All posts by ghuntoon

Waiting is the Hardest Part

BU Comgrad,

The primary application deadline has passed. And to those of you who submitted your application, congratulations! That in itself is an achievement. So take a second to give yourself a pat on the back.

But don’t let that pat last too long. There is still work to be done in the coming months.

The first part doesn’t require anything from you. As you read this, your applications are with the faculty committees being reviewed. The committees will look over all of the applicants and come to a decision on who will be admitted – we are excited to have so many terrific applicants, but unfortunately, we have to narrow it done to a chosen few.

Once those decisions are made, you will receive an email from us with you admission decision. Of course, if you submitted your application before our December 15 priority notification deadline, you will be among the first to get your email. This email will contain not only your decision, but will also notify you of any scholarship opportunities you will have from us. Remember, if you aren’t notified of any scholarship opportunities, there are many other options to help you with the financial side of grad school. These include Stafford Loans, graduate assistantships, teaching assistantships, just to name a few (more info can be found here).

Getting your decision is only a step in the process. If you’re accepted, you’ll have to decide if COM is the right fit for you (and we certainly think it is). We know now that making the decision of if/where to attend grad school means that you will have many new questions, and we want to do our best to answer them. Remember, you can always reach us via email (comgrad@bu.edu) or phone (617-353-3481). And don’t forget about our COM podcast, which will continue through the coming months to answer any and all questions you may have. But above all, we want to try to make this process as easy as possible in person.

That’s why we will be doing a spring tour, stopping in various cities to meet with accepted students who want to learn more about COM. The stops on our tour this spring will include:

Los Angeles-Tuesday, March 25
San Francisco-Thursday, March 27
Seattle- Sunday, March 30
Denver-Sunday, March 30
Chicago-Monday, March 31
Washington, DC-Monday, April 7
Charlotte-Monday, April 7
New York-Tuesday, April 8
Austin-Tuesday, April 8

All of these visits will culminate with our accepted students visiting day on the afternoon of Friday, April 11. This will allow prospective students to meet with current students, faculty, and graduate services representatives, as well as get to check out Boston and COM.

So congrats once again. Completing the application is a big step in your process, but it is just one. So take some time to recover and get ready for the rest of the journey. We will see you along the way.

Check out the COMGrad Podcast

BU Comgrad, , ,

Here at COM Grad we have been looking for new and different ways to get information to potential students. In an effort to continue this, we recently started the BU COM Grad Podcast. Fellow COM student (and good friend) Andy and I are joining forces to spread the knowledge of COM to the ears of anyone who wants to learn more about our programs and application process (or hear our witty banter).

Luckily, we will not be delivering the information alone. We will be joined by members of the COM faculty to answer questions ranging from the application process to financial aid to specific looks into different programs. From the episodes we have done, I have already learned information that would have been very useful to know during my application process.

But most importantly, we want to help you. We want to answer the questions that real-life perspective students have about anything COM. So send us your questions, and we will find the answer and bring it up on the podcast. Don’t be shy, because odds are if you have a question, someone else is wondering the same thing.
So send us your questions. You can email us at comgrad@bu.edu (use “Podcast” in the subject header) or via twitter @bucomgrad (use #COMpodcast). And to catch up, here are the episodes we have completed thus far.

Jack Falla Speaker Series: Mark Feinsand

BU Comgrad, ,

On Monday afternoon I had my first experience with the Jack Falla Speaker Series, as New York Daily News Yankees beat writer Mark Feinsand came in and spoke. Having never been to a Jack Falla Speaker Series event, I didn’t know what to expect, but was very pleased with the event.

Let me first give a little background to the speaker series. Jack Falla was a sports journalism professor at COM, who sadly passed away five years ago. Jack was known for many things; among them were his 8:00 a.m. classes (to make sure only dedicated students enrolled), the great contact he kept with his former students (or his “mafia” as they came known as) and the great speakers he would bring in, many of which were COM alums. To honor Jack and his dedication, the series was started to continue the tradition of great speakers.

Getting back to Monday’s speech, I was very impressed with Mark. He began by mentioning how nervous he was about speaking, but you would never have known this wasn’t a regular occurrence for him. He did a great job of going back and forth between stories and lessons he learned at BU (and Jack in particular) and advice from his years working, leading up to his current position with the Daily News.

