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AllieKat

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Posts posted by AllieKat

  1. On 6/28/2020 at 8:44 PM, sun_daisie said:

    What complex do you live at, if you don’t mind my asking. I’m currently searching out places to live and it’s exhausting lol. 

    While Houston is pretty cheap, I'd be surprised to find a one bedroom apartment anywhere near your school for $650. A more reasonable range would be $800-1000 for a one bedroom and $1100-1500 for a two bedroom if you're looking near Rice/Med Center/UH. I pay $600 for my half of a 2B/2ba. PM me if you want some more specific insight!

  2. Current biochemistry PhD student that took biochem I pass/fail (skipped biochem II) in undergrad due to tight scheduling with my music degree. