BabyScientist
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Posts posted by BabyScientist
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1 hour ago, androm31 said:
Thank you for the response! Those were definitely the kinds of questions I was thinking of asking. I'll give 'em a shot! Cold emailing is something I'm freaked out about but I'll see how it goes!
Don't be freaked out! I had a great experience doing it. Some people responded just saying something like "we can meet during the interviews" (as in IF you get an interview), and some never responded, but those who did were extremely kind and helpful. Don't be disappointed by those who don't respond - remember that they're super busy people, and you might want to follow up (once) about a week later if they haven't responded. But it's also important to know if they people you most want to work with aren't taking students (which some did tell me), then there's no point applying to that school. Good luck!
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Definitely not
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1 hour ago, neuranxiety said:
Thank you for your recommendation!
Yes, I am definitely going to add and remove some schools from the list, but I'm still in the process of doing so. I also don't have any publications but I'm quite positive that my LORs are very very strong.
Are publications really important for graduate schools? I heard that a lot of people that are accepted to these programs don't have any but I'm not quite so sure anymore
From my experience, publications were important. They are evidence of valuable contribution to research. As in an indication that you did more than just "bitch work" for the lab. But I may have also had that impression because I did have publications. You'd have to make up for it somehow - strong LORs will definitely help if the PI highlights your scientific contributions. Poster presentations could help too if you have that opportunity. Really just make sure to write an SOP that adequately illustrates that you have a solid understanding of what it is to do research.
Let me know if you have more questions or want help narrowing down your list!
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5 hours ago, dbrjpp said:
Hey, guys! Could you evaluate my profile and tell me whether I am aiming too high? I am interested in applying for a PhD in Cancer Biology or Biomedical Sciences.
Undergrad Institution: Top 10 university in Brazil
Major(s): Pharmacy
GPA: 3.5/4.0
Position in Class: First Class Honors (2nd best GPA)
Type of Student: International White FemaleGRE Scores: Still gotta take it
Toefl Score: 104 (will re-take this month as this one is about to expire)
Research Experience:2,5 years during undergrad at a cancer research lab (1.5 year during my first undergrad year + 1 year performing my Thesis). Got a publication as a co-author + 2 poster presentations + 1 oral presentation at a regional event
3 Summer internships abroad during undergrad (Amgen in the US, University of Tokyo and University of Oxford) - 2 poster presentations
1 year at a stem cell research lab (current) - 1 poster presentation
Awards/Honors/Recognitions:Graduated with 2nd best GPA in Class
Academic Excellence Certificate for 2 semesters (GPA = 4.0)
1-year Scholarship funded by the Brazilian Government to perform exchange studies at an Ivy Uni
Short-term Scholarship funded by Uni of Tokyo to perform summer internship
1-year Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Competitive Scholarship) funded by the Brazilian Government
Pertinent Activities or Jobs:TA for a semester during undergrad
6 months as a clinical pharmacy intern
6 months as an organizer at an International Solidarity Project in my home uni
3 months as a tutor (online course)
Summer intern at a pharma company in Brazil
Special Bonus Points:
Master's Degree in a Top10 medical university in the world - gGPA: 3.7/4.0
Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
My GPA during my exchange studies abroad (Ivy Uni) was sub-3.0, however the grades are included in my undergrad transcript and don't look that bad when they were converted. I am afraid that they might ask for this Uni's transcript as well? Emailed NYU Admission's Office and they said I don't need to send it - hoping the other ones say the same.
Applying to Where:
NYU Sackler (LOR from an alumnum)
Rockefeller (LOR from an alumnum)
Cornell Weill
I'm considering applying to: Harvard BBS (might be too high I know) and UCSF TetradIt would be great if you could give me some feedback whether my profile is competitive enough for these programs. I am afraid that my GPA during exchange might hurt my application severely. I am also planning at applying to these programs, as most of them don't ask for GRE scores!
Thanks in advance for any suggestion/comments that you may have for me!
Generally they don't request study abroad transcripts, especially if they're already reflected on your undergrad transcripts.
