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I'm still waiting! I'm waiting for a decision from the Berkeley MCB program.

I am patiently waiting for an admissions decision to one PhD program (UC Berkeley MCB) as a re-admit applicant. Undergraduate Institution: Large public university Major: Biology GPA in Major: 3.20 Overall GPA: 3.12 GRE Scores (old version): Q: 780 V: 580 W: 5.5 Graduate Institution: UC-Berkeley Major: Environmental science GPA in Major: 3.80 Research Experience: 4 years experience Awards/Honors/Recognitions: NSF Honorable Mention Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: 2 first-author publications Advice for those new to the process: Stay relaxed and carefree

I am still waiting to hear back from the molecular and cell biology PhD program at Berkeley. I am a re-admit applicant. Is anyone else waiting to hear back as well??

Thank you so much for your responses. I think I am rather normal, but I also think the typical hyper-capitalistic, American livelihood that I loathe is the actual abnormality to human nature. My "unnatural" livelihood is being rejected, so the status quo calls me depressed. Thus, people say that I need to take some medication so that I can fit back in line.

I apologize in advance for such a depressing post. Yet another unsuccessful round of graduate school applications has exacerbated my apathy (in other words, I am more apathetic). I am apathetic about having a career, spouse, home, children, etc. I have no career ambitions. I do not feel like dating because dating requires too much exertion of effort. I am not motivated by anything because I am very content with everything. For instance, I am not interested in improving my 5k time nor am I motivated in ever making a high salary. I am happy with the way things are. I do not feel the need to get better at anything. Thus, perhaps the graduate programs that I applied to could tell that I was putting up a facade that I actually care about pursuing a PhD. I do not care about learning new job-related skills or meeting new people. I never go out to social functions. I always decline invitations to go snowboarding, go to bars, etc. because I hate these social settings. There is a standard, normal way to have a small-talk conversation, but this socially-constructed way to have such a conversation is so unbearable ("What do you do? Where are you from? How long have you lived here?"). I would much rather talk about interesting things, such as "What is the last great book that you read?" or "How weird are you?" I know it is not "normal" for one to be apathetic about so many things, but I prefer living life from an existential perspective, i.e. I live in a way where above all else I simply exist, and I live in such a way where I alone find meaning in my own little world, but often this way of life is atypical from others. I feel like I am simply waiting for life to pass me by. Life moves so quickly, and while I observe this, I do nothing to "seize the day." If it is nice outside, I don't really care because it will be nice outside another day in the future. On the weekends, I usually lay awake in my bed for several hours before getting up for the day because all I want to do is hear my thoughts and listen to the birds outside. I do have hobbies, such as exercise, listening to the Beatles, learning languages, reading literature, and star-gazing; however, I hate having to work, and I feel that if I pursue a career in any of my interests, then I will quickly lose interest because such work requires exertion of effort and mastery of a skill. It is way more appealing to pursue these interests on a part-time basis (a few hours per week will suffice) and never become too talented in any one activity. I think my current job is so meaningless, and I do not care about doing a good job. Everyone knows that I am lazy (Although some days I work 14 hours a day, I am super lazy at work because I am apathetic about my career). I hate having to sell myself for an hourly wage just so I can fit into the working American livelihood. Money doesn't really do anything for me other than allowing me to buy Chipotle. I frequently quit things. I dropped out of graduate school. I quit a job. I got another job a few months later, and I'd like to quit yet another job. I do not know why I am posting this rant other than to describe to you how someone else in America thinks. I know "what I am supposed to be doing," but that way of life is so dull to me. I am getting older by the second, and I don't really care.

Don't live in East Baltimore.

Thank you so much for your response. This is my ideal plan.

I think UCSF is a great choice. Plus you get to live in San Francisco!!

Yes, they do care.

Thank you so much for your response. There are a few reasons that I applied to only two schools. I felt that these two schools provided excellent fits for my research interests. I am interested in UVA's and Berkeley's commitment to public higher education. Charlottesville and Berkeley are both cool places. I may have been overconfident in that I didn't think I needed to apply to more schools. Historically, it has been relatively easy for students to transfer into different departments within Berkeley. I have other reasons, but they are irrelevant at this point. I suppose that I could work for a different company, but securing another position and going through the interview process would require a great exertion of effort on my part. I am also hoping to re-enter academia since I am no longer motivated to work in industry and not inspired by wealth.

Hi everyone, I haven't had much luck this application season. I applied to two PhD programs (UVA and Berkeley), but I will likely not be accepted. I got into Berkeley two years ago and enrolled there in the 2012-2013 school year, but after two semesters, I withdrew from my PhD program because I wanted to do research in a different scientific field. I am working at a biotech company now, but seeing as how I also didn't get in to any of the PhD programs I applied to last year, I can't fathom having to wait another six months before re-applying, securing letters of recommendation, etc. The company I currently work for does not have a bright future. I understand that I took a risk by working for a startup company, but I envisioned that I would be back in graduate school again by this upcoming fall. Things do not always go as planned, but I am now at a loss for what to do. I do not see the merit in pursuing a Masters degree (unnecessary debt). I do not see the merit in staying with my current company because I hate the company's innate motivation to earn millions of dollars while putting on a facade that they care about cancer patients. I do not see the merit in re-applying to PhD programs because I apparently do not offer a strong application (people also make misinformed judgments based upon the fact that I dropped out of Berkeley). I have attempted to get in touch with other research labs of interest to me in order to see if they have any open positions, but none of them have openings. Not everyone is cut out for a PhD. I believe that I am, but I would rather eschew the pursuit to gain admission until graduate programs do not dismiss me based upon a manufactured illusion of my lack of ability.

