Jump to content

MarcusPhcerius

Members
  • Posts

    20
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Not Telling
  • Location
    Toronto, Canada
  • Interests
    Analytical and Atmospheric Chemistry, Cycling, Canoeing, Camping, Snowboarding, Music and Concerts
  • Application Season
    2014 Fall
  • Program
    Chemistry

Recent Profile Visitors

1,417 profile views

MarcusPhcerius's Achievements

Decaf

Decaf (2/10)

5

Reputation

  1. I would assume that the letter grade you got for these courses in your system would be the grades that would be shown on your transcript (i.e. you said you got a C+ and a B, so these would be a 2.3 and 3.0)...the reason I say this is that the marks from my university were such that an 85 in a course was a 4.0, or an A...any A, or A+ (90+) were still considered 4.0 when applying to the US. The 3.48 overall GPA is not super high, but the 4.0 chem GPA is ideal, and you may want to ask any of your professors if you should bother mentioning the discrepancy in your statement of purpose/intent. If they say yes, describe your absolute dedication and motivation to chemistry and the desire to understand the material prior to conducting research, but if they say that it is not important, I would not draw attention to your overall GPA. This of course is a minor caveat, and shouldn't make or break your application. What schools are you interested in applying to/what type of chemistry are you mainly interested in pursuing?
  2. Like Quantum Buckyball said, the GRE scores are typically one of the least important aspects of your application. Other aspects, in particular, research experience, LORs and publication record are the most important parts of your application, followed by SOP, GPA and possibly cGRE if you have less research experience. Your GRE scores are actually quite good, in particular your verbal score, and will not hold you back from top 10 schools. You will need to have quality research experience and great LORs to get into a high quality school. Basically, the GRE is part of the checklist for your application. A good score will not guarantee entry to an institution, but a low score may keep you out. That being said, your scores are high to very high (keep in mind that the percentile is not how well you scored, but how well you scored relative to everyone else taking the test: i.e. a 97 %ile means you scored better than all but 3% of applicants).
  3. I think a little more information is needed. Did you get a chance to visit any of these schools, specifically, meet any of the professors you are interested in? Regardless, I think it'd be best to send the professors an e-mail stating who you are, that you've been accepted into the program, that you're interested in specific aspects of their research, and if they are planning on taking students in the fall, as well as maybe a one-page CV of your best research and academic accomplishments. This will help you narrow down your list, especially if the professors you are interested in are not taking any students. It'll also stir some interest with a professor if they find your CV impressive, and will help them and you get into a research group of your choice. Professors want the best talent in their group, and also the most motivated students, and by being proactive, you may show this to them before you ever meet them face-to-face. If the professors have websites, e-mail the students as well to ask questions about what it's like to work for them and within the department...try to keep it to factual questions (i.e. how many hours do you work, how often do you meet with Professor X, are you required to attend seminars, etc.) because students may feel uncomfortable revealing their opinions in writing (especially if they have negative opinions). You can also use these websites to check where graduates end up in the workplace. Is there a particular lab that produces many students that go into industry, or do they mostly end up in academia/working for the government/doing a non-chemistry related job? This will probably be of interest to you. I won't be able to give you a school choice, because I have not attended any of these schools myself, nor am I in the organic division, so I do not know the prestige factor/strength of the program/innovative research being done in the field. In the end, my suggestion would be superficial at best, and based on your interests (organic chemistry/catalysis), knowing which professors are taking students is probably priority #1 for you to determine. Hope this helps!
  4. The area around there is quite low density, mostly plazas as far as shopping goes. There are plenty of high-rises around, but I am not sure whether they are apartment units or condos. If you like forests, Rouge Park is right there, and offers lots of biking, hiking options, and a chance to explore the countryside just north of Rouge. Some of the waterfront relatively close to campus also has nice cliffs (Scarborough Bluffs). However, the TTC routes that far east in Scarborough are not very good. You're going to have to consider a trade-off between living near the university and having very little to do nearby in terms of nightlife (a couple of bars, pacific mall is still far, movie theatre is far) and living further west...even then, living on the eastern part of the subway line (main street, victoria park, warden, etc.) will still be a 30 min - 1 hr commute to Scarborough campus. I'm sorry I can't give you more information, I don't live in Scarborough, and rarely go into that part of the city.
  5. Hello everyone! I have decided to attend CU Boulder, and will be arriving in August. It looks like many people have trouble with cell phone reception and data in Boulder, no matter what cell phone provider you use. What provider do Boulder residents use, and what should I expect to pay for a moderate use plan (unlimited evenings/weekends, set day-time minutes, unlimited texts, a couple gigs of data/month)?
