bluerocket

I tend to disagree with those that argue for taking math/programming courses when you are clearly interested in organic synthesis. If you're going to do any extra coursework, I would say begin taking graduate courses in organic chemistry and organic synthesis. It's important to know how to do math but programming you can live without, there's a reason why it's not such a hot requirement in the ACS certified degree program. You can learn more as an aside in graduate school if you want, but as an undergrad, you want to show the grad adcom that you are serious about pursuing chemical studies. I have not taken a single programming course, if it makes you feel more comfortable, and instead chose to take enough graduate courses to fulfill a master's in chemistry as an undergrad--many students achieve this in fact. Focus on building a research repertoire and becoming an advanced student in synthesis, pattern recognition and retrosynthetic analysis, that is, with elegance, is difficult and if the adcom thinks from your laboratory preparation that you won't be able to make an easy transition into doing it independently because you chose instead to learn programming, it will hurt.

It is without a doubt that one should instead go to Scripps and work for either Baran or Boger if you want a serious research experience in organic chemistry. I would say Yu is only of interest if you like organopalladium chemistry (not quite a suitable match for target driven total synthesis), but I hear he's much more selective, whereas Baran seems a bit more ready to take students of a diverse background; that and, examine Yu's chemistry more carefully and it becomes rather repetitive--the problem selection in that group is not so challenging and ingenious. Baran is quite a smart guy and being exposed to his research program is pricless--look at some of his alumni to date who have been quite successful (Burns at Stanford, Maimone at UC Berkeley, Shenvi at Scripps, Lewis at Cornell). That said, it's not only the more relaxed environment, but Columbia offers an environment where one must teach--if you plan on heading into academia, it goes without saying that this experience is valuable. But I have listed a few examples where even without this experience, one can find an excellent position in academia. Columbia's more illustrious faculty (Breslow and Danishefsky) is unfortunately slowly being stripped away, so I would say a more rigorous treatment in organic chemistry would most definitely be at Scripps. I think visiting both schools will inevitably force you to make a decision, but I say Scripps no doubt.

Most departments do not have any binding agreement to what was stated in your application--I think this sort of binding agreement is more applicable to institutes where you more or less are signing up for a group as you apply. As you point out, these were merely "choices" not an absolute. It might also be worth noting that it is absolutely not uncommon to do and complete a PhD thesis in organic chemistry and work with a POI who might be considered as inorganic, so you have many options here (I think saying that organic and inorganic are "departments" is wrong in and of itself, they are merely labels for groups for their leaning in terms of research). I would keep an open mind about these options as you talk with this professor of yours that you are interested it. This growing field of organometallic chemistry is one very much so underappreciated. The final answer being of course that most likely this does not by any means rule out the possibility of working with this POI. But I will say of more importance is whether this POI will take any students this coming year.

Um, I think most people got their acceptances to Berkeley. I got mine early January, and most people I know have already heard back. I think the only people that might not have heard if accepted are the international students. But I might be wrong. They coordinate their visiting weekend with Stanford's so I feel like you should've heard by now, but again I might be wrong. MIT is rolling so they might have a few more offers left, but it seems last year all offers were made by the end of January.

Most of the schools post their visiting weekend dates in advance on their website. MIT is holding there's the weekend of Mar 22-24; Berkeley has four weekends, starting Feb 28-Mar 1 and following--every weekend has its own emphasis, but lucky for you, physical chemists are invited to each one. And I did not apply to Brown, but again, check their website/ask the graduate admission coordinator. As for those waiting, I will say Harvard has given out all their offers--this I have confirmed with their coordinator. So expect a rejection letter in early February via post. I have heard back from all my schools and received offers from MIT, Caltech, Princeton, UC Berkeley, and UIUC--but I'm not certain if any are still giving out offers or not, sorry--but following the results page, it seems like a few are still being given out. If it helps any, I already turned down my UIUC offer so hopefully one of you lucky ones waiting will be awarded an offer of admission!