Shep2789

I already interviewed at my top choice program and the whole weekend emphasized that we were in so long as we weren't crazy. The following week, I was rejected. The program chair called to let me know that the admissions committee hadn't seen my transcript before inviting me. The only other interview I got was at my safety. At that interview, I tackled my grades headfirst directly to the admissions committee. The day I got back I got an email from the program saying I was recommended for admission, but the official offer would come from the graduate school in a few weeks. That was two weeks ago. I've spent that time getting emotionally prepared to attend a less-than-ideal program, but I still have not received an official offer. Its possible the graduate school said no because of my GPA, despite that bad semester being 5 years ago and everything else about my application is near perfect. Should I worry? I'm freaking out

Ive only gotten 1 interview from the 12 programs I applied. That was this past weekend. It was a top-30 program and I was REALLY impressed. I'd love to go there. The whole weekend they emphasized that if we made it that far, we we're probably in, so long as we weren't crazy, and we had an example to experience of what they meant by crazy. I was feeling good about getting in. Today I got rejected (3rd) by one of my lower-tier programs where I had a pretty solid connection. Its barely top-100. Now I'm wondering if the top-30 school got me mixed up with someone or what? Imposter syndrome is real, but we're supposed to fake it till we make it, right?

My application status hasn't changed. On an app at another program that also uses "applyyourself.com," there's a line that says "your application is under program review" but there's no such indicator at UNC. Could someone who has an interview check their app and see if there's something like that? I submitted on the last possible day and had problems paying the fee so it wasn't officially completed until a few days after so I assume I'll be one of the last one's looked at.

Gaol Cell

Did this happen to be at Caltech? I spent a year dreaming about somehow getting into that lab only to find the memorial on what used to be his laboratory website. Luckily, before I submitted. Here's mine: That awkward moment when your letter writer, a close mentor who you've been discussing the stress of the mindless and arbitrary admissions systems about, forgot to submit one of his letters and that one happens to be your top choice, biggest reach, and where he's the letter writer with the most ties to the institution. Sure, its on me for not being as diligent about it as I could've, but the last email I sent him was the day after the deadline that said "their system says you still haven't submitted your letter." The guy has been a huge support through the entire process, but the thought of talking to him about any of this again is so very cringey.

Classic overanalyzing. He's probably just curious.

I come from a disadvantaged background and have always had to jump through financial hoops to get to where I'm going so I understand the struggle. I only paid for one undergraduate application fee at my safety school and this time around I've been applying for fee waivers everywhere and am lucky enough to be in a field that offers them pretty readily. The cost of sending my GRE scores has been a huge limiting factor since a ton of schools require official reports for the application and not just after accepted. I actively refused to apply to any program that didn't offer fee waivers, even if I didn't qualify for them. I hope everyone in this boat remembers it when they get into a position to make a change to the system. The financial barriers need to be eliminated. an aside: does anyone else think the CIC is a little bizarre? The Big Ten athletic conference controls the academic administration of its member schools. I wonder what it was like in 2011(?) in Lincoln when Nebraska joined.

I've been told that I've over-analyzed a couple emails, but I'm still not convinced that they didn't really just mean what they said at face value. My vindication: With a deadline of Dec 1, I got an email from the Graduate Recruitment Coordinator on Nov 20 checking in on my application. "I noticed it was not completed yet, and we were really interested in hearing more about your scientific background." That sounded generic, though 'really interested' made me think twice. Then I got around to actually submitting and ended up submitting 3 CVs and emailed him about it and his response included the line "Don't worry about the extra resumes, I think you'll be fine." That line made me think it was a sure bet, which was great 'cause this was the one of my top choices where I had zero network connections. I told some friends and they thought I was reading too much into it. Lo-and-behold they were the first response I got back and "the Admissions Committee was very excited in regards to [my] application" and I've got the interview in 2 weeks. Also, look through the forums for all of the false-alarm acceptances where people were sent the wrong email or something similar only to have the real decision, a rejection, come some time later. I'm not going to be convinced that I'm attending graduate school until I at least get my dissertation proposal approved.

