Boston University Class of 2009

[melimi]

so did anyone that went to the open house make up their mind yet?????
its weird that 2/3 of the people that were accepted showed up, i thought it was only gonna be like 1/4

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[kc123]

I was really impressed with the open house and the students on Saturday....how about others??

 

[oniwindu]

Hi everyone,

Still very undecided about where I want to be this Fall. What did you guys think of the Open House this past Saturday and how has it affected your decision (If you weren't sure to begin with, that is)? THe Open House for me still left me very unsure. BUT, I would love to hear about other people's experiences get more perspective --particularly prospectives interested in MD/MPH.

I thought the students currently there were very honest about their experiences. Very well-rounded group of people, varied interests, hobbies, etc. They seemed happy in terms of how supportive the faculty have been. I'm not too happy about how standard the curriculum is. The 3/4th years that I talked to did complain that they felt that their basic clinical skills (pt. hx, physical diagnosis) weren't strongly emphasized during 1 and 2nd year and that there could be room for improvement to accomodate more clinical skills building before they entered rotations.

For the MPH part, the BUSM students were amazing, although I would have liked to hear more about what they did for their praticum. Again, very supportive and flexible faculty.

anyways, those are my impressions, I'd be happy to hear your thoughts, too. congrats on acceptance!

 

[kc123]

Hi everyone,

Still very undecided about where I want to be this Fall. What did you guys think of the Open House this past Saturday and how has it affected your decision (If you weren't sure to begin with, that is)? THe Open House for me still left me very unsure. BUT, I would love to hear about other people's experiences get more perspective --particularly prospectives interested in MD/MPH. THanks and congrats on the acceptance.

Curious about what your hesitations are? This is helpful to hear so that I can figure out what my own are too! I was reassured a bit that some of the reputation about BU med students being competitive may be a carry-over from when grading wasn't pass/fail.....so that made me feel a bit better. Also, it sounds like the administration has really responded to the students complaints about problems in the curriculum for the first two years....that was reassuring to me as well. And the clinical years seem to be the big draw!
Anyhow, curious to hear your thoughts.....what other schools are you looking at? If you want to share, of course......

 

[melimi]

i thought the whole thing was actually quite informative
the teachers seemed really nice and so did the students
also, did anyone see that MS1 that played for the bears; he was huuuuuuuge

 

[lightnk102]

I'm interested in an MD/MPH, but that doesn't particularly affect my med school decision, since you can get your MPH really anywhere you want. I attended the talk about international health, and I was impressed by how willing Dr. Sarfaty was to help people find projects.

The financial aid budget bothered me a bit. It seemed like they were trying to underestimate their cost by budgeting on a 9 month basis, which isn't realistic considering that people are going ot be signing full-year leases. I don't know why they include the full 12 months in their budget. The 9-month inclusion is likely to hurt us since it will decrease the amount of money we're eligible from the goverment (government gives us as much as the school says we need) and we'll have to make up the difference in private loans (that have higher interest rates). That and, one of the student tour leaders told me that having a car is pretty much required for third year, but that the cost of owning a car isn't factored into the financial aid budget either. He said that carpooling is difficult unless you and your ride are on the same rotation team and start/end together.

Considering how expensive the school is, I was a bit disappointed in the facilities.

 

[oniwindu]

I'm interested in an MD/MPH, but that doesn't particularly affect my med school decision, since you can get your MPH really anywhere you want.

I guess it depends with what you want to focus your MPH part on. I'm more interested in working with the local community, particularly the Chinatown and immigrant communities, focusing on health services delivery within these communities and learning more about access to care from their perspectives. From talking to the MPH students afterwards, there weren't too many connections or resources on getting involved in that during or even prior to the MPH year. Tufts' MD/MPH, on the other hand, seems much more comprehensive and rigorous with a large network of connections already in place (not to mention the Sharewood project). Although again, the rigorous part coincides directly med school at Tufts which might be a huge stressor. Taking a year to just focus on an MPH at BUSM seems less stressful. Again, I'm not expecting huge help from Fin Ain from either school, so it would mean that I would have to take out more loans (but Tufts would be slightly cheaper in the long-run for the joint MD/MPH program, saving at least $25K in terms of tuition and the extra year of loans I would take out for living expenses, not including the interest I would save during loan repayment).

