alanfv91

Hey there, So I am currently a first year at the UC Davis Immunology program. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the program and whatnot.

Haha, I couldn't go to a whole lot of events. The only day I actually attended anything was Monday since I already have started working in my first laboratory rotation.

It's getting closer to the time when classes start. Hopefully everybody is ready for the grind that is grad school.

Seems like everybody here is enjoying their time up at Davis so far! Looking forward to my move in on Sunday

Haha, hopefully that will be the case for you. I'll probably end up as one of those people who won't bike around campus since I'll be more busy commuting between Davis and the Sacramento campus.

So how's everybody doing with their new living arrangements? I'm actually going to be moving in on Sunday so I'll get to see how things are for myself soon.

I think you may want to briefly explain what was going on during those times when you bombed your classes. I think it's best to just touch the surface on what you were going through at the time, but not go too in depth with the explanation. That may help the committees understand what was going on and that you weren't just being lazy or apathetic about your undergrad courses. I'm sure they'll see that with your masters coursework you have gotten yourself back on your feet and are ready for a PhD program. Hopefully you'll get a good number of interviews from your list of schools you are applying to, and good luck!

Ah yeah, that name isn't used around a lot. I only picked it up from my PI back at UCI when I was doing my undergrad there so I wouldn't imagine that a lot of people would know.

Hey there! I noticed that you were interviewed at UCI for the CMB program. I'm sure you must have met the Frumanator as he is the chair and director of that program . Anyway, I'm pretty much on the same boat as you as I will only be attending the events I will find helpful for me.

Seems like regisration for WoW events will open up August 8th. Just giving everybody here a heads up.

Oh yeah that's right. Mine doesn't start until September 14, but I forgot that a lot of the leases over in Davis/Sacramento start in early September or August. That explains it then.

So why are some of you moving up there so early? I believe classes don't start until early October if I am not mistaken. Also, yeah I believe our departments/programs do their own sort of orientation as I was informed by my program coordinator that we will have our own sort of event.

I must agree with both sides on certain aspects. I think you should have a balanced list of schools - a few safety schools, a few in the middle schools, and maybe one or two reach schools. Sure, GPAs and GRE scores can be used as a primary cutoff for the applicant pools, but I do think it is a good idea to directly ask the department or the program about your certain situation/qualifications and see what they may think of it. Sometimes they may tell you to apply while others may say otherwise. Also, it may be a good idea to apply to a school or two in which you have a personal connection with; that may be helpful in winning acceptance in at least one school. When I applied, I had the list of schools that was just described. I applied to a bunch of schools, but fortunately I was able to budget it out and I ended up being accepted to a pretty good school with just a 3.0 undergrad GPA, no masters. My last statement is to persevere, prepare your applications with professors, and do some mock interviews with faculty you know to see how well you interview.

I won't be moving up there until mid-September from Orange County. However, I should be there in time for the WoW events, so I may be at some of the things going on at that time. For now, I'm just enjoying my summer and doing the things I want to do before I head up north.

Hey guys! So I may be late to this thread, but I will be attending UC Davis for the Immunology program in Fall 2014. Fortunately, I already have made my living arrangements as I will be living at West Village. I know it's pretty expensive to rent there, but at least it's completely furnished and all utilities are covered by rent (even internet). I'm looking forward to moving in and starting the program soon! I've noticed that a lot of us here are going to different departments, but it is a pleasure to meet you all!

Yeah, I would disagree on that statement as well. I'm currently finishing up my appointment as a lab manager at my home UC campus, and I've noticed that the grad students on my campus tend to love their programs. I'm actually going to be starting at my graduate program at another UC campus and it seems they treat their grad students well over there too.

I remember what I did on my SOP was that I did mention the discrepancies in my academic record. I also wrote in what I was going through at the time in order to explain why I had a tough time getting some high marks in some of my classes. I wrote it in a way that explained why it happened, but I didn't write it in a way that it would give me an excuse if that makes any sense. During the interviews, the committee members did ask me about my grades and I essentially reiterated what I wrote down. Thankfully, they were understanding and had a much better idea of what was going on in my life during those times, and ultimately it led them to overlook what they saw on my transcripts.

Well when I got the chance to check out the campus during my interviews, I liked the overall atmosphere and vibe of the campus. My graduate program will be in Immunology so the administrative home will be at the veterinary school which is sorta isolated from the rest of the main campus. I like the city of Davis as a whole. Sure downtown is lively and can be full of students during the weekends or nighttime but there are areas in which it is more family-orientated and are much quieter than the rest of town. It's also close enough to Sacramento, and not too far from the bay area so it's a nice thing to know that I can also enjoy the city life via a short drive. In terms of their Neuroscience opportunities, I know there is an entire graduate group that focuses on Neuroscience so maybe you may want to check out their site or speak with some of their staff/faculty to know more about it. They also have their website which you can find through the UCD grad studies webpage.

I think you are pretty competitive with these stats. Sure your GPA isn't the highest out of the bunch, but the research experience you got is quite extensive and good! I wouldn't worry too much about the GPA and GRE scores though, I had a GPA that is just right in the same ballpark as yours in addition to similar GRE scores and I've managed to be going to graduate school in the coming Fall (UCD). The ivies will probably be your reach schools, but the others I see on your list are probably doable in terms of making it. I say you may want to elaborate on your GPA a little bit on your application statements if they ask for you to talk about any discrepancies in your application. Let me know if you have any other questions and feel free to PM me if you like. Good luck!

I agree with the statement about UW. I applied to their immunology program but they only took in about 4-5 students out of an application pool of 120. However with your stats, I'm sure you will get in at least one of those places since you are definitely in a better starting position compared to me! Good luck!

Yeah, I would agree with living over at West Davis if you want to be away from the college students. I remember heading over to the program chair's home for dinner during my interview weekend. It was located in West Davis, and from what I can recall I noticed that that area was mainly residential, quiet, and family-friendly. The neighborhood I was in was definitely mellow and I could imagine it being filled with families with children. I don't think you would be seeing a lot of students around that area since most of the bars and other places students tend to go to are located in downtown.

I'll also be one of the many people who are offering to take in questions for this coming application cycle! Please feel free to PM me with any questions you may have regarding graduate programs in immunology, statement of purpose, research statements, or any other related questions. I've been through applying for schools twice, so I've done my fair share of applying to graduate schools. Good luck to all, and I'll be happy to help those who would like to ask me anything!

Hey Jayem, Sure I'll be happy to oblige you! To be dead honest, I don't have the most stellar stats. In fact, I had an undergrad GPA that's just over 3.0, and my GRE scores were about 154/159. However, I make that up in my research experience. I have at least 3 years of research work in an immunology lab at my undergraduate institution. To be more specific, two of those years were spent as an undergraduate researcher, and currently I am spending my last year in the same lab working as a lab manager. I also have a second part-time job as a tutor at a local learning center, and I've been there for at least a year and a half now. To make a long story short, it was mainly my research experience that helped me get in to an immunology graduate program. I'll spare you the specifics of what I did during my time in the lab, but if you want to know more about it you can PM me if anything. Take care and good luck when you apply!

Alright, that gives me an even better idea of the traffic situation. I'll definitely do what I can to leave either before or after the main rush hour. Thanks guys!

Okay, that does give me some insight on what it's like. Don't worry too much about the morning traffic because chances are I'll be on campus taking my classes. Thanks! It seems like I won't be sitting in my car for 45 minutes to an hour just to get back home from the Shriners' Hospital everyday.