BU Hopefuls

[HopefulMHA]

Hey!
Yes, it is early but I am so excited.
I got accepted to BU for the Health Policy and Management Track with a merit award.
So, anyone else who has decided on BU or is planning on going to BU, post here!
Hope to see you guys there!

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[kageh]

Hi! I haven't made the decision yet since I'm waiting to hear from a few other schools, but BU is one of my top choices; I got in for Epidemiology.

All the best!

 

[Stories]

My alma mater! Let me know if you guys have any Q's

 

[kageh]

My alma mater! Let me know if you guys have any Q's

Hey Stories! I have a few questions:

1. How was your experience with professors (are they friendly, approachable, available when needed, etc)?
2. What's your advice on how we can to get research assistant positions that can help toward expenses?
3. I see that you did two concentrations, how does that work, because I would love to combine Epidemiology and International Health.
4. Did you have many international students during the time you were there?

I am sorry to bombard you with all these questions at once. I just received my acceptance packet with a $15000 merit award, which is better than nothing, but it's still going to be expensive especially because I'm an international student. I really like BU, and I would be willing to apply to whatever scholarships/loans I find to cover the expenses.

Thanks!

 

[zekashis]

love to hear about that as well.. got an email saying that i am accepted in BU like 4 days ago.. still waiting for the mail

 

[gumbyj]

BU is my first choice. I have heard fantastic things about the program, I just wish they would get back to me already! =)

 

[zekashis]

are you seriously choosing BU over yale and columbia? i dont know about the prestige for the locals, but yale and columbia surely heard more oftenly here in Indonesia..

 

[sthenige]

Deleted

 

[gumbyj]

are you seriously choosing BU over yale and columbia? i dont know about the prestige for the locals, but yale and columbia surely heard more oftenly here in Indonesia..

BU is a fantastic school. Going purely by "rankings" BU (#11) is ranked above Yale (#13) and not too far below Columbia (#5). Also, I currently live in Boston - which would mean no relocating for me, and I have the opportunity to transfer to a full-time position at BU in the spring meaning the ENTIRE MPH would cost me ~$4,000. That is an absolute no-brainer for me.

If for some reason I got a great scholarship to Yale/Columbia or didn't end up with a full-time position at BU, then it might be more of a difficult choice, but the program at BU is fantastic. My friends who graduated with MPHs in Epi from BU are currently doing much better than those who graduated from Columbia (granted there are many extenuating factors).

 

[Jamiefrances]

BU is a fantastic school. Going purely by "rankings" BU (#11) is ranked above Yale (#13) and not too far below Columbia (#5). Also, I currently live in Boston - which would mean no relocating for me, and I have the opportunity to transfer to a full-time position at BU in the spring meaning the ENTIRE MPH would cost me ~$4,000. That is an absolute no-brainer for me.

If for some reason I got a great scholarship to Yale/Columbia or didn't end up with a full-time position at BU, then it might be more of a difficult choice, but the program at BU is fantastic. My friends who graduated with MPHs in Epi from BU are currently doing much better than those who graduated from Columbia (granted there are many extenuating factors).

Wow, that is terrific! I hope you get in!

Thought I'd chime in and agree with you because BU is one of my top choices, too. I was waitlisted last year (my GPA was terrible, about a 2.7 at best) so I'm reapplying this year and hoping for the best.

I'm from Boston originally, too, and I agree that BU has a great reputation in MA especially, but really in New England as a whole. However, I did my undergrad in TX, and not many people are familiar with it here--though the professor I work with and did research for was very familiar with it, and many of my classmates wanted to stay in TX so didn't really look or pay attention elsewhere, so that might not be the best example.

My cousin is an undergrad at BU, and although it's undergad and a different program, she's already getting great support and connections. It doesn't hurt that Boston is beautiful and totally amazing in general, either.

 

[zekashis]

Well, if you want to work/live in Boston post-graduation, BU definitely makes sense as it has a huge alumni network in Boston, and beyond that, it is definitely a well-respected school of public health, even if BU as a general name lacks the cache of Columbia or Yale. Yale's also a very small SPH, and though I imagine some are very attracted to the program for that reason, it probably does turn some other people off of it - it also makes the alumni network smaller than you'd expect it to be. As for Columbia, it is a wonderful school, but living in NYC as a grad student is something that I think some people would find stressful/not feasible financially. Columbia is also the only school of public health, that, when talking to alumni, I found alumni who did not enjoy their time there. Of course, this is anecdotal, but I personally just found it interesting that Columbia was the only place I was looking into that got negative reviews from some former students.

