StaNg72

Best of luck to everyone waiting to hear back! If you do get LEAP scholarship, consider yourself very lucky. When it comes to funding nowadays, all anyone can manage is a giant eye roll.

Nice. Yeah, if you know what KVL and KCL are, and the few equations relating resistance, capacitance, inductance, current, and voltage, you're good to go.

Circuits can definitely be taken without Physics II, but I would highly recommend acquainting yourself with the basics of circuit theory before class begins. You don't have to, of course, you can just learn it when class does begin, but you'll definitely be glad you did. It honestly won't take very long if you sit down with Kahn Academy on YouTube or something. Physics II also goes into electromagnetism, Maxwell's equations, and a bit of optics, so if you want exposure, it's a nice class to take. Otherwise, Electric Circuits can be taken without it.

Public transpo is definitely the commoner's mode of travel. Occasionally, a car is nice for things like large grocery loads, in which case I use ZipCar. It's really up to you. I've heard that parking can be annoying most time.

Congratulations, szman!

Hey Vince! I was wondering when I'd get an update from you, haha. I've been well. This semester's been keeping me pretty busy, but I'm enjoying everything. I think szman is right. I've also just asked a fellow LEAPer who started in Spring, and he said he didn't get an official notice until around December 20th. You can probably call before then, maybe early December, to find out. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you (and everyone else)!

I remember finding out around mid-March for Fall admission.

Agreed.

You can certainly, and it is advisable, that you take as many pre-req courses as possible prior to coming to LEAP. Just make sure that you consult the LEAP website (http://www.bu.edu/eng/academics/special-programs/leap/faq/) for the syllabi (you may need to do some digging) and make sure those courses cover everything on that particular syllabus. Here's an example of the one for Calc I: http://www.bu.edu/eng/academics/special-programs/leap/documents/MA123_Sp12_Panth.pdf The courses most students take before coming are all of the calc courses, physics 1 and 2, and differential equations. But again, check the website under your chosen field, see what is required, and look for the course's syllabus. If you need more information, I have several friends currently in LEAP who took a handful of courses prior to entry.

You are correct, I am in mechanical. In truth, I don't have any feels of the sort. I try not to let those numbers drive my ambitions. If we all did that, would there even be any growth? Call me an idealist, but I don't think any of us should choose a path based on something that will always be changing. As for salaries...can't say I'm there yet. I'm still a Phase I student through December, and I'm only just beginning my internship search. Our Career Resource Center and advisors are brilliant at helping students find such opportunities. Can we safely argue that scientists, physicists, engineers, and technologists are and will continue to be the driving forces of this nation's economy? I think so. A big saying among LEAP students is that this program is what you make of it. And as Neil deGrasse Tyson once said, "In whatever you choose to do, do it because it's hard, not because it's easy. Math and physics and astrophysics are hard. For every hard thing you accomplish, fewer other people are out there doing the same thing as you. That's what doing something hard means. And in the limit of this, everyone beats a path to your door because you're the only one around who understands the impossible concept or who solves the unsolvable problem." And therein lies the competition. How did the meeting with the advisor go?

Hey Calvin, Unfortunately, I'm not very versed in the pros and cons of MEng versus a BSE. However, at a recent LEAP info session, I do recall one of our administrators giving an example that described an employer looking to hire. She said that the employer asked for recent graduates, and that if the person holds only a B.S.E., then the employer also required that they had a certain amount of experience (probably a certain number of years) in the field. If the person holds a Masters, no experience is required. That's one story. If I were to thoroughly answer your question, I would need to do a bit of research before providing you with one. I feel that this type of thing is dependent of many factors, factors that I haven't adequately researched. If you'd like, I can see if I can do some digging and get back to you. As for the second part of your question, from the bit of research I have done, it seems that ABET accreditation is very important for those seeking to work in Civil or Environmental engineering. This topic isn't so black and white and depends upon the requirements of each state. I've also read that holding a degree from an ABET accredited institution is not so crucial for aerospace engineers, although I think all states require you to hold a license if you offer services directly to the public. I can definitely find out by talking to some of our faculty and get back to you. Or, if anyone here has a more definitive answer, we're all eyes! As for your third question, I don't see the different fields as having advantages and disadvantages against each other. It all depends on what you're interested in and intrigued by, what engineering problems you'd like to solve, where your passion lies and where you want to contribute your skills, among many other things. One can make great strides in all of those fields if you're willing to put in the work. Personally, I would not devote myself to a field that I'm not passionate about just because I view an aspect of it as slightly better than that belonging to another field. Once you pinpoint your passion for an area of study, there will be nothing but advantages. A degree in chemical engineering will lead you on an entirely different path than, say, in mechanical engineering. There really is no comparing the two unless you're talking about the types of jobs that'll be open to you. At that point, it's not even about advantages and disadvantages...it's about what you want to do with your life. Also keep in mind that you will probably be working with a team of engineers, each with a different degree. A project may require that all types of engineers contribute, but each person is focusing on something different, but equally as exciting and challenging. Sorry I couldn't provide any concrete answers. Let me know if you'd like me to do any digging about BSE/ABET! Stan

