biochemgirl67

I'm just sitting here waiting for my flight to home tomorrow hoping MAAAYBE Princeton MolBio/UW Immunology/the other two miraculously email me. Although if you're looking for a good distraction, the Grand Hotel on Netflix is the best Spanish drama ever. Again, sorry my reading comprehension is that of a sheep right now.

Oh god I can't read anymore.

The traditional Harvard date is December 19th (from the results survey) and UCSF is around the same time. But I would expect that they could release them up until the 23rd. Don't worry, you're not the only one sitting and waiting for those two!

I think you'll be fine... if they really want you to have it, they'll have you take it there. It won't stop you from being a candidate.

All of this, yes. I know how you feel, but let's not panic. If it happens, well be so happy, but if not we should both be grateful for the opportunities we do have. But i do get it because Harvard and UCSF should start sending stuff the end of this week ish. They're two of my top choices and I just want to knooooooow

the only problem with waiting is the weekend you want may fill up anyway, but I don't think there should be an issue with the timeline you've proposed.

No, they deleted it! I'm so nervous for this weeeeeeeeeek

I thought not. I just wanted others' opinions so I don't unintentionally embarrass myself.

Yeah, I'm hoping most lean towards the understanding end. I just didn't know if it would be considered rude. But I mean they can't really blame me for being a lab slave *cough* researcher and not getting paid, I hope.

On a different topic, does anyone know whether or not it is in bad taste to say to the program after an invite that I would love to attend but cannot front the money for a flight (assuming they do reimbursement) and is there another way to book the travel? I will have to fly anywhere I applied and I'm poor. This is my plan moving forward after I asked a couple days ago but I would appreciate any wisdom or opinions.

Who really knows? I don't think there are cutoffs in the way that you are talking about them. I think they probably organize the applications and go through them manually. At least, that's what I've heard from professors at my school. But it is probably different everywhere. Don't worry about it!

http://bmcb.cornell.edu/admission/index.html Here is a link for your link. However, an appropriate range discussed by the admissions faculty that attended the 2015 Amgen National Symposium from UCSF, UCLA, Stanford, NIH, MIT, Caltech, WUSTL, Harvard, Columbia, and UC-Berkeley was 3.5 - 3.7. There was a presentation on the most important parts of your application and the question was asked to the panel and that was how they responded. I think the larger group probably has more weight than one published 2010 PDF, no?

I'm not going to get into a fight with you over this because I don't think you're asking me or anyone else why honestly someone with a 3.2 could get into a competitive program. But 1) GPA is subjective in that schools grade differently and you can take an easy courseload and get a 3.99 or a heavy, rigorous courseload and get a 3.3 and be the same level of intelligence; 2) GPA is not the only/most important things considered in admission; and 3) I don't think we should discourage anyone from applying to their dream schools. Apply broadly across all types of schools, yes! And I would like to see the websites you are referring to because I've looked for them and the FEW I saw for the caliber of schools to which I've applied have average entrance GPAs of 3.5-3.7. Finally, your assessment is not based off facts. Everyone's experiences are different and are considered and weighed differently. Your research isn't the same as mine. The only reason I've responded AT ALL to you is to let future thread-readers know that they SHOULD apply to their dream schools and try their best and hope to get in and not feel that unless they have a 3.9 they won't get in anywhere they want to go.

Yeah. I mean, actually do believe most of the people if they come in droves. But if these trolls ARE on here, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Wow, you have my sympathy with that. One of my friends from the summer had that happen and luckily he got in a PI that thought she was the shizz. I'm sure your PI came through for you.

Congratulations! And don't think 3.5 is low... that's a good GPA!

YAAAS. That's why the next two weeks are weighing upon my brain! And I think that person is just getting off on putting people down. I hope that poster doesn't feel bad about it.

Dude. You're speaking kinda out of your butt. I think it's horrible to tell the people that they should go for a masters instead of a phd for something such as GPA. I mean, I'll always encourage people to apply widely because you hardly know what will come through in your applications, but what you said about that person's GPA was mean. If I remember correctly, they had held a research job all the way through undergrad. I mean when I first read through it I missed that and thought that maybe their record wouldn't show the aptitude for grad school, but it really does. Maybe no one else will agree with me, but I think you're trying to make yourself feel better by saying this stuff about other people. Go look at the results board; people get rejected from all kinds of schools with a 3.9.

Okay good. Really? I didn't know it matters that much. I work 20 -30 hours a week in my lab as a leader on a pilot project totally volunteer. I didn't know it was that rare. Although to be honest, I haven't been in lab as much as I should have this semester. But I am also working 10 hours a week as a tutor. I guess I didn't know volunteering was something that should be specified.

I also agree with everything except the REU/summer programs. Not everyone has a paid lab position/can afford to pay to stay at their university over the summer. And REUs and summer internships show that you can be successful in multiple environments and with new techniques. And you are actually expected to get a lot done. If you have long term research (I have 2 years) plus short term experiences (2 summer internships) that would be great! It really depends on the person, but it's not worth saying that those experiences don't hold weight; it's simply not true.

Your confidence in me is uplifting. I waver between "Don't worry, you can't do anything about it" and "OMG will I get to see these amazing schools???"

I feel like I'm prepared, but I know I'm not. And if I do get rejected and have an emotional outburst, everyone else will be all, "Dude, it's Harvard. What did you expect?"

OMG that's terrifying. My top choices are Harvard, UCSF, and UW so... next two weeks will be EMOTIONAL

Yeah, UCSF is the same. The results for Harvard have been the 19th for like 5 years in a row. AAHHHHHHH. I wasn't anxious after I got the Vandy invite but now... It's starting again.

I know this isn't constructive at ALL to the discussion (or to studying for my micro final) but I'm dying to here from Harvard and UCSF *hopefully* next week. They are two of my top picks. Arghhhhhhh.