ion_exchanger

To the lucky ones that have been accepted to UPenn biology, congrats! What was your Skype interview like? Did they stay true to standard grad school interviews, or were there any curve balls?

I feel so bad for snapping at them, because I know they mean well and I know that they think they are being a really big help.

Congratulations bassish101!!! I cant wait until more acceptances start rolling in!

Congratulations mrmolecularbiology! What kind of superhuman are you???!!

Yes good luck to all heading to GSK today! To those of us heading to UPenn on Thursday, good luck as well!

Congratulations!!!! It must have been hard to wait another year to apply, but it looks like it is working out for you!

Congratulations!!! You are on a roll!!

GSK rejection. No surprise obviously since interviews start tomorrow. My first rejection of the season doesn't sting as much as I thought it would. I knew it was coming, but mostly because I found annoying the fact that the day after they sent interview invites, they sent letters to the LORs of the non-invited that they were starting to review applications. They come to me with false hope before Christmas, and I have to tell them that invites had gone out and the emails weren't as happy as they thought. They may have had a good reason for doing that. I'd love to know it.

Wow, Bansky, thanks for the tips! You make some great points, particularly the point about glossing over details, but knowing them. I had experience working with malaria, but not directly, and while working on that infamous "so tell me about your research" speech, I was wondering if I should run down the entire life cycle! I know it, if asked, but I don't want to bore the interviewer. I've definitely had someone try to trip me up to test what I knew, or thought I knew.

Definitely. I have trouble telling people that I am nervous about my interview, because the first thing they say is "you'll be fine". If one more person says that, I'll snap. They just don't understand how dismissive it sounds, as if I'm worrying for nothing. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, for goodness sake.

Also jealous of the GSK interview, but I'll live lol. Interestingly enough, I had a conversation with a professor from JHU and they asked me technical questions, which made me even more nervous. I'm hoping we will all be successful. We are such great grad school candidates and these schools should be chomping at the bit to take us!

Does anyone have last interview tips? They aren't going to grill us on techniques, right??!!

My first interview is this week. Is anyone else preparing to travel this week, and very nervous like me??!!

I've been reading up on other peoples' interview experiences, and not a lot say that they are grilled, but I think that if you are not sure of an answer to a question, it can sure feel that way. I am already naturally shy, and am desperate not to come across as if I don't know what I have spent the last 2 years doing.

I recently had a "conversation" with a professor of a grad school that was a bit unsettling for me. Do professors usually ask questions about techniques, meaning will someone ask me how a nanodrop measure protein concentration, or what wavelength proteins are measured at, or something similar? I am still reviewing every single concept for every single techniques I use, just to be prepared, and also trying to anticipate questions about my research that are a little beyond the scope of my research.

Congratulations Nohika!! I'm so glad someone has heard good news, and hope everyone else does too!

I'm most afraid of getting rejected after an interview. I would much rather be rejected before. I'll feel like there is something wrong with me because I couldn't seal the deal.

My biggest fear is that I'll get tongue tied out of nervousness and not be able to explain my research well, or that they will start asking me to explain concepts of techniques I use. It doesn't help that I'm naturally shy and my mentors have said they are worried how I will do. Commence freak out! Edit* posted before I was ready, grrr. Haha biotexhie I'm sure you can be good for that long. I'll also be there for 4 days. I also leave on Thursday. We will do fine, I'm sure!

I will not look for POI's on twitter. I will not look for POI's on twitter. I will not look for POI's on twitter...past tonight....

Thanks! I'm very excited, but just as nervous!

I see over on college confidential that someone called GSK and said they are still reviewing applications. Their interview starts next week. In the words of one of my mentors: how can this be?

Losing my mind for a different reason. My first interview is in exactly a week! Freaked out because I wanted an interview, now freaking out over the interview! Be careful what you wish for! Biotechie, I know how you feel. I wish my first interview wasn't at my top school though, don't want to use it as an experimental interview.

I am also not a fan of the phone call. For one, I usually don't answer "unknown" calls, as well as calls with a phone number that I don't recognize. After the phone stops ringing, I usually google the number. When they call and don't talk to anyone, they usually send an email, so that's a good thing.

Congrats MicroB2012! You're doing pretty well for yourself!

I don't think I have an interview with anyone here. Would have been nice to put a face to these interesting names.