Most of us are looking somewhere in that exact intersection, haha. I certainly am! The nice thing about Phase I is that a handful of the required courses are shared among the different fields, so you get a taste of each regardless of what you department you apply to (accept maybe biomedical...). It'd be smart to see which Phase I courses correspond to a particular field and try and schedule yourself to take them as early as possible. One of the nice things about the program is that you can certainly change to another field if you decide that you're more interested in it. But, as with all programs, the earlier you figure it out, the easier it'll be on you in terms of time and money. As for how diverse your course load is once you've chosen a field, it's sort of something you'll have to work out with your advisor depending on your experiences in the program so far, what your goals are, what research (if any) you've done, what you're passionate about, etc. Nevertheless, you'll have to be declared as "Electrical" or "Mechanical" or "Materials", etc., and take all of the required courses for that field. However, once you get into the Masters program (or Phase II), you are allowed elective courses that you can then take to hone in on what you're interested in.

Hey Loquacator! I don't know if I can aptly answer your first question about your MA, but I think if I were you, I would finish it - after all the hard work I would have put into the field, and with so few things left to do, it'd be nice to have those extra letters after my name that will show where I've come from. I think it's an entirely personal decision. On the other hand, I think I'd also be very anxious to start the new engineering chapter of my life (as I was). Mayhaps someone else can provide some insight? As for math courses beyond the calc requirement, my advice (and the advice of many current LEAP students) would be to take as many of the foundational math and physics courses as possible prior to starting LEAP. It'll save you loads of time and money. These classes include Calc II, Calc III, Differential Equations, Physics I, Physics II, and Linear Algebra. A wise thing to do would be to check out the LEAP website's "Phase I Course Requirements" section and see what your chosen field requires. Some fields don't require Physics II, for example, while others do. Some require Linear Algebra while others don't. But those (unless I've missed one, in which case someone can jump in) are the math courses you can certainly get done before coming here. As for courses more advanced and beyond those, they're probably courses that BU would prefer or require you take at our University. There is a LEAP scholarship, but it's difficult to say who gets what based on what merit. I think for the scholarship, the best time to apply for would be Fall semester. Otherwise, you can take out an unsubsidized Stafford Loan and/or a Direct Plus Loan. You can also look for external scholarships. I think traditionally the applicant pool size is bigger for the Fall semester. I don't know if numbers are equal between Fall and Spring, but it doesn't seem like it. Stan

Of course! Just as much as anyone else. Let's think about the opposite of your question: does being a LEAP student prevent you from getting a PhD at any of those institutions? Well, now that just sounds silly. The knowledge and skills you have are what determine that. It's not like being in LEAP brands you in some way that tells the world what your capabilities are and aren't. If anything, it'll show them the capabilities that they otherwise would not have seen. It's all dependent upon how you apply yourself. Again, I can't say what most do because I don't have enough information to say. I do know of students having part-time jobs. I would imagine that full-time would be more difficult. The important thing is that you decide what you need to do. Each student determines what is right for him or herself. If he or she decides that working while schooling is best, that's an option, and it is no less valid than any other. How those hours vary is, again, determined by you. Do whatever you need to do!

Unfortunately, I don't have the data to even give an educated guess as to how many go on to PhD. However, any PhD is quite a commitment, as one would expect. It's an entirely personal decision and depends on how your passion develops. After Phase I, you're exactly like all other graduate students, and like all graduate students, if you excel and have a passion for a topic, then heck, go for a PhD! There are many different PhD programs, and how those are chosen really is based on your experiences here (or at any institution for that matter).