quietedge

Thanks for the responce about teaching. Another question: If you are seriously considering a different track from which you interviewed with should you take coursework for the track you might want to switch to? I really want to take the bioinformatics I class they offer because I have programming experince and feel like the other intro class they offer would be things I have already learned. I might want also want to switch to bioinformatics, but I am still unsure.... Idk if they would be strict about switching to this track since it is more computational than all of the other tracks and would require different skills.

I am! Which program did you interview for? Also do you happen to know if we are able to TA if we want to? I know it is not required but I want to try teaching.

I will mostly be in Manhattan where the NYU Medical Center is and surrounding areas. That is good to know though! Biking is my favorite way to get around.

Is it possible to use a bike as a method of transportation in NYC or would it be too dangerous?

I currently live here and SC is having a huge housing crisis at the moment. A lot of my friends could not find off campus housing and had to live in a surrounding town. SC is small so if you live on the west side or downtown it is easy to take the bike shuttle to campus or the metro buses which are both free for students. There are small co ops but don't really know the reputation. Its more like a group of people all deciding to live in huge houses off campus. You will have to try hard for housing. I think the university has a listing for off campus places but I found mine on craigslist. Paid 700 for a single room in a shared apartment. If you go further away you can find cheaper but 700 or more is average for a room.

They explicitly told us March. And grad students from last year also didn't find out until March. At least I know when to expect the decision!

Yeah it is crazy how arbitrary the process can seem because I am thinking it has to do with the "vibe" they get from the person they are interviewing. Maybe I can feel fine, but they are actually able to read how confident I am at explaining science and if I am the person I said I was in the application, but I have no idea how because I'd have to be outside of my own body in order to know how I presented myself. I am definitely on the more worried side because I had lower numbers (I am assuming this as I did not ask) and less interviews at other places than most of the other people interviewing. I did get two people I did not ask for and the interviews did go differently than the rest, but they also happened to be my favorite ones. They really seemed to like me and my "story" and did not bring up my below average GPA at all. For some reason I was very scared someone would bring it up, but it didn't seem to be an issue for any of the professors I talked to. Everyone has to wait until March for a decision and I will constantly be over thinking this until then.

Yeah according to the acceptance rate they told us....around 30 people are going to be rejected. So I guess I'm wondering what factors they look at in order to determine who the rejected people are. It's scary to think that one can feel confident about his/her interviews and still be rejected.

Just a question out of curiosity because I am anxiously waiting for decisions from schools after interviewing and even though it probably is program specific, I just want to hear different experiences or thoughts relevant to this question. My last interview went great. The professors I talked to were all very nice and it didn't seem like they wanted to "test" me much to help them determine if I would get in. This should be a good sign since everything went so smoothly, but it is just weird because the school does have to reject some people (although majority are accepted from what they told us). I am thinking maybe it was so relaxed because they already know who they want and don't want and it would be hard to determine which category you are in since everyone acts so nice. Of course, I do not know other people's interview experiences for sure, but most people I talked to had the same feelings about their interview as I did. I know there is no clear cut answer, but any thoughts are great!

Wow that's crazy! I wish Yale did that...I have to wait until March for my decision.

Sorry to kind of change the question a little, but I've been wondering.. How much do ratings of grads schools matter? For example is it worth going to a program that isn't in the top 50 in your field? Or does it depend on what jobs you are planning to get after grad school?

I am also wondering this. I know they have a very good MD/PhD program

Thanks for the info Red_Two! Since there is going to be a lot of walking involved in my interview.... Do you guys know of any girl shoes that are comfortable but also nice to wear at an interview? When I think of comfortable, I do not think of formal or dressy shoes. Flats are not comfortable when walking a lot.

I received an invite on Dec 24th. I don't know if they have one or two weekends. Maybe there is still hope! I realized it just kills you more when you worry about these things. I am still waiting from California schools and I know how hard it is to wait it out.....but there is also the option of emailing the program and asking if you really don't want to wait.

Yes it is for NYU. You interviewed with them last year? How was it?