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Division of Graduate Medical Sciences Bulletin

Instructions for the Application for Admission

International Applicants
University Sources of Aid
Other Sources of Aid

General Instructions

Before you complete the application, you should consult the Graduate Medical Sciences Bulletin or web site for current general School policies and those of the various departments and programs. Attention to details will facilitate processing this application. All parts of the application must be completed, including address labels. Please note that the application for admission also serves as the application for financial assistance from Boston University. By checking the "Yes" box on the application, you will be considered for all University sources of financial aid. For details of types of University aid available, consult the "University Sources of Aid" section below. If insufficient space is provided for any items, attach supplementary pages.

To view and print the Admission Application, you will need the free Acrobat Reader software.

Application Fee

Include with your application a check or money order payable to Boston University for the nonrefundable application fee of $50. Your application will not be considered without payment of the application fee.

Application Deadline

If a student is applying for financial aid, the complete application packet must be sent by the applicant to the School and received no later than January 15 for fall admission and October 15 for spring admission. Otherwise, the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences doctoral and master's program applications are normally submitted by March 31. Late applications will be considered with prior approval of department chairman. The MA in Medical Science Program has no application deadline. Applications submitted with all supporting credentials will be given priority.

Credentials Required

A complete application packet consists of the completed School and department copies of the application, Personal Statement, completed address labels, sealed letters of reference, and official transcripts from every college or university attended. A college senior should submit an official transcript of work completed in the first semester of the senior year as soon as it is available. Note: If you have a Graduate Medical Sciences Bulletin with an application bound in the back, you will also find enclosed four envelopes; three are for letters of reference. They are designed to enable you to maintain control over the application process while assuring evaluators of confidentiality. Send the recommendation form to your evaluator (be sure to complete the top portion of the form first), with an envelope addressed to yourself. Please request that all references be returned to you in these envelopes, sealed and signed across the seal. Enclose with these, in the larger envelope addressed to the Division, your application for admission, address labels, and personal statement.

Test Scores

The Division of Graduate Medical Sciences requires that all official test score results be sent directly to the Division from the testing center. To determine which test scores are required, please consult the Department/Program Information Sheet. Our GRE/TOEFL institution number is 3251.

Nondegree Applicants

Persons with an accredited bachelor's degree or its international equivalent who do not wish to enter a degree program may apply to the Division for admission as a special student with nondegree status. Applicants must submit the School and Department copies of the application; on the reverse side of the Department copy, please indicate the specific objectives of the studies/courses sought. In addition, the applicant must submit an official transcript of the most recent studies leading to a degree and must submit the nonrefundable application fee. No test score results are required.

Applicants previously enrolled as nondegree students who are interested in change of status must refer to the Graduate Medical Sciences Bulletin or web site for rules regarding nondegree-to-degree application policies and transfer of credit policies.

Nondegree applicants are not eligible for University sources of financial aid or aid that requires matriculation in a degree program.


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International Applicants

The following credentials must be received before an application will be considered for admission: a nonrefundable application fee of $50; the completed and signed School and Department copies of the application; Personal Statement; completed address labels; letters of reference from faculty members in your field of proposed study who are familiar with your work and the American system of higher education; certified copies and official English translations of all records of academic achievement in each college or university attended; completed, signed International Student Data form and appropriate financial and visa documentation. In addition, all applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A score of 550 or better is required. International applicants are also required to submit results of the appropriate Graduate Record Examination (GRE); consult the Department/Program Information Sheet to determine what test scores are required.

All materials and credentials are to be mailed directly to the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences; confidential envelopes are not provided to international applicants living outside the United States. International students must make arrangements for travel to and from Boston and for adequate financial resources, including tuition and living expenses, for at least one year at Boston University.

A limited number of teaching fellowships and assistantships are available to qualified international students with superior fluency in English. U.S. immigration regulations generally prohibit international students from accepting employment during the first year of study in the United States unless the University offers an appointment together with admission. Information and assistance regarding governmental and University regulations may be obtained by writing to the Boston University International Students and Scholars Office, 19 Deerfield Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA. For further advice and assistance in seeking admission, international students are advised to consult the nearest United States embassy, consulate, or information center.

Please send your application form and all credentials to:

Boston University
School of Medicine
Division of Graduate Medical Sciences
Graduate Admissions Office
715 Albany Street, Room L317
Boston, Massachusetts 02218 USA

If you need additional information, call 617/638-5120.

Applicants should note that all materials submitted in support of an application become the sole property of the University and neither originals nor copies will be provided to the applicant for other uses.


