16777216
-
Posts
28 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by 16777216
-
-
still haven't heard anything back from MIT yet... I believe many rejections were sent out
am i on the waitlist?
Wondering the same thing myself. If we call them there's a chance they might tell us.
-
Hi 16. This is just me...but I'm definitely going to start researching in July. This is mainly because I heard that Professor MacMillan's lab is very competitive and that most students who are successful in joining his lab start researching over the summer (and I would really love to work for him!)
I was a little conflicted like you as well because I was considering doing some summer research fellowship in China at Jilin university (I love research abroad and new living abroad experiences!) but I think I will have to give that up because I am looking at the next five years of my life vs one good summer...because in my case it's not necessarily about getting settled in the lab beforehand or not, but it will probably be about being successful in joining the group vs having to join a different group =\
In terms of your case, it really depends what you want. If you are doing the internship in order to get more job experience specifically, i dont' think it's worth it because generally undergraduate interns are given easier and less serious work to do, and this work will not be a good reflection of the job opportunities and responsibilities you will have for the work you get after you have a PhD. However, if you are doing it in order to get more industry contacts, then it may be worth it to do so...however, your professor in grad school could also have some industry contacts and help you get a job (though i agree it helps to know some people in the company already too). Personally, I think if the people you will meet are not directly repsonsible for or at least associated with hiring, then it won't help, because a lot of associate and senior scientists are separate from that process. Usually people in HR and the hiring managers will be responsible for that. In any case, it is also possible to get internships later in graduate school with your advisors permission (depends on your advisor), and I have known quite some people who have done this as well, and maybe you would be given more advanced work as well. Just realize that if you take this internship now, it may slightly lower your chances of getting into certain advisors' labs if their labs are really competitive.
Overall, I am just trying to say that you should carefully consider the slight risk of taking the internship now, and how it may silghtly lower your chances of getting into your top choice PI's lab, but I do agree that you could still gain valueable industry contacts from it (just not as valuable job experience). If I were you, I would just contact your top choice PI ahead of time and ask them if they prefer that students start work over the summer, or if they are receptive to you doing an internship first, and then act accordingly. You should also ask the graduate students in their lab what they observed their years in terms of what students were accepted into the group because maybe the PI's answer wont' be 100% accurate either. You can reach out to those PI's now via e-mail and let them know you're interested in their research and then ask them their thoughts maybe, as I have talked a bit to Professor MacMillan already as well. This way you won't have to wait until the visit to hear some of their opinions.
And as the graduate student mentioned in his e-mail, dont' worry too too much about the "risk" either if you end up taking the internship....he did mention "the process is not as harrowing as it likely sounds in this e-mail"...and that it may not really be a problem at all with some PIs. Just reach out to them and see.
Thanks for your advice, it's solid. It just sucks knowing that pretty much the only reason to start early is because it benefits my PI and not me, and yet, I'm still probably going to do it. This whole process is just so grim, you know.
Oh, also, industry contacts can absolutely help you get a job, even if your contacts are scientists. A lot of companies have a way that scientists can recommend people they know, and that can be the only way your resume even gets looked at, or at least this is what my manager at my last internship told me. It's pretty much irrelevant anyway--which PI you work with is obviously more important--but never underestimate the importance of networking!
Also, my name's Chloe! Although if you wanted to keep calling me 16 I wouldn't be overly opposed, haha.
-
Okay, so, here's what he said:
"Starting over the summer is definitely a plus. I'd estimate that among the organic students, 50% begin in July, 25% begin in August, and 25% begin in September ("on time"). It is definitely possible to start in September and work for whichever PI you want, but you certainly want to clear it with them within a couple of months after you visit (i.e. I would not expect to show up in Sept. not having talked to a popular PI and get into their lab).PI's definitely prefer for their students to start over the summer. It gives you an opportunity to get the hang of lab work before classes start to drain your time in September. My fellow third-year in the Doyle lab and myself both started in July and I'm really glad I did. I got to hit the ground running with research and get the feel for the lab. I would highly recommend starting early if possible.The process is not nearly as harrowing as it likely sounds in this email. The bottom line is you want to contact your PI of choice once you've finished your visiting weekends. You won't be at much of a competitive disadvantage (if at all) by starting late, you just want to contact the professors before others do."
