[Ph.D vs. PharmD vs. MPH vs. ???]

1 hour ago, ballwera said:

Definitely not true on the human sample front. I was doing human subject research as a tech.

Human samples are completely different from clinical, patient-focused research.  For instance, today I talked to a lab that does do human sample research.  But although the grad student will work with human samples, not interact clinically with them (ie the patients).  Therefore the work is translational rather than clinical.  It really is an important difference.  Also, human samples are notoriously difficult to obtain in large enough quantities for experimental repetition unless you're at a big medical center.  And as a PhD student there is absolutely no guarantee you'll work with anybody with clinical or translational emphases.  The discipline patient interaction is common in is neuroscience, so if OP is interested in that, maybe they could find a happy medium.

 

Oh and BTW, in order to get access to human samples later on in your career, you HAVE to have either an MD or have an MD in your research group.  Otherwise you don't have access to the tissue banks.  This might be important to OP looking ahead about WHY they would want to get a PhD rather than something else.

[Ph.D vs. PharmD vs. MPH vs. ???]

To be honest, most clinical work is done by MDs.  Or MD-PhDs.  You can't work with human samples without that MD and the closest you could get is translational work which generally is testing therapies in mouse models or the like.  I'm not saying a PhD will limit you, and I'm sure somebody on here will jump to tell me that you can get involved in clinical research as a PhD student.  However, I am saying that I'm at a medical center-based graduate school and nearly all the labs focus on the biomedical.  And even here, you have to apply to the program in Molecular Medicine Certificate to get any involvement with patients.  And even so, most clinical work after grad school (you know that job you'll get after?) is done by doctors.  I would seriously consider changing your career path if you want to work in a clinical, patient-focused setting because grad school is not about that.  Maybe do a PharmD because they have extra training you can do to work in hospital settings creating treatment plans for patients with things like cancer, autoimmune disorders, etc.

[Applying to Masters programs w low uGPA]

Princeton was my dream when I was 16!  I met my hero-scientist, Bonnie Bassler, and really appreciated the opportunity to compare it to other schools.  However, I really am interested in biomedical research, so I had to go to a school with a medical center.

I thought master's were funded!  They are at Iowa State if they are thesis programs, I'm 90% sure.  You should look at the mcdb, gcdb, and bbmb master's programs there!  I can tell you from personal experience the faculty are extremely well connected.  Specifically, look at Amy Andreotti, Robert Dispirito, Scott Nelson, and Robert Honzatko.  They all work in microbiology/immunology related biochemistry.  And all have lots of funding and prestigious pasts.  Amy did her grad work at Princeton and then a post doc at Harvard!

[Applying to Masters programs w low uGPA]

I think, for what it is worth, you have enough experience to counteract your GPA.  However, you should apply to 10-15 schools just to have a selection.  Your experience is very attractive and you should mention how you've overcome the difficulties of the chronic illness.  I really do think you have a good chance!  What do your mentors think?

[Program advice-interested in working in biotech industry]

Many top programs have a good production of biotech people, although it's super popular on the west coast.  Unless you've had an issue with your GPA or are not doing anything related to physics (ie biophysics), you don't have to take the subject test.  But you also seem like you don't have a clear direction yet because you're "torn" between so many topics.

However, if you've had productive research and good academics, I can recommend some awesome places.  Rockefeller, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Caltech , University of Washington, UCSF, MIT, WUSTL, and Vanderbilt would be good places to start.  And btw it's actually not to your advantage to pick faculty members now... you have no idea if they will even be accepting students.  Just make sure there are multipmu you are interested in.  The places I mentioned have a lot of good research and connections, but if you don't have the profile for them, then maybe University of Utah, university of Oregon, UTSW, university of Iowa, Boston university, etc.  It really depends on your profile.  GPA, GREs, years of research, papers/posters/talks, graduate coursework, who is writing your LoRs and how that relates to what they can say about you, where you went to school.  If you could fill in some gaps, it would help our suggestions on here!

[Where to apply? (Microbio PhD)]

I really do think another gap year would be best... although don't think of it as a gap year.  Applicants who work in the field for 2 years (the time that's required to get a decent lor out of whomever you're working for just because of the application timeline) are viewed more mature, more focused, and more of a "sure thing" when evaluating the applicant's aptitude for finishing the full course.  You've had longer to think about it, you're doing it because of a certain goal, and you're motivated to get out quickly.  These are all good things.