So, just saying people have their personal reasons for preferring certain schools, and basing your entire decision on US News Rankings and "prestige" is a bit short-sighted.

i DO agree that decision on USNews are somewhat shallow.. but as an international student, i have little understanding of the popularity and the quality of the schools.

you do realize that as an international student, which schools you heard more often usually are respected more.. such as harvard, hopkins, berkeley, etc.. the popularity of a school i think will have some aspect, as i have my career projection back here in Indonesia.

most of my seniors and employers currently in MoH have their MPH from hopkins and tulane. hearing the word 'tulane' too often, i wonder if the school is in any way better than BU?

by the way, i'm applying for health policy concentration

regards

 

[sthenige]

Deleted

 

[HopefulMHA]

Just got my letter today. 12000$ Merit award!

 

[gumbyj]

Just got my letter today. 12000$ Merit award!

Congrats!

 

[dtrtMPH]

Hello, everyone! It's great to see your good news. I have applied to Boston University, and SOPHAS sent my application today and ETS sent my GRE scores today. Does anyone know how long it takes BU to respond with receipt of application? Also, how long did it take to receive an admission decision?

I really like Boston U's International Health MPH. I also applied to Tulane's Global Health MPH and UMich's HBHE department (which I was recently accepted to). Which school is a very recommendable school?

 

[Stories]

Hey Stories! I have a few questions:

1. How was your experience with professors (are they friendly, approachable, available when needed, etc)?
2. What's your advice on how we can to get research assistant positions that can help toward expenses?
3. I see that you did two concentrations, how does that work, because I would love to combine Epidemiology and International Health.
4. Did you have many international students during the time you were there?

I am sorry to bombard you with all these questions at once. I just received my acceptance packet with a $15000 merit award, which is better than nothing, but it's still going to be expensive especially because I'm an international student. I really like BU, and I would be willing to apply to whatever scholarships/loans I find to cover the expenses.

Thanks!

1.) Very friendly. Made several connections that were great and wrote me several great letters of rec for grad school #2 (PhD).

2.) It's just sort of luck. There's no real way to get a position except you have to be a good candidate, plain and simple. This means experience and related skill sets.

3.) You just take the courses for both Nothing more than that! Just means you won't have many (if any) electives.

4.) Yes, there were some, but in my experience, mostly in biostatistics (mostly Chinese). This was also my experience at Yale.

 

[Stories]

are you seriously choosing BU over yale and columbia? i dont know about the prestige for the locals, but yale and columbia surely heard more oftenly here in Indonesia..

Having gone to both BU and Yale, I would argue that BU is a better school for the vast majority of students interested in working in a non-research setting. Yale does a great job of preparing researchers, but lacks in non-research areas.

 

[zekashis]

Well, yes, if you are planning in working internationally, name recognition suddenly does become much more important, and overall name recognition of the institution internationally becomes a more important concern, as some universities well known for public health in the U.S. are not well known internationally. In this case, the very top schools (Hopkins and UNC), the Ivies (Harvard, Columbia, Yale) and those particularly known for global health (Tulane and Emory I believe) would likely be the best choices.

Tulane is particularly well known for global health, and if you are interested in that discipline, it is definitely a good choice. I do not know a lot about the school beyond that, but my impression is that global health is its specialty and its reputation in other areas is not quite as strong? Though maybe I am wrong about that. In terms of Tulane vs BU in global health specifically, Tulane probably does have the edge, though I know an amazing professor at BU SPH (I did not go there, but he taught classes in the community health program at my undergrad) who has tons of global health experience and I would imagine BU's global health program is still quite strong.

