[Question about a skype interview for UC Davis BMCDB program]

So I applied for the UC Davis BMCDB program, for so long there's no reply and I saw on the admission result page that some people are invited to interviews and some already got admitted ...so I thought there's no chance

But then suddenly a Professor (my top choice!!) email me and said he saw my application and would like to skype with me

im very excited obviously. But then I remember that this program have a lab rotation element, which I always thought it means that only the admission committee is making the decision , not individual PI...

im still very excited and would like to ask him so many questions regarding his research, but parts of me also wonder whether this means anything -- he didn't mention that the Skype was an interview, just that he'd like to talk to me , and I haven't received anything from the general admission team...

any thoughts??

does anyone applying to program with lab rotation element also have this experience where an individual PI want to Skype with you..?

[No interviews...am I to assume all application unsuccessful?]

I've applied to six school in this cycle, 3 already rejected me.

The remaining 3 are UC Davis BMCDB,  UCSD BIOLOGY and UPenn CAMB cancer biology, and I haven't received any interview invitation from them...

I am just wondering if anyone have been admitted without interview before?? Or should I just assume that all my applications are doomed..

[WINE, WAIT, AND WHINE THREAD]

3 hours ago, caleugenides said:

Welp I just asked for an extension on my admission/TAship deadline (because I'm still waiting on the April 15th wait list results from the other uni) and it went about as horribly as possible. I definitely feel like I offended the department, not to say that they were conspicuously upset about my request for an extension, but they certainly weren't thrilled about it. I just feel like I'm being a giant nuisance, and I think I'm frustrating them with the amount of emails I'm sending out. Curse my indecisive nature...I think I'll just accept their offer, but now I feel like there's this "bad energy" and that's exactly what I wanted to avoid when I was trying to decide whether or not to ask for an extension. Honestly I just feel terrible. I love the program I got accepted to, I just wanted to see if I'd get into the other program because it's a little bigger.  Also I misspelled the initials of the university twice (I have no idea why), so that definitely didn't help.

Would you mind sharing how they responded?

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

5 hours ago, Bioenchilada said:

Amongst the schools you applied to, which one was your top choice? Also, I agree with retaking the GRE and taking the biochemistry subject test. I think that taking a year to do research will definitely help you next year. In terms of your GPA, is that converted to a 4.0 scale or is that the actual number out of 4.3? 

My top choice was UCB, but I would love to go to any uni in the list. The GPA is in a 4.3 scale, but it doesnt affect much even after changing back to the 4.0 scale -- i only get one course in A+ (the 4.3). My graduate grade point average would be somewhere above 3.6 (my uni have this graduate grade point system that counts the 1st year grade points in half.) I know a GPA of 3.5 is quite low in the U.S., although it is already a first class honour in Hong Kong. 

Did you take the GRE subject test as well? Any advice on how to prepare??

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

Undergrad Institution: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (generally a prestigious school, but not famous for its Life Science department)
Major(s): Biotechnology
Minor(s):
GPA in Major: 
Overall GPA: 3.576 (4.3 system)
Position in Class: Top 
Type of Student: International asian male

GRE Scores (revised):
Q: 161
V:  156
W: 4.0
B: N/A

(I probably will retake the GRE)


TOEFL Total: 110

Research Experience: 3 months experience at an analytical chemistry lab in my Uni, mostly just observing what people do there -- not allowed to touch the equipments..not sure if I should even mention this experience. Around 10 months experience by the time i graduate at a biochemistry lab in my Uni, looking at a particular protein and its role in cancer, no publication yet.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 1st class honors, dean's list one semester

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Worked as an intern in a microbiology lab for 1.5 month during the summer break, another intern in a biotechnology company doing admin work for 2 months during another summer. 

Applying to Where:

Havent decided for 2017 but these are what I have applied in 2016. Mostly rejected, except UW where I am still waitlisted (i am not hopeful at all...)

UPenn -- Cell and Molecular Biology group - gene regulation
UCLA -- Bioscience -- gene regulation
UCB -- MCB

UCSD -- biology

UCSF -- Developmental Biology

Columbia -- Biology

UW -- Biology

Duke -- genetics

Cornell -- genetics

U of chicago -- molecular biosciences

 

I am feeling for this application cycle (2016) I am reaching too far. I have no idea what schools I am going to apply in 2017 cycles yet but I think i will choose some less competitive programs. I think my GRE sucks and I will try again. I might also take the biochemistry subject test because my school is not famous for Biology (not sure yet...any advice?). For this year I will go to University College London for a research master degree, which hopefully will make my application stronger. 

[Getting off the Waitlist]

To people who got waitlisted officially : did you got any interviews before or simply notified that you are wait-listed?

I emailed the admission officer, who never wrote me back. I simply am assuming that I am waitlisted by UW Biology. Yesterday I emailed a potential PI and he said he help checked my file and I have not been invited to interview so they probably wont be accepting me. I am a bit confused now. So if they wont accept me, why not reject me yet?(People have been rejected from the program, according to result search here) Or maybe the professor simply does not know that I am waitlisted? Must people get interviewed before being waitlisted? This is so frustrating.....

[Transcript problem for UCLA Bioscience application]

I have applied to UCLA for a PhD in bioscience. During the third year of my UG, I took an exchange in Sweden, the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. The grades there were transferred to my course ( which shows on my transcript as "transferred" ). I cannot get an signed transcript by the exchange school because they have a online transcript system. I know UCLA is pretty strict that official transcripts of every institution should be submitted. I tried to email them about the problem but they did not reply me. Can anyone please tell me if there is any cases where people fail to submit the paper official transcript but still got admitted into UCLA? Thank you