Boston University Class of 2009

[sk1684]

Hello everyone,

Congrats on your acceptance to BU. It feels good doesn't it??? I thought we could get to know each other more before we meet in August....Post anything and everything about urself. For us non-Bostonians, finding affordable housing is not a joke in BU...might as well find roommates atleast

-sk1684

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[Bostonmedgirl00]

I was accepted at BU, and am thrilled, but was also accepted at UMASS -- I am not quite sure what to do and would love to hear from anyone who has made the decision to go to BU what they based their decision on.

 

[skypilot]

Go to UMass to save yourself about $150,000 and still get a good medical education. Go to BU if you really don't want to live in Worcester and aren't concerned about the additional debt. Even if you go to med school in Worcester, you can still do some of your 3rd and 4th years in Boston hospitals.

 

[kc123]

I was accepted at BU, and am thrilled, but was also accepted at UMASS -- I am not quite sure what to do and would love to hear from anyone who has made the decision to go to BU what they based their decision on.

Congratulations!! I was accepted at BU as well, and interviewed at UMass about a week and a half ago. Hopefully, I, like you, will eventually have the same dilemma. When did you interview at UMass? What is pulling you toward one school or the other? Like the previous poster said, the difference in debt is quite large. I was impressed with both schools when I interviewed. If I don't get accepted to UMass, I will happily stay in the city, and won't have a difficult to decision to make....the main pull for me for BU is the quality of clinical education, the diverse patient population (though this is true at UMass as well), and the chance to stay in Boston. I've become a real city girl. However, UMass is a great deal and a fabulous school, and it's difficult to beat that. Let us know what you decide! K

 

[kc123]

Hello everyone,

Congrats on your acceptance to BU. It feels good doesn't it??? I thought we could get to know each other more before we meet in August....Post anything and everything about urself. For us non-Bostonians, finding affordable housing is not a joke in BU...might as well find roommates atleast

-sk1684

Congratulations sk1684! It certainly does feel good. I feel so fortunate to have an acceptance at this early stage, especially since my MCATs were less than stellar. Where are you from? Boston is expensive, but you can find good deals if you look hard enough, and you live with roommates. Currently, I live in Watertown, and my roommate and I each pay $525. Admittedly, we have a very good deal and a good amount of space, but it is doable. You just need to go outside of the city, proper.....public transportation isn't bad, so, like I said, it's doable. The market is a bit softer than it's been in years past. Oh, one piece of advice I would offer is to use Craig's list. I know Craig's list is also available in other cities, but I've had good luck with it. You could even specify that you are hoping to live with another medical student. If nothing else, it will give you a sense for what kinds of places are available in what price-range. South End is super expensive. Look in JP, Roxbury, Watertown (though this is a little farther out), Cambridge, Somerville, etc.

Take care and keep us posted,
K

 

[Bostonmedgirl00]

When did you interview at UMass? What is pulling you toward one school or the other? Let us know what you decide! K

GOOD LUCK with UMASS! I interviewed there in early November. Obviously Boston is much more appealing than Worcester, and I get the feeling BU has much more to offer with the school of public health right there (I am interested in international public health) and being in Boston with all sorts of research going on there anyway. Yes, the money is a huge thing pulling me to UMASS but I will make it back in the end anyway...right?

 

[melimi]

GOOD LUCK with UMASS! I interviewed there in early November. Obviously Boston is much more appealing than Worcester, and I get the feeling BU has much more to offer with the school of public health right there (I am interested in international public health) and being in Boston with all sorts of research going on there anyway. Yes, the money is a huge thing pulling me to UMASS but I will make it back in the end anyway...right?

yeah, but itll take u a while, like half ur lifetime; BU is about the fourth most expensive med school in the US. I would prob choose UMASS over BU just for the money, but i never declared my MA residence (i'm lazy). anyways, UMASS is also a GREAT school, esp. for people wanting to go into primary care. anyways, im prob ending up at BU too, since its my alma mat.

 

[PineappleGirl]

Congrats to everyone on your acceptances.

I'm doing my post-bac work at BU and just wanted to pass along some info for those looking at housing in Boston:

BU just introduced a shuttle that runs from the main campus near Allston and Brookline to the Medical Campus in the South End. For info on the shuttle: http://www.bu.edu/thebus/
Housing in the South End is pretty expensive. Now with the new shuttle, it's possible to live in Allston or Brookline and get to the Medical Campus (for free!!!!) in about 25 minutes.