I had the same issue when applying to undergrad and I just don't want to deal with it again. I'm first-gen to get a 4-year degree. My dad got his associates through night classes at a community college in his early 40s and that little bit of reference made him tolerable to talk to about the process, but barely. When I got into the #1 private liberal arts college in the country, the longest long-shot in the history of long-shots, their "I knew you would" response took all of the fun out of it. They still don't really know why I didn't want to go to their favorite football school. Now that I'm in the waiting game, its the only thing I want to talk about and they're the last two people I want to talk about it with. I've been avoiding them. It's my mother's birthday on Tuesday and unless I get an interview from one of my top 3 before then, I'm not sure I'm going to call her.

I applied to the UNC Chapel Hill BBSP and got a lovely email from their admissions (you can imagine my feelings opening it) detailing their admissions process. I'll copy/paste the important bit it here: Since they sent that on Dec. 23rd (late December), I'd expect their actual schedule is a bit behind that, but no I haven't heard anything yet.

I've been working almost non-stop on apps since mid-October and managed to finish 12 applications by December 1. Now that it has passed, I feel like I still have momentum and am wondering if there are any programs I might have overlooked that its not too late to check out. Are there any biomedical (or developmental) programs that still have time to apply that are worth checking out? Of the one's I applied to, Cincinnati is still accepting applications. I've got some good things to say about their Molecular and Developmental Biology program and I'd be happy to go there.

I can't find where I saw it, but I read something that had averages in the mid 70s. I would expect them to be lower than the GRE which is around the low 80s. They're pretty tough and all of the advice about taking them is "don't take them." Nobody requires them and the people that do take them are applying to places that recommend taking them, which are generally only the top programs. I think anything above the 50th percentile is worth celebrating regardless.

I'm currently applying to PhD programs for biomedical sciences with a 2.64 GPA from my undergrad. From what I can tell, anything below a 2.8 is treated as the same: garbage. Can you still get in with a low GPA? Yes. But, the rest of your application has to be stellar enough to ignore that 2.3. Your GRE is pretty solid, that is some indication that your GPA is not representative. How are your letters of recommendation and statement of purpose? They can't be just positive, they need to demonstrate that the hard times are behind you and that you can shine now. I would guess that since you're still in school, that you don't have enough experience to show that. I would look to get a paid position and expect to work for 1-2 years before entering graduate school. There are tons of programs for post-bac experience in every field that are centered around prepping you for graduate school and many also allow you to take courses to improve your GPA. You could probably find a program that would take you as you are, but would you want to dedicate the next few years of your life to that program? Not everyone with a 2.3 GPA had serious personal events that contributed to their poor grades and they will be in that program.

That's exactly how I feel. I'm not at all good with talking about how good I am, I just know that I could show it if given the opportunity. That's what I've always done and that comes through in my rec letters, but that is definitely not good for this part of my application, which needs to be solid with everything else to counter my GPA. Thanks all for the advice, I'll definitely do some reworking.

I'll take you up on your offer to critique mine if I critique yours (see my recently posted topic). I think the perspective of a different field entirely might be helpful. -My knee-jerk reaction is its super long. I don't think its wise to use the full 1200 word limit if most other programs keep it much tighter. I would use it as a cushion to flesh out certain points a little better from your smaller SoPs, but I wouldn't add whole pages of new material. A lot of other applicants are going to just repurpose their smaller ones and yours might stick out as being particularly wordy. The AdComms are made of humans and will appreciate the more succinct statements, I think. -I would cut the first sentence and integrate the second into the second paragraph, making that your start. I'm a fan of just starting with facts about yourself as AdComms are generally populated by people who shun fluff and flare. -I think the 3rd and 4th paragraphs can be combined and stripped down. -I would keep lists capped at 3 items. -MD programs are training future public servants, so its important to show that you do things besides straight medicine for them. PhD programs, however, are training scholars and future experts. They want to know that you're dedicated to your field so mentioning unrelated extracurriculars (such as fraternity involvement) can actually hurt, even if its demonstrating leadership. -specifying seven research seminars rubs me wrong, so it might have the same effect on an AdComm member. Its impressive that you did so many, but I'd leave that for your transcript to say and just say "research seminars". Otherwise, its pretty nice.

