Nope. Whatever, BU's admissions aren't rolling =P

 

[icarus8]

I just got an email indicating I was complete.

 

[rockydoc]

I just got an email indicating I was complete.

ditto

 

[Decicco]

Can you not submit your secondary until your recommendations show up on the app?? I was hoping to submit before AMCAS verification, but I don't think that I can... is this right?

 

[JackInTheBox]

Can you not submit your secondary until your recommendations show up on the app?? I was hoping to submit before AMCAS verification, but I don't think that I can... is this right?

You're asking two different questions. I don't think you can submit until after you're AMCAS verified, but if you are verified, then yes, you can submit before they get your LORs.

 

[Decicco]

You're asking two different questions. I don't think you can submit until after you're AMCAS verified, but if you are verified, then yes, you can submit before they get your LORs.

These are not two different question because BU uses AMCAS for LORs (hows that for three acronyms in one sentence😎). The reason I can't submit my secondary is because the LOR section is not complete. The reason the LOR section is not complete is because my AMCAS is not yet verified.

 

[rockydoc]

These are not two different question because BU uses AMCAS for LORs (hows that for three acronyms in one sentence😎). The reason I can't submit my secondary is because the LOR section is not complete. The reason the LOR section is not complete is because my AMCAS is not yet verified.

Man, you just got toasted Jack

seriously though, I dont know this for sure, but I think that your LORs DO have to be verified on AMCAS before you can submit....b/c I had to refresh my browser a couple times for my LORs on BUs sec. to show up so that I could finalize the app.....and even then, I still dont have one of my LORs verified yet, but its just an optional one so they still let me finalize....I mean, if you think about it, it doesnt do any good to finalize w/o LORs b/c you wont be completed until they arrive anyway

 

[DoctorYanks]

DO NOT write about why you want to go to BU!! During the interview session, one of the big things that Dr. Weinzburg talks about is the ability of the applicant to know that he really wants to go to a certain medical school until at least a month after his interview, when he/she realizes that BU is truly for him/her. So, I truly suggest not writing about wanting to go to BU because I think this will not only not help you, but might hurt you somewhat.

SOoo since that essay could be left blank if we have no additional information, what about the first essay? If say I was born in another country,but moved to the U.S at a young age, is it still relevant ...i guess I'm Just confused on what sorts of things would "qualify" to be written in this space. help?

 

[Decicco]

SOoo since that essay could be left blank if we have no additional information, what about the first essay? If say I was born in another country,but moved to the U.S at a young age, is it still relevant ...i guess I'm Just confused on what sorts of things would "qualify" to be written in this space. help?

It probably won't matter what you do either way. My advice would be to err on the side of laziness.

 

[sincity college]

3. Please provide a narrative or timeline to describe any features of your educational history that you think may be part of particular interest to us. For example, have you lived in another country or experienced a culture unlike your own, or worked in a field that contributed to your understanding of people unlike yourself? Or, have you experienced advanced training in any area, including the fields of art, music, or sports?



For this question, is it acceptable to talk about volunteering abroad in another country??

 

[smgfan]

3. Please provide a narrative or timeline to describe any features of your educational history that you think may be part of particular interest to us. For example, have you lived in another country or experienced a culture unlike your own, or worked in a field that contributed to your understanding of people unlike yourself? Or, have you experienced advanced training in any area, including the fields of art, music, or sports?



For this question, is it acceptable to talk about volunteering abroad in another country??

show-off.😴

 

[JackInTheBox]

These are not two different question because BU uses AMCAS for LORs (hows that for three acronyms in one sentence😎). The reason I can't submit my secondary is because the LOR section is not complete. The reason the LOR section is not complete is because my AMCAS is not yet verified.

Sorry, I misinterpreted your question. It seemed like two different questions (can you submit before AMCAS verification, and can you submit during that limbo period between when they get your primary and when they get your letters of rec). That's why I answered the way I did.

Man, you just got toasted Jack

Haha, yes I did. Although technically, my answers weren't wrong, I just answered a different set of questions =P

 

[icarus8]

Nope. Whatever, BU's admissions aren't rolling =P

What? BU isn't rolling? What do they do, sit around and wait until like October or something?

 

[eagle34]

What? BU isn't rolling? What do they do, sit around and wait until like October or something?

Wait, they give interviews in terms of rolling, but they come out with decisions only twice, in january and end of march.

 

[icarus8]

Wait, they give interviews in terms of rolling, but they come out with decisions only twice, in january and end of march.

Ah, I see.

 

[THX]

Anyone having any problems with the AMCAS letter of recommendation system and BU? While the names of each referee shows up on the boston website, they are not marked as received. Yet the AAMC has my letters and they have been sent to two other schools.

 

[hitherefriend]

DO NOT write about why you want to go to BU!! During the interview session, one of the big things that Dr. Weinzburg talks about is the ability of the applicant to know that he really wants to go to a certain medical school until at least a month after his interview, when he/she realizes that BU is truly for him/her. So, I truly suggest not writing about wanting to go to BU because I think this will not only not help you, but might hurt you somewhat.

I wrote a large paragraph about what I like about Boston and why I am a good match. Should i not send it??? I can't see how it would hurt me, I'm confused. Does anyone else have an opinion?

 

[THX]

I wrote a large paragraph about what I like about Boston and why I am a good match. Should i not send it??? I can't see how it would hurt me, I'm confused. Does anyone else have an opinion?

They are not going to reject you because you like Boston and BU 😉

If you think it will help, include it.