2011-2012 Boston University Application Thread

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CeltSoxDoc said:
BU takes a very holistic approach to their applicants. Statistics honestly do not necessarily mean everything to them. While good statistics will get you initial consideration, BU really values students who embody and ppreciate diversity and can contribute and fit in to a teaching hospital of Boston Medical Center which serves the lowest income population of Boston. They look for students who have demonstrated that they are committed to embracing this diversity, and contributing to it also (not necessarily racially, but you have to demonstrate that your experiences indicate you value these things). Keep in mind that BU students have the distinction of working at the city's only safety-net hospital, meaning that they must have the capacity and ability to appreciate the patient population they work with. Deans on the admission committee really want students who embody all of this.
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Thanks for this post, you just gave me an idea for what to write in my secondary ^^
 
I received a rejection today, just over three weeks from when I was complete.

Best of luck to everybody else.
 
Got the rejection email this morning. First one definitely stings, but trying not to let it bum me out too much.

Good luck to everyone else! :luck:
 
t0othpick said:
Got the rejection email this morning. First one definitely stings, but trying not to let it bum me out too much.

Good luck to everyone else! :luck:
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Yep- it stings at first, but I am over it now. Again, good luck everyone else.
 
My father graduated from BUSM in 1978. I find it odd that the BU secondary application does not have a section for me to add this tid bit of information, unlike most other schools.

Am I missing something?


-AJB
 
Slamchowda said:
My father graduated from BUSM in 1978. I find it odd that the BU secondary application does not have a section for me to add this tid bit of information, unlike most other schools.

Am I missing something?


-AJB
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Does his graduating here enhance yourself as an applicant? Did you learn, through him, why BU is the best school for you? Is your dad a huge donor to the school? If so, then you can put it into an essay form for the optional stuff. Otherwise, legacy is pretty pointless
 
NeuralNetwork said:
Does his graduating here enhance yourself as an applicant? Did you learn, through him, why BU is the best school for you? Is your dad a huge donor to the school? If so, then you can put it into an essay form for the optional stuff. Otherwise, legacy is pretty pointless
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My father has played a very large role in my education and decision to attend medical school. Obviously legacy should not enhance an application but it should at least help get an interview. If you were in my shoes would you honestly neglect to mention that your dad went to the school that is your top choice?

Lets not talk personal economics here but why would you not mention something that can only help... The goal is to get into medical school. Right?
 
NeuralNetwork said:
Does his graduating here enhance yourself as an applicant? Did you learn, through him, why BU is the best school for you? Is your dad a huge donor to the school? If so, then you can put it into an essay form for the optional stuff. Otherwise, legacy is pretty pointless
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I would disagree. Many medical schools honor legacies and in fact give preference to legacies (ex. Temple University SOM). It never hurts to have a true connection to a medical program.
 
Looking to pick some of my fellow pre-meds brains here....

Do you think it's bad form to not fill in the essay "Please provide a narrative or timeline to describe any features of your educational history that you think may be of particular interest to us. For example, have you lived in another country..."? They mention that no response is required.

I've written a longer response to the optional essay describing how my research and volunteer experiences have guided me towards two medical career paths that BU is well known to support.

Thoughts? Thanks, guys.
 
filthyd said:
Looking to pick some of my fellow pre-meds brains here....

Do you think it's bad form to not fill in the essay "Please provide a narrative or timeline to describe any features of your educational history that you think may be of particular interest to us. For example, have you lived in another country..."? They mention that no response is required.

I've written a longer response to the optional essay describing how my research and volunteer experiences have guided me towards two medical career paths that BU is well known to support.

Thoughts? Thanks, guys.
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Of course it's not bad. If you don't have anything to say, then don't fill it out. I've been complete since 6/24, haven't received a rejection, and didn't do the optional essay or the narrative timeline essay.
 
Slamchowda said:
My father has played a very large role in my education and decision to attend medical school. Obviously legacy should not enhance an application but it should at least help get an interview. If you were in my shoes would you honestly neglect to mention that your dad went to the school that is your top choice?

Lets not talk personal economics here but why would you not mention something that can only help... The goal is to get into medical school. Right?
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If that's the case (especially since this is your first choice), then I think for the optional essay, you can definitely craft a small statement and weave your dad into it.
 
kpcrew2oo2 said:
Thanks for this post, you just gave me an idea for what to write in my secondary ^^
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That's what I tried to stress as a common theme in their "different cultures" essay. I was complete on July 6th so my head is probably on the chopping block as we speak. I'll let you know.
 
Complete on 7/1, just got the rejection. Hope they enjoy my $110. Some good news from any school would be most welcome about now.
 
BU runs like clockwork. It's like they have queue of rejections lined up each day. I wish they would just let me know already.
 
Complete 7/1, no rejection yet. I probably just jinxed myself though.
 
For the prerequisite grid should we include history classes in the humanities?
 
Maybe I am just really challenged, but how did you guys get your pictures to upload? I have this cropped picture that has worked pretty much for every other school. But somehow BU is not accepting it.
 