I think for me, what I'm looking at is the networking available from the MPH program at either medical school, and I got a better feeling about that from Tufts than I did at BUSM. (I hate comparing schools like this, because they are all great institutions!)

I am also considering Einstein, in which case I would be doing an MPH at Columbia for an extra year. I have no complaints about Einstein (great faculty, great curriculum (lots of PBL, case-based learning), great outreach resources (including student-run free clinic, ECHO)) on a purely curricular level, but I do have concerns in terms of living. Namely this: the bus/subway into Manahattan/Grand Central/Penn Station TAKES FOREVER. Since I envision going back and forth between Boston and the Bronx frequently, this would be a huge waste of time. But this is a small complaint that doesn't even quite warrant a post. Again, another concern is money: it would cost a significant amount of money to do the MPH at Columbia compared to Tufts' joint degree.

 

[BraneDoc]

I was there and I'm now 100% certain I'll be attending UMass. Nothing against BU and its faculty/students, but it just didn't do much for me.

 

[aaroncw1981]

how many of you are feeling that this money aspect will be really too much and might be thinking of other schools. I know I am. I was really suprized about the COST. I though I knew before.

How are others feeling?

thanks

 

[melimi]

how many of you are feeling that this money aspect will be really too much and might be thinking of other schools. I know I am. I was really suprized about the COST. I though I knew before.

How are others feeling?

thanks

i dont care at all; ive learned how to budget my life accordingly, and have made plans thatll save me ~ 15k per year. and personally, we're gonna be doctors, the last thing im worried about is going broke after im done w/ med school. as they've said before, ur not buying a product, ur investing in an education

 

[oniwindu]

how many of you are feeling that this money aspect will be really too much and might be thinking of other schools. I know I am. I was really suprized about the COST. I though I knew before.

How are others feeling?

thanks

Before I applied to med school, I had the mindset that I would be taking out an average of 50-60K in loans to finance med school and living expenses. What I'm making from my job right now won't even begin to chip away at that debt since I'm also paying off undergrad loans. I'm not shocked, just bummed --but I think most everyone with any type of debt is. I guess with a mortgage on a house or a car, you at least get to live/drive in the product. Investing in a medical school education takes a longer time to see the results. It also puts a damper on all good intentions to do "good" after residency (suck up a bad wage in order to positively affect a community), since you have that Loan hanging over you like a storm cloud. I DO care about how much I will take out in loans in that respect.

I think it would be a hard decision to give up a UMass public school tuition over a private school one like BUSM, but like others have said before, it's a matter of your priorities. I think earlier in this thread people were throwing around pros and cons of BU over UMass. Any other ideas/comments?

 

[aaroncw1981]

I think that the education of American Medical Schools is strong and the fact that some (state) schools are just cheeper then others makes the decision very easy. STATE makes the most sence.

That is what I say. With regards to UMASS in perticular I have not looked into, but you are still in the Greater Boston Area with regards to events, etc.

 

[smileyguy77]

I'm in the same boat. Are the lectures available online so that I can listen to them at my own pace?

 

[kc123]

Does anyone remember what they said the options for parking around BU are? I know parking is limited, but are there any spots that you can rent? I think I remember one of the students saying that there were parking spots for rent, but that they were VERY difficult to get.....Just trying to figure out whether to stay in my current apartment in Watertown (pretty cheap rent), or try to move closer to the school (most apts. in the South end are much more pricey). It takes me like 20 minutes to drive to BU from my apartment, but closer to an hour using public transportation.....anyhow, just wondering if anybody remembers if spots are available for rent around the school, and if so, how much are they? Thanks!! What are other ppl thinking in terms of living arrangements....the Harrison court apartments were nice, but WAY to pricey for my budget!

 

[lightnk102]

Has anyone received their financial aid package from BU yet? May 15th is fast approaching...

 

[androman]

Has anyone received their financial aid package from BU yet? May 15th is fast approaching...

Not yet. I got my app in fairly early too. Are they required to let us know by the 15th? The letter they sent said anytime between May and September.

 

[follow]

Hi everyone...

congratulations on your BU acceptances!
there might be a chance that I'll be attending BUSM, all the way from the west coast... actually, I have a friend who will be attending Harvard graduate school, and we are trying to figure out housing possibilities together... do you guys know of any neighborhoods that are in between the two schools, and what would be the normal commute time from that neighborhood to Harvard (not medical school) and to BUSM? I had been looking into Allston... does anyone know how long it normally takes from there to get to Harvard and to BUSM, and by what mode of transporation (we'll be using public transportation)?

