factanonverba

I got an email earlier this week from UCBerkeley MCB saying that they will start sending invites in early January.

Same boat. Sounds like most of the programs I applied to (Harvard BBS, UPenn CAMB, etc.) have already sent out their invitations (and it sounds like Harvard BBS etc. sends out all invitations on the same day). I don't know if I am feeling nervous or disappointed right now.

That makes sense. Thank you both, StemCellFan and ballwera!

ballwera, I don't think I follow your second point - are you recommending that I accept interview offers as late as I can while waiting for other offers?

Hi guys, I have applied to a few biology/biomedical sciences-focused PhD programs and I am starting to receive interview invitations. I have noticed that a lot of programs offer two interview periods (e.g. one in Jan and one in Feb). Is attending the earlier or later one more advantageous, if it makes any difference at all?

For those of you who are applying to umbrella programs like Harvard BBS, MIT biology, UW MCB, etc. When do you plan on submitting your applications? I don't think that they are rolling admissions?

Thanks for the comment, aberrant. However, while I am aware that the research fit and lab options are very important, I think it would still be worthwhile to taken into consideration past admissions trends among universities so that I can better judge what programs are more worth applying to than others. TakeruK, your explanation makes sense. So you are saying that top private schools, while more selective than a lot of public schools, may not be tougher to get into because of my international student status. However, my problem is that I don't have any backups. Most people apply to a few target schools and a couple of "2nd tier" (mostly public) schools; however, doing that will probably not benefit me as these backup schools might actually be harder to get into... What was your strategy?

Hi guys, I would appreciate any feedback on my program choices and other things. I am most concerned about the fact that I am an international student as I know that a lot of programs take very small numbers of us. Undergrad Institution: Community college -> UW SeattleMajor(s): Biochemistry, Magna Cum Laude, departmental honorsMinor(s): N/AGPA in Major: 3.68Overall GPA: 3.87Position in Class: top 3.5%Type of Student: international male, asianGRE Scores (revised/old version):Q: 170 (97%)V: 166 (97%)W: 4.5 (82%)B: N/AResearch Experience: 3 years total: 1 year - undergrad research (senior year) in developmental biology/molecular biology. One poster presentation, one co-authored paper, honors thesis. 2 years - research scientist, genome editing (molecular/cell biology/immunology). One first-author paper, potentially two co-authored paper coming, co-authorship on a couple of conference postersAwards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's List at university (6 consecutive quarters), Annual Dean's List (2 consecutive academic years); President's List at community college (6 consecutive quarters)Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Memberships of a couple of honor societies. Special Bonus Points: Strong letters of rec - one from current PI who is fairly famous in the field, one from biochemistry professor and undergrad research PI, and one from another PI whom I worked with closely when I wrote my manuscript.Applying to Where:Harvard BBS Yale BBS MIT Biology Stanford Biosciences UCSF BMS UC Berkeley MCB UW MCB UCSD (I honestly don't know what programs to use as back-ups since I am an international student - many programs that seem easier to get into actually admit very few international students)

Hi guys, I am applying to PhD programs soon for the 2018 fall cycle (molecular biology/biological & biomedical sciences); I am wondering if any of you have insight as to which programs admit more international students than others. I am a fairly competitive applicant: 3.87 GPA from a top US public university, 1 year of undergrad research + 2 years of post bac research, a couple of papers (I was the primary author on one of them), honors thesis, strong letters of rec, GRE 166V 170Q 4.5AW, dean's list, etc. However, I am an international student and it seems like most US PhD programs in my field take very few of us. For example, according to the UW MCB program admissions office, they admit 0.5 international students/year, so programs like this are probably not even worth applying to because the odds are so slim and it probably also reflects limited resources for us. What are some good programs that are more international student friendly? For example, looking at the Harvard BBS website, they currently have 254 domestic and 84 international students, so that would perhaps be a good choice. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

Thanks Bioenchilada and TakeruK! These suggestions are helpful.

Hi guys, I would love to hear some advice from you about who to ask for letter of recommendation. About Me: I worked a year in an undergrad research lab, and I started working in my current lab after I graduated 2 years ago. I'm applying to biomedical PhD programs soon for the 2018 admission cycle (Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, etc.) My dilemma: Most of the programs I am going to apply to ask for three letters of recommendation, while there are four people that I want to ask! 1. My undergrad research PI, who was also my biochemistry professor - I think this makes sense because he could speak to my performance in a class environment as well as a research environment, although I stopped working with him two years ago and since then my research abilities have greatly enhanced, so he probably does not have the most up-to-date information about me. 2. My current research PI - He definitely makes sense because he is a big name in the immunology/immunotherapy field, and I have worked for him for 2 years now. During this time, I started a research project from the ground up and wrote a manuscript as the primary author; this project has now also gained a lot of industrial interest, so it is rapidly expanding in scope. Therefore, I think he would be able to provide quite strong recommendation for me. 3. Another PI - he is relatively junior (assistant professor), but still a faculty member. I have worked with him very closely in the past year when I was writing my manuscript. I believe he can speak well to my research abilities. 4. My immediate supervisor in my current lab (non faculty member) - I work with her closely and she can certainly speak about my research abilities and personality/work ethic. I would say she knows me quite well personally. So I think #1 and #2 are obvious choices, but I am struggling to choose between #3 and #4. #3 is a PI/faculty member so his letter might carry more weight? He is a junior faculty member though so I don't know how much of a difference it makes. #4 is my current supervisor and she thinks quite highly of me. However, she is not a PI/faculty member so is this less ideal? I would feel a bit weird though bypassing her and asking #3 for recommendation. What do you guys think?

Hi guys, So I'm new to this forum, but I have this problem and would like to hear some advice from you. My background: I just recently graduated from UW Seattle (international student), GPA 3.87, biochemistry major, with Honors; I have 1 year of independent undergrad research, for which I did a poster presentation, wrote a senior honors thesis, and gained a publication co-authorship. I would like to pursue a phD in a top biochemistry program (with a focus on cancer research), but am convinced that my one year of undergrad research is not enough to get me into a good PhD program. I have decided to continue to gain more research experience and apply to PhD programs for 2017 fall. However, right now I have two ways to go about doing this: 1. Stay in Seattle for a couple more years and find a research assistant/technician job at, say, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; or, 2. go to UBC Vancouver, Canada to do a masters in Biochemistry (2 years, research-oriented, funded). I have already been accepted into a lab at UBC, and currently going to interviews for a couple of research assistant positions in Seattle. The problem is, each option seems to have its own problems: 1. If I stay in Seattle, I would mostly likely work in a research institute like Fred Hutch; does research experience at such an institute carry as much weight as that at a research university? When I apply to PhD, my PI will be one of my recommenders; (s)he is obviously going to be a senior researcher, but not a university professor. Do you think that would put me at a disadvantage? 2. The lab at UBC I got accepted into is fairly new (around 2 years old), and the PI is an assistant professor. The research they do is in an interesting area, but different from my main interest (cancer). Do you think option 1 or 2 is a better way for me to gain research experience? I would greatly appreciate any input or advice from you!