I'm a bit surprised to hear you say you're applying for health policy... as far as I know, health policy concentrations in U.S. schools of public health are generally focused heavily on the functioning, organization, and analysis of the U.S. healthcare system, not on international health systems. If you wish to work abroad post-graduation, I feel it might be more useful to concentrate in global health where you would learn about international healthcare systems and take the policy analysis and program evaluation classes from the policy concentration as well so you still have those skills at your disposal.

thank you for the input, i really learn much from the conversation here. my purpose taking policy focus was to learn policy analysis, program eval, decision sciences. i agree that the global health focus would teach me more about international healthcare systems, and i am also planning to take those electives as well

truth be told, BU is actually my least researched school. i know very little about the school. but i heard that a double focus is allowed? i would love to learn the best of the two worlds

Having gone to both BU and Yale, I would argue that BU is a better school for the vast majority of students interested in working in a non-research setting. Yale does a great job of preparing researchers, but lacks in non-research areas.

i see.. i've always thought that the name 'yale' would open much job opportunities back here in Indonesia. but i am seriously putting this information into consideration.. wish someone from yale could give insights regarding this matter


regards
chris

 

[H20Propre]

2.) It's just sort of luck. There's no real way to get a position except you have to be a good candidate, plain and simple. This means experience and related skill sets.

BU is pretty notorious for having a cattle call admissions process. Huge numbers of students apply, some using BU as a backup, and maybe half decide to go elsewhere even after being accepted at BU.

A couple years ago, they asked for "additional information" from applicants, as in another essay around Feb. 14th, BU's idea of a valentine I guess So, no, it's not necessarily being a "good candidate" plain and simple, some pretty excellent candidates get passed over as BU figures they'll go elsewhere.

The thread is practically a SDN classic.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=797974

Can't wait to see if they do this this year. It wasn't all fun and jokes as a Peace Corps applicant who was really into BU was treated pretty poorly by some BU administrator and couldn't get help getting this additional info to the school because she was in a foreign country.

I dug up the semi-infamous quote,

"I feel as though I have shown my desire to attend BU, through my actions and through the words in my statement of purpose already provided to the committee for review. I would be curious to know if there were any other applicants who sacrificed a weeks pay and rode for 12 hours round-trip in sweltering heat on a wooden bench seat carrying a neighbor's chicken one way in order to submit one form for Boston University."

Goes to show, that a so-called dream school can turn into a nightmare when you see what is under the surface.

 

[Jamiefrances]

BU is pretty notorious for having a cattle call admissions process. Huge numbers of students apply, some using BU as a backup, and maybe half decide to go elsewhere even after being accepted at BU.

A couple years ago, they asked for "additional information" from applicants, as in another essay around Feb. 14th, BU's idea of a valentine I guess So, no, it's not necessarily being a "good candidate" plain and simple, some pretty excellent candidates get passed over as BU figures they'll go elsewhere.

The thread is practically a SDN classic.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=797974

Can't wait to see if they do this this year. It wasn't all fun and jokes as a Peace Corps applicant who was really into BU was treated pretty poorly by some BU administrator and couldn't get help getting this additional info to the school because she was in a foreign country.

I dug up the semi-infamous quote,

"I feel as though I have shown my desire to attend BU, through my actions and through the words in my statement of purpose already provided to the committee for review. I would be curious to know if there were any other applicants who sacrificed a weeks pay and rode for 12 hours round-trip in sweltering heat on a wooden bench seat carrying a neighbor's chicken one way in order to submit one form for Boston University."

Goes to show, that a so-called dream school can turn into a nightmare when you see what is under the surface.

I remember you from last year--I've never met anyone whom has such a vendetta against a school, did you just have a horrific experience there or something?

A lot of schools are used as back ups by applicants, but that doesn't mean there aren't some people who genuinely consider that their 'dream school'. I've had another school that was a total pain to deal with last year: the way they handled my application wasn't great, they were rude and demeaning, and they had actually misplaced some of my materials. I've never implied to anyone that applying to aforementioned school is like taking a hollow-point bullet to the soul because of that experience, though, I see people on this forum that seem to love them, and have great experiences, I guess I just had a bad one.

 

[bostonmedical]

I forgot that BU allows for a double major. That would be a great thing if I got accepted. I want to do Social and Behavioral because I am curious about Epidemiology. Just not sure how well I would do in it. Wouldn't know until I take the require Epi course.

 

[gumbyj]

I just got accepted to Yale for CDE... c'mon BU I want to hear from you!!!

