elanorci

Congrats!! An awesome end to your awesome application season (:

I wouldn't use it as leverage to get an /acceptance/, but I think it's fair to use it as leverage to get their decision out of them faster, if it's actually the case that (for whatever reason) you need or want to make your final choice sooner rather than later.

I've been waiting on Princeton since Feb. 4th... Come on, schools!!

Congrats!!!! :D One of the best feelings in the world - and you DESERVE IT!

Congrats!!!

Congrats!! So much happiness on this thread today :D Well, if you had to get a rejection, it's pretty awesome that you wouldn't have gone to that school anyway Hope good news comes your way soon!

Congrats!!!!!

I'm expecting to hear back from my 2 outstanding schools this week, and have my final campus visit (not an interview - just visit, so it'll at least be more relaxing) this weekend, so I could potentially know where I'll be next year by this time next week. What a crazy thought!

I must have missed this -- thanks so much! I feel a lot better now.

^ I agree. I've been accepted to a good number of programs at this point and all of my results from the totality of my undergrad research are negative. There's a huge difference between not getting any results and getting negative results, and this is not the stage when you'll be penalized for getting negative results. As long as you can explain what you did, why, and why you think the results are negative (what alternative hypotheses this points to), you will be fine. This is what I've done in all of my interviews, and it's not hurt me at all, as far as I can tell. If you mean not that you're getting negative results and that something is wrong with your experimental assay or whatever, I think that's likely also fine, as long as you can explain why you think things are going wrong, what you've done to troubleshoot, and your PI's letter of rec backs it up. If they say something like "this student has been attempting to replicate results and hasn't been able to yet, but has been extremely thoughtful and creative in troubleshooting and coming up with potential reasons for the disparity," I don't imagine that'll hurt you.

Woke up to an acceptance email from MIT biology! I'm impressed with the quick turnaround - I interviewed this weekend/Monday. Still haven't heard a peep from Princeton, though -- it's been more than three weeks since my interview there :/ it's very high on my list, so I'm getting a bit worried! On a different note, now that all my interviews are over, I have been seriously enjoying my incredibly easy semester! I took a really light course load and I think it was a really good decision. Hence my sleeping until 11:30 on a Friday

Good luck (though I'm sure you don't need it) and have fun! (:

Congrats!!! :D you're done with this whole process AND you got a happy ending!!

I would first e-mail the program you're still waiting on and politely ask when you can expect to hear about the decision. I'd then e-mail the school you've been accepted to and explain that you'll need until at least that date to decide because you're waiting to hear back from other schools and ask whether that would be okay. If they say no (which I think is unlikely), I'd contact your first choice school and politely ask whether they would be able to expedite the review of your file, because another school is asking for a decision but you're still really excited about their school. Good luck (:

The last day of my last interview is tomorrow, and I have to say that I am so glad it is almost over. I've had a lot of fun, but I'm also soooo tired! Very glad that the end is in sight (:

Nope, I haven't!! spaceimmunology said they're in the welcome packet, so I guess I'll just have to wait until then! But the interviews aren't until Monday, yes? Hopefully I get some time over the weekend to remember why I put down the professors who I requested >> So there will be at least three of us there this weekend!! The chances are good for us to meet!

Anyone going to MIT this weekend? I haven't actually met anyone from this forum yet and this is my last interview, so this is my last chance!!

Anyone going to WashU tomorrow? See you there if so

This is ridiculous. You have every right to know what you'll be paid before you accept a job. I honestly would not even consider attending a program that wouldn't tell me my salary until after I committed -- it seems likely that the only possible rationale for this is that their stipend isn't livable and they're trying to trap you into it. I don't know how many options you have or how highly you're considering this school, but if this were me, I would send an email to the director of the graduate program saying that I need to know the stipend to evaluate whether or not I'd like to attend the school, and that I absolutely cannot commit if they won't tell me.

Here was mine: Dear [name], I'm very sorry for the late notice, but I wanted to let you know that I've decided not to attend the [program] interview, in light of a recent offer at a school at which I feel my research interests are a better fit [or whatever reason]. Of course, I'm nonetheless honored to have received an interview invitation from [program], and very much appreciate the opportunity. I just feel that, in light of these factors, it would be irresponsible of me to take up more of the department's time and money by attending the interview at this stage. Thanks very much, [your name]

Guess I'll have to disagree with the majority opinion - I was in the same situation a couple weeks ago, and I decided to cancel. If you're sure that you're not going to attend the school, you're just wasting their time + more money (for food), and also potentially taking a spot from someone who wants it more. Canceling happens a lot, especially to schools with interviews later in the season, so I seriously doubt anyone will remember your name or even think twice about it. If you bow out gracefully (thank them for their time, apologize for the inconvenience, specify that you just want to save them more time/money), I think it's totally fine. That said, if you think there's some probability that you'd attend the program, I would go to learn more about it. But if you're 100% sure, I think it just wastes everyone's time to go.

Happy belated Valentine's Day, everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful day, be it with your significant other or your friends or your family, or even just with yourself - we all need some time to relax and tend to our own needs. (:

Awesome, thanks for the info (:

Has anyone who interviewed with Princeton QCB heard back yet?

Yep! You can just send your general GRE scores and omit your subject test if you so desire. I'm not 100% sure if you can take the biochem test 2x and only submit one of them, but I think you can.