kimmibeans

That's disappointing about JC, but not very surprising. I agree that there's not much to do in Bing. There are a couple of cool local museums, and some art galleries downtown, but it's pretty quiet overall. We're about an hour away from Syracuse though if you ever feel like you need to escape.

I continued working until about a week before I started. It was part time, so it wasn't a big deal, but I wish I took more time to relax before starting.

I highly recommend it. There was one girl who was really looking forward to working with this one PI and didn't realize in between when she interviewed and when she came back to visit he had left for a different institution. Thankfully she hadn't chosen yet and was able to pick a better fit, but if there is a limited number of PIs you want to work with be sure they are taking students!

Not always. I had one who didn't tell me I was on a wait list until I called them and asked about my status.

I don't have an office, just a bench and a desk that's kind of like a little cubicle

Don't lie about your research goals, just don't. If you do, you're likely to end up in a school that has nobody working on what you are interested in, if you manage yo get in. It also makes you look disingenuous and will make you MORE likely to get rejected. I've interviewed people before, and trust me, we can tell when you are lying. Be honest in your SOPs, it will be better for you in the long run. If you are really concerned about not having the background, take a year off and get a Master's or get a job in a related field to gain programming experience.

So I actually did get drug tested as a grad student, but this was under a unique set of circumstances. I'm getting my PhD at a medical school, and we were recently bought by a local hospital. During the transition we were onboarded like employees, including having to take a drug test. I didn't get tested when I first started school and i don't think they make incoming students do it now, but it did happen. One thing you do have to seriously consider though is that while you probably won't get drug tested for grad school, you likely will for most jobs and internships in your chosen field. Note, I think the marijuana being illegal is stupid, but if the state you move to has not legalized medical marijuana you may have some problems.

@unitstructures if you don't mind me asking, where are you going? Some schools subsidize student apartments. You can also apply for International House, which offers graduate student housing in Manhattan at discounted rates compares to the area. You can also consider living in one of the outer boroughs and commuting in.

I emailed the graduate office contact we had when I was waitlisted to say thank you and let them know that if accepted I would definitely yes. I was pulled off not that much later. I'm not sure if it helped, but it definitely couldn't hurt to let them know that you are still interested.

girl power

Call girl

It's about that time of year again. Rejection sucks, but sometimes a little bit of black humor helps. Here is one of my favorites from this year. Feel free to add your own! Stanford University Economics, PhD (F17) Rejected via Website on 28 Feb 2017 I 28 Feb 2017 doesn't matter had sex

I'm going to be honest, your application is not strong enough for a lot of American universities. Because most international students aren't eligible for a majority of government-sponsored grants, schools are stricter on who they take. You need to raise your GRE score, especially the writing, and your TOEFL. I would also do research for at least another year and show you can work on a project long term, as with the exception of your Master's and pharmaceutical job, all of your research projects have been less than 6 months long.

I think it definitely depends on how you deal with stress. I found I drink far less in grad school than I did in undergrad (which isn't really saying much, as I didn't really drink much in undergrad either). I know that when I do recruitment events, I often bring up that we have a lot of food and alcohol related events. It's not that we drink a lot, it's that these are usually social events that involve student and faculty and attract them with free food and cheap/free alcohol. However, given how much we wine and dine our prospective grad students, I think it definitely can create this idea that everyone in grad school drinks all the time (we've had more than a few interviewees show up hungover to Day 2). As the people before me said, moderation is key. If you think you have a problem, or if you are worried you may develop one, it's okay not to drink. Most social events have other options available and nobody will think less of you for doing so.

Wow. The entitlement and immaturity there is outstanding. I'm amazed the PI didn't kick him out of the room.

I got in, but when I was applying my plan B was applying for an MPH or law school to do patent law.

Focus on your research and try to publish and go to conferences. Showing that you are dedicated to research and are able to follow through is key.

hungry hippos

I can't bring myself do Western Blots. It's like I'm allergic to them. If I have to do one I will prolong it and draw it out for as long as I can. It's 9pm and I haven't started mine yet. It's gotten to the point where I will willingly pull an all nigher if it means that I can put it off a little longer. It's insane, and I don't know what to do to get over it.

Sure! I know your interview passed already, but you are still more than welcome to message me with questions.

I took a gap year doing private tutoring. It didn't hurt my application at all. Actually, I ended up getting interviews at schools that had previously rejected me. Taking a gap year to do something different can show maturity, as it is a sign that you carefully considered this. Plus, if you want to try something different, now is the time to go for it. It's harder to branch off after your PhD and then come back to it.

First of all, leave your parents out of it. They aren't the ones who have to go this school, you are. This isn't undergraduate where the school name recognition means something, Now it's your PI's name that matters, not the school. Secondly, don't judge by name recognition. While yes, some higher tier schools attract professors who have better output, there are a lot of excellent PIs at "lower tier" schools because they like the environment there better. Now that we got that out of the way, look at the list of schools you are considering. Which schools did you only look at because your parents wanted you to go to? Did you actually like those programs, or did you make yourself like them because you knew your parents would like them? If you can't find at least 2 labs with research you can see yourself being excited about and enjoying for the next 6 years, eliminate them. Do this for every school on that list. Then look at the peripherals, like student life. Do you think you will like being at that school or in that area for the next 6 years? Keep the schools where you have multiple labs with research you can honestly say you can see yourself doing and where you think you might be happy. I'm going to be honest with you, your GPA is really low for most of those schools. When translated to a 4.0 scale, it comes out to just under a 3.0. You have a lot of good research and great test scores, but your GPA is going to hurt you. I would diversify. Don't limit yourself to just big name schools, because you are doing yourself a disservice. Actually, go to pub med, and search for the topics that you are interested in studying. What labs are producing the most papers in the highest impact journals? What labs are looking at something really novel? Ask people in your field what schools they would recommend. Talk to the PI you're working for, ask him his opinion. Don't apply to a school just for name recognition, because at this level it can only do so much for you.

I think everyone else hit the nail on the head, but I'll add my two cents. The subject test won't help much unless you score in the top 10%. It's far easier and looks better to recoup a low GPA with research and publications/presentations.

Your best bet based on your past is honestly a thesis-based Masters program, where you will be doing research as well as improving your grades. Right now what you need to show adcoms that you can be committed and you won't flake out. Research takes a lot of time and attention, and your past academic history makes you sound extremely immature and, to be frank, if I were on an adcom I would not offer you admission based on the fact that I don't think you would take it seriously. So apply for a thesis based Masters (these are usually MS degrees) to improve your grades and show that you have the commitment and maturity to see the program through and do the work required.

As long as your GPA is good and you have lab experience it shouldn't be an issue. If the test has been cancelled most adcoms will be aware of it