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I also spent around this much... it killed me . I'm sure you'll get an interview and get in somewhere! I hate this waiting though. I've been constantly checking my email like a nervous wreck. It's gonna be a LONG December, that's for sure. I know it's early, but has anyone heard anything from any of their schools?

@kinseyd Great schools! @Kaede my PI submitted my letter the day after it was due... so there's that haha. I would just call every day until they submit it. It's a pretty rude thing to do to someone who trusted you enough and thought you had a well-established relationship to the point where you would want them to write on your behalf...

@kinseyd No they really don't get it! It's a tough situation haha. I applied to these: Tufts Sackler Harvard BBS Yale BBS Loyola Chicago microbiology U of Chicago Microbiology UPenn Cell and Molec U of Rochester Microbiology How about you?

With most of the deadlines for biology and biomedical Ph.D. programs for the Fall 2017 either being over or approaching, there's only one thing left to do: WAIT. If you're anything like me, you are refreshing your email hourly (even though it's only December 5th). So my question is to past applicants: When did you hear back from schools that you applied to about interviews and what not. Also, where did you apply? I would love to hear about some of the experiences you had with different schools and when you had correspondence with them so I can ease my own anxiety! Thanks!

@kinseyd I feel your anxiety! I am also a first-gen applying to microbiology Ph.D. programs for the Fall 2017. It's HELL. I'm an impatient person as is and hate having things (especially big things like graduate school) up in the air!

And another week of anxiety begins!

It will definitely be a long month. Best of luck to you @Neuro15! That's interesting, did they just say they thought you were good for their lab specifically or were they speaking on behalf of the department and inviting you for an interview?

@Bioenchilada You heard the 9th?! as in December 9th??? I hope everyones applications go well! Here's to wanting to throw up from anxiety for the next 2 months Cheers!

Thanks for the feedback guys, I appreciate it! As for my GRE scores, I'm just not a standardized test taker. I studied a little for it and I just think retaking it at this point will be a hassle for a marginally better score. I took some practice exams and did worse than my actual exam! I'm not sure why I can't perform on those types of tests. I've talked to a few professors (ones that have served on admission comittees) and they said it definitely isn't my best perk in my application, but they don't think it will hinder me by much seeing as how most people don't think the test score carries much weight.

Hey guys, I'm applying to Ph.D. programs for the Fall 2017 semester. If you could give me some feedback on my stats and my school selections, that'd be great! I don't know if I'm aiming too high with my school choices. A lot of professors I know pretty well have told me try it out, so let me know what you think! What are my chances with these institutions? Also, I'm looking for maybe one or more two programs to apply to that are a little lower than these schools, seeing as how most of them are pretty competitive. Please let me know if you have and ideas about schools with good microbiology research going on! Thank you! Undergrad Institution: Smaller Liberal arts college, R2 Research Major(s): Biological Sciences Minor(s): Biochemistry GPA in Major: 4.0 Overall GPA: 3.96 Position in Class: Not provided Type of Student: Asian male, first generation college student GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 150 V: 150 W: 4.0 B: n/a Research Experience: 3 years in a microbiology lab carrying out my own project. Summer 2015 - awarded an Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the American Society for Microbiology, as well as $1,000 travel funds to go to ASM Microbe 2016 in Boston to present a poster and attend the conference. Summer 2016 - awarded an Undergraduate Research Fellowship from my school. Took research for credit through my Junior and Senior year I have presented at many different meetings across the US, including national and branch meetings. (about 8 poster presentations) I will be writing and defending an honors thesis this coming spring on my work as an undergraduate. Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's List every semester ASM Undergraduate Fellowship 2015 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar 2016 Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Served as a work study for biology labs as a freshman and learned how to prepare many different types of media. Currently a TA for Intro to Microbiology lab. President of ASM branch at my university. Member of Tri-Beta (Biology honor society), Phi Eta Sigma (freshman honor society), and Phi Kappa Phi (national honor society). Special Bonus Points: PI did his post-doc at Harvard, knows many different professors there well. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: 3 letters, one from PI, one from professor I had for a lab class whom I got to know very well, and one from a professor helping me write my honors thesis Applying to Where: University of Chicago - Microbiology - have been in contact with a professor about a project I would be interested in, he seemed pretty responsive. Also said he would be accepting students in years to come. Harvard University - BBS MIT - Microbiology UPenn - not sure which program Yale - BBS Tufts University - Sackler Biomedical Grad program Let me know what you guys think! I'm still open to looking at new programs, so let me know if you know anywhere I should look into! I know my GRE scores are not up-to-par. I'm not a standardized test taker. I was hoping that maybe my grades, scholarship/awards and research will carry me a little.