I don't know how being an international student will play in, but I think you should add some mid-tier schools. Rockefeller, NYU, and Cornell are good options, but very highly regarded (though not quite Harvard/UCSF level). Consider BostonU, UWisconsin Madison, MD Anderson, etc. All well regarded schools that are high mid-tier.
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4 hours ago, sbaringer said:
Undergrad Institution: small-mid sized private university in Connecticut
Major(s): Psychology
Minor(s): biology
GPA in Major: 3.8
Overall GPA: 3.7
Position in Class: no idea
Type of Student: domestic female
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 66th
V: 76th
W: 93rd
Research Experience: year long honors thesis at Yale (nearby school) on familial Alzheimer's disease and interneurons; 2 year post bac at NIH working on DNA repair and neurodegeneration
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: various academic scholarships, dean's list every semester, magna cum laude, multiple honor societies
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: post bac fellowship
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Will present thesis from Yale at SfN this year in San Diego and have presented current project at NIA multiple times.
Special Bonus Points: Vilhelm Bohr recommender (Neils Bohr's grandson) and two other very strong letters
Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: no completed publications, but a handful of pending ones
Applying to Where: (Any idea of the acceptance rates?)- Johns Hopkins University- Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular biology
- Vanderbilt University-Interdisciplinary Graduate Program
- Columbia University -Neurobiology
- University of Pennsylvania- Neuroscience-Biomedical Graduate Studies
- Boston University -Program in Biomedical Sciences
- University of Chicago -Neurobiology
- University of Washington -Molecular and Cellular Biology
- University of Maryland -Neuroscience
- Penn State University -Biomedical Sciences
- New York University -Biomedical Sciences
This is a pretty solid list. The lack of publications makes it tough for me to gage odds, but presentations, a strong SOP, and LORs could make up for that.
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Don't bother retaking your GRE just for verbal your scores are good and the GRE is becoming less and less important.
I don't know if the names listed next to the schools are your POIs, but generally good advice is don't apply anywhere where you only have 1 or 2 POIs. Your list is top heavy, so try adding a few more mid tier schools.
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12 hours ago, lolehmann said:
Undergrad Institution: University of Wisconsin Madison
Major(s): Biochemistry, Mathematics
Minor(s): None
GPA in Major: 3.3
Overall GPA: 3.3
Position in Class: Unknown
Type of Student: Domestic White Female
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 163
V: 165
W: 5
Research Experience:2 years during undergrad at the USDA-Dairy Forage Research Center, involved some field work and a lot of lab work, multiple independent projects but no publications.
Summer internship during undergrad at Promega, again an independent project, kit I designed was passed along to marketing (but has not made it to market yet).
I now work full time in R&D at a small immuno-oncology startup (for 1.25 years, will be 2.25 by the time I *hopefully* enter grad school). I was promoted within 9 months and I've been highly involved in multiple interdisciplinary projects but unfortunately for IP reasons we won't be publishing any time soon.
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: none?
Pertinent Activities or Jobs:I was a math tutor for 2.5 years (Algebra-Calculus). I was also vice president of Molecular Archaeology Group Student Association (MAGSA) at the UW for 1 year.
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:
awarded an operations grant for MAGSA (the student org I helped to run)
Special Bonus Points: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...)
Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:I have no publications which really concerns me, my PI at the USDA isn't great about sharing credit and my post bacc work isn't going to be published for a while for IP reasons. I have also never presented at a conference, but I have presentation experience from undergrad in both math and biochem and am listed as an author on several posters colleagues have presented at conferences (unsure whether to list this on my CV). Should have 3 great LORs.
Applying to Where:
I've already sent my GRE scores to:
UC Irvine - Cell/MoBioUniversity of Washington - Cell/MoBio
University of Colorado Boulder - Cell/MoBio
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill - BBSP
I'm considering applying to: UC Davis, Yale (I know someone who worked with a POI there), University of Oregon, UT Austin, University of Pennsylvania, ??
I'd love some advice on where to apply, I'm having a hard time figuring out whether I'm a competitive enough applicant for the schools I'm looking at. I'm particularly interested in doing my graduate work in protein engineering (which is what I do now). Thanks in advance for any advice you have for me!
