Crucial BBQ

1. These days I would expect Zoom, but some still do in-person on campus. If you can't find the info on the website, email the program[s] and ask how they are doing interviews this year. 2. Business casual at most. Ties would be optional, but you likely might be the only one wearing one. 3. These types of interviews are informal. They are a chance for you to get to know them (and other students both potential and current), and for them to get to know you. Ignore whatever interview prep advice you may have heard. The 'interview' is going to mostly consists of you and them talking about science, research interests, and that sort of thing. But ask them questions! Ask about mentoring style. Ask students who is cool and who is the jerk you want to avoid. That sort of stuff. Try and get a general vibe of the program. 4. Can't say most, but yeah. The general consensus is that if you are invited to interview you are pretty much in. Not always, though. They may think you are psycho once they meet you, or that something about you in-person doesn't match up with your application. Or they may be interviewing a few more people than they have space for. You might also think the program, after all, sucks and it is not for you.

Where did you do postbacc at NIH? I am assuming Building 10. If you want to continue to work at the NIH, consider applying for a PMF in the future.

Not sure if you had already applied or not, so for future reference your scores are pretty good overall. When considering GRE scores, one has to consider them from the perspective of the respective discipline. In particular, what is the average for the programs you are applying to? I mean, for math, physics, and perhaps engineering a Q 164 might be low (or it might not be, I dunno), but for biology students it is on the higher end. I am also pretty sure it is difficult to score a 6 on AW. Anyways, your scores won't hurt your application[s]. If they will help, I dunno, but might still be in your interests to send them along.

Research into how cancer may be a form of evaluation already exists. You will also be hard-pressed to find any human volunteers to say, 'yeah, lets keep this cancer going!' Yes, I do think your point will eventually be the case. That is to say we are likely to reach a point where mutating the mutations is the best treatment.

Yes, very small.

I got a basic Brother B/W laser printer, prints both sides. If I need color, I'll just print at school. I gave up on ink/inkjet printers years ago.

In my opinion, the best prep materials -both free and paid- for the GRE come from ETS itself.

As a student who went from in-person to online back to a combination of in-person and online, here are my suggestions: 1. Keep regular office hours regardless if the course is synchronous or asynchronous. Zoom of course, and depending on the policies of your school, still allow for in-person office visits. 2. If the course is asynchronous, try to post lectures and other new materials at the same time on the same day of the week. 3. If the course is asynchronous, be clear on when the week begins and when the week ends (Monday to Sunday? Wednesday to Tuesday?). 4. Be clear on due dates. 5. Use the Discussion Board feature! Seriously, give students a way to hang out, discuss the materials, present ideas, and so on. 6. If synchronous, hold the class meeting over Zoom or related software. 7. Unless whatever online classroom software you are using automatically does this, email the class when you post new lectures/materials online.

I dunno. Yes, there is still a stigma around ADHD, but it seems to be lessening year by year. Still, I wouldn't mention it. What one professor says you need to do, another professor (or ten more), might not care that much about it. Your progression from a 2.96 to a 3.9+ would be evident, so you shouldn't focus too much on it. If you do want to offer an explanation, Something along the lines of, "I found adjusting to college life difficult, it took two years for me to find my rhythm". Or, something like that. Your best bet may be to have those writing your LORs, who are familiar with your story, handle it in their letters.

Yeah, got the rejection this past Monday. Although most likely a form letter, I have to say that I am impressed by what the letter had to say. I mean, it didn't read as generic as I had thought it would.

Yes, I am hoping everyone gets in. As for me, six applications and still no word either way.

Just a heads up, not sure about UMich, but for EEB and related fields with a Bioinf aspect in general, it all costs money. The cooler the 'toy', likely the more it costs to use.

California dedicates a large portion of the State's budget towards higher education and most California residents do not pay tuition (they pay fees instead). Because the costs are heavily subsidized by (Californian) tax-payer dollars, California tends to favor California residents above everyone else, including Americans from other States. It's simply cheaper for the UCs (and PIs) to do so.

You can focus on gene regulation at any program. Any program can lead to a career in cancer genomics. Out of your list I would select UC Santa Cruz, but I am from NorCal and have bias towards redwoods, hiking, Monetary Bay, and their mascot is the slug. UCSC was a major player in the human genome project, too.

Yeah, same with me.