  6. One of the lessons I have learned is to best understand what a university's core focus is within your own division of interest. Divisions are traditionally divided into organic, inorganic, analytical and physical, and this is what a traditional undergraduate experience will describe as the core four disciplines of chemistry. However, many universities will specialize in certain aspects such as materials science/polymers, atmospheric/environmental, computational/theoretical chemistry, which do not fit cleanly into the traditional divisions, but nevertheless are an aspect of chemistry you are most interested in. Some universities may have separate divisions for these types of chemistry, while others may lump them into the traditional categories and this will impact the types of coursework, and reference frame for your thesis in the program. This should impact how you frame your statement of purpose, as I found that my statement of purpose reflected my interest specifically in atmospheric chemistry, and the analytical applications, rather than analytical chemistry for some of the programs. This is especially useful if there are only a small number (2-4) professors in which you are interested in working with. This takes me to another lesson: unless you are in love with the professors work, and the application is free, I would not recommend applying to a school with only one professor of interest. The pitfalls of this are due to the fact that you will be inflexible should you not get your top choice if you believe the university is right for you. Another lesson I learned was to contact professors early on in the application process. A short e-mail, maybe a 3-6 sentences, stating who you are, why you are interested specifically in them, asking them if they are planning on taking students next year, and a one-page CV detailing research and academic accomplishments is very helpful for both yourself and the professor, and does not come off as being over-eager/over-ambitious (unlike a several paragraph e-mail). If you are a strong candidate, it lets them know that you are interested in them, are willing to be proactive, and they may address this to the admissions committee (or they might even be on the admissions committee). It also gives you a first glimpse, however brief, of their personality when it comes to dealing with new students (are they the kind of person you would like to work with beyond simply their research interests)? It can also let you know if you have a reasonable chance of working with them, as applying to a school with professors of interest, only to find out they aren't taking students, can be both a let-down and a poor use of your time and effort needed to complete an application to a university.
  7. I think what TakeruK said covers anything, everything and beyond what I could've hoped to extend to you. I'm sorry that this situation happened to you, and you should definitely feel betrayed.
  8. I agree with Faraday. Personally, I'd wear a button up shirt, tie and slacks for an interview like that at most. It's chemistry, not law or business, and a suit isn't something you wouldn't ever wear in the lab, (not that you would wear the nicest clothes in a lab, but you wouldn't feel encumbered).
  9. Thank you all for your opinion. I just wanted to gauge what everyone feels comfortable with, and what everyone felt was appropriate before I took action.
  10. Hello There! So, a little background. I was recently rejected from the University of Michigan, which was my top choice prior to the graduate visitation weekends. There was a POI there that I had gotten in contact with in September, and s/he suggested speaking over Skype in October. I was able to ask questions after the informal Skype interview regarding future projects and summer research opportunities, and I informed the POI once I had completed my application in mid-November. My question is, should I inform them personally of my rejection? My thinking is that I had some personal interaction with the POI, who reached out to me for an informal interview, and it would be nice to let them know. On the other hand, this may not be considered proper etiquette, and I would appreciate some guidance on the matter. Thank you in advance!
  11. I'm from Toronto, Canada, and the Jewish community here is huge, especially in the suburbs and outside of the downtown core. In my neighbourhood, there are 3 synagogues I know of, one orthodox, one conservative, and the one I attend is (to the best of my knowledge) the only non-egalitarian conservative synagogue in the city. The suburb directly north of Toronto has a population that is 36.6% Jewish, and it's easy to find whatever Jewish community you prefer, from completely secular to traditional orthodox.
  12. Feb 28th is the last date you'll hear by. I'm sure you'll hear well before then, and they might just be giving a late date to cover all their bases in case the admissions committee delays their decision making. Good luck!
  13. Thanks for the post! I thought it would be a bit more back and forth between prof and student, but it's good to know that they are basically trying to woo you. Also I hadn't considered the importance of interaction with other prospectives, just with students already there.
  14. Congrats!! And for everyone, it's still really early. Go to the results page, type in the school and chemistry, and see when most acceptances were last year. Most schools didn't even start giving acceptances until mid-late january. If not for a professor from my SOP emailing me, I still wouldn't know, because I haven't yet received an offer letter. Good luck everyone!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use