Leuco

My advice for the presentation from a current MSU student: NO MATTER WHAT, do /not/ go over the 10min. In fact, keep it about 8 minutes, to leave room for questions. For the dress code - nice clothes, but not uber fancy. My PI said: No suits or uber-formal wear, but don't wear something your mother wouldn't want to see on you! I suggest khakis (maybe black pants) with a nice shirt for girls. I guess similar for guys, but as I am not a guy.. I wouldn't really wear jeans.. For shoes, I think something between tennis and dress shoes. I am wearing a pair of nice, COMFORTABLE boot-things. Comfort tends to be one of the major suggestions, from everyone. (See you guys at the January weekend!)

Okay, I'll try this 1) Hmmm. I like studying pathogens. I like putting together molecular puzzles, and I like proteins. So, ideally, I think I'd like to study how pathogens use their proteins to invade. I am fascinated by answering these questions that no one knows how to answer, and learning the utterly impressing way these guys manage to get past every darn thing we throw at them. 2) Money, for sure. With competition, and the sad state of funding these days... :/ 3) Favorite microbe.... hmmm. A few. I really like influenza. I've never worked with it, but we talked about it in a class, and I love the way HA works, and it's elegant way of releasing its contents into a cell. Dengue, too, for pretty much the same reason (and the dengue hemorrhagic fever thing). I can't decide whether it's a bad thing to enjoy a virus that causes so many problems, but eh. Nature of the field. I have worked with E. coli a lot, and I like it for that reason. Easy to work with, fun to study, and an all-around awesome bug. 4) Favorite Technique: Probably protein purification and/or crystallization. It's awesome, can generate pretty pictures, and super gratifying when it works. Least Favorite: PCR/Cloning. So. Many. Issues. 5) Proudest: Either when I got my name tag on the door as a tech/RA (I finally belong somewhere, unlike being an undergrad, when they don't "officially" recognize you) or when I sort of found a (ridiculously easy) technique from the literature that ended up being pretty well used in the lab. Biggest Screw-up: (as an undergrad) Spilled an ice bucket ALL OVER a very expensive, very old spec (think fancy). It essentially destroyed the spec. I didn't get in too much trouble, especially because it was department owned and really old, so the grad students kinda wanted a new one anyway. Some of the other professors said that my boss told me to dump the ice bucket, haha. I was pretty well-loved and it was a total accident, so luckily they didn't talk about kicking me out or anything.

I still haven't figured it out, honestly. I don't want to bother them too much. But I think that a lot of people do it, and they expect it. I wouldn't bother them constantly, obviously, but I think a call if it's at that point wouldn't be bad.

I don't know if I'd assume rejections. I don't want to say anything for sure. I think maybe start worrying a bit more, though, and maybe call the programs and ask. I don't want to say anything specific. I have no advice on schools with later deadlines... all the ones I applied to this and last year had Dec 1st deadlines. February 15 is really late!!

Some of the grad schools send rejections ridiculously late... I would start worrying a bit more after mid-January, though I know some schools (Maryland-Baltimore, for example) do send out interview invites that late. On the other hand... I got the email from UCLA's ACCESS program saying my decision (rejection, obviously, haha) was available on August 7, with a letter attached that was dated March 8, haha! (yes, for a program that I applied to the December before)

I think that Emory's different departments under GDBBS (like MMG/IMP/BCMB) send out invites separately, but I have no idea when. I can tell you that I got the rejection last year from MMG on February 15. I emailed on Jan 28 of last year and they said they were still in the process of reviewing apps - I don't know if this is because they hadn't sent out invites at all yet or if they just didn't want to tell me I was rejected. I don't know. The frustrating part about Emory, of course, is that my application was submitted on October 31 with the fee waiver. I am tempted to call MMG and ask, but I am waiting for after the new year, for sure. :/

Yeah, my (public school) has Wednesday - Friday as university holidays, but a lot of people (incl. 3/4 of my lab) are taking off Monday and Tuesday, too, to have a long vacation. So who knows what the admission committees will do.

