Loquacator

Again, thanks for the input--it is invaluable. What I'm hearing is that the greatest benefits of attending this program will be from collaboration, independent work, and generally taking initiative. Is it your impression that this is more true in the LEAP program than it would be at some other school, or is this just the nature of the game at the graduate level?

Thanks for sharing your experience anon_leap; I much prefer to hear the worst there is, even if I do decide to go. I would very much like to know if you and LEAPstudent think your issues with the program extend to other departments, or if it is primarily an issue with CS/CE. Best of luck with all your plans.

I'm interested in shared housing, too, but I'll be bringing with me a family of four. If anyone is looking at a house together, let me know. Also, I'll have to move to Boston from California, so if anyone else is in that boat, let me know and maybe we can share moving costs/labor.

Congratulations bsny. I just got my letter today. I applied a day or two before the deadline. No financial aid, but I'm still happy. Now to figure out housing and money.

Mechanical, and haven't heard anything back either. I'm quietly bouncing off the walls over here waiting.

Thanks Stan! You pretty accurately summed up my feelings about the MA; I want to finish it for the sense of accomplishment and to give my effort there maximum future value, but I also want to move into Engineering as much and as soon as possible. Added to that, I suspect that an abandoned MA will not look as good as a completed one, even though it's a given with LEAP that I'm starting over to some extent. Can you--or can anybody else--offer any thoughts on your chosen field? I know I'm looking somewhere in the intersection of Materials, Mechanical, and Electrical, but I don't really have any context for comparison. I can go look at the faculty directory and see general research interests, but at this stage a lot of it is still a bit beyond me. Even if it weren't, it would be easier for me to visualize if I heard someone talking about it first hand. If anyone wants to speak about the concrete, day-to-day operations of his specialization, I'd love to listen. What has been your experience working/studying in your field?

Hey all. I am planning to apply for either the Spring or Fall '14 semesters. I'm looking at LEAP after reconsidering my prior decision to go for a PhD in Philosophy. I'm done with enough coursework for an MA, leaving just the thesis and oral exam. My intention, unless told otherwise, has been to finish the thesis and oral exams for that MA this fall. Is this a reasonable plan? I had assumed it would be best for several reasons if I were able to complete the Philosophy MA before applying, but maybe there are better uses of that time. In the same vein, does anyone have any ideas for classes that I should or should not take before and during the application process, above and beyond the Calc requirement? Is it possible to take too many math classes before applying to LEAP? Also, can anybody say whether there ish a significant difference--in terms of financial aid, applicant pool size, or otherwise--between applying for the Spring versus Fall semester? I have intended to apply as close to the September 1 opening date as possible, regardless of which semester I am applying for. Good luck to everyone else!

Hey all. I'm thinking about applying either for Spring or Fall 2014, and I'm wondering about my options after Phase II. I'm most interested in AstroEng, but as far as I know that's not available at BU above the bachelor's level. If I were to get accepted and go with either MechEng or Materials, would it significantly hurt my chances of going somewhere else afterward for an Aero/Astro PhD?

Yeah, that was my original plan, but as I look into it, I find that many of the top-tier schools either don't grant second bachelors, or are very stingy about accepting students for them. MIT flat out doesn't take them, Harvey Mudd will, but won't provide any financial aid, Stanford seems to have very narrow requirements and a good deal of bureaucracy to navigate, and Berkeley takes them, but not very many, and only to the College of Engineering. Any other schools anyone knows of with relevant programs?

Alas, Thomas Aquinas College has no engineering or physics department, or any other department for that matter. It's a purely liberal arts school, and the curriculum is perfectly rigid; everyone has the same schedule all four years. I do know one or two teachers there who have mathematics backgrounds, but none of them is really going to have a lot to say to me about grad school. Right now I'm working with credit for Calc I from a 7-year old AP test, plus current enrollment in Calc II. Besides that, I have what would best be described as a background in history/philosophy of science. Interesting topics, no doubt, but they're hardly going to get me transfer credit. I'm basically starting straight out of high school.

Hey all, I'd like to know if anyone has any insight into how to transition into graduate Aero/Astrp Engineering from a humanities background. I got my BA from a Great Books School (Thomas Aquinas College), then took off a year before going into grad school for Philosophy. I went to grad school somewhat because I didn't know what else to do, and I quickly began to realize I was not interested in being in Philosophy academia. After three semesters, I decided to call it off, but by then I was so close to completing the MA, it seemed wise to at least wrap that up, lest I look like a total flake on future applications. As of now, I've completed all the coursework and am due to finish the Thesis and exams this semester. I've already started taking community college classes toward math/engineering, and am loving it. My goal would be to specialize in propulsion and work in the commercial spaceflight industry. My question is this: What do I need to do, and in what order, to get into grad school? Clearly, the main hurdle is that I lack pretty much all the higher level math and science required for a grad program. Can I apply straight to grad programs, and fill out my math/science there? Or do I need to do it before applying? If the latter, do I need to get a second bachelor's, or is it better to do it all at a community college? Will my Philosophy MA help or hurt my chances? These are my qualifications as they stand now: Undergraduate GPA--3.5 Undergraduate Lab Assistant--4 semesters GRE--800V/720M/4W Graduate GPA~3.33 Community College GPA--4.0 Thanks; any advice would be a huge relief.