expandyourmind

I felt the same way eteshoe! I knew UChicago was the best overall choice for me but for some reason I couldn't hit the accept button! I had to talk with all of my friends/family about the pros/cons of every school and each one of them were like "well it sounds like your mind is made up..." but its hard taking that step. my family was fed up with me because i wouldn't stop talking about it haha. i wasn't even that excited to accept the offer after a point because i felt like i was beating the horse to a pulp! but man, can i tell you how nice it was right after hitting the send button. it was a whole new wave of excitement! within an hour after sending in my submission i had e-mails from the dean and most of the professors i spoke with e-mailing me how excited they were to have me! it was such a good feeling, especially to know what i will be doing for the next few years! so guys don't be afraid to make that leap. if your heart is set on it and your head tells you its the best choice, hitting send is a HUGE weight off of your shoulders!!!

i think held is a really good thing apparently. so just hope it stays taht way! mine has been released for some time now :'(

In my experience they only really look at quant and verbal, but like not even that much. i have very poor GRE scores and somewhat mediocre grades (especially in undergrad biology!) for the places I was applying to, but my experience in my application boosted it up. depending on the program, it may hold different weight. I've noticed that it won't necessarily get you INTO places, but it will definitely keep you OUT of schools. but overall its a very weak and overrated piece of the application that could actually screw you over in the end. i personally think that as long as you have solid relevant experience and a good SoP/grades, you'll be fine. but my shitty GRE scores were never really a problem.

i think its a huge plus to have a publication, not as first author but to get your name somewhere on the paper. it definitely is a big plus to show that not only can you do research, but you're committed to a project until its completion. even a undergraduate honors thesis helps, too.

it's also VERY good to just keep networking! my PI told me that it's pretty common for people who have already had their PhD to come back around and say "hey, remember me from the interviews a few years ago?" these could be your future bosses, collaborators, mentors or even friends. now that you've almost decided where to go, some of these people you could ask for a postdoc position if everything goes well!

best of luck brainnetwork! i'm sending good vibes your way and hope everything works out. this time is always stressful so let me know if you need to vent - feel free to PM me if you need to talk about your choice

i went on a roundabout journey from circadian rhythms and neurobiology to hardcore embryology and development. i found myself excited about a lot of different subject matters, but over time my focus definitely narrowed on development. it was so much fun exploring new subject matter but in the end embryology was that one thing that kept fascinating me the more i learned. i think its great that you get excited about any research, i wouldn't say to pigeon hole yourself into one area or look into a particular program because of its popularity or competition. keep your interests broad and possibly look into umbrella programs for graduate programs so that you can keep exploring! since you're still an undergrad your interests will definitely change and over time you might find one subject matter absolutely fascinating, while another seems not to stir anything up for you anymore. i think you have a great attitude with science, just keep exploring and exposing yourself to very disparate research and you'll find something that you love. i think thats the best part about someone's research career - finally finding that thing that makes you tick.

oh please please please if this is your dream school than thats the answer. this is your decision about your future, so i would really do what is best for your education and what is the best fit. never compromise. i understand that its your significant other, but this is YOUR dream! if i would have chosen my significant other over my dream school, i would have ended up resenting him. we went through a long distance relationship over my master's but it was the best choice for my education and i never looked back. but i would really go for the dream school, a LDR isn't that bad (it might even give you more time to study and work on your thesis lol!)

i have horrible stats compared to yours acetylcholine. 3.3 bio gpa and GRE in 71st percentile, but i had nearly 5 years of research with a master's. i would say that research trumps stats any day! i hope this helps!

i'm sorry acetlcholine, i may get a lot flak for what i'm about to say... from your stats it seems like you have a fine application but the problem seems a little bit deeper than just the GRE scores and good GPA. i've kinda been following your history on the other pages, too. i'm not sure what a top 200 university means honestly, but it seems like a little humility would help some. since this is your second round applying, i would really look past your honestly great stats (a lot better than i have to be completely honest with you) and look at yourself as an applicant to see how you can improve yourself overall. i don't say this to be mean AT ALL, i only want to help you out. improving your research probably be the best thing for your application. i think it might be helpful to take a masters or a job as a research tech not only to improve your research abilities but just improve on your maturity as a scientist. it just seems to me that for the powerhouse programs you are applying to, you may not have a strong research background for some of these places (but i could be wrong). three semesters is a bit on the shorter side in my opinion. i would really suggest getting more research experience and focusing on your statement of purpose. make sure you have an impeccable narrative of your research background and where you want to go in the future. make yourself stand out! anyone can get good grades, a publishing, and good LORs. i did the master's route because i didn't get into a phd program. i'm glad i did. looking back i was a total little shit who had no real knowledge about anything. but the past 2 years has definitely let me come into my own as a scientist and a person. i feel more well rounded and prepared for graduate life, with a little more direction. coming into interviews and looking at the undergraduate students its amazing how much more mature i feel and prepared for the long road ahead. i'm so glad i originally failed at getting into a phd program! in the end this master's program really improved my CV and SoP and i've had adcoms tell me that my application has definitely stood out because of it. i feel more sound in describing my research and more confident in what i want to study as i go through my interviews, which may be what you need. i guess all i'm saying is that you should look past the stats and make yourself stand out, because you deserve it! if you need to talk or vent about the application season, please feel free to PM me. i'm glad to help!

i know cornell weill has just an insane amount of international students. they are really well funded and they explicitly stated that international status means nothing to them. they have some great research, too!.

