Boston university

[SDBear]

I'm on my way to Boston tonight and I'll be at the open house tomorrow!

[SLP_boston]

For those who received scholarships from BU, do you mind telling us how much? Also, for assistantships, is this position just paid hourly for you? I'm thinking of applying for one to reduce the cost of attendance

 

Thanks!

Edited April 5, 2013 by SLP_boston

[Kozo]

I wasn't able to attend the BU open house but I'm really curious to hear how it was! Would anyone be willing to share their impressions?

[SLP2013]

I'm happy to give my thoughts about the BU open house although I should probably preface this by saying that I had decided upon BU before attending the open house. I had to been to all of the other Boston area open houses and found all of them very different. I think each program draws a different type of person but I can say why I loved BUs open house. Friday night was the reception with wine and appetizers. Many of the professors I had read about on the website were there. They were so incredibly intelligent but so personable. Every person I met introduced themselves by their first name and asked me about myself. The current students were all very well spoken but so personable which is where I think the school departed from others. BUs open house was also set up in a way that Friday was very laid back and Saturday was very scheduled. Saturday was breakfast, then a PowerPoint overview of the staff and perks of the program. There was also a brief q and a with an alum of the program as well as a panel with each current student touching on aspects of the program (like starting with a background vs without a background, coming from far away, doing a thesis etc.) I think one of the most interesting myths about BU that was debunked for me was that while there are sooooo many cool research studies going on there, you don't have to participate in research. Mst students 90% chose to do comps over a thesis this year. Another major divergence was having one in house semester and 3 external placements. The last two hours was broken down by visiting every single one of the research labs on campus. They were almost always led by the professor whose lab it was. There was also a client there telling us about what our experience with taking fluency will be like. It was very refreshing to move around a lot. It was a wonderful way to get a tour of the building while meeting all of the faculty and hear about the centers (aphasia center etc) as well as research labs. Hope that helps!

[Kozo]

Thanks SLP2013! That sounds awesome, I really wish I could've gone. I have also decided on BU, so I'll be seeing you in the Fall!

[occamstoothbrush]

I decided on BU after the open house, so I'll be seeing you both there!

[LanguageIsMyJam]

I was between Emerson and BU before attending the open house and decided on BU after attending. I was really impressed by the research labs at BU and I think I would have better research opportunities there than at Emerson. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to actually end up doing research, but I want the option to be there. (That's not to say that Emerson doesn't have research--I just got the impression that it wasn't as big there.) And there were a lot of students who didn't do research and some who did, so I feel like it's totally fine if you don't want to do research. The professors and students were all wonderful at both BU and Emerson, but I felt like I clicked with the BU students better. That's a personal thing, though. All of the students at BU called the professors by their first names and I just felt like there was a sense of community there. The students stressed how they're always supporting each other and sharing notes and how they also get incredible clinical support from the faculty. The alum who did a q&a said that she knows she'll be able to contact her professors whenever she has a question about a client, even though she's no longer in the program. The students all seemed to love their placements and most of them said they got what they wanted and that the professors really try to get you the type of placement you want. BU also has the opportunity for accent modification, which is something that really interests me (Emerson has this too, though) and they have an aphasia group, fluency group, and a Parkinson's group. The Parkinson's group involves working with a PT and an OT on the same case, which is something I really like. At Emerson, there are no opportunities to work with students in other health profession programs because they don't have those programs. BU also seemed really strong in aphasia, which is another topic I'm very interested in. I'm kind of all over the place with my interests, but it seems like at BU I can try a lot of different things, which is great. I felt like I would get a a more well-rounded experience at BU because they're pretty strong in pediatric and adult disorders, whereas Emerson seems to be stronger in pediatrics (although that could just be a rumor--I couldn't quite figure it out at the accepted students day). Also, most students work in the clinic (in a fluency or aphasia group, for example) while they're doing their external placements, so I felt like I might get a greater variety of experiences. Another thing that was great about BU is that if you know you want an initial teaching certification in another state they will help you fulfill the requirements for that state, instead of just those for MA.

 

Sorry that was a little rambly--I was just kind of spewing my thoughts. Essentially, it came down to research opportunites and the fact that program just felt right for me. It may not be right for everyone, but I just felt like it clicked!

 

And to those of you who have also chosen BU, I can't wait to meet you in the fall!

[LanguageIsMyJam]

Does anyone know if there is an accepted students facebook group for BU? 

[occamstoothbrush]

I haven't seen one but I think it'd be cool to have one.

[suze]

I am in the process of visiting all of my schools before I make a decision. I think BU is my first choice but it is hard to consider choosing such an expensive school when I got into such great and affordable ones like the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

 

 

Ugh, I definitely feel you on the cost difference between BU and Twin Cities...

[occamstoothbrush]

Ugh, I definitely feel you on the cost difference between BU and Twin Cities...

 

Haha, and I chose BU. Ultimately just a much better fit for me overall. I had many sleepless nights about it, though.

[gingersnap18]

I tried to make a facebook group but I don't really know how to do it...someone should make one though so we can all chat!

[Kozo]

OK, I went ahead and made us a group : ] You all should join so I don't feel awkward being the only member haha

It's Boston University SLP Class of 2015 https://www.facebook.com/groups/535456946492838

 

I made it a closed group so people have to ask to join. I thought it'd be better in case people wanted to use it to look for roommates and wanted to post personal information for that. Let me know if you'd rather I make it an open group