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Boston University LEAP Program


Bobbi

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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.

Check your profile here. I posted a comment. Looking forward to talking to you soon.

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No updates from me, wish I had better news.

While BU's rankings are not super high (as far as engineering), I for one don't really buy into it. I'm convinced of this because a good friend of mine earned his degree in EE from BU and has really done well for himself. Really well. In a practical field like engineering, employers really care about what you know how to do and that you can back up claims to your abilities. They expect results and no amount of degree waving or high rankings can replace getting the job done (quickly!).

This is a particularly sensitive topic for me. I work with engineers who come from all flavors of universities with different rankings and reputations. The common thread is/was excellent study habits and a drive to really know the material. Being a lowly lab technician, I do what I'm told. But I can plainly see their training was, while not identical, largely homogeneous. My boss encouraged me to apply to BU (really, any school), get the training, and return to industry as a "real" engineer. I think that's what we all want from our education whether from BU or anywhere else. I came to engineering from a purely practical standpoint after working side-by-side with engineers. It is such cool work and its completely up to you if you want to do hands-on stuff (which I prefer) or crunch numbers (I'm sure some prefer this). While studying engineering doesn't guarantee a job, engineers are always in demand somewhere and the work is as fun or boring as you're willing to make it. I have my fingers crossed for all of us. Best of luck to all of you. I. Want. That. Degree.

Just wondering if anyone has any updates. Also, how marketable do you guys think an engineering degree from BU will be in today's marketplace.

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Hey guys,

I also considered LEAP in Boston. I took GRE and got quite a mediocre score. I work full time and was so tired that I couldn't concentrate at all. I got 650 on math and 350 on verbal part. Well, English is not my native language but I speak English fluently. My TOEFL score was 99 out of 100 without any preparation. Anyways, I am still thinking on applying to BU but I wonder if they will even consider my low GRE score. How good did you, guys. score on your GRE? My undergrad GPA is 3.82 but GRE just killed me. Thanks a lot!

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Just wondering if anyone has any updates. Also, how marketable do you guys think an engineering degree from BU will be in today's marketplace.

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.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey Armoluv7,

No word yet. I'm checking my email five million times a day. I'm going to email them sometime this week, but in the meantime I'm just focusing on getting good grades in my coursework now. I really need to know soon because I need to make preparations to move. Are you going to take any coursework over the summer?

Hey Adamlau, Dizzychemist any updates. Are we all meeting in Boston soon? I'm crossing my fingers for both of you.

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Hey Armoluv7,

No word yet. I'm checking my email five million times a day. I'm going to email them sometime this week, but in the meantime I'm just focusing on getting good grades in my coursework now. I really need to know soon because I need to make preparations to move. Are you going to take any coursework over the summer?

Not in the summer time, but I'm going to start Fall 2011. I'm looking at taking differential equations and physics 101. What coursework are you currently enrolled in? Are you finding it fifficult to get up to speed with the math and/or engineering courses?

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Hey Armoluv7,

I'm taking Calc I and Physics I this semester just as prep. I'm killing my coursework now, and it's not hard at all once I sit down and actually study. I've never been a math-y person, but I've been fortunate to have good instructors. We'll see where it takes me. I sure wish they'd get back to me though... As much as I would like to, I'm hesitant to keep bugging Helaine.

Not in the summer time, but I'm going to start Fall 2011. I'm looking at taking differential equations and physics 101. What coursework are you currently enrolled in? Are you finding it fifficult to get up to speed with the math and/or engineering courses?

Edited by adamlau
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As challenging as a career change into engineering is the LEAP program provided the environment and the resources for success from the administrative staff to my fellow LEAP students. One of the most difficult and rewarding things I've ever done.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey Adamlau:

You mentioned a friend of yours graduated BU with an electrical engineering degree and was doing very well for himself. I was wondering if you could elaborate, was he/she an undergrad/grad student, graduation date, working in industry or did he/she start their own business, did he/she find work through the career center? Thanks appreciate it, waiting to hear the good news from you for Fall 2011.

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Hey guys!

sorry for not keeping up on here, I was accepted to attend SFSU for a chemistry masters and I accepted. But I hope everyone gets in! And I havent heard from them yet but I have to check my mail still.... Good luck to everyone

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Hey Adamlau:

You mentioned a friend of yours graduated BU with an electrical engineering degree and was doing very well for himself. I was wondering if you could elaborate, was he/she an undergrad/grad student, graduation date, working in industry or did he/she start their own business, did he/she find work through the career center? Thanks appreciate it, waiting to hear the good news from you for Fall 2011.

Also, I'd like to ask the other Leap students on the board. What have you guys found with respect to the job market in engineering, and what sort of opportunities did the masters at BU make available?

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  • 3 weeks later...

I just joined the forums and thought I would check in here. I had <2.5 in college, after I was a 4.0 student in a competitive high school who took a ton of science and math courses. Retook calc, took the GRE and got a 410 verbal (left 6-7 questions blanks, unlucky with vocab), but 800 Math. Found out over email. I definitely had my doubts, specially cause I thought my college gpa in no way reflected the kind of student I was, but I ended up being accepted for the Fall 2011.

Anyone else hear recently?

