fancyfeast

Took everyone's advice and changed it! Sorry if I made anyone uncomfortable hehe. Real story is much more gruesome

Hi all, So I had to withdraw from classes for a semester because I got really physically sick. Honestly, it was no big deal in the end, but I just wanted to use a sentence to discuss my semester of W's on my transcript and show that even though this happened, I still graduated on time ("strong work ethic" and all that) and still did really well academically. Just wondering how vague or specific I should be about the nature of my illness. Just "sick" could be anything, I feel like. It could have been a mental illness, and even though I actually do struggle with depression, this has nothing to do with that and outside of my counselor no one knows I am depressed. I also don't want to gross people out, or have them be like "why is she sharing so much information with me?" Also don't want to turn it into a sob story. Right now this is how I have it in my statement: "I became sick due to a growth in my abdominal cavity that required surgery and had to withdraw from my classes; I recovered by the following summer and took more classes related to my major per semester than I would have otherwise in order to graduate within four years of matriculation"

Hi all, So, to be brief, I'm primarily interested in materials chemistry, so I'm pretty much just applying to materials programs, but I would say that overall I'm pretty open to some chemical biology as well, particularly research that makes artificial proteins. Is there a way I can integrate these two interests in my writing, or should I really just focus on the materials professors for my application so it looks like I'm committed? I don't think I should say I want to do both, but I think the idea of trying to make something biological (like proteins), or biologically inspired (like anti-fouling agents inspired by the glossy coating of a particular kind of leaf), or modifying things normally found in nature to do other things (like viruses as batteries) is really cool, which is maybe why some of these chemical biology professors have work that interests me. Maybe I just answered my own question. Would still like input.

You're so helpful, ChemiKyle I actually loved Harvard's program - according to my PI, their Wyss Institute is probably the best place for materials research in the US, but I don't have the Chem GRE, unfortunately. And you know I actually read your profile a while ago when this thread first started and I was really, really intimidated! There's a lot of people on this forum that are really strong applicants, actually, so I'm hoping there's some selection bias and that we all have really good chances of getting into our top choices lol.

Back with more questions for you guys Current school list is very top heavy and I feel like I'm going to get in nowhere and won't know what to do. I'd really, really, really like to go to a one of these programs because I honestly do think I'm capable, but I know I'm probably just "above average" in terms of how I appear on paper and likely will not make the cut at many of these schools :/ MIT (this one makes me lol each time I write it out/say it), UCLA, UC-Berkeley, Scripps, Georgia Tech, IU, Michigan, UW-Madison, Boston, UCSF, Carnegie Mellon... Does anyone have an comments regarding my current list/Can anyone think of any schools? I think I said this just like three posts ago haha, but I'm interested in biomimetic materials/materials in general Thanks!

Thank you! I'm interested in materials. My PI recommended some professors he knows, but they're all at top tier schools and I'm worried I wouldn't get in to any of them. Would you recommend using US News and Report rankings to find schools?

This was really helpful! Thanks for replying I appreciate it!

Do you guys have any ideas about where I should apply? I have a high GPA and GRE score, but I won't have taken the chemistry GRE I have 2.5 years of lab experience and my PI will write me a really good letter of rec but I only have like 2 poster presentations and by the time I submit my first author paper (which may not even be accepted) application deadlines will have passed. I have a ton of teaching and tutoring experience as well. I'm not sure what I could improve at this point. I feel like I don't have much of a chance at top tier schools, especially without the subject test.

Can't edit on mobile but I left out my extensive experience as a tutor for the chemistry and athletic departments. Is 4-7 schools enough?

Currently starting the application process. I started wayyyy later than I would have liked due to personal issues but now I'm back on track. I know what kinds of programs I want to apply to but I don't have specific PIs picked out to contact... I'm about a month behind and trying to juggle this with midterms and lab is no fun haha. Anyway I have a 3.95 GPA, majored in chemistry, was involved in a lot of outreach with the chem fraternity, currently a lab AI, I have 2.5 years of research experience (same lab, been there for all the summers) two posters and probably a paper by graduation but not application time. I do/did a lot of volunteering too but I don't think that's going to do me any favors. I should have a really strong LOR from my PI, and I need to choose two recommenders still but I think they will be good. I'm looking at upper-mid tier and a few upper tier. I don't want to apply to very many places because I spent soooo much money on the MCAT thinking I'd do MD/PhD and I did well enough for that actually but now I don't see the point of the MD so I don't want to use my incredible score Signed up for the Nov 8 GRE. No subject test so I'm a bit worried about that maybe I should take a gap year? Thanks y'all!

Hi, I'm a senior chemistry major, currently applying to graduate school. I'm interested in nanotechnology, materials, and imaging (the last one is broad because I only know EM in any detail but I'm really interested in fluorescence). I'm a math minor, and will have taken all the calculuses, dif Eq, and linear. I'm proficient in Python and I want to learn another language next semester when I have more free time. I'm interested in biomedical engineering, materials engineering, and chemical engineering. I know some programs require engineering classes, but would I even stand a chance at those that do not?