I'm pretty frustrated I haven't heard from them yet... I submitted Yale's app after BU and I have a ton of ties to the school, grrr!

 

[kageh]

1.) Very friendly. Made several connections that were great and wrote me several great letters of rec for grad school #2 (PhD).

2.) It's just sort of luck. There's no real way to get a position except you have to be a good candidate, plain and simple. This means experience and related skill sets.

3.) You just take the courses for both Nothing more than that! Just means you won't have many (if any) electives.

4.) Yes, there were some, but in my experience, mostly in biostatistics (mostly Chinese). This was also my experience at Yale.

Thank you for the info Stories. Most of the electives I was planning to take (if any) were going to be in International Health so, I guess it would be perfect for me to combine the two. We'll see.

 

[Jamiefrances]

Last year it took about ten weeks to hear back from them, this year the email confirming the completion of my application said it could be up to eight. When did you submit?

 

[kageh]

I just got accepted to Yale for CDE... c'mon BU I want to hear from you!!!

I'm pretty frustrated I haven't heard from them yet... I submitted Yale's app after BU and I have a ton of ties to the school, grrr!

Yeah, it took more than 10 weeks for me too since I submitted to SOPHAS on 10/13/12;
11/1: BU received app from SOPHAS
11/7: app forwarded for review
1/11/13: Acceptance email

So hang on in the there. Good luck!

 

[gumbyj]

Yeah, it took more than 10 weeks for me too since I submitted to SOPHAS on 10/13/12;
11/1: BU received app from SOPHAS
11/7: app forwarded for review
1/11/13: Acceptance email

So hang on in the there. Good luck!

My app wasn't mailed until 12/19, so I am just antsy! =) I guess I should expect to hear sometime in February

 

[Stories]

thank you for the input, i really learn much from the conversation here. my purpose taking policy focus was to learn policy analysis, program eval, decision sciences. i agree that the global health focus would teach me more about international healthcare systems, and i am also planning to take those electives as well

truth be told, BU is actually my least researched school. i know very little about the school. but i heard that a double focus is allowed? i would love to learn the best of the two worlds



i see.. i've always thought that the name 'yale' would open much job opportunities back here in Indonesia. but i am seriously putting this information into consideration.. wish someone from yale could give insights regarding this matter


regards
chris

Does having a famous school on your resume or CV help? It certainly does a little bit. But I'm not sure it's anywhere to the level you're probably thinking if that's the main reason you'd like to go to school A versus B. Attending one school versus another will not dramatically alter how you are as a worker and skills.

 

[dtrtMPH]

I just got accepted to Yale for CDE... c'mon BU I want to hear from you!!!

I'm pretty frustrated I haven't heard from them yet... I submitted Yale's app after BU and I have a ton of ties to the school, grrr!

congrats!

I guess I'll wait even longer because my app was sent to BU yesterday

 

[364462]

i DO agree that decision on USNews are somewhat shallow.. but as an international student, i have little understanding of the popularity and the quality of the schools.

you do realize that as an international student, which schools you heard more often usually are respected more.. such as harvard, hopkins, berkeley, etc.. the popularity of a school i think will have some aspect, as i have my career projection back here in Indonesia.

most of my seniors and employers currently in MoH have their MPH from hopkins and tulane. hearing the word 'tulane' too often, i wonder if the school is in any way better than BU?

by the way, i'm applying for health policy concentration

regards

I am applying to Health Policy concentrations, as well. Here is my take on things given your situation:

Name recognition is key for a position in an international organization or for an international student who wishes to secure a job in-country. (Whether or not we like this is a different thread entirely.) At the same time, it is important to reflect on whether or not the name recognition itself is the value or if there is something about students who have gone to a particular "popular" school? Is it that these particular individuals have "something" about them that they are then able to secure positions in otherwise lucrative organizations?

I am Asian-American hoping to "break into" the international field in Asia. For sure name recognition is part of my decision-making process - though a small part, as I believe "fit" is the best indicator of graduate school and subsequent successes.

