UBackwardsChemistry

Assuming that your performance bounced back after this I think that you should mention it. I had some pretty mediocre grades in my sophomore year largely due to a difficult living situation but was able to get back on track in years 3 and 4. I addressed this in my SoP for all the schools I applied to and it seems to have worked out alright. I gave this a small paragraph at the end as, honestly, GPA is one of the least important metrics for admission (but it can disqualify you if it's way low); ultimately it's up to you. Also there is nothing wrong with "tooting your own horn" a bit in your SoP: admissions committees are looking for talented, committed students and this is your opportunity to highlight your best qualities and (in this case) ameliorate your detractors.

I found this blog post really informed how I approached visit weekends during my application cycle: http://notthelab.blogspot.com/2013/01/tips-for-grad-school-recruiting-weekends.html You can make of it as you will but, by and large, I think that it has some very useful suggestions.

Raines and Weibel really impressed me during my visit weekend and Kiessling is obviously a huge name if you like the chembio interface. The facilities at UW-Madison seem really top notch as well. I can't say anything about Stanford, but I definitely agree with Synorg's post above about UCLA.

Looks like I'm headed to rural Jersey

http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2013/03/19/scientific_snobbery.php

On Irvine,: - the department is spread out over multiple buildings; the state of the labs is largely dependent on which of these you end up in (ranges from new, open concept with 8' hoods to old school cramped with 6' hoods). No matter where you are it seems that offices are NOT separate from the lab space. -chemicals can take up to a week to get in -I can't really comment on the crystallographic set up, but it sounds like it is at least passable -only five NMRs (one cryoprobed) with a booking system...looks like waiting is a part of life for a department as large as Irvine -Mass spec is fine, big selling point is that it is open 24/7 (Manager seems helpful, but no especially amazing instrumentation) -no catalysis center I've got to say that I was a little disappointed...some good researchers there, though

look familiar? http://chemjobber.blogspot.ca/2013/03/reddit-chemistry-jobs-faq-part-4-does.html

This really depends on the program and degree you choose. For instance, at UToronto you can study towards a masters of applied science (MASc) with a natural sciences bachelors degree while to get admitted for a maters of engineering (MEng) you NEED an engineering degree. If you stick more to the science and less to the flow analysis/hardcore process research you should be able to squeeze into a ChemE program somewhere. It's technically possible, but realistically you need research experience to be considered for most graduate schools; (un?)surprisingly coursework is a poor indicator for whether or not you will succeed in lab.

Wear what makes you comfortable: It's far more important that you are able to showcase your personaiity than your wardrobe. I wouldn't suggest wearing sweatpants, but I wore a Hawaiian shirt to a couple events (it seemed to go over surprisingly well). Jeans and button down will more than suffice.

On UW-Madison: -Labs can be kind of old (particularly in building 2) but the fumehoods are up to date and there's lots of benchspace. Shain tower labs are very nice. Grad student offices are SEPARATE from the labspace (big plus) -chemicals typically arrive a day or two after ordered -Probably the best crystallographic set up in the country (it helps that Bruker Crystallography is headquartered in Madison). -A bunch of NMRs, frequently autosampled. The field and quality of probes for these instruments is also very impressive (prodigy probe, in particular, for lightning fast carbons). Additionally one can get access to 700+ mHz instruments in Biochem if needed -Very decent common mass spec facility (many groups have their own instrumentation as well) -the department is currently building a joint catalysis center (parallel reactors, pressure vessels etc) Madison might actually have better instrumentation than Caltech!

most importantly don't be an asshole to the PI or the other prospectives in your meeting; be courteous and don't cut anyone off! PIs need people who can play nice with others.

On my way back on Sunday my first flight got delayed (due to O'Hare ATC) and I ended up missing my second flight which was the last one of the day to Vancouver. I got rescheduled the next day on a route that almost doubled my travel time b/c apparently they couldn't put me on a direct flight...I'm looking forward to the direct flights I have for this coming weekend

words cannot describe how much I despise O'Hare

This is, surprisingly, not true: I had the chance to talk to the head of the addcom and he said that Caltech averages 1/3 for acceptances-per-admitted students. I think that this is higher than a lot of schools but by no means is it a majority. Definitely agree.

Caltech's buildings (particularly the new one, Schlinger) appear to be very nice to do chemistry in. The hoods are spacious, bench space is decent and there is a new catalysis centre with a dedicated staff scientist to help set up automated reactions and GC/HPLC/UHPLC protocols. The NMR facility is heavily automated, meaning that you will probably have to wait for a bit to get your spectrum but, realistically, all you have to do is drop off your sample in the que (the manager of the facility also seemed super helpful) and pick it up later (instead of having to physically wait in line). I was impressed. Also, there is an awesome pond full of turtles which looks ideal for dissipating stress. I will certainly not be discounting this school based on its facilities.