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ctenophora

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  1. Hey breadwinner, just wondering what you ended up doing—and what your thoughts are since? I just applied to RGGS and had the same concerns you had but I was happy to find other faculty there that are younger who I applied to work with instead. I think they’re actually better suited to mentor me while I try to answer my research questions than those that I maybe would’ve applied to work with had I no prior information. The program seems incredible on paper.
  2. ctenophora

    Auburn, AL

    I'll be beginning my PhD in the Fall at Auburn. I'm super excited, but my future roommate & I are having some difficulty finding good quality housing options. I've heard north campus is preferable. Does anyone live in Auburn and/or have any tips on finding cheap, awesome housing remotely in Auburn?
  3. I took notes at all of my previous interviews & I plan to on my future ones. One faculty teased me, but I don't think this affected me negatively b/c I think we had a nice chat. Taking notes helps me remember what I talked to everyone about, which is nice when sending thank you emails out or just generally reflecting on my visit. Plus, some faculty have made some suggestions on additional papers/ faculty to check out... some have talked about ideas, methods, etc., that I didn't recognize & I liked their explanations... others have suggested additional analyses to run in my research... & these are all things that I want to remember to look into. Other people have warned me about such & such class or so & so professor... some grad students have told me where the cool & cheap places to live are... all info that I would want to know should I matriculate into that program. So, even if I look silly with my tiny notebook, I'm glad I have it.
  4. I know the feeling! I was totally surprised when I received my first schedule. I've been invited to 4 interviews, 2 of which I've already attended, another 1 of which I've received my schedule. At the first place I visited, I had 11 thirty minute meetings, but a couple of those were meant to cover the specifics of the grad program (stipend, resources available, etc.). At the 2nd place, I don't actually remember off the top of my head how many interviews I had (I didn't even get my schedule until I arrived), but each meeting was about 30-40 minutes. I want to say I had 6 or 7 interviews on interview day, plus general info sessions with all the prospectives. According to the other schedule I received, I have 9 meetings, including a 1 hr block with my POI. My first interview day was definitely exhausting -- to talk about so much science non-stop while quickly switching between topics, always trying to have something interesting to say or ask, was draining, but I've been told by several people that it was good practice for faculty interviews (which apparently consist of two of those days). I was definitely ready for a beer by the end of the day. My last interview day didn't feel nearly as intense. I think part of it definitely comes down to how busy the faculty is. I would've had more interviews at the 2nd place, but many of the people I would've liked to chat with were already booked, e.g., by the time my POI reached out to them. At the first place, I was the only prospective student on that day. Good luck! :-)
  5. Me too! :-) I'm going the 6th. Congratulations!
  6. Weird. Did you apply, too? Do you think this means we should be anticipating later notifications?
  7. I struggled with this myself. I had 2 letters locked in: my current PI & my honors thesis advisor. I was torn between asking 1) my internship supervisor (technically faculty at a great institution, but not tenured, & relatively young in career), 2) the director of a science outreach program I worked very closely with (tenured faculty, good reputation), & 3) a professor I had for 2 courses (tenured faculty, but I never worked closely with in a research setting or otherwise). I ended up opting for option 3. I don't know if that was the best decision, but it's one I would make again. Likewise, I would recommend choosing a professor whose class you did well in & who knows you personally & can attest to your potential to succeed in grad school over a post-doc -- especially if you're interested in pursuing academia & already have letters coming from the PIs whose lab(s) you've done research in. Hope that helps.
  8. You can still submit your application. My understanding is that as long as your application is in on time you're okay. For 3 programs I applied to, 2 of my letters were submitted 3-6 days late. One PI emailed me suggesting I follow up with my writers. The other departments didn't seem to care. So far, I've been invited to interview with one of those programs, so I can at least say my late letters did not disqualify my application.
  9. On December 22, got a phone call (left voicemail) & email from PI at UW inviting me to the interview weekend in January
  10. Undergrad Institution: Big state school, pretty good reputation in BiologyMajor(s): ZoologyMinor(s): N/AGPA in Major: 4.0Overall GPA: 3.69Position in Class: In Biology, near top if not topType of Student: Domestic, female, first-generationGRE Scores (revised/old version): revisedQ: 157 (68%) <-- Hardcore lost track of time. Oops.V: 163 (92%)W: 5.0 (93%)B: No Research Experience: - 2 years at home institution in physiology lab, 2 years at home institution in phylogenetics lab, roughly 12-20 hours per week, REU, full-time ecology internship elsewhere after graduation, currently full-time evolutionary genetics lab technician at alma mater in different lab, also collaborating with another lab on campus - Currently preparing first author manuscript for publication on senior thesis - Recently gave talk at small conference, talk & poster at undergrad symposia, 1 seminar at small research station Awards/Honors/Recognitions: NSF REU, Smithsonian Internship, small research grant from undergrad, best talk at a small conference, graduated summa cum laudePertinent Activities or Jobs: TA, lots of science outreach experienceAny Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:Special Bonus Points: Lots of science outreach experience, applied for NSF GRFP, strong letters, all prospective PIs personally know at least 1 of my writers, reached out to prospective PIs prior to application (including phone/skype/in person discussions with all but one prospective PI) Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: Inconsistency in academic performance, lots of dropped classes, clear that interests changed quite a bit/ I had some difficulties, but ultimately graduated with highest honors in ZoologyApplying to Where: University of Washington - Biology Duke University - Biology University of Florida - Biology Auburn University - Biology University of South Carolina - Biology I'm interested in evolution, phylogenetics, genomics, & bioinformatics
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