BassAZ

The only reason I emphasize academia is because you have a higher probability of publishing in academia. In industrial research, you have a better chance of being on a higher pay-scale and putting work into patentable projects but I don't think it generally helps your chances to get into an academic institution. My opinion is complete hearsay; I've never known anyone TURNED AWAY because they were in industry but I also don't think working in industrial research will bolster your CV as much as working in academia when it comes to adcoms evaluating you. As for the MS, I apologize because I have no idea how it will help your chances of getting into a program. I CAN tell you that it will make you look better than if you didn't have it but how much or whether it will make a significant difference - I am not sure. There's a lot more I could say but I would say this stuff would be the most important before you decide what branch of biology you're interested in and WHY you want to work on that particular sphere of biology.

2 things: first, you say you're doing a part-time Ms - are you working in research or a related Biology field or at some other job? If you have been able to secure employment in research and are able to demonstrate you dedication and drive in a research setting and have established researchers willing to vouch for you, you have a better chance of doing a PhD. My second question is actually more of a statement, but here it is: if you're waffling between Med school and research, you should talk to a resource in your administration or even doctors/researchers about your desires. I assume the Profs. in your program already have their MD/PhD, so talk to them and get their opinion. You stated "I want a full career in molecular/molecular cell biology. Realistically, that means pursuing an education to the point of a PhD" - that's not entirely true. With an MS, you will be relegated more to the wet-lab side of science and can still pursue a career that will have a slight ceiling. While I'm not entirely sure that's the case right now (because of the lousy job market), you may need to get out there and do some work in the academic field, get someone established to vouch for your determination to pursue a career in science and then apply to programs. This is by no means a shoe-in make-up for a reasonably poor GPA but it gets your foot in the door and allows schools to make a determination as to whether you'd be able to succeed in their program. I graduated with a slightly-lower-than-3.0 in Mol. Bio., did 4 years of research and had people write recs for me that allowed me to get into programs right now, so by no means is a sub-3.0 a kill switch. You just have to give adcoms a reason to look at you. Lastly, if you really do want to pursue a PhD, address it briefly in your personal statement. Indicate your undergrad is not indicative of your overall potential and point to the more current successes you've had to show that you've been able to show what you're more capable of.

I'm sorry to do this but here are the hard questions you have to ask yourself: If you go to a closer school and your relationship deteriorates, will it leave you worse off than if you moved? Is there any reason you and your SO haven't made a life-long commitment to each other? (This question is the big one in my mind. The fact is, when you marry each other, all your plans become of 2 people and you have a partner to help you decide on where to go and what to do; YOUR plans become OUR plans, YOUR debt becomes OUR debt and it makes it easier to do the impossible with someone there to be your advocate the entire way. Without that, I feel like you can plan until the cows come home but there's no overall commitment to follow the plan you guys set out for yourselves) Will the out-of-state schools put a damper on your vocational opportunities after you receive your advanced degree? Will an in-state school's degree really balance out the financial (and emotional stress) cost in earnings afterward? Is there any reason why a long-distance-relationship won't work? If the determinants are really only finances and your SO (I.E. the fit of the programs are equal, etc.) then you really need to carve out time with your SO and have the harder conversation of what's best for both of you. At least in a marriage, it's never on one person to determine the route of life; because you've made a long-term commitment to each other, you walk that road together, both having signed off on what's going on.

You are worrying too much about this. It's completely fair, neither weekend will determine if you have a better chance of getting in. You've been given the opportunity to view the campus, talk to possible mentors and they get a feel for you because they determined you were a good fit for them and they for you. If they aren't able to extend an invitation for you to enter, it was because of fit, not because you chose to come to their second visit weekend and they filled the spots before you attended - it doesn't work that way.

I'm not sure if they've sent out any info but the weekends are Feb. 3-5 or Feb. 24-26.

Just speaking of Boston in general - a lot of people from more southern/western parts of the US think of New England as just that : kinda cold and stuffy. It's just kinda personality traits among the people here. Generally you get used to it or find people more endearing as they get closer to you and vice-versa but in general up here you're going to find people a little more guarded in the short-term. Interestingly you aren't talking about the programs and only the people that you've met in the programs. Which do you think is a better fit for you and that you'll enjoy more? That's one of the more important questions you'll have to ask. I assume you've made your choice, but I can tell you that no matter where you go you WILL find excellent people and some of those more aloof individuals. God bless.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the main point of contention, right? So, assuming you agree to the paperwork they've given you, I find it HIGHLY unlikely they will retract their offer. They picked you up because of the knowledge, experience and potential they saw in you, not the line about finishing your dissertation and honors in undergrad. You'll never lose that experience of doing the dissertation. If they completion of your thesis is important to you, see if you can get the evaluator during the summer or something of the like - hey, it's the school that was arranging it for you, so they should at least bend here - and that shouldn't be that difficult to do. Good luck, God bless and congrats!

