ihmcguinness

Just one anecdote here. After doing the undergraduate portion of the LEAP program, I applied and was accepted to Georgia Tech's M.S. program for this fall (hence me being on this board). Not in any way because I was unhappy with BU, but because I applied to a few top programs just to see if I could get in. Now it turns out that I am actually going to stay at BU for the M.S. In engineering, the rankings probably matter less than in any other field. The courses are generally the same at any decent engineering school, and it all comes down to which schools have the research that you want to get involved in. I've gotten advice from a lot of my professors and friends in industry, and they all recommend that I stay at BU because it will save me a semester, and is a more personal experience than an enormous program like that at GT.

I got most of my info from the website and talking to helaine. I also attended an information session in 2009. If you've got more questions, keep them coming. You (and anyone else interested) can message me through the forum if you'd like.

I found out from Helaine over the phone and eventually got a letter. I think I called her. Things may have become more formalized since then, but it is a pretty small program, so things can be pretty informal (in a good way). Anyone applying should definitely make contact with Helaine and get on her radar. I'm studying mechanical, with a concentration in control systems.

Hey everybody. I am a current LEAP student. I started two years ago, and am in the middle of my Master's coursework. I would wholeheartedly recommend the LEAP program to any aspiring engineers. The community of LEAP students alone make the program worth it, as it is a very tight-knit group of smart and dedicated (and cool) people. Boston University is very good to its engineering students, and I think the quality of education is much better than BU's engineering rankings would make it seem. The best news is that there is a GENEROUS SCHOLARSHIP (up to 70% of tuition) for almost all LEAP students, though I believe it has become somewhat competitive (it used to be for everyone!). Anyway, if you have questions about the program, I'd be happy to answer them. Just shoot me a message on this forum. If you want to contact the program director directly, her name is Helaine Friedlander, and she is extremely helpful and approachable. LEAP is her baby, and she really goes all out to get good students into the program and help them along as they go. Her email is hrf0@bu.edu. One more thing: LEAP accepts applications for Fall, Spring, or Summer, and you can usually submit an application just a few months/weeks before the start of your intended semester. In my case, I found out that I was in about two weeks before Summer classes started! Good luck!

And should I contact some profs with my resume and let them know I'm interested

I can't decide if I should call and ask if it's a waitlist

some, but not all? I am still waiting...