Your quant score is rather low, especially for an international student. From my knowledge funding and competition for international spots are really tough, so you should make sure your GRE scores are rather perfect. But GRE scores are not the only piece to the puzzle! I would really focus on your statement of purpose, as well. That can really do a lot for your application to show a cohesive narration of your interests and how the school plays into your ambitions. I personally worked on mine for months before sending it in. I'd suggest sending it to your advisors and your peers to crank out a perfect SoP! You said your grad GPA is 4.0... are you already in a master's program? I'm a firm believer in getting more experience in between your undergrad and your graduate degree. Personally I did a 2 year master's and wouldn't have changed a thing. Since you are international, it may pay to look for a research technician job at a leading institution in the US. It might give you a foot in the door with a letter of rec from someone notable/influential in the field you want to go into, not to mention increase your research experience.

i'm probably not going to do graduate housing. i think its pretty easy to find housing around campus, but i'm also considering living in the south loop. id love to live closer to the city but i'm not sure how good of an idea that is considering classes, lab, etc i think generally around the area its easy to get a studio/1 bedroom for 800-1100 so not too bad. closer to the city itll be more expensive probably.

the cold isn't too bad, just invest in a good coat and winter clothing and you'll be fine! as far as the crime goes, i think its overplayed a lot. hyde park is a pretty nice area (obama lived there) so its a nice town. like any big city, there are going to be parts that are a little iffy, but as long as you're pretty street smart and don't do anything stupid like wave around a macbook or something you'll be fine. i think that goes for most city areas, just keep your street smarts.

Hey everyone! Just accepted the offer for UChicago Molecular Biosciences! I would love to meet my fellow classmates or anyone else coming to UChicago. I went to undergrad in Chicago so feel free to ask any questions, too SO PUMPED!

just came here to agree with everyone else! I was struggling with the same issue... either columbia or uchicago. I mean, columbia is columbia, right? I found myself trying to convince myself to go for the columbia name, looking pretty hard for POI that i would be interested in working with, and trying to see myself in morningside/washington heights. but the fit wasn't there and it was VERY apparent. but with uchicago i just felt that the fit was PERFECT, they seemed like it was the all around better choice for my training. during the interview process i was excited about the research and the environment, it's just that the whole columbia "name" thing still got me! i was able to meet with the faculty again just to make sure i wasn't crazy about how i felt on the first interview. i definitely had the "gut feeling" moment on the first interview, and going there a second time only solidified my decision. I ended up choosing UChicago so I strongly advice to go with your gut and where you feel like its perfect!

I've officially accepted the offer at UChicago! If you're also considering at UChicago, please feel free to PM me - I'm happy to talk about how I felt through the interview process or any of the pros/cons here and at other places. Or I would love to know who my fellow classmates are. Good luck everyone else on making a decision!

Hey guys! I know acceptances are (hopefully) coming in. Just wanted to give my 2 cents about the decision. If you're on the fence between two schools, I would contact them and see if you can meet with more faculty. Don't hesitate to ask. Last week I contacted the dean at UChicago and within a week I was back and they had set up an entire scheduled day. It was definitely what I needed in terms of my decision and it was a totally different atmosphere than the first interview. I wouldn't hesitate to ask to meet with more people - it's a huge decision!

did you also interview for both programs? i actually liked PBSB better!

i applied to several different programs, mainly in developmental biology. i've applied to Cornell Weill PBSB and UChicago for computational modeling in developmental biology. I'm not an expert in programming but I've dabbled in a lot of software for 3D visualizations of embryos, etc. definitely something i want to get into more. At UChicago they'll let me tailor my coursework so that its a mesh of developmental and systems/genetics/computational biology.

I would be very careful about committing to a program that didn't have research that excited you.

i don't think you should worry. if the people you met want you in the program like it sounds like they do, theyll write reviews of your interview that will guarantee you get in. this is definitely a good sign, and congrats!

I think it's UChicago! I'm actually going back to talk to the dean and my main POI to solidify my decision. If things go well I'm going to do a summer rotation with his POI or one of the other like 5 people I want to work with. I've already been speaking to the dean about courses and training grants for my matriculation! I think it's the one! Although I absolutely loved Columbia I think I have more people I'd work with at Chicago!

i can't stress fit enough. throughout every one of my interviews it has been SO apparent as to whether I fit or not. its been very surprising to look at the vibes a certain grad program gives off and whether or not i feel like its the right place. for me, it's pretty apparent where i'm going because the fit seemed so perfect - something i didn't really feel at other schools. anyone else feel the same way, that one school is just "the one"?