Thank you so much in advance for your suggestions and feedback!

 

[sully]

Hi everyone...

congratulations on your BU acceptances!
there might be a chance that I'll be attending BUSM, all the way from the west coast... actually, I have a friend who will be attending Harvard graduate school, and we are trying to figure out housing possibilities together... do you guys know of any neighborhoods that are in between the two schools, and what would be the normal commute time from that neighborhood to Harvard (not medical school) and to BUSM? I had been looking into Allston... does anyone know how long it normally takes from there to get to Harvard and to BUSM, and by what mode of transporation (we'll be using public transportation)?

Thank you so much in advance for your suggestions and feedback!

Hi Follow,
It seems that the people posting in this thread are pretty aware of what the situation in Boston is, so they can add on to my advice too. BUSM is in kind of a weird spot in Boston, there is no subway/streetcar line (other than the "silver line", which is just a fancy name for a bus route) that has a stop any closer than a 15 minute walk. There is though, an extensive bus route (the CT routes) that stop right at the medical campus. One of the CT routes leaves from Cambridge (either Porter, Davis, or Central square; I really can't remember which). Either way, if you are set on living with your friend who will be at the main Harvard campus in Camridge, living in Cambridge (at whichever square has the bus) is really your best bet. I have a personal bias against Allston, in my eyes, it well, it sucks. My girfriend lives there now, and the green line takes absolutely forever. We both work at MGH, and even though I live an hours' drive north of the city, I will sometimes beat her to the hospital. Your potential roomate would be in hell trying to commute into Harvard. Basically, to go to BUSM it comes down to living within walking distance to the Medical campus, or riding the bus.

Hopefully some others will help you out on this too, I realize how biased I am!

 

[follow]

Thanks very much for your input, sully!

So IF I were to commute from Cambridge to BUSM by bus, do you know how long that would take to and from?

thanks~

 

[lightnk102]

Thanks very much for your input, sully!

So IF I were to commute from Cambridge to BUSM by bus, do you know how long that would take to and from?

thanks~

I lived in Central Square last year (about a 10 minute walk to Harvard) and took the #1 bus to BUSM. It'd take about 20-30 minutes by bus in rush hour traffic. There's a CT1 (the express bus that only makes certain stops) that takes 15 minutes, but that only runs at certain times. The only problem I had with the bus was taking it back to Central Square when I was on campus late (past 10 pm). Sometimes I had to wait up to 30 minutes for a bus to come by, and BUSM isn't in a great neighborhood to be alone in at night as a solo female. It's pretty consistent during the days and evenings (I would even argue that it's more consistent than the green line leading to Allston).

If you live anywhere along the #1 bus line, you'll have an easy commute to BUSM. It runs down Massachusetts Ave. from Harvard Square at one end, and BUSM at the other end. Your other option is to live along the Silver Line to put you close to BUSM (but that would put your friend nowhere near Harvard).

 

[androman]

Thanks very much for your input, sully!

So IF I were to commute from Cambridge to BUSM by bus, do you know how long that would take to and from?

thanks~

I totally agree with Sully. Avoid the Green line at all cost. Especial during rush hour. I believe the CT line leaves from Central square. Check out www.mbta.com for all the bus/subway routes. They also have decent maps. Central square is walking distance from Harvard. Your friend could also jump on the T, and bam, is at Harvard in one stop. I think it takes 30-35 min to get to BUSM by the CT bus. You can verify that at the mbta website. Another option is to live in Charlestown/Somerville somewhere near Sullivan square on the orange line. From there you can take the orange line to the Mass Ave stop which is the closest subway line to BUSM. From Sullivan square your friend can take a bus right to Harvard. I hope this helps. Post anymore questions that you might have.

 

[melimi]

Hi everyone...

congratulations on your BU acceptances!
there might be a chance that I'll be attending BUSM, all the way from the west coast... actually, I have a friend who will be attending Harvard graduate school, and we are trying to figure out housing possibilities together... do you guys know of any neighborhoods that are in between the two schools, and what would be the normal commute time from that neighborhood to Harvard (not medical school) and to BUSM? I had been looking into Allston... does anyone know how long it normally takes from there to get to Harvard and to BUSM, and by what mode of transporation (we'll be using public transportation)?