What are you guys going to do? I'm so worried about this, because I honestly think it would be better for me to get some more internship experience, but on the other hand, my top priority is getting into the lab(s) I want to get into. I wish I could talk to the professors at the visit and then make this decision but I'm fairly sure that news about internships will come back before my visit. What do you guys think?
Like it's great to get settled in the lab beforehand and stuff but that's not worth missing a chance to puff up my industry contacts. Sigh. -
I will be visiting UW-Madison on the weekend of 27th Feb!
Anyway, I think the department at Princeton is getting current graduate students to make contact with prospective students like us! I corresponded with a 4th year student in the Bocarsly lab over the weekend and he has been an absolute wealth of information. Think you guys should have received an email from someone or will be receiving one soon! if you are interested, I can just paste his responses on this thread.
Oh, I'm visiting on the 27th of March. Bummer.
-
Haha you definitely should!! Dont worry, almost everyone drives -- so it cant be that difficult or scary! But not everyone can get admitted to top chem programs like UWMad or Princeton so you should have confidence!
Please do paste his responses here! Im curious to learn more about the department. I will also meet with a few princeton grad students next week because im closeby the area and i'll let you guys know what i find out!
Thanks, haha.
And thanks for posting his responses, fretting! I just asked the graduate student who contacted me about the benefits/downsides to starting in the summer (vs. an industry internship) and how much it affects which PI you can work with. So I'll post his responses to that here, I'm sure someone else is making some similar decisions.
-
Yes that is one option I am going to switch to soon as well. I think if I am going to settle down around Princeton or NJ area for at least five years, it can be a good investment to buy a small apartment instead of renting some place out for the whole time and putting my money in a "black hole"....maybe you can talk to your dad and consider this as well (because in that case, even if rent is somewhat expensive, you can at least sell your apartment after that 5 years and get some of the money back)!
And i see...in that case, maybe it is best that you live on campus or within walking distance...parking is pretty competitive at Princeton I heard. In this case, your cost of living may be somewhat high unless you want to learn to drive later then relocate. In any case, it won't be a problem because the stipend will comfortably cover your living costs especially if you don't have to pay for auto insurance and gas too...there is a small downtown area next to the and some things within walking distance. however, aside from that, it might be incredibly boring in princeton area/ hard to get groceries and do some daily things without a car......
Yeah ): I'm really strongly considering learning to drive at this point.
-
wow looks like i have competition for macmillan and doyle
anyway, application season is probably over for me as well and since Princeton was my first choice (solely based on faculty) before application season started, I am indeed leaning towards Princeton. I will be visiting on the 6th as well! I will also be visiting UW Madison, and lately, UW Madison is looking more and more attractive to me so I think the visits will really help me decide!
in terms of pros, i agree that the organic department has been growing in stature in recent years, and if i miss out on macmillan and doyle, i still have other options that I am interested in. Another thing is that it seems like they are fairly committed to getting you through grad school in 5 years, unlike at some other programs where it might drag on.
in terms of cons, it would be location. while this is nullified somewhat by being an hour away from nyc, i still get the feeling that the Princeton area doesnt seem like a place where you can meet people outside of the university. i will be spending the back half of my twenties getting a phd, and I hope to be further along in terms of my personal life by the time I am done! hopefully the visit assuages this and it turns out I really like the place!
Also, I have been reading up on Princeton online, and it seems like they take particular pride in stating that their focus is on undergraduate education, so this made me wonder about the treatment graduate students would get in terms of funding and stuff. hopefully it's nothing, but this is the one thing that raised a mini red flag in my head.
anyway, that's just my two cents! psyched for the visit! hopefully i will see you guys there!
Are we twins? I'm also thinking really hard about UW Madison, they're probably my second choice and visits could definitely sway me. When are you visiting UW Madison?
Cool!!! glad to know someone else on this forum is interested in princeton! maybe we can meet in the fall then -- unfortunately I'm visiting on the 6th instead.
Haha the biggest perk in terms of location is just that its close enough to NY and you can easily take a train there!! I'm biased but I think NYC is the best city in the world (but this is only after going to most major american cities, chinese cities, and west european cities so I'm still missing a lot of 'em ahhaha) so I love this!! But i guess if you were used to living IN a city it will be very different and boring for sure. Princeton is not an exciting town by any means.
