arseus

I'm facing the same problem. I've been put on the waiting list for the on-campus housing for grad students. You can try craigslist though. There are still some vacancies.

Hey. Is anyone here International? I don't live in the US and I'm not sure how to rent off-campus housing from here not knowing whether I'll get the VISA or not. Is it possible to rent something out and pay later when it's confirmed that you're going to be leaving? Normally I'd wait until I get the VISA but I've heard that available housing in State College dwindles as the fall season approaches. I'm worried I'm gonna be left with some of the crappy, expensive ones. Does anybody here have similar concerns? I'd appreciate your insight. Thanks.

Well one prof i wanted to work with said he didn't have funds to support a student this year. I told him i was getting funded and that i'd be rotating in the first year. he was cool with that. it matters if he has to pay for rotations too. i'm kinda confused.

Hey! i got my acceptance almost a month ago carrying with it the amount of my stipend. Since I haven't committed to any profs yet and i'll be rotating the first year, i don't exactly know which category my award fits in. I know its not a TA as the program does not require its students to teach. where do you think the funding for rotating students come from? is it possible to ask the director of the program after a whole month and not sound stupid? any insights?

Nevermind. They just sent me the acceptance today. yay!

I got their acceptance today. ...Thanks.

Has anyone heard from Penn State's Intercollege genetics program yet? are they still conducting interviews?

Hey, I gave a phone interview last week with a professor who said the admissions committee was impressed with my application but his work only slightly overlapped with my work. He only asked me two questions (one about why i wanted to attend the program and the other about my research experience). The rest of the time he spent answering my questions about the program in detail. IS that a good sign? He said they'd let me know in about a week. Well its been a week and i haven't heard from them. I did not mention any professor in my application but did mention a few i was interested in working with during the interview. Does that put me at a disadvantage? I didn't contact any professors during the application as I wanted to read up on their work thoroughly before doing that. Is it possible to contact some at this stage? Does it help? Thanks in advance!

I would like an answer to this question as well... my interviewer also encouraged questions after the interview but i'd rather wait till i get the admit and then ask all the questions. What questions could we possibly ask anyway that we havn't already during the interview?

Yeah i think i will do that...give them this week to respond. i hope it never comes to contacting them myself.. the stories i've heard on this forum about people calling to check their status always end in rejection.

I need to know whether i should call the program to ask them about the status of my application. i had a phone interview from penn state genetics program a week ago and i thought it went pretty well...the guys only asked me two questions (about why i wanted to go there and about my research project)...but the rest of the time he was answering my qeustions about the program. He said he'd know something in about a week's time. Well today it has been a week and a day and i don't know if i should be worried. Should i wait a few more days and then email the guy who interviewed me? This is the only interview out of three applications that i've got and i hope i get in so i'm kinda freaking out... Thanks for reading this far. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot! That helps. Best of luck with your apps!

Hey. International students usually get a phone interview which is quite different from the on-site interview where students get to meet profs and ask them about their research etc. I have a phone interview next week and I was wondering what type of questions they'd be asking? Would they ask more general questions about my application or can they start gauging my technical knowledge by asking me questions from scientific literature . KInd of a stupid question, but since i have never given such an interview before, I'm starting to get a little worried about bungling it up. Also, they mentioned in the email that they were very impressed with my application. Does that mean that i have a good shot and they're just calling to check if i'm not a complete psycho? Btw...i've applied to a genetics program. Thanks!

Unfortunately, i wasn't admitted into the program at watson. I'm waiting to hear from Stony Brook though....my research interests match their program better actually. I'm guessing you got an invite for the interview at CSHL...congrats!

Hey, i'm applying to watson school of biological sciences for their genetics program. But i haven't really heard people talk about it on discussion forums as they do about other universities. how does the program compare with the rest of the top-ranked programs out there? also, they give the applicant an option to apply to two programs at the stony brook university as well, as both schools share their programs with cold spring harbor. and they've asked for two separate statement for each. what should i do? should the two statements bear the same research interests or is it advisable for them to be different? Thanks in advance!

Hi there, Major: genetics International student Academics GRE: 790Q, 720V, 5AW Overall %: 87.5/100 (no gpa system) Consistently first in class for three semesters. Going to receive 2 gold medals for academic excellence. Research experience: 1 year, research project measuring fitness costs to acquired antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations. 2 months competitive internship at molecular biology/stem cells lab. 1st prize presenting a poster at an international conference no publications yet Princeton Molbio WUSTL PennState (genetics) watson school of biological sciences UNC chapel Hill (maybe) you guys think i have a good shot at those schools?

i still havent had any replies. am i doing something wrong?

