2009-2010 Boston University Application Thread

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Homoochan said:
complete 7/14 but still NOTHING
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patience, young homoochan, there's tons of us who haven't heard anything. the first invites went out yesterday, they can't send 1000 invites in one day. plus, at least you haven't been rejected like so many of our brothers and sisters.
 
Does anyone know how strict they are with their LOR requirements? I only have bio prof. and I think they want two from bio, phys, or chem.
 
teenmachinery1 said:
Does anyone know how strict they are with their LOR requirements? I only have bio prof. and I think they want two from bio, phys, or chem.
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"...We also ask that you send in at least one letter from your undergraduate institution from a professor who has taught you in Biology, Chemistry or Physics. The third required letter can be of your choice. We do not have a limit as to the number of letters you can have sent in on your behalf. Please let us know if you have any further questions. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Melissa Crook
Office of Admissions"

that was a message straight from them when I had the same problem...so I guess you only need one BCPM letter, but send them a message through the message center on their site if you want...
 
Invite 9/1! For people who haven't heard any news yet, DON'T WORRY! My stats (mainly MCAT), so they're definitely looking beyond the numbers.
 
redwinger47 said:
interview invite for me as well. Complete 7/15
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Congratulations. I'm glad that Boston seems to be going in order of completion date, unlike some other schools...... one in particular starting with a "V" and ending in a "mont"....
 
err. can someone please advise me on this?

i applied to nyu over bu and am now thinking maybe that wasn't such a great idea.... Who do you think is harder or easier to get into with a 34S, 3.3?
 
GirlAnachronism said:
err. can someone please advise me on this?

i applied to nyu over bu and am now thinking maybe that wasn't such a great idea.... Who do you think is harder or easier to get into with a 34S, 3.3?
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i didnt know there was a rule against applying to both
 
linkin06 said:
i didnt know there was a rule against applying to both
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it's called the thirty dollar rule.

but really ... i didn't want to apply to another reach school and so made a decision between nyu and bu. now i'm thinking i should have chose bu but still believe it's equally hard to get into with my stats.
 
GirlAnachronism said:
it's called the thirty dollar rule.

but really ... i didn't want to apply to another reach school and so made a decision between nyu and bu. now i'm thinking i should have chose bu but still believe it's equally hard to get into with my stats.
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you know what would be cool? investing in med students. like someone could pay your app and airline fee. then they'll get a ROI on you in a decade!
 
linkin06 said:
you know what would be cool? investing in med students. like someone could pay your app and airline fee. then they'll get a ROI on you in a decade!
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:laugh: I like that idea!!

Also received an interview invite (update on my status page)... but no email yet 🙁... although I was able to book the date of my interview on the BU website...hmmm...

Complete: 7/16
Stats: on MD apps
Optional Essay: Yes, on "why BU"
 
Invite 9/2, complete 7/16 🙂

3.7 and 33, did not do the optional essay.

Question for you guys who were able to book travel arrangements already. Where are you staying, and are there student hosts?

So far the flights and hotels have been adding up to a lot!
 
GirlAnachronism said:
err. can someone please advise me on this?

i applied to nyu over bu and am now thinking maybe that wasn't such a great idea.... Who do you think is harder or easier to get into with a 34S, 3.3?
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I have no idea really, but based on the fact that BU gets some of the most applicants of any med school, you may have made the right choice with NYU. It looks like lots of people are getting invites now, but we're on page 23, and there's about 22 pages worth of pure rejection before this.
 
spyderefs said:
Invite 9/2, complete 7/16 🙂

3.7 and 33, did not do the optional essay.

Question for you guys who were able to book travel arrangements already. Where are you staying, and are there student hosts?

So far the flights and hotels have been adding up to a lot!
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There is a Hampton Inn and a Best Western - Roundhouse within 5 minutes (driving) of the interview building. They are your best bet. These hotels are a 15 minute drive from Logan Airport, prob $25 for a cab, one way. Don't hold me to that number though - rates have been flyin up!

There have been student hosts in the past, actually not sure if they are offering it this year. Sorry, not much help on that one.
 
FuSoYa said:
I have no idea really, but based on the fact that BU gets some of the most applicants of any med school, you may have made the right choice with NYU.
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Yeah, I think your (GirlAn) choice was right. Honestly, I think it will be equally difficult for you at either school, might as well go with the one with less applicants.

It looks like lots of people are getting invites now, but we're on page 23, and there's about 22 pages worth of pure rejection before this.
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:laugh:
 
jla314 said:
Are you sure about that complete date? BU said they were inviting by complete date in the 30 day email i received... Based on the complete dates of the other invites, I think its unlikely theyd skip a whole month's worth of people 🙂
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good call... thanks for pointing that out~
and SORRY FOR FREAKING EVERYONE OUT! 😛

i was complete 7/24 NOT 8/24
 
Interview invite today. Completed 7/16, OOS.
Did not write optional essay (so I guess it really is optional)
 
I have a question about the prerequisite grid. What units are those "Total lecture only semesters" and "Total Number Semesters taken at a preferred institution"?

So let's say I take 2 English courses. 1 english course per semester. Do I put 2 under total lecture only semester and 2/2 under total number semesters taken at a preferred institution? Or do I put 7 under total lecture only semester because that is the number of credit hours and 7/7 in the other category?

Sorry, I'm a big "units" fanatic and I don't understand the grid.
 
Encrypted said:
I have a question about the prerequisite grid. What units are those "Total lecture only semesters" and "Total Number Semesters taken at a preferred institution"?

So let's say I take 2 English courses. 1 english course per semester. Do I put 2 under total lecture only semester and 2/2 under total number semesters taken at a preferred institution? Or do I put 7 under total lecture only semester because that is the number of credit hours and 7/7 in the other category?