 

However, you could get into grad school this application cycle... you just might sacrifice it being a top tier institution.  It's up to you if it's worth it.  If it is, apply to a few dream schools but focus on schools of the same caliber as the ones on your list, excepting Cornell and WUSTL.  Who knows, you might get into a top school, but don't focus there.

[PI is a fringe scientist.]

Yeesh.  I mean it's not the best thing that he's looked upon as a "bad" scientist, but also, what he'll be saying about you has nothing to do with that.  If you feel like he makes a bunch of claims about his work without having evidence, I might encourage you to come up with someone else who doesn't evoke such a response from fellow scientists.  But if you decide to keep him, the adcoms are evaluating you, not him.  I might reach out to an unbiased 3rd party (maybe an academic advisor?) to see what they would do.  Be honest with them and they might have some good suggestions.

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

3 minutes ago, rageofanath said:

 

Yeah that's the problem I'm running into. People need a piece of paper to "prove" you know something. It's going to take some time to grab all the pieces of paper and get the t's crossed and i's dotted to make the higher-ups happy. And I agree, I'm not optimistic that I'll have done enough in time for this year.

I mean, the study of molecular science/biology is really detailed.  It requires  a good deal of knowledge.  It's not something you can just jump into without previous credentials.  The piece of paper you refer to isn't just for the administration.  And taking a couple classes while working is not the same thing as having a robust scientific background.  You don't really have the experience, academic or research, to indicate to the adcoms that you can hack a 5-6 year program.  You would have to get some actual INDEPENDENT research experience, not just working in a lab, and take a good deal of academic coursework.  (Many PhD programs require foundational coursework and will make you take it before you can take their program.  Especially if it's like biochemistry or genetics.)  What about if you went and tried to get a master's?  That would prove a good deal to PhD committees.

[Getting Into a Top PhD Programs- Should I take a year off or do a Masters? Help Please!]

12 hours ago, ResearchLife said:

If i do not take the Master at Columbia, I will be continuing doing research in the same lab I did my undergraduate research in! I am doping research in the field I want to do my PhD in, Cancer biology. I am not sure yet what aspect of cancer biology I want to focus on but I know i want to do Cancer biology. I just want to fundamentally increase  my chances of getting into decent PhD program ( either the same caliber as my alma mater Rutgers or higher). I know my recommendation letters are solid, the only thing that was holding me back from applying to PhD programs was GRE. I am planning on studying for the GRE over the summer taking them in October and then applying for PhD programs if I do not take the Master program. I need to destroy the GRE, which I hope would offset my low GPA. I struggled the first year or two  but my grades drastically increased. There is a massive upward trend in my transcript. 

 

If I work in the same lab i worked in undergrad I will be volunteering. I really like my PI she is excellent mentor and she said to let her know which PhD programs I am applying to before I apply, to see if she knows anyone 

Unfortunately, a great GRE does in NO WAY offset GPA.  Maybe the subject GRE would do the trick, but no one can promise anything.  If this were me, I would under no circumstances pay $65,000 per year for a degree.  Maybe I'm cheap, but why not go into industry or something for 2 years and then reapply.  Applying in October will not change your profile since undergrad.  And worrying about the caliber of the school you can into right now probably isn't your best endeavor.  You will be judged by schools on your academic and scientific performance during undergrad and that judgement will then determine if adcoms think you are capable of doing research and earning a degree from their program.

In summary, go get a tech job/industry position for ~2 years to substantially increase your odds.  You can go to the master's program and get the same result, but be 130K in debt.

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

2 hours ago, localsciencedealer said:

Awesome, thanks a lot! I'll definitely be looking into those schools more for sure. Vanderbilt is actually one of my top choices (if not the top) and that may or may not be the school I have emailed with fairly extensively because I like what you all do over there... I will say Mt Sinai and Emory will be the first to come off of my list because those feel like too big of a reach as well as UNC BBSP.

A lot of people who got interviews at Emory and UNC seemed to also have them at Vanderbilt... i was offered the very first weekend, which I think corresponded to their priority applicants/deadline.