The stories were funny and relatable, the advice was helpful and honest (especially since we share majors: sports broadcast journalism), but what made the biggest impression was how emotional he got when talking about Jack. Mark had to take a minute to compose himself at one point, which showed the amazing affect that Jack Falla had on the people he touched.

That’s what makes this series great. Not only do you get experienced, passionate speakers with great stories and advice, but you see the affect that a single person can have on so many. From Mark’s speech I learned things that will help me as I embark on my career in sports broadcast journalism, but it also was a reminder to take advantage of all the resources I have here, and that includes the amazing people. I am very happy I was able to attend Mark’s speech, and cannot wait for the next Speaker Series event.

 

Fall Events

BU Comgrad, , ,

A new school year is upon us here at COM.  And while that may conjure thoughts of cramming for tests, agonizing over group projects, and struggling to meet deadlines for some, for me it brings one of my favorite parts about the fall: grad events.  Don’t get me wrong, I am very enthusiastic about another semester in the classroom, but to me nothing beats a good old grad event.  Not only are these a chance to explore the city that makes BU so unique, but it is also a great way to get to know your classmates throughout the COM community.

I know the list of the events can be daunting to look at, and knowing which ones (if any) you should go to can keep anyone up at night.  So here is a guide to this fall’s grad events from a grizzly veteran to make everyone’s decisions easier.

Tavern in the Square Reception- Monday, Sept. 2 : 6:00pm- 8:00pm : Free The Tavern in the Square event is a great way to begin the semester.  First off, it’s right after orientation (which is mandatory for new students) so you might as well come by with everyone else.  Second, you get a chance to get to know fellow COM students in a setting that isn’t in a classroom setting.  And finally, the first drink is on COM.  Even if free drinks aren’t your thing, it’s a great way to rewind after orientation and prepare for the start of classes.

The Hyatt Event- Friday, Sept. 6 : 7:00pm-11:59pm : Free (with ticket) Ah the Hyatt, so many wonderful memories.  For those of you not familiar, the Hyatt is the hotel across the river from BU.  At the Hyatt event, COM rents out the top floor for an evening of food, drinks, dancing and one of the best views of the city.  Oh and did I mention it’s space themed?  Costumes are not required (though always appreciated), but it’s a great way to relax after your first week of classes and show your moves on the dance floor.

The Maine Event- Saturday, Sept. 14 : 10:00am-7:00pm : $45 Lobster.  That should be enough to get most of you to pile up for this event, but there’s more.  Not only do you get to travel to Maine for delicious lobster, but there is a stop at the outlet malls as well. Shopping and shellfish?!?!?! Sign me up!

Pub Trip and Red Sox Game- Tuesday, Sept. 17 : 4:00pm-6:00pm & 6:30pm-Game end : $10 & $28 Two separate events, one great time.  You can do either or both.  It all starts with a trip to the BU Pub, located a block from COM.  Stop by for a drink or two before heading to Fenway to watch the Red Sox take on the Orioles.  Seeing a game at Fenway is a must for anyone who lives in Boston, so why not go with your fellow COM grads?  Adding to the excitement of the game will be the fact that the Sox will be in the home stretch of the season looking to win the AL East.  A luxury the event did not have last

Freedom Trail Pub Crawl- Saturday, Oct. 26 : 1:00pm : Free Peanut butter and jelly.  Macaroni and cheese.  Rocky and Bullwinkle.  Sometimes things are just destined to be together.  So combining a walking tour highlighting 17 of Boston’s most significant historic sites and drinking at bars just makes sense.  It’s learning about the history of the city with a few drinks, or hitting the bars while getting an education of Boston.  Either way, it’s a great way to spend a Saturday in October.

Bell OUT of Hand- Wednesday, Dec. 11 : 8:00pm-11:00pm : $20 The final event of the semester is always a great one.  Classes are done, and before people head away for greener pastures or just winter break, it’s always nice to be able to see everyone for a last time.  It’s the perfect way to close out the semester, at America’s oldest bar.

There you have it, an easy to follow guide of the great grad event offerings this fall.  If you haven’t gotten tickets yet, email comgrad@bu.edu for more information.

Before you finish reading, I leave you with one final piece of advice: go to as many as possible, you won’t regret it.  Take that advance from someone who knows.