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DGChaos

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Posts posted by DGChaos

  1. Science_Nerd, on 16 Feb 2014 - 10:27 PM, said:Science_Nerd, on 16 Feb 2014 - 10:27 PM, said:

    I usually look back and see how much I "enjoyed" the conversations with faculty you interviewed with and other program members you had an opportunity to talk to. If you felt that you had a great time talking to them, then chances are that they did enjoy as well.

    Also, I always send "thank you" email to these faculty and when I get replies with some positive comment on the admission decision, I just assume that I would have a good chance of receiving an offer.

     

    Oh. It didn't occur to me to send a thank you after the interview since I had smiled and waved and all that (while signing off Skype).

     

    Would it be weird if I sent a thank you an entire week later or something?

     

  2. On 2/15/2014 at 2:57 AM, sqxz said:
    sqxz, on 15 Feb 2014 - 2:27 PM, said:

    Actually, I forgot that they're interviewing a bunch of people who couldn't make the official date next week, so it may or may not take them a bit longer to make their decisions. JSYK.

    Hey sqxz. When are you expecting WUSTL and CMU to get back to you?

    And congrats on making it to Urbana's Biophysics Program! I got rejected from that one. :(

     

  3. Hello. I am currently an electrical engineering undergraduate and I'm trying to switch over to the life sciences as well--mainly systems biology. I have never had formal biology courses, and most of my learning has been on websites like coursera.org.

     

    I have applied and do not know how things are going to go from here on. If I don't make I this year, I'm going to work at a lab and get about a year's research experience before applying a second time.
     

  4. Oh my God ..that's just so funny :lol:  

     

    I hope you get accepted into the 4 schools ,though !

     

    I haven't been accepted, but three of them interviewed me. And even in one of the interviews, when asked about writers who inspired me, I actually said Edwa--Jerry Coyne. It's been burned into my brain!

    All I can do is hope.

     I'm waiting to see what the fourth uni does. No news from there yet.

  5. ..when you have to send the following mail to four universities after you submit the online application.

     

     
    QuoteQuote
    Dear YYYY,
      
    This is a query regarding the online application.
     
    There are two famous authors, namely, Edward Larson and Jerry Coyne. As a prospective member of the former's readership, and an admirer of the latter's work, I have unwittingly amalgamated the two names to form "Edward Coyne"--an Australian rugby player who had little to do with inspiring me to pursue research at XXYXX University--in my Statement of Purpose.
     
    May I submit a second version of the SoP that appropriately refers to Jerry Coyne instead of Edward Coyne? I am extremely sorry for this, and I completely understand if this is not possible. However, I would be very grateful if the admissions committee allowed it.
     
    Thank you for reading,

    XXXX

     

     

    Two let me submit a new SoP, one attached it to my application, and one never got back. I hope this doesn't hurt my chances...

  6. Reatha, on 28 Feb 2013 - 12:18 AM, said:

    You walk into an interview sit down and discuss your interests with a member of the admissions committee. And her answer is "so I'm the crap interview that has nothing to do with what your interested in."

     

    Me: "Your work is interesting too...."

     

    Exactly. Happened over Skype.

     

  7. I received my first rejection two weeks ago. I'm still in the denial stage of grief. I have an appointment to meet with the admissions director to learn how to strengthen my application. My eternal optimist keeps whispering I still have a chance, even though I don't.

    I'm really sorry. I know it can be terribly hard, but you have to start focusing your energies on things that are in your control. Figuring how you are going to address the admissions directors advice is something you could be looking into. If you have other applications waiting, it's best to try to push them away for now. Easier said than done--I am having a really hard time trying not to think about the admissions too. But I know it's necessary. I have already applied and it's beyond my control.  

     

    I was talking to a friend a short while ago. Most of it consisted of (jealous?) rants about undeserving folks who make it into top masters programs in the US from over here. These guys have done nothing (no publications/major projects) other than score well in school tests. And I'm talking about ONLY school tests, not even the GRE, TOEFL or whatever (even these have little value in assessing research potential). They just demonstrated they could succeed in classroom exercises and not require financial support.

     

    Even though what I said in the last paragraph seems unrelated, it made me realize it is best to remain as impassive as possible. I can't allow the admissions decisions, decisions that have not yet arrived, results other folks are getting, or the general (sickening) outlook of people here that pursuing research is pointless influence me so much. If all the universities reject me, what can I do? I'll have try again next year, and I will have a stronger profile then. I'm just going to do my best to forget, and stop worrying.

     

    I really hope you do get into a program. I guess best thing is to try to stay neutral and not hope for too much or too little.

  8. Rejection does hurt a lot. And rejections are implicit even in two of the programs that interviewed me.

    My interview offers did ease the pain a little initially, but I'm still uncertain because my interviews weren't particularly good (the connection kept dying, there was a lot of disturbance), and I haven't heard back from them at all. Things are especially dicey since I'm an international student. There's just too much competition even at this stage.

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