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phenol

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  • Location
    Berkeley, CA
  • Application Season
    2016 Fall
  • Program
    Chemistry (Inorganic)

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  1. I got into most top programs last cycle with no publications, a mediocre GPA, solid rec letters, and a decent research background. It's absolutely possible if you play the game properly. For reference, I'd estimate that the overwhelming majority of grad students in my cohort (inorganic division) don't have a first author paper, and maybe like 1/2~2/3 had a second or third authorship when they applied? The standards are higher for international students, but I don't really feel like I'm the only person here with no publications. Adcoms realize that undergrad research is often a crapshoot.
  2. Your qualifications look pretty good -- solid GRE and GPA and a first-author paper put you in a good position for basically all the schools you've listed. Your Chem GRE is a concerningly low, but I'm not sure it'll be enough to single-handedly disqualify you from getting in. It's the only obvious weak spot I can see in your application (assuming you have solid LoRs).
  3. So I finally heard back from MIT, and it wasn't a possibility I was really prepared for. I received an email from one of my POIs, with my other POI and the graduate chemistry administrator cc'ed. "I'm writing in regards to your application for the Graduate Program in Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Your application was received in December and reviewed favorably earlier this calendar year. The applicant pool to MIT chemistry for Fall 2016 was extremely strong with many more exceptional applicants than we were permitted to admit. You have not yet received an official notification from MIT Chemistry because your application is one of a select twelve applications that we have on hold. We are very enthusiastic about your application and the prospect of having you join us at MIT for your graduate studies, and are evaluating whether we can increase our class size for the upcoming academic year. We will notify you as soon as possible regarding the final admissions status of your application. On behalf of the Admissions Committee, I apologize for the delayed correspondence. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding your application."
  4. I hear he recently took a joint student with Harry Gray. I just think he isn't taking any full-time students.
  5. Looks like MIT is sending out some more rejections today...
  6. The best way to figure out things like this is to ask grad students in the department. Not even just grad students in the lab in question, but some people in other labs might have heard rumors. Some telltale signs that a PI is in a rough spot funding-wise -- if he's only accepting students with fellowships, if the students in his lab without fellowships are forced to teach far more than the departmental minimum, if he spends far more time than normal writing grants instead of attending conferences. Consider asking students in his lab how life is for grad students without a fellowship.
  7. Actually, it looks like last year they may have accepted at least one person in early March. Not sure how that'd gel with visit weekends, but it could be a possibility.
  8. I wouldn't hold out a lot of hope, judging by last year's results, though I also wouldn't expect a rejection email anytime soon.
  9. So I called the MIT chemistry graduate department to inquire about my application status. They confirmed that they are still making offers, and that if you haven't received a rejection email, your application is still under consideration. They told me that I could expect a response in the next "couple weeks", but also reassured me that if I was accepted I would have time to register for a graduate visit weekend. Looking at the submissions page, though, it looks like rejection emails might be trickling out again.
  10. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my application, And I'll no longer be a Caltech applicant.
  11. I guess it's only fitting that as a Berkeley student I'd be a Stanford reject.
  12. I assume we'll probably get some closure tomorrow.
  13. I legitimately have started sleeping 14 hours a day, because time spent sleeping is time not refreshing my email. Go to bed at 4 AM, wake up at 6 PM. That way, I only have to check my emails once!
  14. Spectacular. I was hoping I'd get to drag this out for another weekend.
  15. UC Berkeley chem undergrad here. My opinion on the chem department here is pretty stellar. The culture is (generally speaking) vastly more relaxed than most other similarly-ranked departments, though obviously this depends on the PI you're working for. The grad students have a pretty strong union (which has some benefits, such as teaching and fellowship income stacking for semesters where you have both) and the department as a whole is pretty social. As a Bay Area local, the location is definitely a huge plus (good weather, awesome local food and nightlife, easy access to SF). It really does depend on your PI, though. A couple of them (especially the ones without tenure, obviously) have a real reputation for ruining their students' lives (though you'll find professors like this at every top-10 institution). My current boss is incredibly hands-off and in fact parties harder than most of the grad students, while trusting his group members to be responsible enough to get their work done. As a result, he's not very helpful at providing research direction and the grad students have to take on the responsibility of teaching each other how everything works. On the other hand, there's tons of freedom to work on whatever project interests you, and you can start interesting side projects whenever you want, without having to tell him about them unless they're successful. If it weren't so discouraged/actively forbidden, I would definitely consider reapplying here for grad school. Really, it just makes me wish that I went to another school for undergrad so I could come here for grad school.
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