HOWEVER, i don't think the cost of living is actually too bad ... it is definitely more expensive in Princeton but depending on how long you're willing to commute to school, you can find lots of cheaper nearby NJ neighborhoods to princeton. For example, I live about 25 minutes away from Princeton now and am only paying $340 per month for rent....but I would say the average rent in lots of Jersey neighborhoods, if you split with roommates, is a little above $500-600, so not too bad. If it is the case that you end up deciding to go to Princeton and want recommendations for cheaper neighborhoods to live in, you can message me and we can discuss it (i am around this area now and have some inside info on this then)
Ah this is awesome information re: cost of living! Yeah I'm just going off the internet and my Dad, and since he owned a house & stuff it's totally different. $340 for rent is almost literally impossible in Boston as you can imagine. The only real wrinkle here is that I can't drive, so I can't live too far away (although I might learn over the summer).
-
I'm not super worried about this, but it might be useful: anyone have a cost of living site they've seen to be accurate? There are a lot of contradictory options.
-
Unless I get in somewhere else (pretty unlikely at this point, I'm also considering app season basically over) or I really end up hating it when I visit, I'm almost certainly going to Princeton. I'm planning on doing organic as well, I really like Macmillian and Doyle. I like pretty much everything about the program, actually.
The only real con is the location. It's not totally in the middle of nowhere but it's pretty bad. I'm living in Boston right now and it's not comparable. My Dad actually lived there for quite a while before I was born. I asked him what he thought of it and he basically said: it's beautiful but cost of living is high (I think it's about the same as Boston, but with none of the perks) and there's not much going on. If you wanted to see a concert you'd probably have to take the train into New York.
I'm visiting on the weekend of February 27th! If anyone's visiting on the same date say hi. -
You would think they would be out by now especially with visit weekends coming up. I hate putting all my plans on hold waiting on the off chance I actually get in.
I know, I'm in the exact same position. Other people are breathing down my neck about visits and I'm just waiting on them. I'm really worried that the snow will push it back, but hopefully not.
-
I really like the program! I'm visiting on Feb 19th.
Pros: I really like several of the profs there (I think Christina White is soooo cool honestly) and the work they're doing is really up my alley. I like big schools a lot and they're pretty large. I've tabulated some data on their alums and where they've ended up and it all looks pretty good.
Cons: Yes, it is in the middle of nowhere. I can't drive and I don't really want to learn, and I'm worried I might have to if I go there.Anyone heard anything about any of the organic chem professors? (Specifically Christina White, Kami Hull and Martin Burke)
-
Any clue when Harvard is going to be announcing decisions? I'm hoping today...
It's already five, if we haven't heard already we probably won't hear today. And I'm sorry to say, but I wouldn't hold my hopes up for tomorrow, as Harvard (and probably everything else in Boston, like my school!) is closed: http://www.harvard.edu/emergency
I feel you though, I am soooo impatient. It has to be this week, right?
-
Does anyone know when the visit weekends are for MIT and NYU?
MIT is the weekend of March 26th. http://chemistry.mit.edu/prospective-graduate-student-visiting-weekend-2
-
Do you think all the Caltech, MIT, and Scripps interviews/acceptances are out? I'm getting really anxious and stressed, and kind of wish they would send rejections out already...
I am seriously considering calling MIT but I have a feeling what they'll tell me is: "you'll hear by February 1st!" which I know already. Also I'm terrible on the phone.
-
I received an offer yesterday. It's really a surprise for I hadn't heard anything from it before. I am conducting research in computational chemistry and appyling to the same subfield. I will probably join QC's lab.
I am wondering where do you know about information about the visitation weekends? The offer didn't mention it and I found nothing about specific open day for chemistry on the department website.
Besides, would the weather strongly influence life there? I was born in a warm city and have never stayed in any snowing place for a month. How long and how cold exactly is the winter there? Do students generally need to stay outdoor for a considerable time every day?
Hey, with regards to visits, I got an email with a bunch of information (dates, schedule, how much money they put to your travel, etc.) a few days after my offer letter came. I'm sure yours will show up soon!