If any of you guys took classes at a community college, what did you say for the explanation? The reason I went was simple: It was cheap, and it actually has a very good reputation among community colleges. They can look down on it all they want, but the classes and tests were harder than my four year university. I have a very good MCAT score, so hopefully that will offset their opinion of me as a poor idiot who had to go to community college. 😡
 
medschool2016 said:
Maybe I am just really challenged, but how did you guys get your pictures to upload? I have this cropped picture that has worked pretty much for every other school. But somehow BU is not accepting it.
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double check that the file size is within their requirement
 
For those who have been rejected, how long did it take BU to get back to you? My application was completed this morning.
 
jnprunner12 said:
For those who have been rejected, how long did it take BU to get back to you? My application was completed this morning.
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It usually takes about 3 weeks for them to email you if you have been rejected. If you haven't been rejected in 3 weeks your chances are way better. I have just hit 4 weeks and I haven't received any email from BU and my status page still says complete.
 
i got mcat scores this past tuesday...they seem to have uploaded them but it still says im on hold pending mcat scores...

anybody else have this message or know how long it takes them to move over to complete (everything else is in)
 
I still don't know if I should write the optional essay!! Does anyone have any words of wisdom who got in last cycle and didn't write it? I just feel like I can't say anything that will really add to my app...
 
alisat1 said:
I still don't know if I should write the optional essay!! Does anyone have any words of wisdom who got in last cycle and didn't write it? I just feel like I can't say anything that will really add to my app...
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Then don't write anything. I think BU's goal at making these optional essays is to try to avoid reading a lot of BS that people put in their secondary essays. If you have something to write that'll enhance your application then by all means write it. Otherwise, don't be afraid to leave it blank.
 
BUMED2015 said:
Hi Everyone,

I'm going to be a first year student at Boston University this year. Please post your questions and I'll do my best to answer them. BU has an optional secondary essay, and I advise that you take this seriously. Because BU receives so many applications, it gauges the applicants' interest based on the optional essay (though I've heard of people getting interviews w/o writing the optional essay, it definitely does help to write a strong optional essay). Also, BU stops interviewing mid to late February, which means get your secondaries in ASAP! I got mine in kind of late and barely made the cut. Had i submitted even a week later, I would not have been interviewed.

Also, BU takes a very holistic approach to the admissions process. Don't be discouraged if your gpa and/or mcat score is below the average for BU.

I'm not in school yet so I won't be much of a help in terms of giving you information about the curriculum, but I can definitely answer any questions you might have about the application process, interviews, etc.

Good Luck!
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Hi, what was your interview like?
 
rejected with a 3.95+ and 35. (I'm not saying I'm entitled to an interview or anything, just want to make others out there feel a little better).

Complete 7/05
 
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whoMD said:
rejected with a 3.95+ and 35. (I'm not saying I'm entitled to an interview or anything, just want to make others out there feel a little better).
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Sorry to hear that. Do you mind telling me when you were complete?
 
Couldn't find an exact answer to my question. I graduated from undergrad a few years ago. I went to grad school one semester later, and just graduated from my masters program. So when they ask if I plan on going straight to med school right after undergrad, I just need to talk about my one semester between undergrad and grad studies, then what I did as a grad student, and then what I'm doing now, right? Do I also need to give a few sentences on what I will be doing for the next year before I start (hopefully lol) med school? Thanks!!!:luck:
 
AZFutureDoc said:
Couldn't find an exact answer to my question. I graduated from undergrad a few years ago. I went to grad school one semester later, and just graduated from my masters program. So when they ask if I plan on going straight to med school right after undergrad, I just need to talk about my one semester between undergrad and grad studies, then what I did as a grad student, and then what I'm doing now, right? Do I also need to give a few sentences on what I will be doing for the next year before I start (hopefully lol) med school? Thanks!!!:luck:
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I would talk about everything you've done since undergrad and what you are doing between now and matriculation at medical school. That is what I did, and I'm still in the running, so I think I got that part right, at least.
 
RE: Are you expecting to go on to medical school directly after completing your undergraduate work? (Not including post bac work.) (1400 characters limit)

I would rather not reiterate my works and activities section and utilize this section to elaborate on how my experience was meaningful. Would that be more than they're asking for, should I take the question more literally and briefly explain what I actually did?

I'm curious how you guys approach this question as it appears often in secondaries.

Thanks!
 
It depends on how much they expect you to elaborate. For instance, NYU's has 2500 character max so I went into detail, and tried to be as introspective as possible.

In the case of BU, I always gave a reason for doing something rather than a mere recapitulation of what I did. Try to be as insightful as possible.
 
Shakespeare37 said:
I would talk about everything you've done since undergrad and what you are doing between now and matriculation at medical school. That is what I did, and I'm still in the running, so I think I got that part right, at least.
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Great, that's good to know. Thanks for the help. Good luck!
 
Rejected today on a Sunday, u think admissions work on bloody Sunday? Or its automatic?
 
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