Eco_Vibes

Still have not heard from the Biology Department at BU which definitely concerns me. On the other hand, is there usually an unofficial waitlist at BU or other biology PhD programs at different schools? BU is still my top choice, but I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out. Any input/advice? I emailed the program coordinater last week but...no response.

Nope. I still haven't heard anything from them. I saw a few posts on here, both acceptances and rejections, but nothing more. I'm fairly sure they are in the final stages of deciding, but then again I said the same thing last week... I would normally assume an unofficial waitlist, but I really don't think they've made all decisions yet. I guess we'll wait and see. You'll have to let me know if you hear anything!

I assume that protocol is pretty standard with masters (vs. Ph.D.) programs. I applied to about half and half, and that's what I've seen so far. Good luck with everything and fingers crossed for positive news soon!!

Most definitely! My concentration is actually in the field of biogeography, with a marine science focus, so I applied to the Geography program at UC Davis. I've read all about the Bodega Lab and it seems great! I just wish I would've applied to that program from the beginning...oh well. Those are both great programs! I looked at applying to both, yet the ever-increasing application fees had already reached their peak. It is good to see, however, that other marine sci applicants are on here! Do you know if the programs you applied to typically interview candidates?

@doingthings, I see your intended programs are in the marine sciences, as are mine! Out of curiosity, where have you applied? Until this point, I've received nothing but rejection. All the rest seem to be taking an awfully long time making final decisions. To keep busy, I've been splitting my time between reading, volunteering, movies, and running (which I highly recommend!). Checking my email/phone any less than 10 times a day is a MAJOR accomplishment. Although, I see this as torture, and quickly revert to my old ways of checking every 2 minutes... soo my sanity is quickly fading. Nonetheless, best of luck to all!

I also applied to the Biology M.A./Ph.D. program at BU, although my specialization is in Marine Biology. Nonetheless, I called the graduate coordinator about the status of the admission process today, expecting a snippy response, but actually received a nice, informative answer. She said no formal interviews, acceptances, or rejections have been sent out, as of now. For Marine Bio, each POI is to recommend admission of their choice(s) to the grad program before any formal acceptance is made. Also, she mentioned that this varies greatly from professor to professor and could take time. I assume other specializations are similar. While this isn't necessarily good news, I'm glad that I called and will be emailing my POI come Monday! Good luck to you and fingers crossed!

I applied to the department of biology at UW but there are others in various departments that I hope to collaborate with (assuming I get in haha). As far as having schools at the bottom of your list, there is nothing wrong with having safety schools. I have a couple, but really should have included more, just in case. I think everyones sense of security goes out the window during the "waiting" process. That's good to hear you've had positive feedback thus far! I've been pulling my hair out waiting to hear some kind of news, good or bad, but there just isn't much left to pull... . It's definitely hard for applicants like us to gauge approx. times of acceptance/rejection when all the results are in almost every other field. Eh. Until then, I'm going to need a new hobby

Here! I'm glad to see other people with similar interests on grad cafe. I was starting to think I was the only one. However, I should clarify by saying that I applied to MS/PhD programs in Biology with a focus on climate change ecology in marine ecosystems. I have yet to hear back from any of the nine programs about their final offers, other than a few interviews. Where is your top choice and have you gotten any news??