EngiNerd-12

Thank you Texasgrad5911! I have not been in Texas, let alone Houston, before.

Are you interested in research? If MBA is your next goal, then I would say go with the one-year coursework-only programs, since you don't really need a thesis at that point.

Thank you guys for all the input, and congratulations on all your acceptances! I just a notice for fellowship nominations at UCLA, so that is an additional thing to consider. I visited all schools and I was pretty happy with the staff, faculty, and students at all schools. Location-wise, I prefer California since it fits me more personality-wise (I am absolutely in love with outdoor activities such as running, hiking, kayaking, and cycling) and my sister goes to school in LA.

Congratulations on receiving the award!! This is for UCLA. I was told of the nomination early this week.

I was nominated for the Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship. Does anyone know when award decisions are made? And is there a set amount of awards per school? Thank you!

Let me know if you guys have input. Thanks a lot

I think Duke and UCSD would be my top choices for Biomedical Engineering. I personally would go with UCSD because of the great program, location/weather, and being in the center of the biotech/pharmaceutical world.

Congratulations on getting into your top choice! I'm originally from a country that is 130F over the summer and moved to Illinois (Chicago) 2 years ago. I tried getting used to it (layering and such), but I'm still not able to able to handle it and that is why I applied to schools in warmer areas. With that said, I am someone who loves the heat, has a weak immune system (so I get sick often winter time, especially in big cities), and am in love with running outdoors year-round. So I am biased. In grad school, you will be spending a lot time studying/reading/researching, so you actually might not feel the pain. Plus, I think the school you are referring to is easy to commute around, so you're not going to deal with being outside too much. If you are absolutely in love with the outdoors (hiking, running, etc.), this might be tough. Otherwise, I would say go for it since it's a great school! Just make sure to layer up (not just 1 jacket!)

I would truly appreciate any input on these schools! My general research interest is in the application of engineering/physics concepts in biological/biomedical sciences to understand and analyze processes associated with pathogenesis (whether neurological disorders or cancer progression). I applied to interdisciplinary programs because of my desire to rotate at various labs to determine the best fit. I got offered the following: UCLA - Biomedical Physics PhD: Great program; very interdisciplinary; CAMPEP Accredited Fits my research interests perfectly $26k/yr for the 1st year and then it's the lab's responsibility; high cost of living UC Irvine - Mathematical, Computational, and Systems Biology PhD: Great program; very interdisciplinary Also fits my research interests perfectly $29.5k/yr the 1st year and then it's the lab's responsibility; high-medium cost of living Baylor College of Medicine - Structural & Computational Biology & Molecular Biophysics PhD: Great program; very interdisciplinary and inter-institutional Also fits my research interests perfectly $29k/yr for all 5 yrs; low cost of living I truly loved those schools and the faculty/staff/students were very genuine and helpful. Let me know if you have any thoughts whatsoever on this. Thanks!

From what I know, both U Penn and UC Irvine are great in Biotechnology, Biological Sciences, and Biomedical Engineering. South California (and especially San Diego area) is top in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals. I would recommend Orange County/ San Diego area for someone who is looking for biotech jobs around. I know U Penn has a great Biomedical Engineering program. I am not sure how their Biotechnology program is, but might be comparable. It is ranked higher than UC Irvine (but don't forget UC Irvine is a newer school and still managed to be in the top!) If NCSU does not match your research interests, then forget it!

Any funding news? I think UC Irvine is great for biotechnology (and the area is beautiful!)

I was 20 when I started my MS and now will be 24 going into a PhD (since I worked for 2+yrs).

Thank you guys for all the follow-up with the admissions office! Very thoughtful of you

I'm wondering if this is an automatic thing.. you don't make it to the PhD then you are immediately transferred to a MS.

I think most of us will be calling them! Time for the EECS admins to prep up, haha. I personally think it is because they no longer have funding available, so they pick a few students they want and put them for MS instead of PhD (since PhD is typically paid, even though it is only 3 quarters at Stanford). But who knows. We're all confused.

This seems to have happened to a few people (not just me), so I figured I would start this topic here. I had applied to the EECS (Bio-EE) program at Stanford. I just got a letter congratulating me for being accepting to the MS program (even though I already have a MS). Is this their way of saying they want certain students to come but they lack the funding for those students (I am guessing so because PhD students are typically funded 3 quarters rather than full tuition)? Based on past years' results, students do get rejected from PhD programs, which makes me believe not everyone rejected gets this automatic transfer to MS. What are your thoughts?

I guess BEST OF LUCK to every one! Only a few more days to wait

Still "submitted" for me too, but honestly, at this point, I think we should accept the fact that it's ultimately a rejection :/

I applied to the EECS - Genomics & Computational Biology focus and didn't hear back anything. A little bummed as I'm expecting that means a no as well :-/

A few Berkeley EECS acceptances are out now.. let's see

You are right Nick PhD EE! We did our best and there is no need to keep worrying and thinking about it. Best of luck

By the way guys, I spoke to an admission admin and he said that interviews are not necessarily part of the process. Some professors choose to contact students they are interested in working with, but this is an informal process and is up to the professor. Acceptance notifications are typically sent out early-mid February (so if we don't hear back by mid February, we should just accept that we did not make the cut). Best of luck to every one!!

I emailed them asking about the possibility of staying until Sunday. Exploring the area seems perfect for the weekend! I think it's important to go to a good school but also like the area you will be living in for the next 4-6yrs (at least)!

Thanks PsychGirl1!

For one of my visits, I am interviewing Thurs and Frid. I have a to send my time preferences for the flight. Does it look bad if I request to leave Sun (and I can cover my extra stay on Frid/Sat nights) so I can check out the area more thoroughly? Thanks!