I've been taking the shuttle the past couple days and it's worked out perfectly.

Also, check out http://boston.craigslist.org/ for apartments. Some friends of mine have gotten some sweet deals off this site.

 

[stinkycheese]

Congrats to everyone on your acceptances.



BU just introduced a shuttle that runs from the main campus near Allston and Brookline to the Medical Campus in the South End. For info on the shuttle: http://www.bu.edu/thebus/
Housing in the South End is pretty expensive. Now with the new shuttle, it's possible to live in Allston or Brookline and get to the Medical Campus (for free!!!!) in about 25 minutes.

The shuttle is not a new thing, but they are expanding their schedule, I believe, which is a good thing.

 

[PineappleGirl]

The shuttle is not a new thing, but they are expanding their schedule, I believe, which is a good thing.

Yes, yes, I stand corrected. The shuttle's not new, it's the expanded service that's new. It now makes stops closer to Allston whereas before it only stopped at BU's School of Education building closer to Kenmore Sq.

 

[Brainman]

Both BU and UMASS are great schools, but there are two significant differences between the two schools.

1) BU is a lot more expensive than UMASS if you are a Mass resident.
2) The vast majority of BU graduates don't go in to primary-care, while a very large percentage of UMASS graduates do.

Overall, my advice is to attend UMASS if you are positive you will be going into primary-care and are a Mass resident (this will save you a lot of money), but go to BU if you are interested in something other than primary-care. My main reason for making this suggestion is that BU has a significantly better record for graduates going into competitive specialties and doing so at top level programs (based on the two schools past match lists).

 

[Mephisto]

I am also deciding between BU and UMass, and I'll say this. I have been continually impressed with UMass and will likely attend there. Reason #1 is the money. Cost of living in worcester is much cheaper, I can have a car since there is plenty of parking, and I save a boatload on tuition. I will be entering residency with no debt. Further, UMass is actually outranking BU in NIH funding as there has been a HUGE recent push by UMass to become a top research school (they want accomplish that by 2009). Hence, you have the incredible new, state of the art research building, and the new trauma center that will truly allow UMass med to earn the level 1 status. The new construction as I understand will be done by the time we enter and it's going to look great and modern. The student faciliities (i.e., lounges, lecture halls, study rooms, etc) were actually better than those at BU. Plus, at BU, you've got all those other students in other programs in your classes.

I actually love BU's location. It's hospital is very nice and the campus has a pretty lawn and lots of other amenities that UMass doesn't have. But as far as quality of school goes, I think BU would be better socially, but it's not worth the money academically.

One thing about residency matches. UMass is an all around good school and is being recognized as so. you'll see it's rankings go up very soon (next few years) because of all the new research dollars they've been getting. They've opened up a new cancer research center and are doing a clinical trial of an AIDS vaccine. BU is getting the BioPark on its campus, which is pretty cool, but that's more for private companies and I don't see that translating into dollars for BU.

Residency match is about the individual more than the school. Yes, the school is important, but it's how hard you work and what you want. UMass won't shove primary care down your throat. In fact, it's primary care focus is good because you get clinical experience right away in your first year. UMass people have a great reputation for being good clinicians overall. So, don't let the primary care thing scare you. It scared me until I did more research about it. If you don't want primary care, they have all the resources and the ability to match you anywhere. Lastly, you can plan your rotations in boston if you want and get residencies there. I honestly don't think there is an appreciable difference between the two schools (BU and UMass) as far as residency directors are concerned. Maybe someone can back me up on this.

 

[Brainman]

I just wanted to straighten out a few facts about funding at BU and UMASS. BU receives a substantial amout of funding more that UMASS. In fact in 2003 Boston University School of Medicine received $232,179,841 in total NIH grants, while UMASS's Med School received $95,111,542. The figures I used here can be found on the NIH website:

http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/award/rank/medttl03.htm

Also, BU ranked 13th in NIH funding in 2003 vs. UMASS's Med schools 41st. (Please note that I am citing 2003 figures, because the 2004 figure will not be ready until spring.)


