Accepted SIBS Students.
Congratulations on your admission to the SIBS program! Below you will find all of the relevant information to help you prepare for this summer. Please refer back to this information regularly and let us know if you have any questions. You can also stay up-to-date on program events and information by joining the SIBS 2019 Facebook group.
First Step: Online Form
Please complete this quick online form, which provides us with some basic information that we will use to confirm your enrollment and to create your BU student account. You will receive instructions about creating your BU username and password within the next few weeks. Please check your email frequently to ensure you don’t miss that message.
Program Dates 2019
Friday, June 7; Saturday, June 8; or Sunday, June 9: Arrive in Boston (see Arrival Dates & Times for more details)
Monday, June 10: Program begins
Friday, July 19: Program ends
Saturday July 20: Latest possible departure (see Departure Dates & Times for more details)
Arrival Dates & Times
Please arrive at Boston University on Friday, June 7; Saturday, June 8; or Sunday, June 9 to move into your on-campus housing. The offices will be open for check-in on Friday, June 7 from 10am to 4pm. If you plan to move in after hours or over the weekend, there will be an RA on call who can assist you. Please review the after-hours check-in instructions to prepare for your arrival.
If you arrive before June 7, then you will be responsible for finding your own accommodation (in a hotel or hostel) until BU housing is available. The closest hotels to campus are in Brookline and Kenmore.
Departure Dates & Times
The SIBS program ends at noon on Friday, July 19, and you are free to leave after that. You must move out of your BU housing no later than 10am on Saturday, July 20.
Academics
BS401: Class, Credits, and Grades
Participants in the SIBS program will complete the 4-credit BS401 Survey Methods in Biostatistics. All participants will earn a letter grade at the end of this class. Successful completion of the course will require daily in-class labs and lectures, along with homework and course projects. You will have some time during class to complete these.
Program Schedule
Throughout the duration of the SIBS program, you will be occupied with the academic course from 9am to 4pm Monday through Friday. A sample schedule from 2018 is available here.
Travel to Boston
Boston is easily accessible by plane, train, or car. Please wait to book your travel until the arrival and departure dates and times (see the Program Dates section above) have been announced. This usually happens in April. Make sure to plan your travel carefully so that you arrive and depart within the specified time periods.
Send a copy of your travel itinerary to the Program Manager as soon as it is available. If you live near the Boston area and will be traveling by car, please let us know your intended arrival date and time.
The SIBS program will reimburse you for up to $600 in travel expenses. In order to get your reimbursement at the end of the program, you must save all of your travel receipts. See the Travel Reimbursements section for more information.
Travel to Campus
From Logan Airport
When you arrive in Boston, go straight to your Summer Residence Office, Kilachand Hall at 91 Bay State Road, to check in. To get to BU’s main campus (called the Charles River Campus) from Logan Airport, you have two options: taxi or MBTA. A taxi (or Uber/Lyft) will be more convenient and more expensive; the MBTA may take longer but will only cost a few dollars.
If you choose to travel by taxi (or Uber/Lyft), give them the address for your Summer Residence Office, 91 Bay State Road. You should budget $50 one-way for a taxi from Logan Airport. Taxi (or Uber/Lyft) fares can be reimbursed by SIBS; please remember that the maximum total reimbursement amount for all of your travel is $600.
If you choose to travel by MBTA:
- Follow the signs for ground transportation at the airport. Look for signs directing you to the MBTA Silver Line (which is a bus, not a train).
- Wait outside at a designated location for the Silver Line bus (labeled SL1) to arrive.
- Take the SL1 bus to South Station. The ride is free.
- South Station is one of Boston’s major transportation hubs. When you arrive, you’ll find machines where you can buy a subway ticket. To get to BU, you just need to buy a single ride.
- Take the Red Line subway inbound to Park Street.
- At Park Street, follow signs for the Green Line B subway outbound towards Boston College (Boston College is the last stop on the B line so the line is named after it, but this line also stops at Boston University). If you have questions, just tell someone you’re looking for the B Line towards Boston College.
- Get off at the Kenmore Square station, which is the stop closest to your housing at 200-202 Bay State Road.
From North or South Station (train or bus)
When you arrive in Boston, go straight to your Summer Residence Office, Kilachand Hall at 91 Bay State Road, to check in. If you are traveling to Boston by train or bus, you will probably arrive at either North Station or South Station. From either location, you can take a taxi (or Uber/Lyft) to your BU housing for approximately $30 one-way. Taxi (or Uber/Lyft) fares can be reimbursed by SIBS; please remember that the maximum total reimbursement amount for all of your travel is $600.
If you prefer to travel by MBTA and you arrive at South Station, follow the directions above beginning at step 4. To use the MBTA from North Station, take the green line (C or E train) to Park Street. Then follow the directions above beginning at step 6.