The lack of publications is hard... But I don't think it'll screw you entirely. If I were you I would try to at least get a poster presentation? But the fact that you're working in industry would explain that well.
You should write a killer SOP that really explains why you want to go to grad school. Why the move from industry to academia? Contact POIs in advance and talk to them about your research interests and theirs and maybe ask them how bad the lack of publications is? If they want you badly enough they can lobby for you to get in.
Maybe also consider USC, UCSB, NYU, UPitt, Boston U, Tufts. I know people who got into some of those MCB programs with similar stats to yours. Boston is a great place to be if you're interested in going back to industry.
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11 hours ago, Anne09 said:
Hello guys! I was wondering if I could get some advice about my application. I believe that I have strong research experience, but my GRE scores are absolutely awful and my GPA is mediocre. I am struggling to figure out where to apply to graduate school and would appreciate some honest feedback (you can be as brutal as necessary I just need some honesty haha). Please feel free to message me as well! I am more than happy to help in anyway I can.
Anyways, here we go...
Undergrad Institution: (Top 5 liberal arts school - U.S. News and World Report - my school is good academically, but personally I do not think that we are great for science. However, I did cross-register over half of my classes the last two years at a top 5 university - Forbes ranking)
Major(s): Neuroscience
Minor(s): MusicOverall GPA: between 3.5 and 3.6 (I know that my GRE is low for top schools)
Note: GPA in major may have been a bit lower at my liberal arts school, but it is much higher at the university I was cross-registered it (I have no idea why...)
Position in Class: really not sure, but probably only okay - we did have grade deflation and my school sends out a letter with our transcript to graduate schools explaining their grade deflation policies
Type of Student: I am a female, non-minorityNote: also took many business and entrepreneurship courses at two major business schools too (idk if this will make my application interesting or be a negative)
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 151 (51%) I know that this is absolutely awful (am worried that it might be a rejection factor)
V: 161 (86%)
W: 4.5 (82%)Research Experience: (At your school or elsewhere? What field? How much time? Any publications (Mth author out of N?) or conference talks etc...)
I absolutely LOVE research.
Sophomore fall: basic research in a lab in my major at my liberal arts school - just gained basic laboratory techniques - nothing special
Sophomore spring: transferred to a lab at a major research school (MIT, Harvard, Stanford etc) - stayed in this lab until my junior spring - research is loosely related to the research I hope to do in graduate school (worked for a year and a half) - positive relationships with everyone there
Junior fall - senior spring: this is probably the first research experience that I will really stress in my application since it was directly related to what I am doing now and hope to do in graduate school - wonderful research experience with wonderful mentors - gained many skills, and was published third author in a major publication (Nature, Science, Cell etc) with a decent amount of press - I am forever grateful for the people who mentored me in this lab (research was also at a school, such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford etc and in the lab of a Nobel Laureate)
Junior summer - did a summer internship abroad in a research lab in Europe- great experience, learned many skills, and in the same field as my major, but the research is not directly relevant to what I hope to do in graduate school - top school in Europe
Currently: I am working as a research technician in another wonderful lab with fantastic and supportive mentors at a school such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford etc, but different than the school I worked in as an undergraduate. (I have been working there for about a year and a half as of now) - two and a half years by the time I (hopefully) am in graduate school - was promoted within a year and published in a good journal (only 5th author) - e.g. Cell, Neuron, PLOS etc
Note: not sure how much this matters, but this research is also directly related to what I would love to do in graduate school - the PI of the whole lab is also known as the top professor in his field
Awards/Honors/Recognitions:I haven't won so many research awards, but I was a finalist for a major fellowship (Rhodes, Fulbright etc) - was on the waitlist for it, but ultimately did not receive it (It's okay though haha)
Won many national piano competitions when I was younger (performed in Carnegie Hall) - but I would consider this a bit outdated, because I am older now
I have a couple of contests I have won for entrepreneurship projects, but idk how much this counts...
