Microburritology

Lmfao no, would never do that to someone. Relax, if you see the survey from the previous year, you can see invites were spread over 2 months. But I can understand the anxiety. Till the day before I was refreshing my email 10! times a day

@biosci No idea. Like I said a sentence in the letter was structured in such a way that it put PMB and EEPB in one group, and "one other program" in the other.

@emk9312 @biosci Means nothing, apparently different programs meet at different times and invites are sent as and when decided. From my interview letter it could be indirectly deciphered that this invite was for the PMB, EEPB, and one more program.

Thanks @biosci! @mrpoopybutthole (this is going to be fun) yeah I thought that I'd probably not be shortlisted because I submitted 2 minutes before the deadline, like literally at 11:58 pm. @StrongTackleBacarySagna Stay Strong They send out the invites in waves. What's kinda concerning is that I havent seen any other acceptance post on this thread from WUSTL DBBS. ANYONE else heard from WUSTL? Any program at all?

@SynBioGuy HA my choices were the same, in the reverse order. Thank you, and good luck to you!

@SynBioGuy molecular microbiology and microbial pathogenesis was my second choice in the application!! What was your second choice?

@brainsandeggs Thank you, thank you!! @StrongTackleBacarySagna Haha yea, I wish you were right and that were true. All I'm hoping for is in addition to WUSTL, I get something from my first choice, Yale MCGD. MIT is more like a distant dream, applied coz it was my childhood dream, but my chances there are next to zero. Nonetheless, thank you!

Well, for sure international candidates are evaluated separately, because of the funding and the grants primarily being allotted for domestic students. But this is still applicable only to public universities, not for private universities, like WUSTL. Well my first choice is Yale MCGD, and I've received some positive vibes from a professor there, so fingers crossed. Relax, you will be fine, you'll definitely get an interview somewhere, assuming you've applied to a good mix of reach and safety net schools!

Saw your message - I understand now. Relax, looks like they email they sent out was an interview email basically targeted for the domestic candidates, and they probably forgot to email you with the template for the international candidates. Reach back to them, they'll get it taken care of Once again, neither can they afford to fly you here for an interview, nor would they expect you to ever fly here on your own. Thank you @keviv1692!! First choice was Plant and Microbial Biosciences and the second was Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis. Late Jan? They have those dates for informing international candidates? You sure? Not unheard of, but pretty late though.

I'm from India as well, but in a slightly different boat as I already work here. Nonetheless, for all the programs I've applied to, you do not have to fly anywhere. Neither can they afford to fly you all the way from India, nor will they expect you to at your own costs. The dates they gave you were probably for your Skype interview - and you've probably got to get back to them with a suitable date before they set up a time for the interview. They specifically state on their website what their process is for international students, and I'll the ones I've applied to or looked over have preferred skype. However, if they haven't mentioned anything in your email, i'd email them back and ask them what their plans are. Finally, even if they do fly you, NO, it won't be at your costs. All the best! Jai Hind!

I'll just keep working at the biotech company I'm currently working. Pay isn't much, but research is cool and I guess more experience and possibly a publication. But I seriously just want to finish and get it over with this time. I've head enough numbing headaches after coming back from work at 8 in the night and then studying 3 more hours for GRE.

Umm as far as resume is concerned, I'm sure they allow you to make changes to it. In fact it is the only part of the application which most universities allow changes to after a deadline. @123hardasABC Thank you!! Your recommendation letter tips helped me a lot. Would like to meet you if you'll be around in STL at the same time! Patience, my friend, patience They gave me the option of purchasing it myself and reimbursing later, or booking it through their agent. I think everywhere they give you that option?

Thank you thank you! To top it off, a professor from Yale emailed me saying she would hope to meet me for an interview in February. My head is actually reeling from happiness

Okay I can't feel my legs....I GOT AN INTERVIEW INVITE TO THE DBBS PROGRAM AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS 5 minutes ago via email!!!!! Confirmed right away, booking my tickets for the interview weekend of January 14th. All the hard work f***ing paid off. I'm so on top of the world nowwww!!!

Thanks @ilovelab, didn't know some applications ask for that class rank, none of the ones I started so far have asked that, but that would be nice.

Lol I know that, it was meant to be a rhetoric directed towards xxyyxx, implying that there are no hard and fast rules for a 3.5 GPA cutoffs, although GPA's lower than 3 can hurt you. I'm not sure how informed they are about my Indian program too, hoping they don't see a 3.3 and throw away my application, and I wish there was some way of telling them that grading was hard at my institution and I graduated third in my program.

Take a bow sir, take a bow. Also, while we are at GPA's, in response to @xxyyxx, how is the grade inflation from different countries going to be factored in, if they have an "outright cutoff" of 3.5?? I graduated from India (where professors are stingy af), with a 3.3, and I was second in my class. Pertaining to USA, I have friends in my lab from Caltech and they said it was humanely impossible to make a 3.3 there, let alone a 3.5. Lastly, I don't mean to say that what you said is bullshit, but honestly, if you really don't have any clue as to what you're talking, don't post such stuff. Newbies get onto here for some advice and feedback, more often to feel positive about their application, and they get really disheartened reading such baseless edicts.