I don't think you should necessarily cut any of the schools you've listed... just add in 3-4 more that are diverse in their competition. You want to have a few schools that you stand a good chance at getting an interview so you don't drive yourself nuts in the fall, some that you are competitive but not necessarily the top of their applicant pool, and maybe 2 reaches if you want to give it a shot.  Therefore I'd focus on the tier where you will be not a sure thing but stand very good chances.

You don't want to apply too low either... i did with university of Tennessee and once my letter writer there heard i got an interview at Vandy, he told the adcom not to consider me at all even though my credentials indicated that I would have exceeded their expectations in their program.  So I basically wasted $60 and the time it took to do their application.  It's all about balance.

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

26 minutes ago, localsciencedealer said:

I appreciate the reply! I think I explained my GPA poorly... let me reword. My Total GPA for both degrees is a 3.14 and can't move much due to having so many classes from my first degree deflating it. My GPA for my second degree is more like a 3.4/3.5 but soon to be coming up (just took physics for the first time and struggled and have not yet taken biochemistry)! I can thoroughly explain why I have the research experience I do because I wasn't necessarily interested in molecular biology at first. I am definitely trying to go for more umbrella/interdisciplinary programs as I've been trained to think interdisciplinary. Any good interdisciplinary/umbrella program recommendations? 

Well obviously Vanderbilt IGP should stay on the list because I'm biased.

But honestly there's a lot of them.  I would start looking at schools such as University of Utah, Colorado State, university of Oregon, UTSW, university of Georgia, Penn state, and so forth.

You will definitely get into a good program, but the key is to apply widely because different programs evaluate differently.  Some schools want you to have previous, long term experience in the field (Harvard for me) and some will realize that they will give you the experience.  It's really all about applying to different types of schools/environments/programs so you have a good chance of finding a fit.

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

19 hours ago, localsciencedealer said:

Undergrad Institution: UNC Greensboro

Degree: BA Psychology, Minor: Biology (Graduated May 2015)

Psychology GPA: 3.70

2nd Degree: BS Biochemistry started in the Fall of 2015 (Do not plan to complete because I need to be done by the Spring of 2017 for financial reasons but will be only 2 classes short) During this time I also completed upper level and graduate level biology courses to have an unofficial major in biology (couldn’t major because I minored in it).  

Overall GPA: 3.14

Position in Class: No idea

Type of Student: Domestic Male

Graduate courses completed: Epigenetics, Developmental Psychobiology, Drugs in the brain.

GRE Scores (revised/old version):

Retaking because my last scores were not what I need… plus ETS seems to have lost all record of my scores.

Research Interests: In graduate school I hope to learn more about molecular signaling in the brain and how differential signaling can lead to different developmental trajectories. My research interests can be summarized by three questions: What are the changes in molecular signaling caused by drugs that may lead to epigenetic alterations? Do these epigenetic changes lead to alterations in neuronal connectivity? If connectivity is altered, how does this change the behavior of the organism?

Research Experience: 

1 year research assistant in a cognitive aging lab.

About 2 years working as a research assistant in a developmental psychobiology lab focused on the development of handedness. I was able to have 1 first author abstract publication, and 1 third author abstract publication, which resulted in poster presentations at conferences and research expos.

I just joined my schools molecular toxicology lab and will have 1 year experience studying damage to a toxicants effects on DNA before entering a PhD program.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

Dean’s list for 2 semesters.

UNCG Undergraduate Research and Creativity Travel Award

NIH Sponsored Travel Award

Student member of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology for 2 years.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs:

Supplemental Instruction Program Leader for Biopsychology for 2 semesters.

College Reading & Learning Association certified tutor. I tutored students in biopsychology, behavioral statistics, and cognitive psychology. 

Special Bonus Points:

Emailed back and forth fairly extensively with a certain program admissions director. My recommenders know me very well (relates to my next point).

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I am not particularly good at lower level courses for some reason, and due to having taken so many classes over my academic career my GPA is only able to increase very slowly with each semester. I’m hoping the graduate school will clearly see that I do not struggle in upper level courses (I plan to highlight this in my personal statement).

Applying to Where:

Vanderbilt IGP

LSU Interdisciplinary program

Wake Forest Neuroscience OR Physiology & Pharmacology

UNC Chapel Hill Behavioral Neuroscience OR BBSP

Mt Sinai Neuroscience OR Biomedical Sciences Program 

Emory Pharmacology or Neuroscience?

