ion_exchanger

I'd also recommend taking orgo 2, as it will be required by most programs. Biochem 2 at my undergrad institution was mostly metabolic pathways and protein biochemistry. A course in biochem looks good, but two looks great. There are a lot of applicants who do not have courses in biochemistry. Such a shame, the orgo 2 and virology would be the best combo for me.

I can't stand the cuteness. Sadly I don't have any pets yet, but would love to see more pics of everyone else's pets.

I love shopping! Which reminds me. Retail therapy followed by cold stone ice cream is my recipe for success. Ice cream makes everything better. Yep, food is my path to a PhD.

I just ate dinner, but after reading this, I am hungry all over again. This sounds amazing! Why do I feel like the only thing that can get me through this grad school ordeal is yummy food?! Thank goodness I like to exercise too!

Haha banksy, didn't notice my autocorrect fail. West coast seems easy for me, would be great to be on the west coast where I could study outside most of the day, my favorite part of school is studying outside at the beginning and during finals, when the weather is best. Academically, the west coast seems terrifying!

I know what you mean about the wait. I have to wait 2 weeks for my other top choice. If I'm rejected, the choice is clear. If I'm wait listed I have to decide if I want to wait or accept my other top offer. If I'm accepted, well then I will probably spontaneously combust. It would have been great to be able to travel across the country for interviews, but I see myself staying on the east coast so my applications wouldn't have been genuine.

FIVE and you still have more to go?? After three I was exhausted and glad to be done. I didn't have to travel much, just two hours for one. I admire you guys who are hopping on planes like it's nothing! Congrats on your acceptance!

Although ultimately the choice is up to you, I wouldn't put it in my SOP. They will already know once they read the general parts of your application, where you list your mailing address. If an interview is required, and they ask what other schools you are considering, then you can mention that this is your top choice due to location. I'm not sure that knowing your way around the city would be the difference maker in your application. Good luck to you!

Usually I snack on cheese and crackers. I love those multi-layer dips for chips with cheese, guac, sour cream, etc. I've become addicted to those. If I'm feeling really healthy, I snack on a bunch of grapes. I was so into my work that I finished a whole bunch by myself pretty quickly. Oof. My poor stomach.

Yeah that's true, was just looking at the original question from another angle. I know that it can happen in undergrad. I had a friend who was rejected from the University, but accepted by a specific program in the University, so they overturned the decision because the department wanted her.

Do situations occur where a school rejects you, however a professor really wants you and pulls you into their lab and agrees to fund you, therefore the university will overturn the decision?

My first LOR completed and submitted all of my LORs at the same time, 3 weeks before the first deadline. My others, whom I see and work with everyday, submitted them as they were due, usually the day before. It gave me such anxiety and drove me crazy. I was hesitant to remind them because I didn't want to bother them or suggest that they were forgetful and/or irresponsible. I'm so glad that's over.

I'm hearing from others that it's a great experience. Even though I would like to pass, the schools that don't require it have the option for you to do it, with perks! So I like that route better. I will check into if this school can use an RA'ship as a replacement, but the students that I have talked to said there's pretty much no way of getting out of it.

Welcome to the madness beachgirl14! My last two interviews won't notify acceptances/rejections/waitlist for about another two weeks. Waiting for interview notifications was hard, but waiting AFTER for acceptances is torture, especially since for my top choice, they interviewed 10 of us for 3 slots.

I have absolutely no plans to go into academia. I will not change my mind. This is why the TA requirement annoys me, if I wanted to teach, I wouldn't be worried about it. This requirement is just one of the reasons why this school is lower on my list, making the school less of a fit. I have a lot of plans and ideas of what I want to do in graduate school with my research and want to focus on that. I am leaning towards the institutions that do not require it. I appreciate the responses.

I agree with biohopeful. Sometimes the applicant doesn't match what's on paper. Their personality might come across in a weird way. They may seem like they are more interested in another school, or the ad com might think that your other list of schools would cause you to turn down their offer, so be careful about seeming too enthusiatic about your interview at another school when they ask, because they will. You might have gotten drunk at the dinners and said something obnoxious. They may only have the funding to take a few of the interviewees.

I highly recommend the summer rotation if it is an option at your graduate school. It is great to just start rotations without having to worry about classes, TA'ing, and all of the other first year events. All of my prospective schools offer a summer rotation, and the graduate students recommend it. It also doesn't hurt to begin your stipend in the summer! If you would like something else, there are a lot of summer internships, especially for the government and private sector, that are for students. Even if you are currently not enrolled in school but a fall 2013 grad, you are still eligible as long as you provide an acceptance letter to the program.

Cheese and crackers, potato chips, french fries, and mountain dew. I devoured these snack during application season while I was studying for the GRE and completing my apps, and the mountain dew was to stay alert. I think that after all my apps were in, I gained about 10 pounds. With the waiting, I'm snacking again. Once I make a decision, I will probably eat them in celebration. Peanut butter ice cream is my new food addiction. I find that if I'm constantly shoving food in my mouth, my hands are not clicking the refresh button all the time.

I've never had that many interviews, but what I do for each interview is to put in my portfolio the names of my interviewers and a short sentence overview of their research. I never remember exactly everything that they work on, but if I at least know the overall area, thats fine. They usually end up telling you again anyway. Dr. Ion_exchanger researches the structure of protein kinases and their relation to whatever. Glance at it quickly before that talk, and be prepared to talk about your own research. Good luck!

I meant they are interviewing 10 of us for three slots. I may have meant to say acceptance rate. Competition feels tight. None of my other interviews have felt this competitive. This is my top choice.

Currently on my third interview, and have been informed that the target matriculation is 30%. Yikes! For other programs it's 25%!

Tall Chai Latte seems like we do have similar backgrounds. I express and purify using E.coli, and my research is based on structural biology, x-ray crystallography. On my interviews I get and ask a lot of questions on different expression systems, yeast, s9, soluble vs. inclusion bodies, etc.

Haha I have that same problem. I keep telling myself that it's because I am looking straight down at my boots, and they definitely look better to people that aren't me.