dpowe003

@PhDorBUST Hey, I'm a Sam Houston student! Huntsville really isn't such a bad place. I've been living there just fine for the past year and a half (home for Christmas right now), and I'll be finishing my MS with the forensic science department in May. However, I must admit coming from Northern California, the change of scenery really was a culture shock and I'm quite ready to move back home But Sam is a decent school. I've had some good opportunities there which will hopefully help my PhD application at UC Davis. Good luck with your application for Sam Houston!

Overall I am interested in pharmacology and toxicology. I have a lot of interests which include studying the metabolism of designer drugs, their pharmacodynamics (how they act on the body), and developing quantification assays for multiple compounds. I also would like to design presumptive testing techniques for these drugs. My masters background is in forensic science, but I honestly love research so much that I can see myself working in research long term. I would be curious to learn more about clinical pharmacology and drug design too.

Definitely feeling the anxiety! I submitted my end of my application in November, but one of my recommenders was taking a while. The program coordinator for the one PhD I applied to sent me an e-mail (before their deadilne) saying they were still waiting on that last letter for my application to be complete. When my last recommender was finally done, the program coordinator sent me another email saying they received everything. Still before the deadline. I've been doing the "is that significant?!" game in my head. The deadline has since passed and I'm super nervous because I need this application to go well. I'm from the Sacramento CA area, and I've been out of state in Texas for the past 2 years working on my masters in forensic science. I really want to return home and stay there, thus the only PhD program I applied to was the PhD in Pharmacology/Toxicology at UC Davis. I really want to do more in depth toxicology research that's beyond the scope of my current program, and UC Davis would really work well for me because not only am I local, but the program is awesome and it has so many amazing resources & faculty for the kind of research I want to do. My masters program has still given me some good experiences and I feel prepared for the work involved in a PhD. I just want to study my interests more in depth. I have a few job applications in otherwise for plan B, but nothing too promising right now after my May 2017 MS graduation. I'm hoping I don't need a plan C! I really want my plan A PhD application to work out. I'm so excited about it but I'm super nervous at the same time.

Finishing up my BA in forensic chem this semester. Over the summer I just plan on working as much as I can at my local parks & rec child care job, going camping with my friends, day trips, backyard bonfires, basically just enjoying the time I have left at home. I'll also be researching places to live at the same time to get a heads up on that. I've already got a preliminary list! I'm leaving with my parents to drive out to Texas August 1st (I live in northern CA). I have to be at orientation on the 24th. We plan on stopping to see some relatives along the way.

I got admitted to SHSU last week with an offer including in-state tuition. I was stoked because SHSU was my top choice, so I accepted right away. I'm really excited about this program and everything they have to offer someone in my field (forensic science), and I love Texas. I pretty much grew up in California. It's a great state too, and yes it's going to be super hard leaving all my friends behind, but I'm excited to move somewhere new and to meet new people. I do have relatives in the DFW area, so I'll at least have somewhere to go for holidays (being a broke grad student, I probably won't be coming home much). Anyway, I'm way beyond excited to start school in August! Yay yay yay!!!!! Who else is going to school here?

I was leaving my AM biochem lab at school and I was checking my email on the way to the school gym to workout. My first acceptance this cycle so I am thrilled! And I was so concerned because my gpa is 3.12 and my GRE is just 154/154/4.5 It's a good day!

And I just looked up the spring breaks for my schools. Sam Houston (the one that told me I am "a good candidate for their program") is on break right now. Oklahoma State - Tulsa is on break next week (the one that told me my application was assigned to a professor for review). U of A Birmingham is on break the week after. I have no idea when these 3 schools are going to be releasing decisions. UC Davis at least promises all decisions will be released by the end of this month. They're reviewing 80+ applications in batches right now. :\

One of my applications was "assigned to a professor for review" per some point of contact from the program in an e-mail. This was 5 1/2 weeks ago. REVIEW FASTER!

The results search shows someone already got a recommended-for-admission email from one of my universities, but that university has not even changed my application status to say Under Review yet. What the hell? But I emailed the program two weeks ago and the response was they hadn't reviewed applications yet.

I just got some junk e-mail from one university's office of graduate admissions advertising their new PhD program in forensic science, even though I applied for the MS this fall. And I still have not heard back anything Who else is getting lots of junk mail lately?

No, my programs don't do interviews. I'm just waiting on hearing yes or no. :/

It's a new week of potential decisions! Although I've still heard nothing but silence from the remaining schools I applied to. GWU rejected me pretty quickly. It's funny how programs will be in such good contact with you but then the moment your application goes under review, they turn silent. What's that about??? My other applications have now been under review for 6 weeks. Not a peep from anyone, not even the school that told me I am a good candidate for their program. Complete silence. What's that supposed to mean?!?? Jut get on with the acceptances/rejections so I can move on with my life until next year's application cycle .

