mtlve

It looks like they created a webpage for the awardees (dont remember this last year), but I do not think they actually review apps until later this month. I wish I new the outcome. I keep using the excuse that it would be easier to pick a lab when I new whether I had my own funding (not like they dont have the money to fund me already). Good luck everyone! Here is to a couple more months of waiting!

I did this with 4/7 schools last year, and I think it is overall a good thing to do. As a grad student we had to fill out bioforms that stated other schools we were accepted to. It would have been nice if I could have added places like Hopkins (withdrew immediately after interview) to this form, but I could not because of the withdrawl. This may influence the funding of the school I am currently at, but I do not know for sure.

Does your cambridge advisor have a reputable name? It is fine to not get Nature/Science as long as saying you worked with PIX= really good thing/desirable quality. Journals like PNAS, Molecular Cell, J of Biochemistry, Development, Neuron, etc are fine. Also be sure to dig up as much information on the Cambridge PI, since you will be stuck there if you go that route. In regards to the shorter degree, you would probably still be able to get a good US job. According to a lot of the PIs I talked to, it takes a certain amount of time in the lab to reach the skill levels needed to sucessfully perform as a faculty member. Graduates from the US system supposedly function at a more advanced level than those of the European system. My old PI said that it takes them 1-2years to get to the level of US grads. For this reason, he liked them to take another post-doc position for these 1-2 years before he hired them. I do not know whether a lot of PIs do this. My old PI has never trained a grad student, so he may be a little unusual in this matter. Just be aware that the European program shaves a few years from graduate training, but you will probably have to add a couple years to your postdoc training to make up for it. This may also be less of a problem if you go into industry.

I applied to biomedical programs last year with an interest in biochemistry. I interviewed at UT Southwestern, and I loved that program. They have tons of big named faculty, and the faculty I met with seemed very down to earth. As others said you want to train with a big named PI or a rising star. Your school's reputation matters some, but it is a less of a factor. You want to go some where that will enable you to work with a big name and get great pubs. Would you get this from your cambridge PI? Another thing to consider is that European graduate degrees are ~3yr degrees so you will get out faster- a good thing. My former boss (a big name) does not like to take people from the European system, because they have less experience. You have to make up the time at some point. Otherwise, Cambridge would be a good choice. Brown has a good reputation as an ivy, but its not known for science. If there are a lot of good scientists there, consider it. If not, I would go elsewhere. As I mentioned before, I interviewed at UT Southwestern and I loved it. I ended up going to a top10 instead, but I know I could have found a great lab there. According to faculty at my school (a private school with one of the largest endowments), they have serious problems recruiting faculty that UT Southwestern is recruiting because UT can offer them comparatively large start up funds. As you know they have tons of big names, and they are recuiting some of the most promising young faculty. UT will probably be a powerhouse in our generation for this reason. I sadly eliminated this school because the student body seemed very conservative. I am very liberal, so I doubted whether I would fit in there. I also did not care for Dallas. With your interest in biotech, this would probably be a good place since a lot of their students go that way. Good luck with your decision. I obviously vote for UT Southwestern.

I was just going to ask this question too. I have an additional question to add. How much detail should you add in regards to your specific research project? I am trying to figure out the best way to add my NSF PS and proposal into one essay that is less than two pages. Thanks

I am moving to this area in the fall. Does anyone know how difficult it is to get a NC drivers license and to register your car in the area? I am buying a car before I move, and I am trying to decide whether to register the car in NC or in my current state. I think I need a NC drivers license to register the car in NC. I have a current drivers license in another state. If anyone has more info, your help will be greatly appreciated.

This also happened to me. I interviewed with one of the directors, and he said similar stuff at that time. I sent thankyou emails to all of my interviewers, and he responded saying that the directors really liked me and that they wanted me to come there. I got a rejection letter via email two days later. I think directors and faculty just say stuff like this to everyone. I do not think our experiences are unusual. I do not know why this happens. It might be that they lie. The most likely reason I can think of is that other people on the committee did not like you and this kept you out of the school. I think that I might have also been waitlisted and then rejected, and this would explain things a little better in my instance. I hope you have some better options.

I sent you a PM.

Will you have a letter of rec from a big name scientist? These can pull a lot of weight. You also need to do well on the GRE. If you think you can pull off a good score on the subject test, I would do that. Submit your apps early. I submitted my WashU app Dec 1, and they had already extended tons of interviews in November. Contacting PIs also helps at some of the places. If you can meet directly with a program director or people on the admission committed, that would also be helpful. It is really difficult to get into the top10 programs. I would apply to some program in and around the top20, and I think that you might do okay. If you are really set on going to top tier programs, I would apply to the ones in less popular locations. It is harder to get into the programs in CA and Boston than it is to get into ones in the mid west. I would still apply to ones in CA and Boston, but do not forget to add WUSTL, Wisconsin, Michigan, Duke, etc. I noticed that you had no presentations. If you can get to a meeting this summer or fall that would be great. Good luck.

Is anyone else out there going to Duke? I am starting in the CMB PhD program in the fall. I would love to hear from others. --mtlve

NSF now has everything posted online! I did not win anything. :cry:

Did someone PM you about this or do you know the person personally. Looking at the previous posts, I could not find one. These are the ones that I saw: Econ (2x on other site) bioengineering (engineering not biology) - campingisintense engineering - materialgirl psychology - cogdiss Did I miss anyone? Either all of the awards are not out or people are not posting them. I am guessing winners are not posting.

Did any life science applicants get any good news? I still get the applicant page when I log in = rejection?

Hopefully we all get an email either way tomorrow! If they wait until Tuesday, they could play an April fools joke on use - e.g. accepted/rejected all of us or continue delaying the release. They might actually find such a prank amusing!

Why would they leave the word march, if there was not a chance for March? They would have replaced March with April if that was the case. I am guessing it will be out sometime between March 28-April 4. Lets hope for an earlier date, since there are a lot of us wasting lots of time waiting for results.