Thank you so much in advance for your suggestions and feedback!

it takes 40-50min to get to BUSM from allston if u take the green line all the way to hynes and then the CT1 down mass ave
takes 25 min if u take The B.U.S. from comm ave to BUSM
it takes 10-15 min to get to harvard (main campus) if u take the 66 bus from allston (harvard ave stop right on comm ave)



oh, and the best method of transportation in boston, by far = bike
it takes 10-15 min to get from allston to busm on a bike; prob 5 min to harvard

 

[kc123]

I lived in Central Square last year (about a 10 minute walk to Harvard) and took the #1 bus to BUSM. It'd take about 20-30 minutes by bus in rush hour traffic. There's a CT1 (the express bus that only makes certain stops) that takes 15 minutes, but that only runs at certain times. The only problem I had with the bus was taking it back to Central Square when I was on campus late (past 10 pm). Sometimes I had to wait up to 30 minutes for a bus to come by, and BUSM isn't in a great neighborhood to be alone in at night as a solo female. It's pretty consistent during the days and evenings (I would even argue that it's more consistent than the green line leading to Allston).

If you live anywhere along the #1 bus line, you'll have an easy commute to BUSM. It runs down Massachusetts Ave. from Harvard Square at one end, and BUSM at the other end. Your other option is to live along the Silver Line to put you close to BUSM (but that would put your friend nowhere near Harvard).

What neighborhoods does the silver line run through? I'm not familiar with that bus at all! I took the number 1 bus this morning from Central....I had to drop off financial aid forms....that bus takes FOREVER! I guess I am spoiled by the 71 bus that goes so quickly up Mt. Auburn to Watertown. But, Mass Avenue has a lot more traffic, obviously! Also, what neighborhoods does the BU shuttle run through.....just trying to figure out my options.....after today, I think I probably want to move a little closer than Watertown.....45 minutes to an hour is a long commute to do every day. Not the most accessible medical school around!!

 

[kc123]

I totally agree with Sully. Avoid the Green line at all cost. Especial during rush hour. I believe the CT line leaves from Central square. Check out www.mbta.com for all the bus/subway routes. They also have decent maps. Central square is walking distance from Harvard. Your friend could also jump on the T, and bam, is at Harvard in one stop. I think it takes 30-35 min to get to BUSM by the CT bus. You can verify that at the mbta website. Another option is to live in Charlestown/Somerville somewhere near Sullivan square on the orange line. From there you can take the orange line to the Mass Ave stop which is the closest subway line to BUSM. From Sullivan square your friend can take a bus right to Harvard. I hope this helps. Post anymore questions that you might have.

I think the Back Bay T stop (also on the orange line) is also about a 15 minute walk from BUSM -- at least that's what someone told me at the open house....and probably a little safer to walk to/from the school than the Mass Ave stop.

 

[lightnk102]

I think the Back Bay T stop (also on the orange line) is also about a 15 minute walk from BUSM -- at least that's what someone told me at the open house....and probably a little safer to walk to/from the school than the Mass Ave stop.

Just so you know, the Orange line stop is pretty far from BUSM in my opinion. It's a good 15-20 minute walk down Mass Ave.

The closest public transportation stops to BUSM are the #1 bus (stops right at BUSM) and the Silver Line (E. Newton St.). The silver line drops you off 2 blocks away from school and runs relatively often and is more dependable than the #1 bus. It doesn't run that far though, from dudley square to downtown crossing. Unfortunately, BUSM is located in a spot very inconvenient to any form of public transportation. The surrounding neighborhood (South End) is also expensive.

There's a map of the subway lines here.


Just so you know, the silver line is an above-ground bus, but its on the subway map and is not considered a bus for some reason.

 

[melimi]

Just so you know, the Orange line stop is pretty far from BUSM in my opinion. It's a good 15-20 minute walk down Mass Ave.

ditto, plus u pass the Mass ave orange line T stop on the way to the Back bay orange line t stop (if ur coming from BUSM), so theres no point on doing that, and the walk to back bay station is at least a good 25 min, but a nice walk on sunny/warm summer days

Just so you know, the silver line is an above-ground bus, but its on the subway map and is not considered a bus for some reason.

its not considered a bus cuz it has its own bus lane, so its consistently on time (no impeding traffic) plus at one point it goes underground, and actually stops at the same level subway station as the green and orange lines; im gonna have to admit, i was all pissed off when i realized the new <echo>SILVER LINE</echo> was just a miserable bus; but its actually le sheit

 

[follow]

wow thanks everyone for all the information!
does anyone know exactly when BUSM starts first year? that would have implications on when I have to move...