By Car
If you are traveling to Boston by car, you should drive directly to your Summer Residence Office, Kilachand Hall at 91 Bay State Road, to check in. It may be difficult to find a place to park while you’re moving in. Bring quarters or be prepared to use a smartphone to pay the parking meter. You may also park your car in one of BU’s parking lots for a fee.
Travel Reimbursements
The BU SIBS program will reimburse you up to $600 for your transportation to and from Boston. We are not able to arrange or pay for your tickets up front; you must make these arrangements and payments on your own and we will reimburse you up to $600 after the end of the program. Your reimbursement check will arrive at your address in late July or early August.
In order to get your reimbursement at the end of the program, you must save all of your travel receipts. We are unable to provide reimbursement for any expense that is not documented with a receipt.
If you plan to travel to Boston by air or train, we will need your airline or train ticket receipts (not boarding passes, but ticket receipts clearly showing purchase amount). If you will drive to Boston, you must provide documentation of mileage and toll receipts associated with your trip.
If you are driving to the Boston University campus, please record your mileage and save your toll receipts so we can reimburse you based on our standard rate 0.56/mile (gas is included in the rate). We will only reimburse mileage to BU and mileage back home. Reimbursements are available only for your personal travel directly to Boston and back; detours, side-trips, and other travelers or drivers are not eligible for reimbursement.
Remember that the maximum total reimbursement amount is $600. Please book your travel early to get the best fares.
Housing and Meals
Apply for Housing
The summer housing application will become available in the spring and will be posted here, shared in the Facebook group, and sent to you by email at that time. You must apply for housing in advance in order to secure your spot. In order to log in to the application, you will need your BU username, password, and BU ID number. In the online application system, you will enter some basic information about yourself and sign the Residence License Agreement.
When you go to the online housing application link, you will find your application under the Assignments tab. For current BU undergraduates, the application will be called “2018 Summer Continuing Group”. For all others (most of you), the application will be called “2018 Summer Undergrad Group”.
Housing Details
All SIBS students will be accommodated in shared rooms on BU’s campus. This housing has often been on Bay State Road in the past, though this is subject to change in future years. The standard rooms have 2 beds, 2 desks, 2 chairs, 2 bureaus, and 2 closets. The rooms do not have air conditioning and you are welcome to bring a small fan with you or purchase one when you arrive. Window air conditioning units are not permitted. Bedding and towels are not provided. There are no televisions in the rooms, though some dorms have common rooms with a TV. All rooms are equipped with free internet access.
Bathrooms will be communal, shared with same-sex members of a floor or hallway.
Every dorm building has a laundry room with coin-operated washers and dryers. Last summer they were $1.50 to wash and $1.25 to dry.
You will not be charged for your housing during the SIBS program.
Receiving Mail
You will be able to receive mail at your BU residence after you arrive. Your RA will tell you your mailing address when you check in. Please do not ship any packages to BU before arriving on campus. If it is easier for you to ship supplies rather than bringing them in a suitcase, then you should ship them to a Post Office or FedEx facility to be held there until you arrive and can pick them up. Shipping expenses are not eligible for reimbursement.
Meal Plan
You will have a student meal plan that allows you to eat at The Fresh Food Company at Warren Towers dining facility during the program. BU Dining Services are able to accommodate most special dietary needs. Please let us know as soon as possible if you have any food allergies or special dietary requirements so that we can make any necessary arrangements.
You will not be charged for your BU meal plan during the SIBS program.
Packing
You will have access to laundry facilities in your accommodation, and Boston has plenty of places to shop, so please do not overpack! That said, you should probably bring the following with you:
- Clothes for hot, humid weather
- Umbrella
- Small fan for your room
- Sheets, pillows, and blankets (for single beds)
- Towels and toiletries
- Basic school supplies (pens, pencils, calculator, notebooks)
- Bathing suit and/or exercise clothes if you plan to use the Fitness & Recreation Center
- Laptop, if desired (you will have access to a computer lab in the classroom and near the dorms)
- Quarters for the laundry facilities
- Spending money (we will provide all of your books, course materials, and group social activities but you will want your own spending money for free times)
There is no dress code for the program on most days. It’s summer and pretty casual on campus. We ask that you dress in a respectable manner, but shorts and t-shirts are fine. Please plan to dress up a little bit more for site visits during the program, as well as one or more group dinners out in the city. Formal clothes are not required.
SIBS Student Life
Transportation within Boston
You will not need a car while you are here for the SIBS program, as the city of Boston is easily accessible by the city’s public transportation system, the MBTA. Your classes and the dining hall will be within easy walking distance of your housing. If you do choose bring a car, you will be responsible for arranging and paying for your parking. Parking is quite limited and can be expensive.
All SIBS participants will receive a Charlie Card for the subway (the “T”) with 20 trips pre-loaded. This will cover all of your travel for SIBS plus a few extra. You can add more money to the pass for additional rides, if desired.
Fitness & Recreation
You will have access to the BU Fitness & Recreation Center (the FitRec) for the 6 weeks you are here, starting on the first day of the program.