So my info to those worried about rejections: 1) Don't worry. Chances are, the schools are just waiting. In the worst case: 2) I'd wait till January-ish to call about your status. Some schools send out rejections just after the interviews, some wait. I got the waitlist for an interview the day after invites had been sent out. The other rejections sort of varied, in how long they came after invites. Last year, UCLA waited until July (!) to notify me that I'd been rejected - I obviously had assumed by that point, but still. 3) Utter worst case: It's not the end of the world if you don't get in this year. It sucks, it's one of the worst feelings ever, but you get a new take on life, you get to re-convince yourself that this is what you want to do for the rest of your lives, and you get a year to make some money. I was rejected from four schools last year, even without interviews, and this year, have four invites so far! So don't worry. And if you have any questions, feel free to message me. But honestly, and the last thing I want to leave you with - Most likely, you will still get interviews. I PROMISE, it's not too late. Just wait - good things'll come.

Haha. Never mind. I just got my email. Why do I look at that page and panic? Why?

Ach! Someone posted a Wisconsin-Madison MDTP interview! (runs in circles)

Two of my invites have been Sunday - Wednesday, so that wont solve all of your problems. Just an fyi...

Ohio State Microbiology interview invite! Dates are Sunday, 1/26 - Tuesday, 1/28

I know - wasn't really expecting that! We'll see! Good luck.

It does! Thanks!! Good luck to her, as well.

Anyone on here apply to Emory's MMG (Micro/Molecular Genetics) program within GDBBS? I am starting to get very nervous, with all these other divisions sending out invites, and was wondering if I had any fellow applicants.

I did call UNC. The woman said they are only about halfway through their applications, and will probably still be sending invites through the 2nd or 3rd week of January. [This is for BBSP] (phew)

Which program was that for? Thanks!

So I'm not the only one that's still waiting? I'm wondering if they're doing rolling admissions, which is why I haven't called yet. When did you submit your app? Ah, just saw on the results survey that Cornell sent out a rejection for BBS - Immunity and Infectious Disease today. That's the one I applied for. Oy. There's another program to worry about.

I am tempted to email/call UNC and ask if all of their interview invites have gone out... but I don't want to bother them. :/

I applied to MMG, within the BMS gateway. I got a phone call last Wednesday, and evidentally an email then, too, haha.

Ah! I received a phone contact from MSU last Wednesday, and have been waiting on the email to confirm dates. Turns out, the email went to my spam box, which I just (luckily) checked. The email was sent 5 days ago, and another email sent today. I sent an email apologizing for my lack of response (explaining that it was in my spam), and ensuring her that I would get her the information tonight. Worried this makes me look a bit bad. :/ ahhh. Just a warning to everyone else - double check your spam boxes!

Here's an example of a sort of "checkbox" letter, like that at University of Maryland - Baltimore. They have you send the professors the link to this to fill out the rec. http://cf.umaryland.edu/graduate/letter_of_recommendation/ And the one for MSU, a bit less check box-y. http://grad.msu.edu/apply/docs/recommendation.pdf

I am working in a lab in the year in-between as a research assistant/tech, due to grad school rejections last year. I had similar but different experiences as meowth. For me, I had far more time to fill out applications. I had a crazy busy fall senior semester, and this year, I had far more time to focus on apps. I also have more money than I did last year, which gives me the freedom to apply to more schools. Working in a lab (for a professor who wrote one of my letters) makes the interview process easier, I think: He'll have no problem letting me take off work to go on interviews, and I don't have to worry about missing class/exams, which I saw a lot of my friends suffer from last year. To me, the best things about getting rejected and taking a year off is actually the experience I gained and the time it gave me to reflect. After being rejected, I had a bit of a freak-out as to what I wanted to do with my life: Is grad school really where I want to be? Now, I can say, unequivocally, that the answer is yes. I figured out why the answer was yes, and I was able to better convey this in my personal statement, I think.

Ahhhh! They are sending emails on Sundays?! There goes my panic/relief moment of not having to check my emails consistently over the weekend, haha >.>

GRE= $185 x 2 = $370 Sending Scores = $25 x 7 = $175 Last year's apps = ~$300 This year's apps = ~$400 (luckily, my school doesn't charge for transcripts) =~$1245