Deltagrey
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Posts posted by Deltagrey
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Is Caltech finished sending out admissions? Based on previous years, it seems like this is the time that rejections will start coming out.
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Speaking of Harvard & MIT, check out these articles (and comments) discussing Dan Nocera's move from MIT to Harvard.
http://blog.chembark.com/2012/02/22/nocera-to-harvard/
http://chemjobber.blogspot.com/2012/03/mit-alleges-harvard-recruiting.html?m=1
I had no idea how much effort universities put into recruiting professors to work for them. The Stanford recruitment was the most outlandish.
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Also, I have heard some really, grossly, nasty stories of departmental infighting at Harvard. Word from several grad students there is that all Harvard PI's essentially hate each other and compete for lab space and resources, and the stress ultimately trickles down to their grad students. Granted, these stories were told primarily by the organic chemists in the top labs, so take it with a grain of salt, but this is something that I would ask about during visits.
I second this. Talking with some of the professors at my university, they've told me that politics can be a huge issue, especially at a lot of the top ranked east coast schools. I don't know how much truth there is to it, but it is something to be mindful of. Grad students can be caught between the fighting and it's not unheard of for spiteful professors to try and fail their colleagues' grad students.
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I'm visiting - either second or third weekend in March.
To be honest there are only two cons for me thus far - cost and location. SO is for sure going to be in Boston next year, and California is... not so close to Boston. I don't really want that to affect my decision, but it's definitely in the back of my mind. I'm mostly curious about the culture of the department - I will work for whoever doing whatever as long as the department is not totally insane and my advisor treats his students fairly.
That is actually something that I've been thinking about as well. My gf will be staying in the LA area next year, and while LA to SF is not nearly as far away as SF and Boston, they're not exactly quite down the street either.
As for the culture, from what I've heard, most of the advisors at Berkeley (and the department as a whole) are more laid back--possibly due to it being a public school, being in a very liberal area, and being on the west coast.
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Well both programs are world class, so we're splitting hairs differentiating them. Their reputation in my eyes is the same as it is for most people: they're both name-brand universities that "geniuses" are typically found at. Both are fantastic for inorganic and materials chemistry. MIT is considered the top inorganic program in the world, with nobel laureates like Richard Schrock (a fellow UCR alum). But Harvard is just as good, especially with Nocera working there now. So the pros are mainly the program strengths, and their reputations will probably make it easier to get into academia since pedigree unfortunately matters a lot.
The main cons that come to mind: cost and location. Boston is expensive, and it can be difficult to find housing close to campus on a graduate student salary. The T is also the worst subway system I've ever used and the city can be a nightmare to drive around in. So, commuting can also be difficult. As a masshole (born and raised), I can also tell you that it is brutally cold and miserable in the winter. So depending on your preference for geography, you might prefer something warmer.
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I'm still waiting for my other application decisions, but I've been leaning towards UC Berkeley for inorganic chemistry. I feel that I'll be able to make a decision once I visit them in March. That being said--and in the spirit of the other program specific threads--I have a couple questions for those that have applied or been accepted to the program:
- Are you planning on visiting?
- What do you see as pros and cons of the program?
So far, I view the main pro being the reputation and strength of the program. The main con that comes to mind for me is the cost: Berkeley is very expensive to live in and the alternatives (Oakland and Richmond) can be somewhat dangerous, and more difficult to commute from without a car. Please feel free to chime in with answers and questions of your own. Hopefully we can have current Berkeley grad students weigh in on this topic as well.
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Just got into Harvard! Good luck to everyone on here.
Well deserved. Congratulations!
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Has anyone who applied to the inorganic program at Caltech heard back?
Not yet. We still have another week or so.
And if it's any consolation, you and I have gotten into some amazing schools already. No matter what, we're going somewhere great.
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Has anyone who applied to the inorganic program at Caltech heard back?
Not yet. We still have another week or so.