Thanks so much!

 

[melimi]

i believe orientation is the last week of august or around there, im thinking the last 3-4 days
and then school at BU always starts the tuesday after labor day, which would mean it will start sept 6th this year

 

[greeneyes23]

Hey guys,

My roommate will be a 2nd yr at BU next year, and I am going to be graduating, so my room will be up for grabs. I am leaving Jun 1, so it will be available then, and is 790/month and it's easy to get to the Med Campus from it (20 min commute in rush hour). It is in ehe Kenmore/back bay area. If you're interested in living with a BU med student and wanna move here early summer in June, let me know. (It may be nice to move early too, because moving. Send me a PM

 

[androman]

Question for everyone that will be attending BU this fall. Does anyone know what the next step is after sending in your letter of intent and submitting finacial aid forms? Are we just supposed to wait for our financial package. What about a tuition deposit? I assume they will contact us for that. It just would be nice to receive some sort of letter listing the next steps we are supposed to take that's all. Maybe after May 15th I guess.

 

[lis79]

Question for everyone that will be attending BU this fall. Does anyone know what the next step is after sending in your letter of intent and submitting finacial aid forms? Are we just supposed to wait for our financial package. What about a tuition deposit? I assume they will contact us for that. It just would be nice to receive some sort of letter listing the next steps we are supposed to take that's all. Maybe after May 15th I guess.

I received a letter on Saturday asking for a $500 deposit and final transcripts. Hope this helps.

 

[kc123]

I got the same letter....$500 seems like a lot for a non-refundable deposit....but I guess it's a small price to pay to hold the spot....I'm still waiting to hear from 2 schools is all....I guess in the grand scheme of things, it's not a lot of money! The deposit is due by May 15th.

 

[androman]

Thanks guys. I called my parents and the same letter was waiting for me at their place. I guess it was poor to assume that my parents would have called me to let me know I received a letter from BU. Gee thanks mom and dad. I guess they only give me a call to let me know about the rejection letters.

 

[melimi]

has anyone else gotten their financial aid estimate from BU yet????
mine SUX, close to nothing; but another school is offerring me twice as much, does anyone know if i can negotiate the amount?

 

[lightnk102]

has anyone else gotten their financial aid estimate from BU yet????
mine SUX, close to nothing; but another school is offerring me twice as much, does anyone know if i can negotiate the amount?

youo probably can, but you might want to do it fast since the may 15th deadline is quickly approaching. BU handed out the finaid packages so close to the deadline. gives you very little room for maneuvering. i haven't even gotten mine yet, but I don't think BU is known to be very generous. They have the same estimated yearly budget as Jefferson does, even though Boston is significantly more expensive than Philadelphia (and tuition is about the same at both schools). It'll be tight for living in Boston.

 

[aaroncw1981]

I heard from friends who go to UMASS that BU sucks at agreements about FINAID, they feel that they are giving you a gift. Try to talk to them, but don't expect much. Cost is a big problem at BU. BIG

 

[melimi]

yeah, nevermind about the negotiating financial aid thing, apparently they gave me the max

now, i can be an RA (resident advisor) in the undergrad BU campus, which i dont mind, since i live around that area right now anyways and i lived there for 4 yrs; it basically pays for your room + board, so i wont have to worry about rent or food for 2 yrs of med school

problem: its in one of the freshman dorms
question: does anyone think this is a bad idea???; considering its $11k i save myself per year ????

 

[cammy1313]

problem: its in one of the freshman dorms
question: does anyone think this is a bad idea???; considering its $11k i save myself per year ????

Welll, it's really a matter of what you believe you can handle. Personally, I had enough of college freshman and dorm drama when I was a freshman. If I were doing something less stressful such as a masters program then I would probably go for the RA position because it is a sweet deal. But I know myself and the only person I want to be responsible for during med school is me. The money is pretty great but not enough to pay for my sanity. If you feel you'd welcome the distraction of being den mother for two years then I say go for it!