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: (Such as tutor, TA, SPS officer etc...)Intern for a medical device startup my senior year
Note: I also do not know if this is a positive or a negative, but I originally worked on my startup (I was a co-founder) for about 7 months after graduation - project ultimately failed so I started my research job, but I learned a lot and we did make headway)
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:I am currently working on another entrepreneurship project related to my research on the side for fun, but honestly I haven't made too much progress as of now
I will be presenting a poster and have an abstract published at a major international conference (will present in the fall before application due dates)
Special Bonus Points: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...)I took graduate-level courses in one of the schools I hope to apply to and received only 1 B the rest As (idk if this will help make up for my GPA at my liberal arts school or not..)
I also have gotten extremely fortunate with my mentors and am forever grateful for them. One of my letters will be written by a very famous professor (Nobel laureate) - I worked and published in his lab. My other two letters will come from my current direct supervisor (he is amazing) and the PI of the whole lab (known as the best professor in his field). All 3 letters will be personal and I would be very surprised if they were not excellent. Overall, I would consider my letters to be the strongest aspect of my application, as all of them know me personally and I have strong relationships with them.
Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:I do volunteer work related to women in STEM.
I also have done some independent contract work for a medical device for a major pharmaceutical - not sure if I should include such things on my application or not...
P.S. Sorry this is long - any feedback is appreciated. Basically I think most of my application is decent, but my GRE schools are simply AWFUL. I am going to re-take the GRE again (first took these back in October - December), but who knows how I will do. Any recommendations as to where to apply would be greatly appreciated - I am a bit stressed right now and would appreciate the input (the harsher and more realistic the better).
Thank you!
GRE scores are not heavily weighted on applications. Someone might look at your Quant score and be like ehhhhh but then see your research experience and be like k whatever. If you could retake the GRE and did even a little better in math, that factor would be removed, but it's still not a big deal. What schools are you looking to apply to?
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1 hour ago, CoffeeDuringIncubations said:
Undergrad Institution: Top 5 liberal arts
Major(s): BiochemistryGPA in Major: 3.5+ (not sure but I qualified for an honors thesis because of this cutoff)
Overall GPA: 3.75/4.00. Graduating senior
Position in Class: Not sure % wise, but 3.75 is the cut off for Magna Cum Laude, while 3.9 is summa cum laude.
Type of Student: Domestic female, white/latinx
GRE Scores (revised/old version): none yet, but I have not been doing so great on practice tests. I was wondering if people could provide feedback on what GRE scores I need to shoot for based on my profile
Q:
V:
W:
B:
Research Experience: 1 year of research at a top lab at an Top 10 R1 university nearby, publication pending (likely to be submitted around grad school apps, I heard submission is sufficient to put on the CV), summers at top research centers, but only 1 year of research during school. 1 national conference poster. Four poster sessions, three talks; one resulting in a public speaking award by the college
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Amgen Scholar, Goldwater finalist within school (can I put this?)
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA one semester
Special Bonus Points: Very famous recommendation (lab PI)
Applying to Where:
Research interests: neurogenetics and synbio. Can anyone let me know if there are good labs in neurogenetics in other programs not listed?
Harvard-Systems BioHarvard-BBS
MIT-Bio
Stanford-Genetics
UCSF-Tetrad
Columbia-Sys Bio
UNC-MolecularBio/Genetics
Thanks for the help! My main questions are GRE score and neurogenetics recs.
I'd say you're aiming too high. That isn't to say that you don't have a chance at Harvard, MIT, UCSF tier schools, but literally no one has such good odds that they can put most of their eggs in that basket. GRE scores you should aim for are around 160, but that is weighted low relative to other factors of your application.
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Not a dumb question at all!
I contacted faculty before applying, if only to establish a connection in case I did get an interview. I chose the top people I was interested in and sent them an email explaining that I was applying and was interested in their work. I described some of my past experiences in the field, then I explained exactly what they did that was of interest to me and how it relates to my interests or past experiences (not in great detail or anything). The only questions I really asked were "Do you know if you'll be taking students next year?" and "Would you be able to speak over the phone sometime to further discuss my interests?" Bonus points if you have actual questions about their research, but they better be well-informed questions. I did have a few phone calls with faculty - I told them about my interests and why that program is exciting to me. They told me about their research, and even gave me some tips about the program that helped me bolster my SOP for that program.
