What Students Say
Likes
- BU supports diversity and inclusivity. There is a large International population which gives the opportunity to meet and interact with people from different culture and backgrounds.
- BU's campus is spread across charles river, so you get to roam around and attend classes in prestigious historic buildings.
- The academic programs are diverse and very well structured.
Dislikes
- It is way too expensive. The food, groceries etc and especially the utilities and rent is too much for a student
- The tuition is extremely expensive with challenging time constraint assignments
- There is less city life as it a part of college hub so people tend to face mental health issues - depression anxiety, loneliness due to academic pressure and harsh gloomy winters
Course Curriculum
8
- I believe the difficulty level varies from person to person. If someone is changing their field and has no prior experience or knowledge over the courses being taught, then it would be difficult for them, but with consistent efforts they can crack it Otherwise, I would say it was 7 on the scale of 10.
- The positive aspect would be that there were fewer theoretical courses and more emphasis was on projects and practical knowledge. The negative would be reaching out to the TA's for doubt resolution and the pressure to complete major assignments like GCP in imported time
Admission Experience
-
I had applied to 4 universities:
- University of Maryland, College Park,
- Boston University,
- University of Michigan - Ann Harbor
- Northeastern University.
- I was waitlisted at the University of Michigan and was accepted in the remaining three. I did not receive any rejection. I later dropped the University of Michigan because they wanted me to defer, and I did not want to defer it any further. University of Maryland, College Park's program for data science was not a STEM program and I didn't want to take a risk for my OPT and 2-year extension. And I think it really matters how well your SOP is written, your resume if experienced, projects and how early you apply.
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Factors that influenced my decision to choose BU:
- STEM Program
- diverse Crowd
- better networking for jobs
- better course structure—less theory, more practical
- faculty
- Admission Process:
- applied
- uploaded the required verified documents
- submitted the application and paid for it
- accepted and had to confirm it over the portal
- eligibility criteria
- application
- SOP
- GRE was exempted due to post-covid
- ILETS/TOEFL score: minimum was 65 in ILETS, mine was 7.5
- SOP
- Letter Of Recommendation
- Resume
- Transcripts
- My overall admission experience was very smooth. I had tailored the SOP following the guidelines mentioned on the admission's webpage, uploaded all the required documents, submitted it on MArch 2nd and got accepted on March 5th. It was very fast and smooth for me
- I applied to the Fall 2022 intake as this would provide more time for application for EAD and more summer time for internships. I already had the documents prepared; I started my application on March 1, submitted it on March 2 and got accepted on March 5. Mine was a short and smooth process. I had already done my research and prepared everything in advance.
Class Schedule
8
- There would be 1-2 classes per day. Usually 1 per day, and timing would be morning, noon or late evening.
- There were around 15–30 students in each class. 35–40% of students were Indians in comparison to others.
Faculty
10
- Faculty-to-student ratio : 10:1 and the faculties were very responsive, helpful and interactive
- The teaching methodologies were more on the practical side with in-class quizzes, projects and assignments, and the course content and teaching approach were absolutely sufficient to prepare me for securing a job in my field.
- In order to work as a research assistant or teaching assistant, you can approach a professor but it depends upon them whether they would take you up or not; otherwise, there is an internal job portal for students where they can search and apply for part-time jobs
- Dr. Eugine Pinsky is my favourite professor. I published a research paper with him.
Campus Life
10
- Main campus being the Charles River Campus, Medical Campus and a Fenway Campus
- BU Libraries include the Mugar Memorial Library and branches (African Studies, Astronomy, Music, Science & Engineering, Stone Science, Pickering Educational Resources, and the Frederick S. Pardee Management Library), Pappas Law Library, and School of Theology Library. There is a Fitness & Recreation Center (FitRec), which has various activities like aerobics, boxing, yoga, weight and cardio rooms, a rock-climbing wall, swimming pools, racquetball and squash courts, gyms, and an indoor jogging track. There is also a BU Dining and Career Development Center and a medical center.
Part Time Jobs
- TA and RA positions are very limited and depend upon the availability and requirements of the professor
- DAs or GAs have multiple yet limited positions. definitely more than TA and RAs.
- They work at student dining as a server, receptionist, grad assistant under a department, etc
- Hourly wages are $15.25-$21 max. 20 hours max are allowed per week
- It is a bit difficult but not impossible to find if your are quick and network properly
- Somewhere around $700-$1000 monthly, it is a bit difficult but not impossible to find if you are quick and network properly. There is an internal job portal where students can check for openings, apply and get them or reach out to their seniors and get one through networking. Steps included job openings, submitting a resume and dropping an email, clearing the interview and starting the job.
Placement
6
- Since 2024 was not a great year in terms of the USA economy, people did end up getting placed within a year.
- Average salary would be $100,000. Via networking, job portals, career fairs and alumni connect
- Everyone had their own journey; they got it via referrals, networking, job portals, career fairs and alumni connect.
- Companies: Deloitte, Microsoft, Adobe, Google, Tiger Analytics, State Street come for interviews.
Accommodation
Off Campus
8
- Accommodation: I used online platforms such as facebook and real estate agents
- Monthly rent: $1050 with hot water and heat, $ 200 for electricity
- I didn't find any challenges while finding or securing my accommodation
- Recommendations for future students seeking accommodation: start searching at least 5-6 months in advance and ask for real-time videos and face-to-face video calls to check the place and facilities
- Mine was 15 minutes by walk and 5 minutes via train. The students stay 15-20 mins by train max as the campus is accessible via train and bus very easily
Exams
- GRE was exempted due to post-covid
- ILETS/TOEFL score: minimum was 65 in ILETS, mine was 7.5
- There was no interview for me as my profile and experience were strong. I weighed my pros and cons against other universities and then made my decision to go forward with Boston University.
Fees
- Courses per Semester: 3 courses (12 credits)
- Time to Degree: 3 semesters (12-16 months)
- Tuition per semester: $33,335 ; Fees per Semester: $478; Total Degree Cost: $75,486
- The fees were charged semester wise and the last semester was charged credit-wise.
- monthly expenses, including a breakdown of costs like rent (average $1000), transportation (100%), and utilities (approximate $250-$450).
Scholarship
- There are no scholarships for international students from Boston University. However, there were people who were there on scholarships from their own government.
- Students need to show funds, be it their own—father, mother or any family member who is sponsoring them—or via a bank loan or any of the other organisations. One needs to show around $100,000 approx. in funds, which include the tuition and living expenses.
