2009-2010 Boston University Application Thread

BU Medical Sciences
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BlueElmo said:
Yeah, professors are lame. At least when it comes to LORs.:laugh:
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seriously! i mean, come on, you've done this before! my boyfriend requested a letter from the same professor and HE got his on letterhead. this effs everything up for all the other schools too! how's that gonna look when they've got two letters from the same professor, except one's "new and improved!"?
 
mocha blanca said:
seriously! i mean, come on, you've done this before! my boyfriend requested a letter from the same professor and HE got his on letterhead. this effs everything up for all the other schools too! how's that gonna look when they've got two letters from the same professor, except one's "new and improved!"?
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At least BU told you. The pre-med fear is that they'll never find out what went wrong.
 
hey guys they do send out complete emails. just got mine today
 
BlueElmo said:
There's a nod emoticon, FYI.

:nod:.
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I figured, I'm at work though so I didn't want to spend too much time looking for it. It's easier to just type a quick message and use the smilies on the side 😛 --->
 
koko_eats said:
If you're ready to submit, did you notice that your essays were cut off in the preview or that the LORs are missing from the corresponding section in the preview?
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I noticed the same thing, as did another in this thread.
 
Anyone one know if talking about experiences working with disabled/innercity children when I was back in HIGH SCHOOL is OK for the 1st part of the secondary?
 
CdnHopeful said:
Anyone one know if talking about experiences working with disabled/innercity children when I was back in HIGH SCHOOL is OK for the 1st part of the secondary?
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You want to try to avoid high school stuff. Schools like seeing things from college. The exception is if you are doing something from high school through college.

Of course, if that is the best material (by a mile) that you have, then go for it. But try to tie it in to something during college.
 
I got the email about problems with two of my letters not on letterhead too. The thing is, if you use interfolio, I think that professors can just upload the file to interfolio, and that's why it's not on letterhead. I think it's kind of lame they they're being this anal. No other school gave me grief about it last year.
 
1. so for the grid, do i also count the classes that i'm going take this coming year?

2. i have 2 semesters worth of biology credits from AP, but they didn't count toward my major so i had to take them again at my school, but the credits do show up on my transcript. so should i put down 4 semesters of bio or just 2?

thanks guys!
 
luckyclover said:
1. so for the grid, do i also count the classes that i'm going take this coming year?

2. i have 2 semesters worth of biology credits from AP, but they didn't count toward my major so i had to take them again at my school, but the credits do show up on my transcript. so should i put down 4 semesters of bio or just 2?

thanks guys!
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1. If I am not mistaken, the rules of the grid are supposed to indicate that the grid should include all coursework through anticipated matriculation. This would be approximately August 15, 2010.

2. I'd go with two, since you in essence took the same class twice. Obviously not true, but hopefully you get the idea.
 
kinda confused with AP credit. i've got a boat load (13). and will i have to justify all 13 courses because they want an "expplanation? do those count as 2 semesters, and then i don't count them towards "preferred institution" courses? this thing's stupid. i feel like my transcript spells things out pretty well, but this grid is confusing.
 
linkin06 said:
kinda confused with AP credit. i've got a boat load (13). and will i have to justify all 13 courses because they want an "expplanation? do those count as 2 semesters, and then i don't count them towards "preferred institution" courses? this thing's stupid. i feel like my transcript spells things out pretty well, but this grid is confusing.
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I think that was bostons goal, lets make the most confusing pre req grid known to man...they succeeded:meanie:
 
linkin06 said:
kinda confused with AP credit. i've got a boat load (13). and will i have to justify all 13 courses because they want an "expplanation? do those count as 2 semesters, and then i don't count them towards "preferred institution" courses? this thing's stupid. i feel like my transcript spells things out pretty well, but this grid is confusing.
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yeah that whole grid made me feel like they really want you to take ALL of your prerequisites at your UG.

I also thought it was weird that I had to explain that I didn't have a committee letter because my UG doesn't have a pre-health committee.... 👎
 
i'm ready to submit, but i still have no idea how to enter my AP courses and "explanation"...i wanted to take more advanced classes?
 
linkin06 said:
i'm ready to submit, but i still have no idea how to enter my AP courses and "explanation"...i wanted to take more advanced classes?
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Once you login, take a look at the "Help" section. It gives pretty good examples of how to "explain" AP classes.
 
just got the secondary

how important is the 'optional section' ?
seems like they only want you to do it if you have something substantial to add right?
 
desibhai said:
just got the secondary

how important is the 'optional section' ?
seems like they only want you to do it if you have something substantial to add right?
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Yes. Do not bore them. Students writing no essays will be accepted, of course. As will those that write 1 essay, and those that write both!

Good luck!
 
camaras2480 said:
Yes. Do not bore them. Students writing no essays will be accepted, of course. As will those that write 1 essay, and those that write both!