-
This is so much good information! Anyone heard anything about Shannon Stahl? He's the other person I was thinking I might like to work with.
-
-
Thank god. My friend is doing dental school interviews, and lectured me when I said I wanted to wear a cardigan haha!
I am 100% wearing a cardigan. No one can dissuade me from this.
-
I'm visiting UIUC in March. Anyone planning on going to the first Scripps weekend in Feb? (19-22 I think)
Whoops, NVM.
-
Let me preface this by saying, the problem I am facing is an excellent problem to have.
I applied to 6 schools: UIUC, UW Seattle, UNC-Chapel Hill, UT Austin, MIT and Cal Tech.
I heard back and have been accepted to all but my top two schools: Cal Tech and MIT. I haven't heard from these two yet, so I don't know if I got in. If by some magic I got accepted to these two I would absolutely need to visit!
So if I got accepted (by some magic) to all 6 schools and even if I wanted to visit all of them, I couldn't. Some of the visit weekends conflict, so in theory I could visit only 5 schools. However, the ACS National meeting is in the midst of all these visits so traveling that much probably isn't a good idea anyway...
So here's the deal: How many schools should you visit? How many is too many? How do I choose which ones NOT to visit??
Should I contact MIT or Cal Tech to feel out my chances or let them know the situation? Do I reserve Cal Tech and MIT's visit weekends just in case I get in? I don't want to waste an opportunity to visit another school if I get rejected, but if I get accepted, I don't want to have to turn down visits to my dream schools (and miss vital info on making my final decision) because I already committed to visiting another school....
If anyone is curious here are the visit weekend options:
Feb 27: Seattle, Austin, Cal Tech*
Mar 6: UIUC (already committed to this one)
Mar 13: UNC, Seattle
Mar 20: Cal Tech*
Mar 22-26: ACS Denver Meeting
Mar 27: MIT*, Austin, UNC
*Don't know if I am invited yet
Also my stats: I attend a medium sized undergraduate private uni, 3 domestic research internships (one at a Community College while in dual enrolled in college and high school, the other two at R1 unis), an international REU, Goldwater Scholar, 3 posters, 1 pub in preparation, GPA 3.98 , Chem GPA 4.0, math and physics minors, GRE 157V, 157Q, 4.5W, CHEM GRE 680
I appreciate any advice! Thank you!!
Hey! I'm in the exact same situation as you, and it sucks. I think the only way to do it is to establish a hierarchy and then wait as long as possible. The first big wave of MIT acceptances should be coming soon (last year it was Jan 15th to the 30th about), so I'm holding out planning anything else until then.
Question: how do you know when MIT's visit weekend is? I couldn't find it on their website, but maybe I'm just not looking in the right place.
Also, I'm visiting UIUC too! Too bad I'm going in February or maybe we could have met up.
-
Regarding the Scripps interview, has anyone heard how many students they accept after the interview process?
Just in case you (or anyone else) are still wondering about this: I spoke to one of the profs at Scripps FL on the phone and he told me (unprompted!) that they almost never reject someone after interview.
-
Did you do an early application? Looking at last year's results, it seems like most people heard back in late January. Congratulations regardless, Scripps is a dream school.
No, I didn't apply early. I don't think they'll notify people about interviews in late January this year, because their first interview date is Feb 12th and they require that you book flight plans a month in advance. Maybe it's just because scheduling things pushed their interview date earlier than last year, so they had to notify early? Just guessing. And thanks!
-
Also OP, when did you hear back from Scripps?
29th of December via email, although I think they also sometimes call people.
-
I was wondering if anyone had any advice about interviews. Specifically, I'm prepared for questions about my research, reasons for graduate study and aspirations, but will there be technical questions? I'm having trouble finding chemistry-specific advice on this. Thanks for any and all responses!
Chemistry Applications Fall 2015
in Chemistry Forum
Posted
Yeah, I live in Boston and I've been checking my mail every day like, "this is the day I'll get the Harvard rejection" and it hasn't come. I didn't think there was a waitlist b/c it doesn't seem like anyone ever gets in after January. Maybe there is one but they just almost never let anyone in off it? Who knows. I know at least one person has gotten a rejection letter.