As far as I've read, heard and been told, 80%+ GRE Biochem scores should be good to send! Your grants, poster presentations, with your undergrad GPA should fit in well together for a strong application - make a strong case in your SOP.

I just saw this is some other forum, hence feel compelled to ask. I know what the websites say, but just wanted to get some first hand information, or even a personal experience from previous cycle admits on non-academic recommendation letters? 2/3 are from scientists I've worked under for 2 years now in my current company, one is from the dean of my undergrad institution. Again, this is in compliance with the requirements posted on the websites, need some insights from people in grad schools, on how non-academic letters are perceived by ad-coms, Thanks people!

Haha. Same stats, same country, targeting almost the same schools, but I'll have to say I have more work experience. Which school did you graduate from?

I'm interested in the answer to this question too. Also, anyone from the previous cycle been successful applying to multiple programs at any school?

Lol. I'm sure about his credentials because I tutored him for GRE Quant, know his GRE scores, and his GPA. Also read his SOP's. Also, he had 3 months of research experience, thats it. But to his credit, he did indeed have really good people skills. If I was sure of one thing, I knew that he would sail through the interview, but was highly skeptical that he'd get there in the first place. But as you said, he got there, and thats all that matters.

Thanks Bioenchilada - that was encouraging. My selection is a mix of ranking and fit, but my SOP's are super tailored, specific to each program, research interests, and why my background fits in with the ongoing research there. If I didn't feel I could write a good SOP, I didnt apply. Regarding the bonus points and connections, I did for a long time feel that connections play no role, until a guy from my lab who's father is a big shot executive of a chemical company got into Yale with average scores, GPA's, SOP's - everything average. Don't quite know what to think of the power of connections since then. Oh well.

Someone critique my profile and choices too please? Any advise would be helpful. Thanks guys!

Undergrad Institution: Top Tier International Private School - Ranked #1 in Private Biotech Research Schools in India. Major(s): Biotech Minor(s): We don't even have such options. GPA in Major: 3.7 Overall GPA: 3.6 Position in Class: Top 5% Type of Student: International but Domestic? Been working in a multinational Biotech company for 2 years now in the US - also got my green card sponsored, so I now apparently fall into the pool of US Citizens/Permanent residents? GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 166 V: 162 W: 4.5 (I wrote 5 f***ing paragraphs) B: 92% Research Experience: Umm, where to start. 1) Got selected after undergrad into an international science leadership program (12 selected every year out of 2500+ applications from around the globe) in a US Biotech company, who relocated me from India to the US (gave me a visa, car, home, etc.), been working in their microbial research lab for two years now. During my research here discovered a new combination of antifungal lipopeptides to control/eliminate an epidemic disease of Banana plantations worldwide, Black Sigatoka, without the pathogen developing resistance . First author publication, working now on its commercial formulation. 2) 3 years research experience during undergrad, rotated in a couple of labs, but still mainly sticking to microbiology, microbial enzymes, and studying the entire process of interaction of microbial antibiotics with pathogen cells. 3) A 6 month internship right after undergrad, before I landed this opportunity, working on similar plant diseases, studying plant responses and gene expressions after artificial infection. 4) Two three month internships during undergrad summer vacations, one at Novozymes India, other at National Institute of Mycobacterial Diseases. Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Full ride. Dean's List. External & Internal Scholarships. Tonnes of awards from extra-curriculars was heavily into them- from Debates to Spelling competitions. Oh and I played soccer for my university, equivalent of Division 1 athlete here. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: I use to voluntarily tutor Math, Chemistry and Physics at a local mosque. Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: I also liked building databases and coding, so I actually built a database housing all the gene sequences of enzymes (to weaken the host immunity, create pores in the cell wall, etc.) secreted by the pathogen during the first stages of host pathogen interaction. I did this for the National Center of Mycobacterial Diseases where I interned. Apparently they licensed it later and gave me no due credit. Ho - hum. Special Bonus Points: I'm sure these "Bonus Points" and "connections" are those which finally give domestic students the final edge. Someone show me how to get a renowned Harvard scientist back my research skills please? Applying to Where: Being ambitious here, please feel free to critic, need some real-life advice. MIT Microbiology - can anyone from this program please critique my profile, and answer some on my questions? Harvard BBS Yale BBSB John Hopkins BCMB, or even Cellular and Molecular Physiology. Princeton Molecular Biology Rockefeller - Oh I love their campus. UC Berkeley Microbiology U Chicago Biomedical Sciences Cornell Plant Microbe Biology (I'll cry if I get into this one) Oxford. Above everything else, I just had one question: Is it really okay to ask the senior scientists I worked under for 10 recommendation letters? Like does that piss them off, or is it normal?