As for the schools you apply, I would not worry too much about the curriculum themselves. At Harvard you can take global health related courses within the Health Policy Focus. Check out the curriculum guide. It is very useful. At Berkeley you can take the global health specialty area in addition to your Health Policy Concentration - and similarly at UCLA (though it is important to note that UCLA's policy concentration is domestically focused). At BU you may be in the same situation as Berkeley and UCLA - in that the policy focus will be on US related health policies but that you can supplement with electives by taking other courses in another concentration, such as the International Health concentration at BU. BU and Yale are on the same plane, as far as I am concerned. At Columbia you can take the Health Policy Focus with the Global Health Certificate. I believe Columbia's GH Certificate has coursework on healthcare systems abroad. Strictly speaking of curriculum, Harvard is your best best.

I suggest taking a closer look at curriculum guides/course descriptions. It is part of my own decision-making process, and I find it helpful. Best to know the details of what you are getting yourself. Good luck!

 

[zekashis]

I am applying to Health Policy concentrations, as well. Here is my take on things given your situation:

Name recognition is key for a position in an international organization or for an international student who wishes to secure a job in-country. (Whether or not we like this is a different thread entirely.) At the same time, it is important to reflect on whether or not the name recognition itself is the value or if there is something about students who have gone to a particular "popular" school? Is it that these particular individuals have "something" about them that they are then able to secure positions in otherwise lucrative organizations?

I am Asian-American hoping to "break into" the international field in Asia. For sure name recognition is part of my decision-making process - though a small part, as I believe "fit" is the best indicator of graduate school and subsequent successes.

As for the schools you apply, I would not worry too much about the curriculum themselves. At Harvard you can take global health related courses within the Health Policy Focus. Check out the curriculum guide. It is very useful. At Berkeley you can take the global health specialty area in addition to your Health Policy Concentration - and similarly at UCLA (though it is important to note that UCLA's policy concentration is domestically focused). At BU you may be in the same situation as Berkeley and UCLA - in that the policy focus will be on US related health policies but that you can supplement with electives by taking other courses in another concentration, such as the International Health concentration at BU. BU and Yale are on the same plane, as far as I am concerned. At Columbia you can take the Health Policy Focus with the Global Health Certificate. I believe Columbia's GH Certificate has coursework on healthcare systems abroad. Strictly speaking of curriculum, Harvard is your best best.

I suggest taking a closer look at curriculum guides/course descriptions. It is part of my own decision-making process, and I find it helpful. Best to know the details of what you are getting yourself. Good luck!

thanks porkbunsrule for sharing those very helpful information, i will definitely keep it in mind, hehe

btw i got accepted with 12.000usd merit award.. why do i get the feeling that all the applicants receive such scholarship?

 

[bostonmedical]

thanks porkbunsrule for sharing those very helpful information, i will definitely keep it in mind, hehe

btw i got accepted with 12.000usd merit award.. why do i get the feeling that all the applicants receive such scholarship?

I am hoping this is true. A merit award would be nice.

 

[364462]

thanks porkbunsrule for sharing those very helpful information, i will definitely keep it in mind, hehe

btw i got accepted with 12.000usd merit award.. why do i get the feeling that all the applicants receive such scholarship?

I was accepted to BU w/ merit nearly 3 weeks ago, and I have yet to receive the package. I am taking this as good news.

 

[ms newyear]

Many students tend to get merit aid and in my case, I also got "surprise" financial based scholarships.

In total, BU gave me a little over 20K and basically paid for one of my semesters .

 

[Kalla]

Good luck BU hopefuls! Currently a first-year/second-semester and enjoying my time here overall

 

[Abbeyroad1791]

I received that email asking for additional information almost 4 weeks ago! I felt the same way as a lot of those applicants, but wrote a short ditty in addition to my already exhaustive personal statement about why I want to go to BU. Its not my top top choice but I would go there for sure. The whole thing seemed rather silly to me.

 

[364462]

I wanted to share that I met Dr. Grodin who presented at a seminar. He teaches at BU and is part of the Health Law, Bioethics, and Human Rights Concentration. I have never met him before until today, and in fact, I did not know who he was until he gave a brief introduction of himself. In any case, if you are considering the concentration, particularly the Human Rights Emphasis, he seems like a very knowledgeable and approachable person. I can see why he has won a number of teaching and humanitarian awards (according to his BU bio). He also seems like a warm person with a sense of humor and someone who cares deeply about the wellbeing of his patients. If you are applying to this concentration, know that you are certainly in good hands.