Hi i'm an international student from Pakistan. I'm applying this year in some genetics Phd programs in the US for fall 2010. JUst wanted to know my chances at some of the schools i've listed and maybe get some advice on considering other schools as reaches, safeties etc. Thanks for your help! My stats: Bsc. (2yrs) in Microbiology Courses: Micro-I chem general Biostatistics I English (compulsory) Micro-II Chem inorganic BIostats II Urdu (compulsory) Immunology taxonomy chem physical biostats III Pak.studies (compulsory) industrial micro medical micro biostats IV chem organic Labs were involved in all science courses. got an overall 78% top 10 in my class Msc (2 yrs) Genetics: class of around 70 students courses: Cellular physiology and biochemistry 87% (highest in my class) cytogenetics 77% molecular genetics 91% (highest) biometry 87% plant breeding 91% (highest, possibly ever. being given a gold medal) human genetics 83% microbial genetics 86% (highest) biometry 91% (highest) evolution I 92% (highest) developmental genetics 93% (highest) quantitative genetics 89% (highest) experimental design 78% Literature review (marks yet to be given: on retinitis pigmentosa and its treatment) seminar (paper presentation) 85% taking next semester: Advanced plant breeding immunogenetics research techniques research project Genetic engineering ECs: * Founder of the literary scoiety in Bsc. * Initiator and Editor of the Microbia magazine (main focus on cellular retrodifferentiation) * presented poster at the 6th international biennial conference for biotechnology : won first prize in thematic posters) * chief speaker for the genetics department at the health conference organized by department of special education * interning in molecular biology lab at the international centre for chemical and biological research (summer) * Taught all sciences to two kids for four years (O-levels through A-levels. both passed with straight A's) * I am an artist too, single-handedly organized and paid for my own art exhibition for fantasy art (the first of its kind in Pakistan). was on TV for it. My biggest achievement Other academic awards: * Been Top of my class (first position for the last three semesters) * Prime candidate for two gold medals (the maximum number the university has to offer) I'm giving the GRE general in July and the Biochem subject test in october. Have a good feeling about the general test as i got a 1490 on my diagnostic. got a 1530 on my SAT My LORs are going to be from my supervisor and two from my professors. one i think i'm going to get from the Dean of Science which is a huge deal since she also happens to be the president of the Pakistan society for microbiologrobiology. Don't know what they'll wrtie but i'm in excellent standing with all of them. One i might also include from my tuition employers. and one from my lab supervisor at the lab i'm interning. Unis in consdieration: * stony brook * columbia * Watson School of biological research * Pennstate (Hucks Institute of the life sciences genetics graduate program) * Cornell (Maybe) * Kellogg School of science and technology (Scripps) * University of Georgia * Dartmouth MCB graduate program * East Carolina University * Rockefeller * Caswewestern (maybe) I worked my way through college and can not rely on my parents support for grad school as we can't afford it. so i'll be applying for complete financial aid. Also, i took the most competitive courses being offered and opted for all the research opportunities available by pkaistan's standards. I's really appreciate your time in reading this thoroughly and giving me some advice on what i should or should not do. Thanks

Hi i'm an international student from Pakistan. I'm applying this year in some genetics Phd programs in the US for fall 2010. JUst wanted to know my chances at some of the schools i've listed and maybe get some advice on considering other schools as reaches, safeties etc. Thanks for your help! My stats: Bsc. (2yrs) in Microbiology Courses: Micro-I chem general Biostatistics I English (compulsory) Micro-II Chem inorganic BIostats II Urdu (compulsory) Immunology taxonomy chem physical biostats III Pak.studies (compulsory) industrial micro medical micro biostats IV chem organic Labs were involved in all science courses. got an overall 78% top 10 in my class Msc (2 yrs) Genetics: class of around 70 students courses: Cellular physiology and biochemistry 87% (highest in my class) cytogenetics 77% molecular genetics 91% (highest) biometry 87% plant breeding 91% (highest, possibly ever. being given a gold medal) human genetics 83% microbial genetics 86% (highest) biometry 91% (highest) evolution I 92% (highest) developmental genetics 93% (highest) quantitative genetics 89% (highest) experimental design 78% Literature review (marks yet to be given: on retinitis pigmentosa and its treatment) seminar (paper presentation) 85% taking next semester: Advanced plant breeding immunogenetics research techniques research project Genetic engineering ECs: * Founder of the literary scoiety in Bsc. * Initiator and Editor of the Microbia magazine (main focus on cellular retrodifferentiation) * presented poster at the 6th international biennial conference for biotechnology : won first prize in thematic posters) * chief speaker for the genetics department at the health conference organized by department of special education * interning in molecular biology lab at the international centre for chemical and biological research (summer) * Taught all sciences to two kids for four years (O-levels through A-levels. both passed with straight A's) * I am an artist too, single-handedly organized and paid for my own art exhibition for fantasy art (the first of its kind in Pakistan). was on TV for it. My biggest achievement Other academic awards: * Been Top of my class (first position for the last three semesters) * Prime candidate for two gold medals (the maximum number the university has to offer) I'm giving the GRE general in July and the Biochem subject test in october. Have a good feeling about the general test as i got a 1490 on my diagnostic. got a 1530 on my SAT My LORs are going to be from my supervisor and two from my professors. one i think i'm going to get from the Dean of Science which is a huge deal since she also happens to be the president of the Pakistan society for microbiologrobiology. Don't know what they'll wrtie but i'm in excellent standing with all of them. One i might also include from my tuition employers. and one from my lab supervisor at the lab i'm interning. Unis in consdieration: * stony brook * columbia * Watson School of biological research * Pennstate (Hucks Institute of the life sciences genetics graduate program) * Cornell (Maybe) * Kellogg School of science and technology (Scripps) * University of Georgia * Dartmouth MCB graduate program * East Carolina University * Rockefeller * Caswewestern (maybe) I worked my way through college and can not rely on my parents support for grad school as we can't afford it. so i'll be applying for complete financial aid. Also, i took the most competitive courses being offered and opted for all the research opportunities available by pkaistan's standards. I's really appreciate your time in reading this thoroughly and giving me some advice on what i should or should not do. Thanks