For a lot of my applications, the SoP is the only place I have to address my 2.64 GPA, but I don't want to dwell on the negative and still need to fit in all the other things like why I want a PhD and why I want to go to that school specifically inside of ~600 words. Its currently at around 670 words, but rounds out 2 pages nicely. Am I doing it right? All advice is appreciated. -- My longstanding fascination with science propelled me to explore the potential opportunities in biology in my earliest years of college. During a Biology 101 laboratory course I was tasked with purifying DNA. We used a protocol that involved collecting precipitated DNA on a pipette tip. This hands-on experience provided real and tangible evidence that was often lacking in classroom lectures. Suddenly, I had the instructions to build a life form wrapped around a stick. I was hooked. The following year, I joined Professor XX’s lab as a work-study research assistant and my professional science career began. For the last 14 months, I have been working at [big research institute] as a Postbaccalaureate Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. YY. My primary project in the laboratory has been developing an in vitro assay to examine the role of transforming growth factor-ß (TGFß) in lymphatic development. We have worked out a protocol for using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to isolate lymphatic endothelial cells that we then embed in a collagen gel. In this way, we can control growth conditions and use live imaging and immunohistochemistry to examine the individual effects of different variables. My unique role in that project has been to develop an automated quantification protocol using open-source software that both speeds up data analysis and removes as much human bias as possible. I have also earned my own individual project of developing a whole-organ clarification and mounting protocol for visualizing sympathetic innervation in the developing mouse heart. As a first generation college student from a public education system in rural Oklahoma, I was not prepared for [top school], one of the most elite, private undergraduate institutions in the United States. For three and a half years, I struggled academically, financially, and personally. Late in my senior fall, I learned that I had a reading and writing disorder. Despite the consequences on my GPA, I decided to take a break and I went return home to stabilize. I waited tables for two years, made up my academic deficiencies, and returned to [top school]. I became the first 4-year college graduate of my family. My plan is to become a career scientist in academia. My time at [big research institute] has kindled a passion for the mindset of developmental biologists. Too much medical research is focused only on fixing parts when they break. It frequently disregards how those parts came to function properly in the first place. I want to build on my foundation of developmental research and advance medicine through that perspective. ZZ University is the ideal location to break ground on that foundation because of its unique opportunities. The most obvious is Also ........ Having overcome my own adversities, I believe I am in a position to make an impact on the next generation of scientists. My time as a Teaching Assistant was easily the most fun I had in a laboratory at [top school], but then this summer I volunteered as a mentor in a program directed at disadvantaged high school students. Almost by accident, I pointed one of my students to the same scholarship program that led me to [top school]. It was very last minute, but she applied and was recently named a finalist. Knowing how much her horizons were broadened with that decision I helped her make, I have never felt so rewarded. ZZ University has demonstrated its dedication to reducing disparities through That is more than enough to know that ZZ would be the perfect fit.

Current postbac at the NIH here: highly recommend it. All labs are pretty well funded and most PIs are really well connected. There are also graduate courses offered on campus that can help improve your GPA while you're here and most PIs are willing to sponsor you. The only advantage I see of doing a masters over just working in a lab for two years is the possibility of drastic improvement of your GPA, but you have to pay in to do so. I had struggles in my 3rd and 4th years in undergrad which left my GPA at a 2.64 and I'm not getting any hard nos from really reputable programs. I'll let you know in a couple months if I actually got in anywhere, but its really encouraging to hear from the career advisers that I could make a run for MSTP programs if I was willing to spend another year in a clinical lab.

