Soldier of Love

I know, I still haven't applied to Stony Brook Ecology and Evolution (deadline January 15th). However I did have a Dec. 1st deadline (Princeton EEB) and right after I applied, POI told me he would read it when the grad school sends it to them in a few weeks. I don't know what "few" means here, which is making me a little anxious too. Plus, some people have already posted interview invites from Princeton Molecular Biology in the results sections. It looks like I'm in the same situation as you are.

Hi, shadowclaw, I'm also applying to Biology and EEB programs. Our deadlines were usually later, so I'm not worrying about it now. Although seeing so many people getting invites to their interviews makes me so anxious! The POI's I contacted after applying all told me I should hear something back from them around January... looks like we have to be a little more patient and deal with the anxiety. Meanwhile, congratulations to everyone getting their interview invitations.

I'm going to take the lack of comments as a good sign. I'm deleting the link as I'm submitting this now, thanks.

I appreciate your comments! This is a first draft Also please keep in mind that as I'm an international student, comments on grammar/weird vocabulary are also appreciated! https://docs.google.com/document/d/17kZm1s1IepJfLgCuPKya457q13h4kHvr8t2nmkpAkkQ/edit?usp=sharing

Just another different opinion here, again based on my experience in Ecology programs. I once emailed one professor at 11:55pm on a Saturday discussing research interests and got a very enthusiastic response 10 minutes later... I think there are exceptions, and I would think professors like to know who the really interested and dedicated applicants are, and most sound like they liked to hear about my research and interests, specially when it matches theirs.

It seems that it varies between programs. I'm applying to Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and they all require/strongly recommend contacting faculty before applying. I'm only applying to programs in which the professor I'm interested in has shown interest on my CV and suggested me to apply (6 programs in total). This can be extremely helpful as some faculty can have some influence on the admission process. After all, they are the people that will be working with the admitted students. Again, I'm speaking based on my experience in applying to Ecology programs. Now regarding your question whether it is too late... I got responses from two professors just yesterday and they were really positive about my profile/research experience and recommended me to apply to their programs, and the deadline is on the 15th. In the end, I recommend looking at the guidelines for applicants in your programs of interest and seeing if they recommend prior contact with PI's. If so, definitely go for it as it will help your application a lot.

Going for my first (unnoficial) interview tomorrow! Since I live in the area, PI has set up meetings with himself and 5 other faculty members. A little nervous, wish me luck.

Thanks for the feedback shadowclaw! Yes, my GRE scores are not exceptional, but I think that they won't ruin my application. Princeton provided average GRE scores from last year's applicants in Natural Sciences Ph.D. programs. In the verbal section, the averages were 158 for applicants, 163 for admits and 161 for enrollees. My 157 is pretty low in this case, but I thought that the fact that English is not my first language would make it not look so bad... In the quantitative section, it was 154 for applicants, 161 for admits and 158 for enrollees. In this case I think I'm in a decent position with my 162.

Could anyone give me some feedback here? Anxiety is killing me! I feel very insecure about my international status and the fact that I haven't attended big research institutions. I had two PI's say that they will be looking forward to my application, I don't know if that's a good sign or if it's just something they would say to everyone... I also had one PI invite me to visit his lab and talk about my research (a pre-interview?) next week.

Undergrad Institution: Unevaheardof University in developing country Major(s): Biology GPA: 8.4/10 which ranked me first in my small class M.S. in small private University in America Major(s): Biology Master's GPA: 3.992 Type of Student: international male GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 162 V: 157 W: not available yet Research Experience: 2 manuscripts in preparation for submission this winter. One talk given in prestigious international conference, two talks in small conferences, one poster in national conference, one poster in local conference. One senior thesis, one Master's thesis and 3 smaller research projects (4-5 years total) Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Scholarships in 3 of my four undergrad years, full M.S. scholarship. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA in 3 labs in my undergrad institution, and in about 15 labs during my MS. Lab assistant Volunteer work in wild animal rehab. Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Fluent in two languages, intermediate in one more. Special Bonus Points: Encouraged to apply by faculty members in all programs I'm applying to, some of them seeming really positive about it. Applying to Where: Princeton Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Upenn Biology Penn State Ecology Stony Brook Ecology and Evolutionary Biology What do you guys think?