This was all for neuroscience PhD programs.
Feel free to PM me and I can send you examples of my emails or answer more questions.
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On 7/25/2018 at 10:23 PM, manish3303 said:
Thank you ChallengerSwimmer23.
I am mainly thinking of Molecular Biology or cancer Biology Programs. MD Anderson is definitely on my list.
What kind of GRE score should I be aiming for? What do you think are my chances when it comes to top tier programs? Is there anything I should be doing to bolster my profile to be competitive?
GRE scores are not as critical as you might think. Some schools aren't even requiring them anymore. Aim for 155+ in verbal and quant, but really that number just means "above average". If you do super well, it helps, if you do meh, it's almost irrelevant (depending on the school). Top programs get a lot of applicants, so they tend to weed people out based on numbers in their first round of looking at applications. That's where GPA matters most. You should look at schools across all tiers - University of Vermont, UC Davis, University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Virginia, and maybe throw in a few of the Harvard Yale MIT Stanford type schools.
At this point, the best things you can do to bolster your application are writing a killer SOP, making sure your LOR are strong, and contacting faculty of interest at your schools of interest to make sure the research interests actually match.
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23 hours ago, socialinsects4eva said:
I assume I have somewhat of an average applicant profile. Applying primarily to molecular/cellular biology programs. Any advice/criticisms are greatly appreciated.
Undergraduate Institution: University of Nebraska at Omaha (for a public, midwestern U, has surprisingly solid reputation for bio research.)
Major(s): Biology, Neuroscience
Minor(s): Philosophy
GPA in Major: 3.6
Overall GPA: 3.4
Position in class: unsure
Supplementary education: applied bioinformatics certificate program through USCD-Extension School (GPA: 3.8)
Type of Student: domestic white male
GRE Scores (revised)
Q: 150
V: 162
W: 5.5
B: N/A
- I'm retaking in two weeks. Practice tests have my Q between 156-160.
Research Experience:
- Summer REU (via NSF) [designed, carried out experiment, implemented new tech/protocols in home lab (below) - presented at UNMC (medical school affiliated with campus) research conference
- 2 years molecular neuro/genetics research (assisting in NIH projects and conducting my own, below) regular presentations at lab meetings
- 6 months of the above experience have been a paid tech position
- 1 grant proposal and award for project started 1/1/2018, manuscript in progress (primary author)
- 1 year computational biology research, paid position, project manager, manuscript in process (tertiary author)
- 6 months molecular ecology research, assisting in ongoing project as volunteer
Awards/Honors/Recognitions:
- University philosophy honors scholarship (1 semester)
- Deans list (3 semesters)
- Nu Rho Psi honors society
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: primarily listed in research experience, but
- Started undergraduate late (2015), began paid research positions mid 2017. Prior to this, held several unrelated jobs, worked full time (see penultimate section)
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:
- Started/direct campus-organization-turned-501(c)3 nonprofit organization for science communication and public engagement. Two faculty on board of directors, hosted several public events 2017/2018 academic year. This year, plan to host micro-conference.
Special Bonus Points:
- Graduate course in ecological genetics
- Three very solid LORs (and additional good LOR if needed)
- Projects I've assisted in are including me as tertiary author, though these won't be published for a couple of years
Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
- Not sure if I'll need to mention it, but I have one C+ in a major course (biochemistry)
- Also, I've dealt with financial strain the majority of my education due to going through divorce (finalized late 2017), so I've had to spend more time working unrelated jobs (not many positions in Omaha for lab tech work without a BS degree) and less time studying than I would have enjoyed.
Applying to Where:
Ignore the EEB programs. I'll be applying to cell/molecular biology oriented programs only.