Yeah, those GRE scores bug me. Like I said, I'm not a standardized test taker. I was thinking about taking them again, but I honestly don't know if I would do any better. I don't think it's worth me spending the extra $200 to get maybe 1 point higher in each section. I'm still applying to both Harvard and MIT. I love the city and the schools, and hopefully since my PI worked with some people over there that will help but I don't expect it to completely get me in. I'm also adding some of the schools ranked a little lower like Tufts to my list to apply. Thanks for the help guys! I really appreciate it!

My PI (obviously) has written me great letters before (for awards and such). The other professor is one I had for an upper-level microbiology lab that included and independently designed research project. Her and I got closer after working closely with her in this class and she has also written me letters before, so she is familiar with my research. The last professor I asked is one that is helping me write my honors thesis. I was appointed to her specifically for help on writing and she has become super familiar with everything I am doing. When I was choosing professors to write me letters, in my head I was thinking this: I have my PI, who knows my research and me personally, can attest on my performance in the lab. My professor from lab knows that I can be diverse in the type of lab work I do and adapt. The professor who is helping me with my thesis will be familiar with my writing and can attest to my communication/writing abilities.

Thanks for the feedback! I'm not sure what I'm going to do about my GRE scores. I know they aren't super important but it definitely isn't a good mark on my application. I have a couple of other schools that aren't ivy that I am looking at. So we will see!

@blc073, I saw you are in the BBS at Harvard and @Bioenchilada , you are at UPenn. I'm looking into both of your programs for acceptance in the Fall 2017. I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about what your stats were as undergrads when you were applying to these programs! I'm trying to determine my chances at these places so I can narrow my application choices.

Hey guys, I'm applying to Ph.D. programs for the Fall 2017 semester. If you could give me some feedback on my stats and my school selections, that'd be great! I don't know if I'm aiming too high with my school choices. A lot of professors I know pretty well have told me try it out, so let me know what you think! What are my chances with these institutions? Undergrad Institution: Duquesne University Major(s): Biological Sciences Minor(s): Biochemistry GPA in Major: 4.0 Overall GPA: 3.96 Position in Class: Not provided Type of Student: Asian male, first generation college student GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 150 V: 150 W: 4.5 B: n/a Research Experience: 3 years in a microbiology lab carrying out my own project. Summer 2015 - awarded an Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the American Society for Microbiology, as well as $1,000 travel funds to go to ASM Microbe 2016 in Boston to present a poster and attend the conference. Summer 2016 - awarded an Undergraduate Research Fellowship from Duquesne University. Took research for credit through my Junior and Senior year I have presented at many different meetings across the US, including national and branch meetings. (about 8 poster presentations) I will be writing and defending an honors thesis this coming spring on my work as an undergraduate. Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's List every semester ASM Undergraduate Fellowship Barry M. Goldwater Scholar Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Served as a work study for biology labs as a freshman and learned how to prepare many different types of media. Currently a TA for Intro to Microbiology lab. President of ASM branch at my university. Member of Tri-Beta (Biology honor society), Phi Eta Sigma (freshman honor society), and Phi Kappa Phi (national honor society). Special Bonus Points: PI did his post-doc at Harvard, knows many different professors there well. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: 3 letters, one from PI, one from professor I had for a lab class whom I got to know very well, and one from a professor helping me write my honors thesis Applying to Where: University of Chicago - Microbiology Harvard University - BBS MIT - Microbiology UPenn - not sure which program University of Pittsburgh - Interdisciplinary program (Fee waived) Cornell University - Biochem, cell and molec ?????? Let me know what you guys think! I'm still open to looking at new programs, so let me know if you know anywhere I should look into! I know my GRE scores are not up-to-par. I'm not a standardized test taker. I was hoping that maybe my grades, scholarship/awards and research will carry me a little.