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University Sources of Aid

If you wish to be considered for financial assistance from Boston University, be sure to check the "Yes" box on your application for admission. Your application will then be considered for an award from any of the following University resources.

Presidential University Graduate Fellowship These fellowships provide, for exceptionally well qualified entering PhD students, one full year of support. This award requires no service; it includes a substantial stipend and full tuition scholarship. Students may not apply directly for these awards. Nominees are proposed by the Graduate School departments, divisions, and programs, and are reviewed by the Graduate School University Fellowship Committee, which makes final recommendations for awards to the Associate Dean of the Graduate School.

Presidential University Teaching Fellowship These teaching fellowships are awarded to continuing students who received University Graduate Fellowships in their first year of study and who have been nominated by the department. Recipients provide teaching support in undergraduate instruction, and for this service receive a generous stipend and tuition scholarship for up to full tuition and fees for a maximum of four courses per semester. The University is required to report the stipend portion of the award as income to the federal government and the student is subject to appropriate federal tax laws.

Teaching Fellowship A Teaching Fellowship provides a stipend for a superior student who assists the faculty in carrying out the teaching mission of the University; approximately 20 hours of service per week are required. Payments are made in four monthly installments each semester. In addition, a scholarship is provided for tuition and fees during the academic year; no service is required for the scholarship. Ordinarily, recipients are not permitted to carry more than three courses in a semester. Partial awards may be given. Because this appointment involves service to a department of the University, it is required that the stipend be reported to the federal government as income; taxes are withheld from the stipend portion of the award.

Graduate Assistantship A Graduate Assistant receives up to full tuition and fees for a maximum of four courses per semester. Duties vary according to the needs of individual departments and require up to 15 hours of service per week. Partial awards may be given. Because this appointment involves service to a department of the University, it is required that this award be reported to the federal government as income; taxes are withheld from this award.

Research Assistantship Research assistants assist individual faculty members on specific research projects. The positions are generally funded by faculty research grants and thus their availability varies from year to year. Although duties vary, stipend amounts are generally comparable to those associated with a Teaching Fellowship and may be awarded up to a 12-month period. Research Assistantship stipends are taxable. In some cases, tuition scholarships may be included as part of the award.

Martin Luther King Jr. Fellowship The Martin Luther King Jr. Fellowship is available to African American students beginning graduate study in any department or program of the University. It provides tuition and fees for full-time study plus a stipend. Students are nominated for this award by their academic department and may not apply directly. Interested students should specify on the application for admission that they wish to be nominated by their department for this fellowship.


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Other Sources of Aid

Application requests for college work-study should be addressed to the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences, Financial Aid, 715 Albany St., Room L-317, Boston, MA 02118; 617/638-5120. Whitney M. Young Jr. Fellowships should be directed to Boston University Graduate School, Financial Aid Office, 705 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; 617/353-2697.

Federal College Work-Study (CWS) Work-Study is a federally-funded, need-based program for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, designed to promote part-time and summer employment to help students meet educational expenses. Students are placed at the University or in nonprofit off-campus organizations during the academic year and in full-time assignments during the summer. This program provides students with the opportunity not only to earn money but also to develop skills that may be related to their courses of study. To apply, students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) through the College Scholarship Service (CSS). An application for Federal College Work-Study can be requested from the Division Financial Aid Office. The deadline for receipt of applications is February 1 for summer work-study and May 1 for academic year work-study.

Whitney M. Young Jr. Fellowship The Whitney M. Young Jr. Fellowship is available for an entering or continuing African American student who has displayed academic proficiency in a field related to race relations or urban problems. This fellowship provides a scholarship for full tuition and fees plus a stipend. The deadline for receipt of the application with all supporting documents is March 1.

Federal Stafford Loans Federal Stafford loans are need-based, long-term educational loans to U.S. citizens and permanent residents available through banks, credit unions, savings and loan associations, Boston University, and other lending institutions. Repayment of subsidized loans begins when the student has graduated, terminated study, or enrolled on a less than half-time basis. Students who wish to borrow funds through this loan program must obtain an application from their lending institution or Boston University. In addition, loan applicants must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

See other awards, loan information, etc., in the financial assistance section of the Graduate Medical Sciences Bulletin or the web site "Financial Information" section.

Under the provisions of the 1974 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act you should be aware that the University is authorized to disclose personally identifiable information from your educational records to approved financial aid agencies to which you have applied for aid if access to that information is needed by these agencies to determine your eligibility for, the conditions of, and/or maintenance of aid, or to enforce terms connected with the receipt of such aid.

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Published by Trustees of Boston University
147 Bay State Road
Boston, MA 02215

11 March 1999
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