I would be applying this fall, and, yeah, I figured April would be too late for this cycle but wasn't sure. I was going to take it this fall, but then I was on the fence about everything (still am) and was looking into alternatives and so I totally missed the deadline (by 24 hours lol). I was kind of looking into the top programs, and some websites mentioned it affects ability to get internal funding from the department as well external funding from the NSF, for example.

Hi all, I was recently questioning what I wanted to do after graduation from undergrad next May (still no definite answer) and didn't sign up for the chem GRE. How important is this subject test for programs? I know it's not required for some, but how much will I be missing out on without it? I could take the test in April but I feel that's quite late and don't know if there would be a point. FF

Oh yeah definitely. Not saying he didnt deserve it. He still works crazy hours too. Way more than some of the grad students even. I don't know if dentists have residencies like doctors, or if OP would be willing to sacrifice time for a similar amount of money if it meant he did something more enjoyable to him. Personally I don't think I could ever be a PI just for the money but I could be a dentist just for the money if it meant I worked 9-5 immediately after I finished school.

Wow this is perfect. I actually was going to make a thread for something related to answer the question but now I don't have to To contribute to the thread, I have to listen to songs without words or I get distracted and bad things happen But my instrumental music playlist is so beautiful it's okay. It's a mix of soundtracks and classical with a bit of experimental music I found on reddit. I do have a problem though! I am quite petite and so when I'm wearing my earbuds in lab, the cord often gets in my way or caught on things. I don't know if it's because I'm just clumsy and don't pay attention to where the wire is at all times, but it's annoying How do you guys wear your headphones? I have heard of people wearing it under their shirts but I don't really want to do that.

Ugh. Ok. This just reminded me of a dream I thought I had forgotten in which I hooked up with my PI. I just took it as one of "those" dreams that didn't mean anything, since I had never once thought of him that way, but I did struggle to make decent eye contact with him for a week because of how embarrassed I was.

OP if you're interested in what people in academia make, I think public schools are required by law to post the salaries of their employees. Out of curiosity I've looked up what people I know are paid and the staff scientist I know makes like 60K I think? My PI makes like 160K. So... that's nice haha.

So is the reason that TA'ing at UCSD not very common/well heard of because not many people are interested and not because it's difficult to do? One of the things I don't like about Scripps, from the little research I've done, was that I thought it would be hard to teach there, so that's why I'm asking.

Found out the girl I always helped in class got the Goldwater Scholarship which I also applied for but was not selected... She obviously deserves it but I can't help but feel a little depressed.

I feel you. Freshman year I felt like there was never a place I could go to be ALONE. I'd suggest maybe study rooms in the library or staying out late on campus (like in libraries, your office if you know it will be empty) until you're ready to go to bed. I do that now. My roommates think I'm really hardworking since I come in when they're already asleep but in reality I'm recharging and watching Netflix haha.

I'm still an undergrad but I'm interested in hearing the answer to this too, as someone who will be applying next fall. You have a clearer idea than I do about research interests! One thing that I can think of in your case though, is that maybe they wanted to see how your research interests fit into their projects? Because you can say that you want to computational biology, for example, but if there's 2 other labs in the department that do that why are you interested in that particular lab?

Haha I grew up seeing my mom drink pabst, which she picked up from her father who's the definition of blue collar. I just see it as my mom's favorite beer and then belatedly remember it's now the hipster beer. My mom is pretty cool at parties now she likes to say she's been ahead of the curve for over 20 years. I don't like it personally. I'm going to come off as a snob but I just think it tastes cheap (sorry, Mom). I'm no beer connoisseur because I prefer wine or girly fru-fru drinks, but when I do drink beer it's when something nice is being offered I think everyone is a hipster to some extent and people always have been. There's always been a mindset of "I don't want to do what everyone else does." And so people go against trends just because of the actions of the majority. That's conformity in and of itself. As long as you do something because it's what you want to do, you're not conforming to anything. You're just doing you.

This is true. One of my professors was ready to graduate in 3.5 years but they made her stay. I don't know if she was just bragging about herself but it makes sense. Especially if you're in a lab where the professor wants to continue the project and needs you to stick around to hand it off to someone new.

A person who used to work in my lab graduated in four years and had two kids during her PhD. I think she probably needed more than luck to pull that off but I'm sure it came into play. Two kids, man.

Hi all, I was wondering if any of you have advice for someone (me) who struggles with finding relevant research papers for troubleshooting and protocols. I use a combination of Web of Science, SciFinder, and Google Scholar (I usually start of one and move on to another if I'm not finding what I want). I'm not sure why this is so hard for me but I needed to look up a protocol for a specific reaction last week and couldn't find it for hours! Now I'm trying to find a paper to do a proteolysis experiment on wild type and modified proteins. I ideally would like to find a paper that describes the methods for the control proteolysis (concentration, incubation time, etc.) but I'm also looking for more general papers to give me some direction before I start. I've started looking up "name of protein proteolysis" and other search terms but I can feel it might take a while to find something even though I feel what I'm looking for shouldn't be hard to find. Does/did anyone else have this problem? Am I doing something wrong? Any advice is appreciated