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It can be hard to generalize because every department has their own standards for what they feel is important for admission. That being said, I think you have a good shot at those schools with your GPA. My justification: your research is probably the single most important factor (followed by letters of recommendation and your statement of purpose). Overall, your research is very good in terms of quality and variety, and I think that will help you out. Industry experience can also help you stand out from the majority of applicants that are coming straight from undergrad. Your letters of rec look very promising as well, considering they're coming from top researchers. I wouldn't put too much stock in a letter of rec from a graduate student though, imo. Having good grades is certainly a plus, but as long as you're above a 3.0 GPA, I don't feel like it will hinder your chances at those schools (though Caltech and UIUC would be difficult to get in, even for so-called "elite" candidates).
Also, this is just my own view, but I disagree with Sunnygirl's view on the GRE. I think the chem GRE (and the regular GRE to some extent) are a joke for American applicants. They're more important for international applicants because it is far more competitive for them. For you, as long as you don't completely bomb it, admissions committees aren't going to even care. I didn't take the chem GRE and I was still able to get into some great grad schools that "required", or at least "strongly recommended", taking it.
- michelium and SunnygirlDiana
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How about their materials program? I am trying to gauge the schools I am waiting on compared to the ones I have already been accepted to. I applied for UTexas-analytical and UNC- polymers/materials. I think those are my top two considerations at this point.
Materials is closely related to inorganic, so my guess is that they are elite in that category as well. I'm not too familiar with the materials program at UNC, their inorganic is mostly geared toward energy (water splitting, electrocatalysis, etc.). That being said, UNC is one of the best in inorganic, so I'd imagine that whatever researchers they have for materials will be pretty strong.
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Normal person checking in.
Freaking out completely because I just got in at UMich. =D Is UIUC elite?
Congrats! UIUC is elite, especially for inorganic chem.
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Nevermind, I just noticed you were referring to Harvard.
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Called and said invited have been sent
For both MIT and Berkeley?
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Was this confirmed by program?
Have all MIT and UCB acceptances been made or something?
I doubt all the MIT and UCB acceptances have already been made. MIT acceptances first came out this week, and I think only 2 or 3 people on this forum have heard back from them so far. As for UCB, considering acceptances have been continuing to come out over the last few days, I'd give them a few more weeks as well.
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Just reeived a phone call from an MIT POI indicating acceptance. I applied for organic/catalysis and did not have an interview.
I'm curious, who are you interested in working under at MIT? They have great researchers for catalysis, especially Schrock.
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It's nothing to worry about. It just means they're looking over your application. That's how it was for my UC Irvine application. If anything is incomplete, they will email you.
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Just reeived a phone call from an MIT POI indicating acceptance. I applied for organic/catalysis and did not have an interview.
Just reeived a phone call from an MIT POI indicating acceptance. I applied for organic/catalysis and did not have an interview.
You're like butter, you're on a roll.
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I think it's a good sign someone in particular is interested in you, but the conversation I had definitely made it like things are pretty flexible and if you happen to get on well with a professor that you weren't even aware of at first, you can join their group if they have room - so though I have touched base with a couple people I am trying to keep an open mind about everything and may not join either POIs group if I go to Berkeley. My PI mentioned to me that his colleague is sort of a slave driver (he was nice on the phone though!) so I'm definitely planning on talking to his students. For me the personality of the group takes precedence. I think writing all these SOPs really forced me to have this narrow focus, when in reality I'm interested in a lot of things, and the person I spoke with understood that and basically told me which visiting day would have the most professors around to speak with.
I agree with what you said about the narrowing of interests in the SOP. To me the ability to choose a POI after you get accepted to the school is what made me apply to the US in the first place.
Thanks for the answers, I appreciate it! That certainly is good that they're flexible about joining other groups. I guess I shouldn't feel too down about not hearing from any POI's since I still got in, meaning at least one person is interested in me.
Do you know when you're going to be visiting the campus? -
Got a call from a POI I mentioned in my SOP a week before getting the emaiil.
I only received a call from a POI that is a colleague of my PI. The other POI did not call me. I got some details on visitation weekends and what goes on, and that's it
I see, do you think it means anything if you have a POI personally call you versus if they don't?
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Newbie here. Question for all the others accepted to UC Berkeley: did you all receive calls from POIs? I only received a generic department email, and nothing else.
Chemistry Applications Fall 2015
in Chemistry Forum
Posted
That's a bummer.