Don't worry about the C+, I had 2 of those in science courses and still got in. Those publications will definitely help, as well as the fact that you had a grant proposal awarded. If the publications haven't been submitted yet, you can still put them on your CV as "manuscript in progress". Pretty solid applicant for most of the schools on your list. Focus on writing a strong SOP that really explains why you want to join these programs, and you may even have a shot at the higher tier schools.
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On 7/22/2018 at 9:38 PM, Ivey0126 said:
Hi all!
This is my second time applying so here are my stats. The last time I applied was over three years ago. I waited this long to apply again because I wanted to make sure I was as competitive an applicant as possible.
Undergrad Institution: St John's University, New York
Major(s):Biology
Minor(s):
GPA in Major: 3.03
Overall GPA: 3.32
Position in Class: average
Type of Student: (Domestic/International, male/female, minority?) female, domestic, minority
GRE Scores (revised/old version): I will be taking the GRE again in August. These are my old scores
Q: 154
V:152
W:4.0
B:
Research Experience: (At your school or elsewhere? What field? How much time?I have a one semester graduate school research project in Molecular Biology.
Thesis research project for my Masters Degree in Molecular Biology
One year working in a mental health research institute working on Alzheimer's research
Three years in gastric cancer research at UCSD
One year working in digital medicine in HIV clinical research at UCSD
Any publications (Mth author out of N?) or conference talks etc...)
Two first author publications, 1 midauthor publication . (Currently working on 2 other first author publications, should be in peer review by end of September).
Three poster presentations at major conferences.
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: (Within your school or outside?)
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: (Such as tutor, TA, SPS officer etc...)
TA for one year during graduate school.College professor for one semester at CC
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:
Special Bonus Points: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...)
Have a Master's in Molecular Biology (3.75 GPA) , female, minority
Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
Applying to Where:
Gerstner Sloan Kettering - Department - Cancer Biology
NYU Sackler- Department - Molecular Oncology
Columbia - Department - Cellular, Molecular & BiomedicalWeill Cornell- Biomedical Sciences
Albert Einstein- Biomedical
Icahn SOM- Cancer Biology
Rutger, Newark-Molecular Biology, Genetics and Cancer
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Is there any reason why you're only applying in NY? Maybe branch out a bit?
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Based on how many chemistry classes you've taken? You're definitely over thinking it.
- lmb123 and fauxmystic
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At some schools, a sub par GPA can be outweighed by strong research experience. Schools like Harvard, Yale, UCSF, MIT, etc are more likely to filter you out in their first round based on GPA alone (more competitive schools can afford to do that), but I think you'd have good odds at places like Boston University, UPittsburg, UWisconsin Madison, Northwestern, NYU, USC. Really, you should be deciding where to apply based on faculty with your research interests, so just think of schools that might be in your range and see if they have faculty working on something you're interested in.
As for your sob story - it's not your sob story, it's your reality. Your statement of purpose should be focused on why you would make a good researcher and why you want to do it. I would advise focusing on that in your SOP, with maybe a little reference to having a tough family situation in your intro, and writing something up separately that you can upload as supplemental information explaining your situation. I knew someone with a 2.9 undergrad GPA with an honestly less terrible sob story who got into both USC and NYU for cell/molec bio.
Focus on writing a strong statement of purpose that really shows you have what it takes, getting strong letters of recc, and applying only to schools that really match your research interests.
I'd be happy to help with all this - feel free to message me.
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On 7/13/2018 at 9:34 AM, DaddyBenzene said:
Hey guys, thanks for the advice. However, these worries are actually very related--- because I had to leave my undergraduate institution a year early, my old PI was unhappy about me not being about to complete my given project and was advising me to stay (but I couldn't), even going as as far as to call my decision foolish. She is the 3rd letter that I am thinking about, since we had a very good relationship and she saw my work ethic and ability to produce good data prior to that event. However, she is the type of person to hold grudges, although I'm worried that substantial experience in a lab without that PI's recommendation will come off as a red flag. She'll also possess a lot more clout than my other options, most of whom don't know me particularly well. Any advice?