Good luck!
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ha...true.

and it seems like you answer all my questions, I should just ask you directly if I need any help. :laugh:
 
Postal Blowfish said:
was this letter a part of a committee letter packet? as in, there was a committee letter written based on your three individual letters

If so, you don't really need a letterhead, right?
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Right, but I'm afraid they are upset because it is as you said:

or were your letters individual letters mailed by the profs?
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Does anyone know if BU cares about whether our siblings/other family members are students at BU? There was no question about it on the secondary....
 
neuromcdoctor said:
Does anyone know if BU cares about whether our siblings/other family members are students at BU? There was no question about it on the secondary....
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From what I have heard, other students and staff members not so much, but they would note if there is a directly related faculty member (meaning mother/father/grandsomething).
 
This is kind of a dumb question, but I tend to mess up on the simple questions,

For question 2:

Are you expecting to go on to medical school directly after completing your undergraduate work? If you have spent more than 4 years as an undergraduate, please explain below.

I took a year off to do a little research and save money for tuition. Does the fact that I took a year off mean that I am NOT expecting to go directly to medical school after completing my undergraduate work? I wasn't exactly sure if this question applies to people who took many years off before applying to medical school or to everyone who took any time off. THANKS!!
 
parhumn said:
This is kind of a dumb question, but I tend to mess up on the simple questions,

For question 2:

Are you expecting to go on to medical school directly after completing your undergraduate work? If you have spent more than 4 years as an undergraduate, please explain below.

I took a year off to do a little research and save money for tuition. Does the fact that I took a year off mean that I am NOT expecting to go directly to medical school after completing my undergraduate work? I wasn't exactly sure if this question applies to people who took many years off before applying to medical school or to everyone who took any time off. THANKS!!
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I think it applies to anyone who took time off... a year is a long time.

Just tell them what you did, even if it's work full-time just to make money
 
I got my secondary too, but I'm taking the MCAT on 7/30...
Should I complete it now, or wait until after the MCAT????????????????
 
FML said:
I think it applies to anyone who took time off... a year is a long time.

Just tell them what you did, even if it's work full-time just to make money
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Yes. Taking a year off counts. It is not a negative factor.
 
oakie said:
I got my secondary too, but I'm taking the MCAT on 7/30...
Should I complete it now, or wait until after the MCAT????????????????
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Makes no difference. Your application will not be complete until September 1, or whenever that MCAT score becomes available, plus ~2 days.
 
Thanks FML and camaras2480!!!

I also have another silly question. I'm filling the prerequisite grid, but my school is based on a quarter system. It says to explain below and I was wondering how specific they want it to be. Do they want us to write:

The University of XYZ schedules classes based on a quarter system. The following will elaborate on the prerequisite grid.

I have completed three quarters (two semesters) of English composition and literature.

I completed eight quarters of humanities, but indicated 6 lecture semesters.

OR do they want us to include the course numbers, etc? Should this be done for each area of study, or only the ones that conflict due to the quarter to semester conversion? THANKS!!!
 
parhumn said:
Thanks FML and camaras2480!!!

I also have another silly question. I'm filling the prerequisite grid, but my school is based on a quarter system. It says to explain below and I was wondering how specific they want it to be. Do they want us to write:

The University of XYZ schedules classes based on a quarter system. The following will elaborate on the prerequisite grid.

I have completed three quarters (two semesters) of English composition and literature.

I completed eight quarters of humanities, but indicated 6 lecture semesters.

OR do they want us to include the course numbers, etc? Should this be done for each area of study, or only the ones that conflict due to the quarter to semester conversion? THANKS!!!
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The grid is ridiculous. Just do whatever you want, and explain it (briefly) in the box below. The adcom has your transcript, they can figure it out.
 
this secondary is one of the more painful ones i've endured. they may have succeeded in losing my interest.. or ill just put it off a little longer
 
uva2010 said:
this secondary is one of the more painful ones i've endured. they may have succeeded in losing my interest.. or ill just put it off a little longer
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lol just drop it if you don't like it - it is expensive! $100

but remember, there are true beasts, like Duke! lol
 
so regarding the pre-req grid, there are 4 columns that are Total Lectures only Semesters, Total Lectures with Labs semesters, Total Lab only Semesters and Total # Semesters taken at preferred inst.

So lets take example of my biology courses. Those BIO courses for which I did not have ANY lab component (were only lectures), I enter their total number in the "Total Lectures only Semesters?" And then I enter the remaining number of those BIO courses which had lab component into the second column?

but WHAT if I took 2 bio courses in the same semester???? Cuz the way the column headings are setup, it seems that I will count that as "1 semester [of 2 bio courses]" and this tends to downplay the actual courses that I took!

My school was semester based so do I enter anything into the last column? Isnt that for ppl with Quarter system as mentioned by **?
 
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