Anyone else send BU the 500 clams with a bit of reluctance? I waited so long to send it I had to fedex it on Wednesday. Just arrived there today I think it's because the fin aid package I got from them isn't even enough to cover tuition. I'm SOL

 

[lightnk102]

yeah, nevermind about the negotiating financial aid thing, apparently they gave me the max

now, i can be an RA (resident advisor) in the undergrad BU campus, which i dont mind, since i live around that area right now anyways and i lived there for 4 yrs; it basically pays for your room + board, so i wont have to worry about rent or food for 2 yrs of med school

problem: its in one of the freshman dorms
question: does anyone think this is a bad idea???; considering its $11k i save myself per year ????

my friend's being an RA right now, and he says it's more work than you think. you have to wake up at night and take care of your kids if they're drunk or puking (and sadly, freshman parties are never scheduled around a med school exam schedule). they're loud on fridays and saturday evenings. and you're "on call" as an RA a lot which means that if anything happens at all in the building, you have to get out of bed and take care of it. however, you only have to plan one event a month which isn't too bad.

also, take a look at the dorms before you sign up for it. i visited my friend and his room is TINY. and you have to share a bathroom with the freshmen. the plus is that you save a lot of money, and the cafeteria is right downstairs so if you're snowed in, you never have to worry about food.

if you're a med student, you'll likely be an RA for the SMEDS (the undergrads in BU's 7 year med program).

 

[melimi]

my friend's being an RA right now, and he says it's more work than you think. you have to wake up at night and take care of your kids if they're drunk or puking (and sadly, freshman parties are never scheduled around a med school exam schedule). they're loud on fridays and saturday evenings. and you're "on call" as an RA a lot which means that if anything happens at all in the building, you have to get out of bed and take care of it. however, you only have to plan one event a month which isn't too bad.

also, take a look at the dorms before you sign up for it. i visited my friend and his room is TINY. and you have to share a bathroom with the freshmen. the plus is that you save a lot of money, and the cafeteria is right downstairs so if you're snowed in, you never have to worry about food.

if you're a med student, you'll likely be an RA for the SMEDS (the undergrads in BU's 7 year med program).

i actually dont have to be in my room 24/7, so taking care of them on friday/saturday nights would actually not be my responsibility unless i was on call, and i only have to be on call 15 nights per semester, and its whenever i want, i pick the dates, and if something comes up i can actually switch with someone else whenever. my room would be tiny, but i dont mind since I lived in the same dorm for 2 yrs, and in another dorm with a room the same size for another 2 yrs. personally, i wont mind LIVING there, since im used to it; theres more pros to it than cons, but is the amount of money worth it???

 

[lightnk102]

i actually dont have to be in my room 24/7, so taking care of them on friday/saturday nights would actually not be my responsibility unless i was on call, and i only have to be on call 15 nights per semester, and its whenever i want, i pick the dates, and if something comes up i can actually switch with someone else whenever. my room would be tiny, but i dont mind since I lived in the same dorm for 2 yrs, and in another dorm with a room the same size for another 2 yrs. personally, i wont mind LIVING there, since im used to it; theres more pros to it than cons, but is the amount of money worth it???

i withdrew from BU today so it looks like i won't be seeing you guys next fall. it was really tough (especially since i was going against majority opinion), but - i like to trust my instincts.

best of luck to you all!

 

[androman]

I was also thinkiing about the whole RA thing, but I decided living far away from the medical campus and being forced to take the shuttle wasn't worth it for me. The $11,000 sounds really nice though. You should go for it.

Does anybody know when the private loan game begins? Do we wait to hear the financial aid office's final decision regarding the Federal Direct loans we can take out or should we start applying for private loans? And how long does it take that office to figure this out anyway? It's not like they're giving anybody a dime. What's the hold up?

 

[cammy1313]

Does anybody know when the private loan game begins? Do we wait to hear the financial aid office's final decision regarding the Federal Direct loans we can take out or should we start applying for private loans? And how long does it take that office to figure this out anyway? It's not like they're giving anybody a dime. What's the hold up?

I would wait until you've recieved your financial aid package from BU. Once you have that you can decide the additional funds you'd like to borrow and hit up a bank. This can all be done online these days and it doesn't take too horribly long. You could conceivably wait until July to submit a private loan app and be just fine (maybe even August but that's just too close for me).