New Buildings coming to BU's Medical Campus:

1) Lab for Bioterrorism Defense - this funded by a fedral grant of $122 million and will become only the 4th level IV (highest possible) biosafety lab in the country
2) Addition Biosquare Building - this a building that will house a mixture of faculty labs and biotech start-ups mostly
3) Cancer Center - a new building that currently underconstruction that will centralize all cancer related specialties into one location

New Center that just opened:

Center for Biomedical Imaging - houses a state-of-the-art 3T MRI scanner that is reserved exclusively for research use

Based on this information it is clear that while UMASS is an outstanding school its capacity for research and all the benefits that go with it are significantly less than BU's. A fact that is very unlikely to change in the future.

One other point that I would like to counter is that "where you match is a reflection of the individual not the institution they come from". This is biggest bunch of crap I have ever heard. How well an individual performs is indeed very important in where they match, but the institution they came from is just as important. Just look at any schools match lists for several consecutive years and you will find definative trends in where people match. This happens for several reasons, but the most important is that once a residency takes in a graduate of particular medical school and likes what they see they are very likely to take future graduates of the same program. Hence, past match lists are one of the best indicators of how good a medical school is.


One final thought: Where you go to school will play a large part in the type and location of the residency you match into and what residency you complete will determine your career. Can you put a price tag on having the career you would like?

 

[kingcer0x]

BU Medical Students have amazing oppurtunities to do research due to the ever-expanding facilities on the MED campus. There are more spots than there are students.

BU faculty (both science and non-science) are top notch and dedicated to teaching. I was amazed at how much i could learn over the past year.

I really enjoy the patient contact, which occurs during the first semester of the first year (they aren't lying about this). Exposure to a wide variety of cases in an urban setting.

Lots of flexibility for 4th year roations (away rotations, international, etc.)

The parking sucks, the rents in the south end are high, but if you live in allston/brighton and take the shuttle, you save $$$. Commute is about 30 min every day.

Oh, and I love going to school here, if that offers you any assistance in your decision! Good luck.

 

[kingcer0x]

Oh, and yes, our match list is awesome. Even for primary care, there are a large amount of matches in IM to the Harvard Hospitals every year (BI, MGH, BW). I am assuming that this will continue to be the trend as the incoming classes now are academically stronger (in admissions terms anyway, which probably doesn't mean anything) than they were in the past.

 

[sk1684]

I knew that BU is strong in research, but i am actually not interested in research. I am interested in primary care esp. in the international scenario...might specialize in infectious diseases, if i do decide to specialize. How is BU in primary care and such ? i mean i just don't want to end up in an atmosphere that is mostly "research like".

Oh, and yes, our match list is awesome. Even for primary care, there are a large amount of matches in IM to the Harvard Hospitals every year (BI, MGH, BW). I am assuming that this will continue to be the trend as the incoming classes now are academically stronger (in admissions terms anyway, which probably doesn't mean anything) than they were in the past.

 

[Mephisto]

Thanks Brainman, Good to know I had some misconceptions about BU. I still stand by my comments on residency as I've looked at a lot match lists lately and I find that most schools get a few students into each big specialty. As far as UMass goes, UMass students match regularly in the specialties, especially in Boston hospitals, largely because at all residency programs, preference is given to local people. This may be due to the ability of local schools to be able to do rotations at those hospitals as 'auditions'.

The reason I was concerned about BU's funding is because for some very odd reason (they gave us some bull**** reasons when we interviewed), they don't support their MD/PhD studetns. These students are forced to pay the full tuition (which is huge) and get very little pay. Even schools that are not MSTP designated by the NIH (Boston only has two schools with such a designation: Tufts, Harvard) waive tuition for their MD/PhD students. When I asked the scientists I worked with, they said it's likely due to simple funding issues where they just can't afford to pay their MD/PhD's. If someone could shed some light on this, that would be great.

 

[Brainman]

I can talk a little about MD/PhD at BU. I am a first year MD/PhD student at BU now. Almost definitely getting the PhD in Anatomy and Neurobiology. I don't have the exact numbers in front of me for funding, but I can tell you that during your first year you get $22,500 of the tuition covered by the program and in the end the program ends up providing about 1/2 of the funding necessary for the MD. However, there are specific NIH funds that support MD/PhD students, which you can apply for and if received the MD is 100% funded with a stipend. During the PhD years you are fully funded and receive a stipend of about $26,000 a year. BU is one of the largest MD/PhD programs in the country with between 8 and 12 students participating in the program every year (BU's med school class is 155 students). Another important thing to note about BU is that it is not a MSTP. One final note about BU is why they only provide half funding. BU does this because it is able to keep double the number of students in the program by only half funding each instead of fully funding half the number of students they typically take. This is why for instance Dartmouth (another non-MSTP) takes only about 4 students a year, but fully funds them. Basically, BU decided it is better to half fund 8-12 students a year than to fully fund 4-6 (however BU sometimes offers full funding and stipend throughout to one person per class).