I attended Berkeley as a PhD student (I didn't graduate), and there are several misconceptions about UC Berkeley in this thread. In the interest of time, here are two misconceptions that I will address: 1) Berkeley has a lot of wealthy students. Berkeley has a lot of wealthy undergrads, but they also have plenty of undergrads who are from the middle- and lower-class. Berkeley's graduate students are an eclectic bunch on the family income spectrum. If any graduate students come from a wealthy background, they sure don't live like it. 2) Berkeley's departments are ripping off applicants with such high application fees. I agree that the application fees are high, but at Berkeley, every professor is so busy that the admissions committees need a good way to limit and deter so many graduate school applications. These departments are also suffering when it comes to finances, so the application fees help with their bottom lines.

You are mistaken if you think Berkeley is "vastly overrated." Berkeley is one of the world's most elite institutions of higher learning.

GO BEARS! In all seriousness, Berkeley is a great school, and I am sorry if they offend anyone with their supposedly cold rejection letters.

Plenty of programs in the US allow you to (and even recommend that you) develop a rapport with a PI. Doing so helped me get into Berkeley because the PI lobbied on my behalf even when my grades were below average.

I interviewed two years ago with the GW GPP. Approximately 5 people interviewed for the GW GPP; however, other GPP programs (such as JHU, Boston University, Georgetown, etc.) varied in their number of interviewees (anywhere from 5 to 15 interviewees per interview week). Some programs had multiple interview dates. I predict that in the GW GPP program, about 2-3 of those who interviewed were ultimately accepted. I wasn't accepted. Keep in mind that there are two sets of interviews, at least for the GW GPP: one set of interviews is with the Director of the program and an admissions representative (one interview with the Director and one interview with an admissions representative). The other set of "interviews" are simply meeting with NIH investigators who may potentially serve as your co-advisor. Those meetings are beneficial in that you can learn what is the latest research in three NIH labs of your choice. The two real interviews were essentially the same. I remember that the Director of the program asked me about my research, my research and career goals, my below-average grades, my motivation for pursuing this particular program, etc. The Director mentioned to me that the GPA "cut-off" is 3.20, and with a GPA of 3.238 at the time, I barely made the cut. I liked the interview events. I was a local applicant so I didn't stay in the Bethesda Marriott. On Day 1 you arrive at the NIH Conference Center. Everyone interviewing for all of the different GPP programs is there. They divide you up into your respective program schools. Then you get to meet the other people by doing an icebreaker. Then you get to go out to meet the NIH investigators. Then I believe it was time to eat a buffet dinner at a restaurant in downtown Bethesda. Dress nicely for the dinner. There was steak, chicken, and all sorts of amazing food. I'm a vegan now though. The other candidates were very friendly. Everyone was laid-back. After the dinner, everyone headed back to the hotel in Bethesda in preparation for the interview at GW the following day. The following morning we went to GW to visit some labs there and hear more information about the GW aspect of the program. Then after the morning session was finished, we all went out to a bar to have a celebratory drink. I don't drink now though. This same day had a free afternoon in which everyone could explore DC on his or her own. I grew up near DC so I simply went for a run and actually ran past my ex-girlfriend who is an undergrad at GW. She didn't see me though. Later that day we went out to dinner at a restaurant near the hotel. I stayed at the DC hotel that night because the program officers allowed me to do so. Everyone received his or her own hotel room. I imagine that for the other schools, similar events happen, albeit one would fly up to Boston to interview at Boston University, for instance. I really enjoyed the GPP interview and related events. I did a few other interviews, and the GPP interview was definitely the most fun and informative.

Has anyone out there: 1) not been rejected nor invited to interview for the UC Berkeley MCB (molecular and cell biology) PhD program? OR 2) not been rejected nor invited to interview for the University of Virginia BIMS (biomedical sciences) PhD program? Please respond

I am seeing several Berkeley MCB rejections; however, I have yet to be invited for an interview or rejected. There exists hope!

It appears that I will not be accepted into a PhD program for the Fall 2014. I am curious about pursuing a Masters degree in molecular or cellular biology for the Fall 2015. Do any prestigious Masters (M.S., etc.) programs exist? I am aware that one can earn a Masters "for free" by dropping out of a PhD program after passing orals or making it to the end of the second/third year, but not only is it difficult to be admitted into a good PhD program, it is also looked-down upon to go into a PhD program knowing that you only want a Masters degree.

The candidates from the first round of interviews have a slight advantage seeing as how they are at the top of the applicant pool; however, this does not mean that candidates from the second round of interviews do not have a significant chance of admission (they do!). In fact, candidates in the second round of interviews may have previously been overlooked, and if they interview well, then they can easily leapfrog someone in the first round of interviews who did not interview nearly as well.

Email him something like: "Thank you for speaking with me on [date] about the position in your lab. The position matches my own interests and builds upon my previous experiences. I'm very interested in engaging in the research process from [such-and-such methods to such-and-such methods]. In addition, I'm a quick learner, and I bring past laboratory experience. Thank you again for taking the time to meet with me. I'm still excited about this opportunity. Please let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, I look forward to hearing from you regarding this position. Take care."

FML. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. I was a PhD student last year at Berkeley, but I tried to switch programs. I wanted to go into MCB. I guess I'll continue working for my current company and apply next year.

People started receiving interview invitations to Berkeley MCB a few weeks ago. MCB sent out an email saying such invitations will be sent until January 11, but our admissions chances are not looking good right now.

I saw on the results page that six people were invited by phone to interview in person.