 

I'm looking for some advice on possible other programs to look into. I realize my past research experience is not typical of someone interested in neuropharmacology or epigenetics. However, I can explain clearly why I choose these research experiences and how they relate to my research goals. Also, UNCG is not the best institution for someone with my research interests and I have talked to every relevant professor at my school from the psychology, biology, and chemistry departments about career advice and made the best of the opportunities I had. 

The only problem with your profile is that your second major GPA is so low for the schools you've listed.  A molecular biology-based program is going to pay attention to your achievements in molecular science ie biochemistry.

Your research experience is nice, but isn't actually related to your goals except for the lab you just joined.  Unfortunately, adcoms won't really consider this in terms of LoRs because you will only have a few months experience by the time you apply.  The only reason these the disparity between your research experience and goals even matters is because it would show that you could be successful in your chosen field.  I would therefore recommend you expand the net you're casting.  At least 4/6 schools you've listed are leaders in their fields and extremely competitive.  You WILL have people ask why you've chosen the molecular signaling of the brain because of your experience in psychology research.  Apply to umbrella programs as well.  It'll help immensely.

You might get into the schools you've listed, or you might have a harder time.  No one can really tell you that.  I'd diversify your targets.

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

17 hours ago, Diapers said:

Thanks for your comment. I am 80% sure I'll just stick with my GRE scores, but I will seriously think it over to decide if I need to retake it over the summer. I know I could do 2-3 points better on the Quant, but for my verbal score I think I got very lucky already.... the option of retaking is definitely still on my mind nevertheless. I don't think my scores right now will hurt me that's why I am okay with not retaking. 

My school is one of the top 25 ranked universities on usnews (I know I know, but i'm just using it to reference my school).

I definitely am aware that the schools I listed are reaches for me(as they are for many others), and the schools you listed are also very very great schools! Do you have any non-reach suggestion for me? I guess I am not asking for "safety schools" but for good schools that are within a short reach instead of a long reach?

Thanks again!

If you apply to 8 ish schools were you are competitive rather than a sure thing, you will have 3-6 good options come interview time.  I think you can reasonably apply to schools you listed and schools of their same caliber.  Both the others that I listed before and that @PlanB listed will be really good choices to look at to try and narrow down your list.  Don't worry so much about long reach v. short reach (the difference is minute and you will probably have schools of both on your final list).  As long as you don't have your hopes set on one school only, you should be fine.  Just don't get starstruck with one particular school (like I did with Harvard) and keep an open mind as you investigate.  If you were to apply to say WUSTL, Stanford, UCSF, UW, Vanderbilt, Emory, UPitt, Weill Cornell, UCLA, and Yale, you would have a good mix of interviews.  Right now, you might want to have a running list of ~15 schools then pare it down to 8-10 based on your evaluations of their research focus, funding, location, and graduate placement.  The list I have above is just what I personally consider to be varied and doable.  Don't be too hard on yourself and focus on writing really good applications to each and everyone

[Preparing for Grad School]

2 hours ago, HopefulPHD14 said:

Oh don't scare me like this!  I just got engaged and will have to plan a wedding in my first year of grad school while my significant other finishes her last year of a masters program.  We are hardly going to have time to see each other let alone plan a wedding.  

Congrats!  And I know how you feel.  My fiance and I will be separated for 8 months while I move to Nashville and deal with wedding drama.  I'll be glad when it's over!

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

5 hours ago, Diapers said:

Thanks for responding! The schools you listed are definitely on my radar and will look into them more. 

Regarding rec letters, when you say as many research letters as I can manage, do you mean literally as many as possible?

Like i mentioned, I have worked under 3 different PIs (including my current one), and I know all of them can write good things about me. For sure I'll ask my current PI for a rec letter But, I am in this dilemma on deciding if I should actually ask  one or both of my two previous PIs for letters.

I actually have by chance read a rec letter my first PI wrote for me when I applied to my summer program last summer, and it was 2 full pages single space full of nice things said about me in her intro to bio course as well as as her research student. I do keep in close contact in her, but my concern is that I definitely grew a lot as a student, scientist, and person since then, and I don't know if a rec letter from her will reflect where I am currently. She also works in a completely different field.  She is a wildlife biologist!