I was admitted to the program with merit. Meeting him today is just icing.

 

[Maroonlove]

Hello, everyone! It's great to see your good news. I have applied to Boston University, and SOPHAS sent my application today and ETS sent my GRE scores today. Does anyone know how long it takes BU to respond with receipt of application? Also, how long did it take to receive an admission decision?

I really like Boston U's International Health MPH. I also applied to Tulane's Global Health MPH and UMich's HBHE department (which I was recently accepted to). Which school is a very recommendable school?

Any takers?
I submitted my application pretty late, and I realise they are probably swamped with applications for the priority deadline, but should I be freaking out that it's been more than a week since my application was mailed and I haven't got any notification about my application being received/complete?

 

[gumbyj]

Not sure if anyone will be able to answer this, but it is worth a shot:

Do you know if BU allows you to double-up scholarships -

For example, most stronger applicants receive a 12,000 - 15,000 merit award from BU, but I would also want to apply for the Community Scholars scholarship which covers half tuition. This would cover most of the degree. Anyone know if this is allowed/how it works.

If I am accepted I will contact FinAid and ask, just wondering.

 

[364462]

Not sure if anyone will be able to answer this, but it is worth a shot:

Do you know if BU allows you to double-up scholarships -

For example, most stronger applicants receive a 12,000 - 15,000 merit award from BU, but I would also want to apply for the Community Scholars scholarship which covers half tuition. This would cover most of the degree. Anyone know if this is allowed/how it works.

If I am accepted I will contact FinAid and ask, just wondering.

I doubt this happens because it would be akin to receiving 2 merit scholarships. I can see how it is possible if one is a merit award and the other is a need-based award. I assume that a school would spread the wealth as much as they can by rescinding the merit of 12-15k and offering the other scholarship, instead - or at the very least, giving you an opportunity to decide which offer you would prefer. I imagine one way to "double up" on awards is if one merit is from the school and another merit is from an external source (e.g., foundation, work, government).

...just my opinion, though.

 

[dtrtMPH]

Any takers?
I submitted my application pretty late, and I realise they are probably swamped with applications for the priority deadline, but should I be freaking out that it's been more than a week since my application was mailed and I haven't got any notification about my application being received/complete?

What day was your application mailed? Mine was mailed on January 30th and I got a confirmation email today that my app was received.

 

[gumbyj]

I doubt this happens because it would be akin to receiving 2 merit scholarships. I can see how it is possible if one is a merit award and the other is a need-based award. I assume that a school would spread the wealth as much as they can by rescinding the merit of 12-15k and offering the other scholarship, instead - or at the very least, giving you an opportunity to decide which offer you would prefer. I imagine one way to "double up" on awards is if one merit is from the school and another merit is from an external source (e.g., foundation, work, government).

...just my opinion, though.

That's what I was thinking as well... oh well I will just wait and see if I get in then cross that bridge if it comes to it!

 

[Epi12345]

Did anyone who got the additional info request get a decision yet? I just got it today and replied, wondering how much longer I'll need to wait.

 

[Maroonlove]

What day was your application mailed? Mine was mailed on January 30th and I got a confirmation email today that my app was received.

I got the confirmation email on 7th February. Now the waiting game begins Good luck everyone!

 

[364462]

Can someone point me to a link or other information that shows a double concentration (e.g., health policy + international health) is possible? If this is true of BU, then their offer just got interesting. Thanks in advance!

 

[364462]

Can someone point me to a link or other information that shows a double concentration (e.g., health policy + international health) is possible? If this is true of BU, then their offer just got interesting. Thanks in advance!

Nevermind. Found it!

 

[gumbyj]

Accepted to BU with merit on 2/11 yay!

 

[Sushi5]

Accepted to BU with merit on 2/11 yay!

Did they notify u by email/regular mail?

 

[Jamiefrances]

Accepted to BU with merit on 2/11 yay!

Congrats!

 

[gumbyj]

Did they notify u by email/regular mail?

Email and they said I should receive something by mail in 5-7 days. App sent for review on 1/5/13.

 

[dtrtMPH]

In at BU--International Health--today!