A little about MSTP and non-MSTP (a very important difference)

MSTP = Medical Scientist Training Program - a program developed by the NIH to increase the number of MD/PhD's by fully funding both degrees and paying a stipend throughout that is $ 20,772 (starting in 2005). These programs are outstanding, but there is one major catch that is very often over looked with these programs. Upon completion of an MSTP you are required to stay in the academic setting for at least 8 years at which time you are free to do what ever you would like to do. However, if you decide after completing the program that you are interested in going in to a private practive or going to work in industry you are screwed. The NIH will allow you to do either of the above, but you will be required to pay back everything the NIH gave you (both in funding and stipend) and a few additional fees. Point here is that MSTP is outstanding for you if you are positive that you will be staying in an academic setting, but if you are considering otherwise you should seriously consider the consquences of participating in an MSTP and not staying in academics.

Non-MSTP at BU
It is approximately half funded with stipend of about $26,000 per year during the PhD. However, upon completion of the program you are free to do what ever you would like to do (academics, private practice, or industry).

Basic Differences
Full funding, but requirement to stay in academics for 8 years
vs.
Half funding and free to do anything after


If anyone has any other specific questions please feel free to ask me. However, it is important for me to give the disclaimer that I went to BU for undergrad and stayed to do the MD/PhD, because I really enjoy being at BU. My first year at Med school had been outstanding and I really love what I am doing. Therefore, I am clearly biased, but I will try not to show this when answering questions.

PS- Sorry about all the MD/PhD talk here I know this is not what this thread was about and I would also be very happy to answer any of the questions any of the MD students have about BU.

 

[Brainman]

BU is very unique in that it is the only medical school located in Boston that has a Family Practice Department. It is a department with a lot of history that still maintains some of its older ways. One of the coolest things about the department is that while rotating through as a 3rd year you actually get to make house calls to patients in the area. This a unique aspect of BU's training that I don't know of any other school that does this. It gives the students a different perspective of their patients by getting to see them in their home atmosphere. There is also a Family Medicine Interest Group that hosts a variety of talks and events relating to topics in Family Medicine and Primary Care. However, as I noted before, I would have probably chosen UMASS over BU if I was interested in Primary Care for one very simple reason money. BU is very expensive and UMASS is very inexpensive if you are a Mass resident. The unfortunate truth is that you will most likely be in some debt upon completing med school at BU (I believe the average is around $130,000 or so, give or take $10,000) and the area of medicine you go into will greatly determine your ability to pay back this debt. Unfortunately primary care is on the low end of the spectrum at around $150,000/year. Thus it would be substantially more difficult for you to pay off your loans if you are a primary care physician than an orthopedic or neurological surgeon making around $400,000/year. Basically my prior comment on attending UMASS over BU for Primary Care was entirely related to financial issues not one school having a better program. Both are great schools and produce outstanding physicians (the same can be said for nearly every US med school). However, if you are not a MASS resident or are not concerned about the financial issues I would definitely tell you to go to BU, but clearly I am biased.

 

[sk1684]

Are the lectures electronically available at BU? I understand them better when i can listen/watch them at my own pace.

BU is very unique in that it is the only medical school located in Boston that has a Family Practice Department. It is a department with a lot of history that still maintains some of its older ways. One of the coolest things about the department is that while rotating through as a 3rd year you actually get to make house calls to patients in the area. This a unique aspect of BU's training that I don't know of any other school that does this. It gives the students a different perspective of their patients by getting to see them in their home atmosphere. There is also a Family Medicine Interest Group that hosts a variety of talks and events relating to topics in Family Medicine and Primary Care. However, as I noted before, I would have probably chosen UMASS over BU if I was interested in Primary Care for one very simple reason money. BU is very expensive and UMASS is very inexpensive if you are a Mass resident. The unfortunate truth is that you will most likely be in some debt upon completing med school at BU (I believe the average is around $130,000 or so, give or take $10,000) and the area of medicine you go into will greatly determine your ability to pay back this debt. Unfortunately primary care is on the low end of the spectrum at around $150,000/year. Thus it would be substantially more difficult for you to pay off your loans if you are a primary care physician than an orthopedic or neurological surgeon making around $400,000/year. Basically my prior comment on attending UMASS over BU for Primary Care was entirely related to financial issues not one school having a better program. Both are great schools and produce outstanding physicians (the same can be said for nearly every US med school). However, if you are not a MASS resident or are not concerned about the financial issues I would definitely tell you to go to BU, but clearly I am biased.