Then there is my summer PI, who I know really liked me. He literally told me I was the best summer scholar they have had and wanted me back in his lab this summer. I am also very close with the graduate students that were my direct mentors, and I know they will vouch for me if this PI were to write my letter. My concern is that I had very minimal personal interaction with this PI. He actually was gone a whole month during the 10-week program, so all he knew of me was basically my results that happened to be good; he doesn't know me as a person, work ethics, etc. I only emailed him once since the summer program when I had to tell him that I want to stay in my lab now at school for this summer and thus cannot go back to his lab. I did try to mention what I have been up to, etc. in that email.

Aside from these PIs, I also have three other biology professor biology in mind that I know could write me great letters. One is my immunology professor like I mentioned in my post earlier. He is the professor that I trust the most for advice and inspiration, and I do visit his office frequently! He is also on my senior thesis committee, so he is aware of my research. He knows my aspirations/goals and how much they mean to me. I also did very well in his class, not just only grade wise I promise! I was very engaged and showed my interested in the subject. The two other professors I have in mind are similar in that I also am doing very well in their classes(Cell Bio and Cancer),am very enthusiastic,participate a lot and visit their offices pretty often too.

Basically, I know I have all these people that I trust will be able to vouch for me via rec letters, but I have no idea which ones to ask other than my current PI... A lot of schools say the require 3 and only 3, but some says 'at least' 3, so what does that mean? Can I send more than 3? SHOULD I send more than 3?

Who would you choose if you were in my shoes?

Hmmm... the immunology professor does sound like a good choice because he is on you thesis committee.  Have you talked about how your current work with him connects to your goals?  The only thing I'm worried about (and someone else can chime in and support or oppose me) is that if you don't include LoRs from your research experiences, the adcoms will look at your CV and ask themselves why.  (Also, with the summer PI, you could mention someone who worked with you quite closely and actually tell him the things you think they witnessed.  Your work ethic, your commitment, etc.)  It's very important to ask ANY of these people to write you a STRONG letter, not just a letter.  The last two lecture professors I wouldn't bother with.  So if you have an faculty advisor, ask them who you think would be better... wildlife biologist (with an updated info email to help her) or thesis advisor.  Honestly, I think I would go with current PI, summer PI, and capstone advisor, but get someone else's opinion on what they would rather see.  Go to your current PI and just straight up ask; they'll be honest with you.

Also, don't fall into the trap of applying to 10+ schools.  You have a good profile and will drive yourself NUTS going to all the interviews.  Really do a lot of groundwork and even email current grad students if you really want to scoop.  I would apply to 8-10 maximum.  I applied to 7 and got 4 interviews... the travel just gets so exhausting.  And because I had chosen schools to apply to that were good fits for my goals (except Princeton, but that was a dream to interview at since I was 15), I actually ended up going to a school I LOVED the first weekend.  I also did some location vetting before I applied to weed out areas I knew I wouldn't be comfortable in.  For instance, over the summer in Boston, someone mentioned that I should see Yale before applying.  My radar went off and I got in a rental car with some of my program friends and took off... You can guess that I didn't feel like it was a good fit because I scratched it.  I also didn't want to live in Philadelphia (I'm in the small town Midwest and knew it would be too much for me) so I scratched UPenn.  I kept Rockefeller because I felt their research quality outweighed how much I didn't want to be in NYC.  And I kept 2 California schools on the list due to their quality even though I knew I would have to live in more debt than I was comfortable with in North Cali.  Once you get to a certain level, many schools offer the same stellar opportunities and it becomes 100% about fit.  And fit is more than just science.

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

4 hours ago, Diapers said:

Hi everyone! First time posting here!

My problem is that I feel very average. I'm a domestic female who goes to a top 25 research school..My GRE scores are 159V/162Q/4.5W ,which I know are very respectable but i don't know if they are actually competitive. I have a pretty solid 3.7-3.8 GPA which I am proud of, but I once again feel is average compared to many people here.By the time I graduate next year, I would have had 3 full years of research experience(1 year in a lab that doesn't fit with my current interest[it was just my first attempt at getting my foot in the research world, and I did learn a lot!], 1 summer program, and ~2 years by graduation in my current lab), but this seem to also just be very standard. I don't have any publications yet, but I'm hoping to convince my PI to take me to and let me present my work at a national conference later this year.