I would talk to her about it. If you had a good relationship beforehand, you should be able to openly discuss it with her. You may have to talk about why you had to leave and explain that it was better for you and you appreciated her advice back then anyway. But if she seems grudgey about it, don't use her letter. A bad letter from someone with clout is worse than a good letter from a scientific "nobody". You could also ask a postdoc you worked with for a letter if need be. Strong letters, no matter who they're from, will out shadow not having a letter from a substantial experience.
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I agree with the other posts. If you're interested in immunology, and your experience is immunology, the subfield is irrelevant. Any experience is good experience, so long as you have good reason why you're interested in the program your applying to itself.
Being in the same lab for at least a year shows commitment to a project - that's important. If you like the lab you're in and the work you're doing, stick to it. Starting in a new lab right before applications are due will not benefit you.
PhD programs are long (5+ years), and require a commitment to one project the entire time. You want to show perseverance - prove to them that tough times when your experiments don't work won't make you want to drop out of grad school.
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On 7/9/2018 at 1:35 PM, DaddyBenzene said:
Can get 2 very strong LORs, not sure about the quality of the 3rd.
I would be very careful about having a LOR you're not sure about. I know someone personally who requested her 3rd letter of recc from a professor she hadn't seen in 5 years but had a great relationship with when she was in his class - he told her he would write it but warned that his memory is going bad, she figured it was fine. It wasn't. Turned an easily amazing applicant into someone who barely got 2/15 interviews.
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On 7/10/2018 at 5:44 PM, sydber said:
Undergrad Institution: Boston University
Major(s): BA Neuroscience & Philosophy
Minor(s): N/A
GPA in Major: 3.91
Overall GPA: 3.75
Position in Class: Top 15%, but probably closer to top 8-10%
Type of Student: domestic white female
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 164 (86th)
V: 160 (86th)
W: 6 (99th)
Research Experience:2 years of research (would have been 3, but I graduated a year early) in an addiction genetics at BU in the pharmacology department (a neuroscience/pharm lab); will receive middle authorship on a paper planning to be submitted to Cell Systems. However, this paper is being submitted around August/September, and will likely still be under review throughout application season.
1 summer as a science intern at a pharmaceutical production plant.
1 year and ongoing (2 years by the time I leave for grad school) as a research technician/lab manager in an autoimmunity lab at a state institution from my home state. The lab is a startup lab, so I was the only employee at first and helped the PI put together the lab from the ground up. I will likely have publications from this stint (first author review, first author coauthor—unfortunately listed 2nd since I’m a tech and the other lab member is a postdoc), but these publications will not be submitted before application season. Will likely present a poster at AIC.
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Deans list every semester, magna cum laude graduate, Peter Bertocci Award for Philosophical excellence (this is a BU award given to 1 student a year and chosen by philosophy faculty), and Nu Rho Psi member
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA for Introduction to Immunology class, writer/layout designer for a campus neuroscience magazine, coordinator for a BU annual event geared toward teaching the general public, children, and other college students about the brain.
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Lots of extra volunteer work teaching young children about science and socializing and raising funding for high school aged special needs kids. I’m considering getting a certificate in business analytics throughout the year before grad school, but that’s a big maybe.
Special Bonus Points: I took graduate level neuroscience classes at BU and got all A’s. One of these classes was a 700-level class with all 3rd year neuro grad students. My PI there was also pretty well known in genetics, but I’m not going into genetics so it’s likely a wash anyway. All 3 letters will likely be very strong, and I know all my recommenders quite well.
Applying to Where: all immunology programs with a focus of neuroimmunology
Mayo Graduate School – immunology or neurobiology of disease trackWUSTL – immunology
Baylor College of Medicine – immunology
Northwestern University – life sciences/immunology track
University of Chicago – immunology
University of Iowa – immunology
University of Minnesota – immunology
I may consider other schools after going to AIC and talking to faculty. They have a great lineup of speakers. I’m also still asking around and getting advice, so we’ll see come September.
I think that, with a strong SOP and strong LORs, you're likely to get interviews at most of those schools.