 

[Brainman]

Lectures at BU are not videotaped and put online as is the case at some schools. In fact they do this on purpose to encourage attendance of classes. However the vast majority of professors use powerpoint for lectures and all powerpoint files are posted online. In fact they are posted on:

courseinfo.bu.edu

under the medical school. You may even be able to see some of the info for some courses in you take a look (try to sign on as a guest, I am not sure how this is done, but I think there are directions). Also, every class has a very extensive syllabus (typically around 300-400 pages per course) that covers the major points in the classes. To be honest you could do well in any class if you studied the syllabus and the books for any class, but I would highly suggest that you attend class the faculty are outstanding and a pleasure to be lectured by. I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask any other specific questions that you may have, I am very happy to answer them.

 

[lightnk102]

1. When do classes start?
2. is the housing fair helpful at all? or are we better off finding our own apartments through craig's list?

 

[Brainman]

I looked and tried to find the schedule for this coming year, but I don't think the school has it posted on the website yet. This year (Fall 2004) we started orientation on Sept. 1st. Most likely this coming years schedule will be about the same as last years. Here is a link to the Fall schedule for last year:

http://www.bumc.bu.edu/www/busm/osa/BUSM_I_ Fall_04.pdf

As for housing, people approach this issue in a number of ways. Craig's list is okay, but if you use it to find housing I would highly suggest that you find a roommate(s) that are also students. It is really difficult to live with people that don't have the same demanding schedule that you have. Below is a link to the Office of Housing Resources and one to a book put together by previous students for the incoming class (its called the red book). The link to the Red BooK I put up is for last years edition, because this years has not been prepared yet. You will receive the updated Red Book during orientation. I hope this info has been helpful and please let me know if you have any other questions.

Office of Housing Resources:
http://www.bumc.bu.edu/Dept/Home.aspx?DepartmentID=375

Last Years Red Book:
http://www.bumc.bu.edu/www/busm/osa/Redbook_2004.pdf

 

[skiracer90]

I know there is some BU/UMass debate but what about BU vs. Tufts? Which would you choose if you were fortunate enough to get into both?

 

[melimi]

i actually got into both, but i knew i didnt want to go to tufts the day i interviewed there. facilities werent as impressive as BU's, their main hospital isnt as great as BUMC, plus, the admissions people were soooooooooo rude. did NOT like it at all........ but that may just be my personal opinion

 

[sk1684]

Hello all,
Not much action on this thread lately. It seems that people tend to prefer some other school of BU. BU is shown inferior to Tufts/U Mass or other schools. I feel weird because i am delibrately choosing to come to BU despite that i did get into other schools (not in Boston). BU is my top choice so far because of location, diversity, public health opportunities at BU, Harvard and Tufts, and the solid clinical training. Am i the only one who feels this way? Is there anyone who is absolutely sure that BU is for them?

 

[sk1684]

i don't know about Tufts admissions people, but BU's sure aren't the most friendly either! I don't know why they are cranky? are they not paid/treated well? Current med students' thoughts on this would be helpful.

i actually got into both, but i knew i didnt want to go to tufts the day i interviewed there. facilities werent as impressive as BU's, their main hospital isnt as great as BUMC, plus, the admissions people were soooooooooo rude. did NOT like it at all........ but that may just be my personal opinion

 

[lightnk102]

anyone know if BU has a second look day?

 

[ajt2003]

anyone know if BU has a second look day?

Yes, I think they do - sometime during the weekend of April 9th, if I'm not mistakin' (which, unfortunately, is entirely possible).

 

[HrsNJ]

Hey all,

Anyone of you luck accepted folk know when the second round of letters go out? Thanks!