Sorry, I'm a big "units" fanatic and I don't understand the grid.
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I was told by the admissions lady that if you took 2 courses...put 2. That's how I did it, and even if I did it wrong, it obviously didn't matter because I got an interview. Somewhere on the application said that the grid is not important.
 
"you know what would be cool? investing in med students. like someone could pay your app and airline fee. then they'll get a ROI on you in a decade! "

they do, it's called a loan.
 
interview. yesterday... complete like a month and a half ago.

31R, 3.9, do not recall writing the optional essay, IS
 
i'm so scared to have interview here reading the interview feedbacks..

it seems like they're going to grill me..
 
i wonder if they send out interviews over the weekend like the do rejections..
 
OneMCATAway said:
i wonder if they send out interviews over the weekend like the do rejections..
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This is probably the most relaxed weekend I've had in a while, I'm assuming all adcom offices are closed until Tuesday, like Michigan... no need to correct me if I'm wrong, lemme relax.
 
FuSoYa said:
This is probably the most relaxed weekend I've had in a while, I'm assuming all adcom offices are closed until Tuesday, like Michigan... no need to correct me if I'm wrong, lemme relax.
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privy institutions may be working...i have class tomorrow 🙁
 
I rarely post on here but if this can help alleviate some of your "suffering" as it did mine then here is an email I just received from Boston University:


Dear Mr.,

It has been 30 days since we sent you a notice indicating that your application was complete and had been referred to our Committee on Admissions for review. While our Committee is accustomed to reviewing a very large volume of applications, this year we have seen an unprecedented number of applications that have been completed early in the cycle. It appears that we will be able to interview only about 10% of our applicants this year, so these reviews are quite challenging. As a result, we are running several weeks behind.

I regret the fact that we have not been able to take action on your application as yet, but I want to assure you that we are moving as quickly as we can and that there will be no penalty for the delay in our processing. Applicants who are selected for interview are invited in chronological order by date of application completion, not by date of review. If our Committee on Admissions concludes that we can invite you for an interview and campus visit, we will get it done!

Please accept our apology for any inconvenience caused by our extended review of your file. We expect to complete our evaluation quite soon, and wish you success with all your applications.

Sincerely,

Robert A. Witzburg, M.D.
Associate Dean and Director of Admissions
Boston University School of Medicine

Please note: This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address and cannot receive incoming e-mail messages or replies. Please use the Message Center in MyApplication ( https://myapplication.bumc.bu.edu/2010 ) for communicating with us or you may contact us by telephone at 617/638-4630.
 
So for the interview confirmation email, it says to open an attached host list if you're interested in the host program. But I see no attachments?
 
spyderefs said:
So for the interview confirmation email, it says to open an attached host list if you're interested in the host program. But I see no attachments?
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LOL, yeah I noticed the same problem.... 🙁
 
camaras2480 said:
There is a Hampton Inn and a Best Western - Roundhouse within 5 minutes (driving) of the interview building. They are your best bet. These hotels are a 15 minute drive from Logan Airport, prob $25 for a cab, one way. Don't hold me to that number though - rates have been flyin up!

There have been student hosts in the past, actually not sure if they are offering it this year. Sorry, not much help on that one.
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Take the subway if you can - much less expensive than a cab!
 
Submitted 8/3/09
One of my letters wasn't on letterhead 8/6/09
Complete 8/24/09
Rejected 9/7/09

Good luck to everyone still in the chase!
 
Rejected :<

Complete 8/21/09, submitted 7/20/09 (letters)
3.25cgpa, 3.27sgpa, 41R
 
Rejected today
Submitted secondary on 8/18

MCAT: 37 GPA: 3.85

I didn't write the essay about the narrative experience. Could that be why?
 
sisi1028 said:
Rejected today
Submitted secondary on 8/18

MCAT: 37 GPA: 3.85

I didn't write the essay about the narrative experience. Could that be why?
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goes to show how random it all is. with those stats, i'm sure u'll have better luck elsewhere.
 
parhumn said:
is there any way to find out why you got rejected?
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probably not, especially from BU... they get 10,000+ applications. from reading this thread, i think the general feeling is that BU has been pretty arbitrary in their rejections. so if you've been rejected, just read a few pages of the ridiculous stats that have been declined by BU and hopefully you'll feel much better 🙂
 
Did anyone else click on the "Cannot accommodate any of these interview dates" button? I couldn't attend any of the dates they listed, and I clicked on it hoping to see more dates. But now it's just blank. It says to call their office, but I called all Friday and nobody picked up. 😕

Did this happen to anyone else?

EDIT: Nevermind. I sent them a message and they're very quick with it.
 
Last edited:
Got rejected yesterday.. *sigh*.

It's disheartening because that's all I've heard from any med school.
 
linkin06 said:
mm, this is just me, but i feel like it'd be at least reasonable to ask, "how could i improve my application in the future"
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Why should any school that rejects you be expected to re-review your application and give you free counseling services. And they are supposed to do this for 9,700 applicants?

Am I missing something here?
 
slowbutsteady said:
Why should any school that rejects you be expected to re-review your application and give you free counseling services. And they are supposed to do this for 9,700 applicants?

Am I missing something here?
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Because you paid them 100 bucks to review that file? I'm not saying they should or they will, but they don't have to be a dicks about it.
 
linkin06 said:
mm, this is just me, but i feel like it'd be at least reasonable to ask, "how could i improve my application in the future"
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i'd say go for it. u really do have nothing to lose. and maybe they have some notes they jotted down or some particular red flag.
 
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