Full time schedule at school including my research and 3 upper division chemistry labs, working 2 jobs totaling to 30 hours per week, and having dinner with friends when I can. I had every intention of getting back in shape this semester, but I'm so exhausted everyday that the last thing I want to do is run. It's funny because I just ran a marathon in September and now my physical fitness has gone downhill. Oh well, I'll get back into it eventually!

"Let's make our applicants feel like they're in another bad relationship by saying great things to them in email correspondence, which we will always reply to that same day, but then after a while let's stop answering and leave them hanging!"

dropped dead

empty drawers

Oh look, my inbox is still empty and my applications still say "under department review" !

24. Will be turning 25 in April.

Bad dog

Also, another contact from a different university told me over 3 weeks ago that my application had been assigned to a professor for review. All of these junk emails about invitations to [insert university name here] student & alumni receptions at the 2015 AAFS meeting in Florida certainly don't help >_<

It's been over 4 weeks since a contact from one university I applied to stated that I was a good candidate for their program, and that they were just waiting on my final transcript (which coincidentally arrived the next day). WHY HAVEN'T I HEARD ANYTHING?!?!?!

I've only received one rejection so far, and I've not heard a single word from other schools aside from the usual graduate school open house advertisement junk e-mails. Someone from one of the programs was in regular contact with me last month because they were waiting on my final transcript to arrive, but it was taking a while because my fall grades weren't posted until January 5th. This lady told me, and I quote, that all that mattered was that they get that transcript. She also stated that I am a good candidate for their MSFS program. Their application deadline was 12/31 but my last transcript didn't reach them until January 20th. I've heard nothing from this school since. The wait is stressful!

Aaand it's a rejection from GWU. Oh well. I'm not surprised. I was expecting it. I don't feel too much of a loss though. I'm still looking forward to hearing from the other schools I applied to.

I thought of applying to Boston. In fact I probably should have, but it's too late at this point. I'm not worried about it though. I'm hoping at least one of the programs I applied to will accept me. Maybe I'll even get lucky and have to choose between a few! Someone from the program at Sam Houston State has been very good about being in contact with me regarding late arrival of my transcripts (even though their deadline was December 31st). No fault of my own. I ordered them in plenty of time. Just, as you know, it takes forever to match records to your application... Anyway, the lady I'd been speaking to from their program told me that they just needed my final transcript from my current institution to arrive before my application file could be complete (it has since arrived, luckily). She also said that I'm a good candidate for their MSFS program. I'm hoping that's a good sign We will see! My applications for all 5 programs I applied to are complete. George Washington, Sam Houston State, and U of A Birmingham are currently under department review. UC Davis told me in an email that they won't start looking at applications until mid-February. And OK State says on their website that they don't start reviewing applications until after the deadline (March 1st).

I'm not sure if there's a thread for this already. I had trouble locating one. I also am not sure if there is a better umbrella forum for this topic. I just selected the chemistry forum because I'm an undergrad chem major, and I want to specialize in forensic toxicology. If any of the admins feel this needs to be relocated, by all means do! Anyway, hi everyone! I'm currently finishing up my undergrad BA in forensic chemistry at a public university in California. All forensic chemistry really means at my school is a regular BA in chemistry with a few criminal justice classes added into the breadth requirements. I have been in and out of a few colleges (university and CC level) since I graduated from high school in 2008. I struggled in my early years as I decided what I wanted to do with my life as well as learning how to be disciplined, and for that reason I don't have a great GPA. My cumulative is currently at 3.13, but it has taken me years to bring it back up to that point. I have been at my current university since fall of 2012. I am worried about my academic history working against me as admissions committees look over my applications. I sought out professors I knew within the past year who can testify to my work ethic, including my research advisor, so I'm hoping their recommendations will work in my favor as well as evidence of an upward trend in my transcripts. In addition to finishing up my upper division-level courses, I am currently doing computational chemistry research on a project with toxicological applications. I'm not seeking advice on my chances because it's a moot point, and I'm well aware that I may not get in anywhere with my low GPA and my average GRE scores. I just wanted to start a thread for anyone else out there who is also applying to Fall 2015 MSFS programs My GRE was 154/154/4.5, and if I don't get in anywhere this round I know I'll be retaking the exam. I have applications in to UC Davis, George Washington University, Sam Houston State University, University of Alabama in Birmingham, and Oklahoma State University in Tulsa. I cut my list down because I couldn't afford to apply to more of the FEPAC-accredited programs. Hopefully at least one of the five works out! Good luck to everyone else who is also applying!