I'm interested in Immunology/Cancer Biology (specifically I love me some hematopoietic stem cell/T cell/B cell malignancies!), I currently work in a myeloma lab and will be doing my senior thesis in this lab.I also did a summer program last summer in a lab that works on hematopoietic stem cells. So I definitely would say I have experience in this field I'm interested in!

My letters of rec would come from firstly and obviously my PI, whom I trust to write me a great one, and one from my immunology professor, whom I seek advice from a lot and is on my thesis committee, and one more that I haven't decide who to ask (I have several people in mind that I know will write me great letters, but I just don't know who will be the best to ask).

The schools I'm most interested in as of now are (I'm still adding to the list, these are just my top choices/dream schools!):

Stanford, UCSF, UWseattle, WUSTL

I don't know whether I'll apply to their cancer program/cell bio/general bio or immunology program yet, as I'm getting to know these program more! And obviously these are top schools, but I of course want to aim for the best program for my field.

SO, for those that read all the way until here, do you guys have any comments/advice for me? Any schools with great immuno/cancer programs that you would recommend me looking into? Please be honest and thanks so much :)!

You are more than competitive at the schools you have listed and also similar schools.

You could also include Emory, Harvard, Vanderbilt, UCLA, University of Pennsylvania, Rockefeller, Yale, Weill-Cornell, and Columbia.  Like I said, you will be more than competitive.  You can apply directly to specific programs if you want, but it can also be more flexible to apply to umbrella programs.

Also, you want as many research letters as you can manage if they'll all be excellent.

[Preparing for Grad School]

8 hours ago, Focus said:

I feel your pain. I'm getting married in July before grad school and the drama is through the roof. It turns out weddings can turn the most sane and rational parents into complete maniacs! I get to uninvite extended family from the rehearsal dinner and unschedule myself and my fiance from family reunion activities. We've got a wedding to throw and a honeymoon to go on people!

The calls to uninvite people that my in laws invited that aren't on the guest list are more awkward than that time we all called programs to see when they would release interview invites.

[Preparing for Grad School]

7 hours ago, ballwera said:

Did the same last summer good luck! Are you getting married before school starts?

No, in December between semesters.  So I totally don't need family drama as I'm getting an apartment, moving in, doing my first semester of classes, and doing rotations.  Lol it's gonna be a busy time these next six months.

[Preparing for Grad School]

Furiously planning a wedding (and trying not to go crazy on the constant drama.  You think applying to grad school was hard?  Weddings have way more drama because it turns out that the people not paying like to secretly add people to invite list after the fact.)

Oh, and trying to decide who to list for my first rotation choices.

And going to Nashville to vet apartments.

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

36 minutes ago, ilovelab said:

The US News rankings are considered unreliable by some people (myself included) because of the methodology used. There is no real difference between the top ranked med school or the 20th (for example). US news makes it seems as though there are clear differences. There isn't a big difference between the quality of the programs between #1 and #20. 

U Pitt has comparable science programs to Stanford. Stanford has the name recognition which is why everyone assumes its more competitive or it more prestigious to get your Phd from Stanford. I know it probably blows your mind that Pitt could be equal to Stanford in some areas, but its true.

NIH funding is a decent method to determine how competitive a school/programs are, but it also has its flaws.  For example, UTSW is a public school which according to NIH funding wouldn't appear to be very competitive but the programs at UTSW are just as difficult to get accepted to as U Mich/UW/UCSF/Yale etc even though it has a fraction of the NIH $$. They get a lot of private funding which is another reason they have a lot of international students. 

I would give you more than 1 reputation point if I could.  This answer is so on par.  Rankings are a really crappy way to compare schools, and the point was, if you must, funding agencies have a more straightforward determination than U.S. News and World Report.

Point is, look at the science, read the papers, and go find your fit from there.  Funding is important, as is mentorship, projects of interest, and a palatable location.  Apply broadly and you'll find a good home.  I can almost promise that.