 

[AubreyMaturin]

I was accepted to BU and am still waiting to hear from Tufts and UMass. I will not go to UMass, but must decide between Tufts and BU. Money is not an object because the Navy is paying for all of it $$.

I would really like to hear from others about why they really want to go to BU, or better yet, why they don't want to go to BU.

I have heard that some of the classrooms and labs in the first 2 years are a little out of date, but everything I saw on the tour was brand new and beutiful. However, I am sure they are only showing you the really new stuff.

Also, I understand that they have a very large clinical network for doing rotations. Boston Medical is as good as it gets in terms of teaching hospitals. The best comparison that I have heard is that Tufts is better for the academic years, and BU is better for the clinical years. Both have great match lists.

BU does have a second look opporunity, it is April 9th. My impressions of the people at BU where not unfavorable, but I was not taken by them either. Maybe a little bit of academic snobbery, or maybe Dean Witzburg just used too many big words that I could'nt understand. However, I left my interview day pleasantly surprised and very impressed at all that BU had to offer. It looked and felt like the BU has as all the facilities and opportunities as any hospital in the country, and more than most.

 

[sk1684]

Hello all,

I posted this on the "Bu" thread as well. So if you haven't read that already, BU sent me an e-mail today with information on their open house on April 9th. The workshops seem really interesting. I was wondering how many people were going? Anyone going there from Pennsylvania?? (was thinking of car pooling)

 

[kc123]

Congratulations! You've done so well in this process!!

 

[lightnk102]

Hello all,

I posted this on the "Bu" thread as well. So if you haven't read that already, BU sent me an e-mail today with information on their open house on April 9th. The workshops seem really interesting. I was wondering how many people were going? Anyone going there from Pennsylvania?? (was thinking of car pooling)

unless you have a parking spot waiting for you in Boston with a friend, or if you know of a spot where you can park without a neighborhood permit, i wouldn't recommend driving. It's notoriously hard to find street parking without a permit, and otherwise you'd have to park at a meter and keep running to drop quarters into it. besides, southwest flies to providence from philadelphia for super cheap right now.

 

[melimi]

parking at the school of med on weekends is actually only $5 for the whole day
and theres a lot of space available, so i say drive if u can

 

[kc123]

I think it is true that flights are also very cheap right now from Philadelphia....I feel like I saw an ad somewhere for flights for around $40 each way. Definitely might be something to look into, and save you the hassle of driving. It's a bit of a pain, but you can get to BU from the airport via public transportation.

 

[melimi]

yeah, i saw some majorly cheap flights to/from philly on travelocity
thats a mad sweet idea

 

[melimi]

BTW if anyone knows what the attire usually is at 2nd looks/open houses, please lemme know
i dont wanna be the only one showing up in sweats.

 

[acidhouse303]

hey guys, is anyone going to the april 9th open house? i think it will be a good time to get info and see the school again... but i dont know if i feel like taking the bus all the way up from nyc. what hotels are you guys staying at? thanks. im assuming the dress code is casual??

 

[BraneDoc]

I should be there for the Open House. I'll be flying up and staying with family in the city.

 

[melimi]

k, now that acceptances are rolling in, i think we should all start getting to know each other if we're gonna be future classmates
i'll start:
hello everybody, my name is melissa; i live in boston right now but i'm originally from PR; i graduated from BU in 2004 and have been working at BUSM for the past year. My hobbies include running, yoga, SDN, and taking long walks on the charles river esplanade. i'm 5'5, 115lbs, and my measurements are 38-26-36 (not really, but i wish).

 

[Larsitron]

This is going to be fun.

My name is Lars and I'm graduating from the University of Arizona (Go Cats!) in May. I've lived in Arizona all my life and as such I'm looking forward to seeing/living in a different part of the country. My degree is in Molecular and Cellular Biology, but a huge chunk of my undergrad work has been done in a multimedia production studio at the University focusing (so to speak) on photography, large format printing, and cinematography. I also listen to/play a lot of music, mostly independent, small bands (but I do like quite a bit of rock/pop-rock(s) )

 

[melimi]

(everybody together): "Hellloooooooooo Lars"

what bands do u like????

 

[highheeledMD]

When does BU officially start? I can't find it on the website and I think it would be helpful to know when to be there. Thanks I am looking forward to meeting my new classmates!!!