I have one of the lowest undergrad GPAs I've seen on here, but I am still applying to top-tier programs. Am I crazy? Undergrad Institution: Williams College Major(s): Biology GPA in Major: 2.63 Overall GPA: 2.64 Position in Class: Not sure at all actually Type of Student: Domestic, White Male. First-generation college graduate GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 162 (83%) V: 166 (96%) W: 3.5 (38%) Biology Subject Test: 760 (76%) Research Experience: 2 years as a work-study research assistant for a professor at Williams College. 2 summer research internships, one at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the other in the same lab I did my work-study work. Currently in my second year as a Postbaccalaureate Fellow at the National Institutes of Health. Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 2014 NHLBI Directors Award (awarded to my entire current lab), Biology Class of 1960's Scholar (a program for Williams students intending to pursue a career in Academia), Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Four semesters as a laboratory TA at Williams. Biology Majors Advisory Committee. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I graduated top of my class from a rural, public high school in Oklahoma. I was not prepared for Williams College and struggled hard until I found out I had a learning disorder that affected my reading and writing ability. I chose to take a break at really bad time that resulted in the failing grades that destroyed my GPA. I went back home and spent two years getting myself together. I made up my academic deficiencies at a community college in OK and returned to finish my degree at Williams. Williams doesn't have credit hours and the 18 credit hours I took at community college are not factored into my final GPA. If I use the Williams metric for converting grades to credit hours and add the community college classes, my GPA becomes a 2.8. I am currently enrolled in a graduate level course through the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences and getting an A doesn't seem impossible. Special Bonus Points: I have three strong recommendation letters from a former professor, my work-study supervisor/undergraduate mentor, and my current PI. The latter is actively calling in favors with people he knows at each school I'm applying. I have a manuscript in preparation that probably won't be ready for submission before application deadlines. I was on two poster abstracts published in a peer-reviewed journal last month, though. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: My Liberal Arts education means I had time to get chemistry, physics, and math coursework. I don't mention it beyond a line on my CV, but I managed a $100,000 budget to organize popular music concerts at my undergrad. Applying to Where: I'm interested in cardiovascular and peripheral nervous development and/or medical application of developmental understanding so I'm reaching for a couple BME programs. Emory - BCDB GA Tech - Biomedical Engineering Vanderbilt - IGP UAB - CMDB Cornell - BBS (Comparative Biomedical Sciences) Baylor - Developmental Biology UT Austin - Cellular and Molecular Biology WashU - Biomedical Engineering Cal Tech - BBE (big reach?) University of Oklahoma - Biomedical Sciences (safety?) That's everywhere I've gotten to so far. I have other schools on my radar, but I haven't given them enough of a thought. My current approach is just to apply everywhere and hope that a couple stick. I'm being encouraged to apply to other top-tier programs, such as Harvard, but I don't want to lose the application fee if they'll just toss my app after seeing my GPA. There is definitely research there I'd be really excited to get involved with, but should I bother?

Thank you for your advice! I'm listing the "in preparation" because I'm desperate for anything to counter my horrid GPA and I'll realistically have at least 1 first-author and 2-3 second author publications from my current work, but it doesn't seem like they will be coming together before the application deadlines. Sort of a dumb question: how do you format the "Selected Conference Presentations and Proceedings?" Author A, Author B. Title of project. Conference Title. Journal. Volume. DOI?

I am trying to update my CV with what I've done over the last year. In its current form, it has a "Presentations" section where I list my 5 poster and 1 oral presentation. I need to add that I have a manuscript in preparation for a TBD peer-reviewed journal and I also need to somehow add that I'm on two abstracts that were published in Angiogenesis last month and I don't know how to organize them. Should I have a "publications" header? Make it a combined "publications and presentations?" I also have no idea how to cite the published poster abstracts. The poster abstracts are published here. I'm listed on abstracts 033 and 116. Thanks for any advice! I'll be sure to pay the kindness forward.

That UCSD list is perfect. Thank you so much!

I went to a grad school fair a couple weeks ago and was roped into discussing programs at UW and was sort of luke-warm when the person I was talking to mentioned their Biosciences Opportunities Preview Program (BOPs). There's a selection process, so its competitive, but if you get invited then they fly you out for an all-expense paid weekend in Madison to see everything before you even apply. Really the only reason I haven't been interested in UW-Madison before is because I've never heard much about it and have never been to Wisconsin. So now interest in UW-Madison is piqued and I'm curious to know if there are similar programs at other schools?