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I just joined the forums and thought I would check in here. I had <2.5 in college, after I was a 4.0 student in a competitive high school who took a ton of science and math courses. Retook calc, took the GRE and got a 410 verbal (left 6-7 questions blanks, unlucky with vocab), but 800 Math. Found out over email. I definitely had my doubts, specially cause I thought my college gpa in no way reflected the kind of student I was, but I ended up being accepted for the Fall 2011.

Anyone else hear recently?

Hey there USCTrojan:

I also recently was accepted for the leap program for Fall 2011. I'm curious what are your thoughts on the program, what are your goals with the degree, what field of engineering would you like to pursue, what type of prospects do you feel will open to us when we obtain the degree? Congrats on the good news.

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  • 1 month later...

Hey!

My name's Andrew and Im applying for fall 2011 leap in EE/CE. I expect to get a firm (and hopefully positive!) admissions decision on Aug 1 or 2. Im desperately looking for a place to live in boston this coming year- does anyone want to share an apartment with a fellow leap student?

Reply here or email me. Amgoldb@gmail.com

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I haven't seen a post on this forum for a while. Hi Andrew I was also accepted to the leap program. What was your undergraduate major, and what drew you to the leap program? I need an apartment for the Spring 2012 semester only. Would you be interested in sharing an apartment for one semster only?

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  • 2 months later...

hey sorry this is really late, but I just came across this thread randomly doing a google search. I am a current LEAP student at BU since fall 2009. I am actually friends with Ian, the other guy that posted on here a while ago about the program. I completely agree with everything he said about the program. Also, if you either came to the LEAP Open House last spring or saw it live online I was the person filming it and running the online chat.

Anyways, I am in EE, I have finished all my credits and am writing up my thesis. I know a lot about the program and a lot in general about the engineering field and the best way to get to where you want to go. If anyone has any further questions about LEAP, engineering, grad schools, etc, feel free to message me. Good luck to everyone!

-Grant

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  • 2 weeks later...

HeyI had some questions about the leap program. I have a background in psychology from the university of Michigan and I graduated with a 3.5 in that and minored in Chinese. I love the business that I'm working for and love Detroit, but I'd much rather be working in a high tech field. I have yet to take a calculus class so I'll probably be doing that in a community college if if I get the chance this fall. I love computers and was looking at the computer science engineering field. Also havent taken the gre yet. My questions are thus

A) About how much does/did it cost you after financial aid to attend? what made you decide to go back and get an engineering degree? I have a psychology degree from the University of Michigan. I don't have a strong math background - was probably going to take some classes in math before I decided to go at a community college.

B) are there many scholarships and were you able to get many?

C) Do you yourself have a strong math background? Did you feel prepared enrolling in phase one? How much time do you spend studying? How much support does the university give to its students and if you need help with the curriculum do are there tutoring services available?

D) Do businesses actually respect you when you get out of the program? I posted this on another forum, and I got responses from a lot of people that were engineers that businesses would likely not take you seriously because you didn't receive the full education that an engineer does. I did compare bostons engin leap program and their actual engine bachelors and there are a lot of classes missing.

I know it's a lot of questions from someone that you don't even know, but any help you'd be able to give would be greatly appreciated. I want to do something hi tech without going back to school forever. Thanks in advance! let me know what y'all think and please pm me I'd love to talk!

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  • 5 weeks later...

Welp, application's submitted! I've applied for summer admission. I got the e-mail telling me that applications for Fall 2012 won't be reviewed until January. Does this apply to summer LEAP applicants? Impatient me is hoping it doesn't...

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Hey, I'm also applying for LEAP summer 2012. I talked with Helaine about two weeks ago, and she told me that applications for summer term are also reviewed starting in January. I got the impression that they're reviewed in the order they were received, so having yours in early should mean you'll get an answer sooner. Helaine thought they'd have decisions by February for apps reviewed in January, though that's not a guarantee. Best of luck!

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Hey, I'm also applying for LEAP summer 2012. I talked with Helaine about two weeks ago, and she told me that applications for summer term are also reviewed starting in January. I got the impression that they're reviewed in the order they were received, so having yours in early should mean you'll get an answer sooner. Helaine thought they'd have decisions by February for apps reviewed in January, though that's not a guarantee. Best of luck!

Gahh, I thought as much. Well thanks for the info and best of luck to you as well!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Does anyone know how difficult it might be to obtain a license to be a PE with a non-ABET Master's in Eng, and non-engineering BS degree? My concerns for doing a program like LEAP would be that we do not have a ABET-accredited BEng degree which is what a lot of employers are looking for (As well as being a PE). Thoughts please?

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  • 1 month later...

Hi,

I'm a working Mom with a couple of kids graduating HS in the next two years. I have a BS in Mgt and an MS in Project Management. I've been working for an engineering firm for over 10 years. I'm interested in the LEAP Program because my career has stalled (engineers get most of the perks). Anyway I can't seem to get some answers and wonder if anyone here has them.

1. After completing LEAP, are graduates eligible to sit for the PE?

2. Is LEAP online or in person?

3. I'm thinking of electrical engineering but really prefer civil. Does anyone know of a similar program at another institution that offers something similar to LEAP in Civil?

4. Have any adult LEAP students been able to receive scholarships or financial aid beyond loans. With 2 kids starting college in two years, I don't want to overburden the budget.

Thanks All !

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