Jubilee

It would probably be best to learn the molecular techniques while working on an actual project under the supervision of a PI. That being said, if the lab courses you're talking about involve working on a PI's projects, then by all means take the courses. (I would actually go ahead and take the courses anyway if you have free space in your schedule and if you're already getting some kind of research experience. It never hurts!) Also, I don't think research experience necessarily has to be extracurricular. In fact, most of my research experience was done in courses (independent research project courses, working on a PI's project as part of a course, etc.). I applied to 12 schools (all ranked in the top 20, since I'm somewhat of a rankings whore), received interview offers from most of them, went on 4 interviews, and have heard back from two so far, both with acceptances. The main thing you have to demonstrate to the admissions directors is that you have a passion for science. Of course, the best way to demonstrate this passion is by doing research, but it can also be demonstrated through your essay and recs.

Have any American students on here received interview offers from UWashington's Genome Sciences program? I was rejected by them a while back, but it doesn't look like they've offered interviews to any American students yet (at least none that have posted their results). There are only 3 results posted, 2 American rejections and 1 international interview offer from back in December. This is in contrast to last year, when there were 5 interview invites posted by now. Funding issues, maybe? Anyway, I'm done waiting for the other schools to respond. I've received 7 interview offers and 1 rejection. I'm extremely fortunate. I thought for sure I'd be rejected everywhere, so I'm very excited by the results thus far. I'm only going to go on 4 interviews, so the pressure is on, but hopefully I'll pull through and receive a final acceptance from at least one program.

You did absolutely nothing wrong. No school should expect an applicant to renege on a former obligation to show his or her commitment to their program. If they want you, they'll pay for you to come see them. For my Columbia offer, I simply could not make either of the interview weekends they offered. I told them what date I could make, and they agreed to fly me up on that date and put me up in a hotel (just one night). Of course, I'm not going to get the whole recruitment experience, but at least they're accommodating me! That's what UWisc should have done for you! All in all, though, I wouldn't be too upset about it if I were you. You seem to have plenty of other really great (and dare I say better?) offers. Focus on optimizing those interviews, and you'll be fine.

I think I'd probably reject any school that wouldn't reimburse me for the airline ticket, particularly if they're paying for everyone else. It would leave a really bad, silvery-medal taste in my mouth.

Has anybody checked their mail yet for a Rockefeller notice? Supposedly those notices should start coming in this week. Maybe Rockefeller will send them off today, and they'll arrive by tomorrow.

I should be working, but I thought I'd share the news. I just received an interview offer from Caltech's bio program. It's very exciting! Hopefully the few other folks on here who applied to Caltech will hear something very soon.

Has anybody heard from Caltech or Rockefeller yet? It seems like we should hear something soon based on previous years' results. Also, I'm still waiting on my rejections from Princeton, UChicago, and Harvard. (I know that I was told that adcoms are still looking at apps for Princeton and UChicago, but I have a feeling that just means I'm sitting in a reject pile.) Is there a particular reason why some of these schools take their sweet time sending out rejections? Is it so they can replace people who can't make it to interviews if need be? I suspect that's what happened with me at Columbia, though I can't be sure, obviously.

I received an invitation on December 17th via the Genetics and Development track. I could have sworn that there have been some other, more recent invites, but I'm not sure.

From Columbia, I received an e-mail response from the Genetics and Development track of the Program of Basic Cell and Molecular Biology. The Princeton program I'm waiting on is Molecular Biology.

It looks like Berkeley just unleashed its Death Star. I received my first rejection yesterday (from UW). Not a good feeling. It's probably the first time during this whole experience that I was hoping there wouldn't be an e-mail in my inbox! I saw it there, and I just knew it was a rejection. On the flip side, after asking Columbia if they were done sending out interviews, I immediately received an interview offer. Maybe they forgot about me, or is it just a coincidence it happened right after I e-mailed them? Anyway, supposedly Princeton and UChicago are still considering applications (note- I applied through molecular bio). Remain hopeful everyone!

I'd like to think most schools accept most of the people they interview. Unfortunately, schools don't usually tell you the percent they accept, otherwise I'd mostly end up interviewing at the ones I'd have the best shot at. Still, I'm not too worried, as long as I don't do anything devastatingly stupid.

You'll end up filling every weekend throughout February and March with an interview, which is fine, if you can manage it. I already have conflicting dates with five interviews. Then again, some might be able to make individual accomodations. I'm not sure. Even so, I don't think I'd want to do more than five even if I could, since that's the most I feel like I could prepare adequately for. As an interesting aside, my boss actually recommended that I apply to at least 20 programs. I dropped that idea fast after I started paying those application fees!

I'd like to take a quick opinion poll. How many interviews would you have to do before you'd feel confident about your shot at getting accepted into a program? I ask this because there's no way I'll be able to go on more than five interviews. This is not just because they'll be a bit exhausting, but also because I have to use my (limited) paid time off to go on them. I'm assuming that the people who applied to 20+ programs won't be going on 20+ interviews, even if they get offers from everywhere. Anyway, I'm just trying to figure out my schedule, and which offers I should accept. For all I know, the rest of the schools I've applied to will reject me, so the five interview offers I have now will be the five I do.

I applied to genetics programs, or whatever the next best thing was. (Some schools, like CalTech, don't seem to have a program specifically for genetics.) I believe my UW-Madison response came straight from the genetics program.

Alrighty! Quick work break! Undergrad Institution: Two Large Public Research Universities (BA from one, BS from the other) Major(s): Biology, Rhetoric & Writing (BA); Genetics (BS) GPA in Major: Uhhhh.... don't remember this. 3-something for the first institution, 4.0 for the second Overall GPA: 3.72 for BA, 4.00 for BS (3.8-something if you combine them) Position in Class: No idea. My first institution was so big that it probably wouldn't be a very impressive rank anyway. Type of Student: DWM GRE Scores (old version): Q: 770 V: 760 W: 5.5 Bio: 8-something (cumulative % in low 90's, molec./cell subscore 99%, probs should have taken the biochem one!) Research Experience: A couple years, 1 independent research project w/ published abstract (the poster I made went to a conference w/out me! wah wah!), a semester under a PI at the first institution, worked on several projects while volunteering/working at core facilities (a couple years) Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Typical honor society stuff. I was the only student nominated from my second program for a national scholarship that I did NOT receive. Heh. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Working as a RA at a major cancer center, also did two clinical genetics internships at some pretty well-known places here in TX over one summer Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: I am dual-certified to work as a cytogenetic and molecular genetic technologist (clinical lab certifications). Marketable skills, baby! Special Bonus Points: None really. I'm a creative writer who has been trying to get published in The New Yorker since his teens (yeah, fat chance), but I probably won't bring this up voluntarily during interviews that are supposed to be about science, which is my main passion! Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: Ehhh.... Can't think of anything. Applying to Where: Baylor College of Medicine California Institute of Technology Columbia University Cornell University Harvard University Princeton University Rockefeller University University of Chicago University of Texas- Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas University of Washington- Seattle University of Wisconsin- Madison Yale University So far, I've heard back from five institutions (out of twelve): Baylor, UWisc, UTSW, Cornell, and Yale. All contacted me with interview offers during the week of Dec. 17th. So far, so good. I'm waiting to hear back from the others. I know that Columbia, Princeton, and UChicago seem to have sent stuff out already, so those might end up being weee!-jections. Still, I'm hopeful about the others! Congrats to everyone on the offers so far! And if you're still waiting, don't give up hope just yet. There's still time!