It doesn't matter if the publications haven't been submitted or accepted at a journal yet - you can include them in your CV (as long as there's some sort of title) and just stick "manuscript in preparation" at the end of the citation. If you're presenting at a conference after the application deadlines, you can mention it in your SOP.
If you're interested in neuroimmunology, I would consider adding the University of Virginia BIMS program to your list - they have a center (the BIG center) dedicated to neuroimmunology research and a huge faculty for it.
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Hey! I'm in the process of trying to figure out the most cost efficient way to ship/move all my things across the country, and I figured there are probably a bunch of you out there in the same boat. Why not try to share the cost burden?
I only have a few furniture pieces and some boxes. Anyone want to share moving truck space and cost?
Details:
Moving from California bay area to Washington, DC/Bethesda, MD area
Have to be in DC second week of July
We have a queen mattress, TV, small desk, and some boxes (fit in a standard pick up truck bed last time we moved).
We're looking at a 16' moving truck costing about $2.2k (still looking for a better deal).
We don't have nearly enough to fill a 16' truck. I'm thinking if we get a bunch of people with just some stuff they want to ship from and to similar areas, we can all save some money. We can drive the truck itself so it's like you just shipped your things.
Anyone interested? Or know of some sort of website that does something like this?
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On 4/17/2018 at 8:18 PM, thinhtran said:
Hi everyone! This is a bit specific (and also early to ask), but I figure I'd put it out there anyway for anyone who has similar experience. My significant other will start his PhD (in a social science field) next year at a prestigious Ivy school, and I'll wrap up my master's degree in Toronto and apply next year to PhD programs in biology in the US. It would be ideal to attend the same school with him, though I do have a number of options for programs that are a bit further away but still convenient to get to. My question is, should I mention my relationship anywhere in my application for the Ivy school that my SO attends? The program is top-notch and there are many PIs I want to work with there, so it's already a very appealing program for me and my SO is an extra reason, not the only one, that makes me want to go there. I definitely don't plan on elaborating on my personal relationship in my SOP, but would it help or hurt my chances to mention it elsewhere in the application?
I agree with @eevee. It's something you could mention briefly were you to get to the interview phase (interviewers are also gauging how likely you'd be to attend the school were you to be admitted), but definitely not on the application. Emphasize the academic reasons why you want to and are qualified to go there.
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16 hours ago, navix said:
Hello! Would be attending UCLA for PhD in ECE this fall. I was wondering what would be a better option: stay near campus and walk or a bit far and travel by car?
I suggest looking in neighborhoods like Sawtelle for UCLA housing. You can bike/bus from there, or have a short commute. Anything much further would be hell as far as traffic goes.
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On 4/13/2018 at 9:19 AM, biochem2018 said:
I'm trying to decide between University of Washington MCB and Scripps (San Diego) for my PhD program. I liked the research the most at Scripps and have been offered a Skaggs Fellowship, which basically provides my own funding for the first 3 years. However, I had the best interview weekend at UW and really enjoyed all the current students (they seemed super happy) and liked Seattle the best. Does anyone have any thoughts on these two programs that could help me decide??? Thanks!
First, research should be the most important thing. If you can see yourself happy at Scripps, it's probably the way to go.
Another thing to consider is networking opportunities. Scripps is right by UCSD, and in close proximity to UCLA, USC, and other renowned institutions. The networking/collaboration opportunities between these institutions are limitless.
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On 4/12/2018 at 11:24 AM, Harlequin1890 said:
I emailed my advisor that I’ll be attending their program. I also rejected everyone else and already committed in their portal. Haven’t received a reply in 4 business days. Should I be worried? (I am.)
I’m getting anxious and feel like this is a bad omen– they were pretty awesome when we chatted a few months ago...
They could be on vacation or something. I would send a follow up email. If you committed in their portal, I'm sure you're fine.
Contacting Professors
in Questions and Answers
Posted
Follow up after a week or two with those that didn't respond. They may still not respond, and that's your hint to give up, but they may have just forgotten about the email or it got lost among the hundreds of emails they get daily. If you have other faculty of interest you want to speak with, go for it, but don't contact people you aren't interested in.