 

[melimi]

i believe the last week of august is orientation and school starts the first week of september, after labor day usually

heres the calendar link:
http://www.bu.edu/reg/cal0506.htm

 

[Larsitron]

Hm...The bands that I like...that's a short question that has a huge answer, but I'll see what I can do.

Right now, at this very moment, I'm listening to a band from the UK (Leeds) called the Kaiser Chiefs and I'm really digging them. They've just released an LP in the U.S. called Employment. As far as what they sound like, picture four lads dressed as Franz Ferdinand who kicked The Killers in The Shins and stole their synthesizers. They then hired zombie Joe Strummer from The Clash fame to write lyrics and melodies. But other groups that are on my recently played list are Razorlight, The Shins, The Thrills, Badly Drawn Boy, The Dead Milkmen, The Twilight Singers, The Format (pre-OC fame), Frou Frou (hear them on Garden State), Iron & Wine, Johnny Cash, Less Than Jake, Ozma, Snow Patrol, and Wilco.

The local bands I like here in Tucson are called The Deludes and Calexico. I'm fairly familiar with the music scene here as I shoot publicity and gig photos for local bands putting together promotional materials or CDs.

My favorite two bands of all time (the kind of favorite where I have every album, every bootleg, etc.) are the Dave Matthews Band (their new CD is going to rock everyone's socks off) and They Might Be Giants.

I love music...I just can't get enough of it. If I'm not in class, talking to friends, or working, I'll be listening to music. But quietly of course, so as not to disturb my neighbors.

 

[lightnk102]

This is going to be fun.

My name is Lars and I'm graduating from the University of Arizona (Go Cats!) in May. I've lived in Arizona all my life and as such I'm looking forward to seeing/living in a different part of the country. My degree is in Molecular and Cellular Biology, but a huge chunk of my undergrad work has been done in a multimedia production studio at the University focusing (so to speak) on photography, large format printing, and cinematography. I also listen to/play a lot of music, mostly independent, small bands (but I do like quite a bit of rock/pop-rock(s) )

You're going to love Boston then. There's a pretty strong rock/punk band scene. The Middle-East (a restaurant/bar in Central Square in Cambridge) books indie/local bands on an almost weekly basis. You'll probably also love Cambridge overall (right across the river from Boston) - more independent coffee shops, fair-trade stores, indie/foreign movie theatre (is there an indie movie theatre in Boston? I was only aware of the one in Cambridge).

Of course, you'll probably also hate the winters. But that means more skiing/snowboarding

edit: i have The Format's CD. i watched them open for Switchfoot in Philadelphia. They're from AZ, aren't they? (I have a secret desire to own a vacation home in AZ. Oak Creek Canyon to be specific.)

 

[melimi]

Mad sweet, i think i've actually heard of kaiser chiefs; no idea where or when tho. It sounds like i would love em, since FF, killers, and the shins are among my top 5 bands (and currently on repeat in my mp3 player). i heard the iron and wine song on the garden state soundtrack and a friend recommended them but i dunno if i'd be into them. Do u have that new wilco CD? what do u think of it? I was thinking about getting it, but i read reviews that said it was nothing like their last one. my fave bands: modest mouse & the shins

 

[Larsitron]

edit: i have The Format's CD. i watched them open for Switchfoot in Philadelphia. They're from AZ, aren't they? (I have a secret desire to own a vacation home in AZ. Oak Creek Canyon to be specific.)

Yeah, you're talking about the Interventions and Lullabies LP right? The song "Tune Out" with that lyric, "I'll tap the break if you crack the window, the smell of smoke is making my lungs explode, the 51 is backed up and too slow..." is all about traffic jams on the east side of the Phoenix Metro Valley. They were a staple of the indie scene here and are famous for their ubiquitous presence. The last time I saw them, they were opening for Jimmy Eat World.

Also, Oak Creek Canyon is awesome, though you have to watch out for the semi-yearly floods.

 

[Larsitron]

Do u have that new wilco CD? what do u think of it? I was thinking about getting it, but i read reviews that said it was nothing like their last one.

I dunno if it was nothing like their last one. I dig it, but then again, Wilco is kind of new to me so I'm totally okay with any change they might have gone through from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot to A Ghost Is Born. I mean, if DMB decided to go metal, I'd be pissed, but I can deal with Wilco changing it up.