 

[androman]

I would wait until you've recieved your financial aid package from BU. Once you have that you can decide the additional funds you'd like to borrow and hit up a bank. This can all be done online these days and it doesn't take too horribly long. You could conceivably wait until July to submit a private loan app and be just fine (maybe even August but that's just too close for me).

Thanks Cammy1313. So I guess it is just a waiting game for me now. I have only received my preliminary award which only estimates what I will recieve in institutional loans. Which of course was a big fat zero. Have you received your final award yet? If so when? By the way I read your MDapps profile. Very nice! It should be a big help to all the new applicants.

 

[Uegis]

Hello everyone. I was just wondering how great a fin aid package does BU give? Is it all in loans? Or are there grants/scholarships available? I'm not officially in the class yet, but I got an email indicating my chances of getting off waitlist is good. I would consider going to BU if the financial aid is good since it costs an arm and a leg to live in Boston. I have EFC of 0 and my parents don't make a lot, if that matters. thanks for any info!!

 

[lightnk102]

Hello everyone. I was just wondering how great a fin aid package does BU give? Is it all in loans? Or are there grants/scholarships available? I'm not officially in the class yet, but I got an email indicating my chances of getting off waitlist is good. I would consider going to BU if the financial aid is good since it costs an arm and a leg to live in Boston. I have EFC of 0 and my parents don't make a lot, if that matters. thanks for any info!!

my EFC was 0 as well, and my package consisted of federal loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), one institutional loan, and one grant (for $2000). it still left me approximately ~10k shy of the total cost of attending BU, which would have to be made up for with private loans. my parents are middle class.

 

[kc123]

I got my financial aid package from BU and I didn't receive ANY institutional loans or grants. Just $38,500 in Stafford loans. Anybody else that is looking at taking out private loans to cover all living costs, fees, etc. I think what really hurt me is that I've worked this past year as a research assistant (so I've made $13,000), but I live on my own (I'm 31), so that money has gone to pay for rent, etc. I haven't been able to save any. My parent are middle class, but divorced, so they are each supporting their own households, and obviously aren't supporting me! I'm just wondering if anybody else has been out of school for a significant amount of time, and finds themselves in the same spot. I'm so reluctant to take out $20K in private loans, which are known to be SO expensive. Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[cammy1313]

I got my financial aid package from BU and I didn't receive ANY institutional loans or grants. Just $38,500 in Stafford loans. Anybody else that is looking at taking out private loans to cover all living costs, fees, etc. I think what really hurt me is that I've worked this past year as a research assistant (so I've made $13,000), but I live on my own (I'm 31), so that money has gone to pay for rent, etc. I haven't been able to save any. My parent are middle class, but divorced, so they are each supporting their own households, and obviously aren't supporting me! I'm just wondering if anybody else has been out of school for a significant amount of time, and finds themselves in the same spot. I'm so reluctant to take out $20K in private loans, which are known to be SO expensive. Thanks in advance for the input!

Ditto. Only 38,500 in gov't loans. Except I'm also still paying off gov't and private loans from one year of BU's Masters program. Not the cheapest school around but I knew that going into it so I suppose I can't complain. I'm signed up at FastWeb which is a scholarship database. I'm hoping I can snag 1K here and there from this which isn't much but is better than nothing I suppose.

 

[melimi]

Hello everyone. I was just wondering how great a fin aid package does BU give? Is it all in loans? Or are there grants/scholarships available? I'm not officially in the class yet, but I got an email indicating my chances of getting off waitlist is good. I would consider going to BU if the financial aid is good since it costs an arm and a leg to live in Boston. I have EFC of 0 and my parents don't make a lot, if that matters. thanks for any info!!

the financial aid kind of sux to tell u the truth
the max u can get in scholarships is $7,500 per year
the itrest of it is given as "low interest loans", which are 0% interest during the 4 yrs of med school and then i believe its 5% after u graduate

 

[kc123]

the financial aid kind of sux to tell u the truth
the max u can get in scholarships is $7,500 per year
the itrest of it is given as "low interest loans", which are 0% interest during the 4 yrs of med school and then i believe its 5% after u graduate

Are you quoting interest for Stafford or private? I'm assuming Stafford....can't imagine private would be that low, but I really don't know much, and need to educate myself on all this soon!