The people interviewing you are assuming you are going to get into their school [though there is no guarantee that this is the case]. They are making this statement because the interview weekends are both for the school to determine if you are right for them AND if they are right for you. There are a number of people that are going to have a good number of acceptances and the profs are assuming you will be one of them, so they are pushing for you to come to their school. In no way, shape, or form do these "unofficial" e-mails infer that you've been accepted into their program. They are thank-you notes, nothing more, nothing less.

Just wanted to test the waters to see if there were things my wife and I hadn't thought of. We're planning on doing cloth diapers, making our own baby food, and sharing child-care roles (I am SO thankful for the flexibility on scheduling, especially in the sciences). I know my wife's earlier plans included her being a stay-at-home mom so I was curious if there were people out there trying to make it work on just a stipend with a family. The consensus seems to be that people don't want to bring their kids up in a less-than-ideal situation financially and either the non-grad-student works as well or they wait until the grad program is complete. I'm not one to wait another 5-6 years to have a child so I'm thinking that we'll just reevaluate all our expenses and make it work one way or another. There are obvious things we'll implement from our own frugal upbringings: vacations only to visit family, making all our own food, making sure to take public transportation or walking/biking whenever we can. As for whether it will suck for our kids, it's all a matter of perspective. One Christmas all my wife's family could give her was basically a pair of socks (they wrapped each one up individually so she'd have 2 gifts to open). She loves thinking about that and how much her family loves her and vice versa - a loving home is the only thing I am sure I'll be able to provide, but it'll be enough.

I've noticed one other thread about women having children in grad school, but I'm curious about the men taking on grad school while their wives have children: while being very sexist about this assumption, I've known a great many men feel their role is provider. How do you make it work if your supporting your family only with a PhD. stipend? I'm going into the first year of a science PhD., so thankfully I'm given tuition waivers as well as a decently large stipend: our problem is that my wife and I are living in Boston where even the most generous stipend is difficult to live on. We already live frugal lives (we'll eat out once a month, allow $15 allowance per month, if we're spending money on clothes it's at thrift shops, huge chunks of money paying off student loans, etc.) but throwing a child into the mix and allowing my wife to stay home to raise the kids seems like it would kill us financially. Anyone out there making it work - and if so, are you guys taking any unusual steps to stretch your money? Thanks!

It really depends on the program. The only one that I am sure gives "silent rejections" would be Tufts - many other schools will outright reject you if they aren't interested. The major problem lies with the possibility that you're in the "dangling phase"; you were competitive enough to avoid outright rejection but are within the schools average acceptance pool. If you haven't, take a look on the results page to see when people who were not accepted were given notification. You should also see if people have been given acceptances yet. I would suspect that you're on an unofficial wait-list if acceptances have gone out. Don't worry, you're not alone in the waiting period for a lot of schools. There are a vast number of people in the same situation and it's tough to spend too much time in purgatory. Keep in mind you've put your best foot forward and that it's out of your hands; and as frustrating as it is, remember this: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.... Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?...seek first [God's] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I applied to the micro program - everything in a little before the deadline. Got rejected sometime last week. Think I put it up on the feed there. E-mails directly to the individual programs went unanswered. Speaking from doing my undergrad there, while they are great when it comes to the variety and intellect of research, the school (BU in general, not sure about the med school) treats you as a number, for lack of a better term.

BB, I assume you're talking about BU proper and not the Med school? I'm pretty sure Tufts Sackler has 2 interview dates so they might be sending out invites through the first week of Feb.

Out of curiosity: I've assumed that tufts sackler has 2 dates, the weekend of Feb. 5th and the last weekend in Feb. Someone care to confirm that for me? Thanks!

I know I went through a period of one week during the end of my junior year in college where my father died after going in for a routine knee operation, a friend died of leukemia and a friend's mother whom we loved died due to breast cancer. I've discovered that each person is going to have his/her own reaction to these types of things. It took me a long while to come to grips with all this and, at 26, I'm just starting the grad school process now. As horrible as it sounds, use this experience. Talk to people around you about how you're feeling and how it's affecting you. Take some time and try to discover why you feel vulnerable and where your priorities in life are due to this. I should add that one huge reason I was able to cope and adapt so well is because I've been able to throw myself into love and learning about God and His plan in my life. Knowing that if I'm following Him (even if EVERYTHING seems to be crumbling around me), I'll be fine because it's part of His perfect plan. I guess lastly I'd say use this because it will harden you. My family has faced a number of different tragedies afterward - sister has meningitis and looked like she was going to die; lost both grandparents within a month or so - but I've been able to grieve while allowing my life to continue. Horrible things are going to happen, it's just the nature of life, but use this time, praise God you are alive and keep in mind what is important for you to achieve in this lifetime.

I know UMASS has at least sent some of the interview e-mails out. With my apps, however, there's still no word from BU or Tufts Sackler.