[2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

3 hours ago, immuno91 said:

Did your old PI from UTK write you a letter for your Vanderbilt application? Apparently Vandy sends letters to all of your letter writers as well (I was confused because my boss told me about my Vanderbilt admission before I had even checked my email - he also said Vandy sent him a nice letter).

Yes he did!  That explains it, although I am still very displeased that UTK would forge my withdrawal without even asking.  It's pretty crappy.

[2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

So I have a "Decision Day" story... I received an email telling me my application to the University of Tennessee was withdrawn... upon my request.  I didn't request that!  Back in January, my old PI there emailed me and said he heard about my acceptance and he assumed I was going to accept there.  It was so weird, but now, looking back, I feel like he was trying to feel me out to see if I wanted an interview at UTK.  He mentioned in the email that Skype interview notifications would be forthcoming.

Let's just ignore the fact that he didn't get the information from Vanderbilt's administration because it's AGAINST FEDERAL LAW so he must have asked a faculty friend there.  And that they forged my request to withdraw.  Tsk Tsk Tsk UTK.

(Oh, and Tennessee isn't in my signature because I was so weirded out by the whole exchange AND after I emailed him back my application portal got locked and said that I didn't have a saved application anymore.  I guessed they must have deleted it.)

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

Dang it my photo didn't post.

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

8 hours ago, Microburritology said:

Once again, rankings are the LAST measure we should be using to measure up the likelihood. What's erroneous is to assume that if "according to xyz source, ABC program is higher ranked than than DEF" than somehow this equates to ABC program being tougher to get into than XYZ for everyone. Wow, whatever happened to different profiles and backgrounds having different weightage to different schools.

Just because you use NRC and Ph.D. org (or because they rank your school higher?) does not mean they somehow become "far more reliable" than US News. Any premise to support that hypothesis? Or you just didnt find them to be accurate enough for your purposes? LOL.

Umm, the fields we're talking about fall under UChicago's and WUSTL's graduate schools, not medical schools. How fair is it then to compare UPenn's medical school to theirs when their medical school isn't even involved in graduate studies? If a university is strong in a particular field for graduate studies, US News ranks it irrespective if of which school in that university offers it, like it did for the immunology and infectious diseases program. In NO OTHER field of graduate study does UPenn come above WUSTL/UChicago. 

Oh but US News is not accurate, according to you. Sorry 

 

There's a lot that bothers me about this post.  @Bioenchilada is making the point that different programs have different levels of competition AND that international students are generally considered AFTER domestic students.  That means there are less spots/funding for international students and subsequently have a harder time getting into better programs.  Also, U.S. News and World report is WIDELY considered to be an unreliable resource and many times flat out wrong.  You'd be much better using NIH funding levels like @PlanB keeps saying.  It's literally a REALLY GOOD IDEA.  So I've decided to do some of the work and show you that you can't just say that it's all down to the individual profile.  Yes, that does matter.  But money is tight here in the US and NIH funding level is a really good measure of competition in the biomedical field.

Above are the top 20 institutions according to NIH funding.  You can see that UChicago is NOWHERE on that list.  Obviously, this is not the only consideration in choosing a good place to get a graduate education (as faculty availability and mentorship is also huge and sometimes scarce at the tippy top institutions) but it's a good start on indicating where the most competitive SCIENCE takes place.

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

5 hours ago, PlanB said:

Using rankings to select between programs, or to determine which schools to apply to for admissions, is kinda of a lousy approach. However, bare in mind, higher rank schools generally have more competitive admissions pools and, thus, gaining admissions is more difficult. 

Okay, new applicants.  This is 100% true.  And what was says earlier by this poster is also true about higher standards for international applicants.  Many schools don't touch international applications until they have sorted through domestic ones.  While I wouldn't encourage anyone to stay away from top tier schools, because hey, it's your money to apply, I would say you should cast a wide net.  Look at the numbers of the program and others on the same caliber to determine if you should apply... Many post average GPAs.  (Then we don't have to fight about it here.). Let's focus more on the crucial parts of the application.  In research experience, talk to your professors about what you want to do and if they have any suggestions or connections you can investigate.  So so much better than looking at rankings.  If you can't make a decision without consulting rankings, maybe you want to take a year off to understand how people construct their graduate education.  The most successful consciously choose places with important research in their interest field.  That does not include rankings... You can get a good idea by seeing where people from the program publish.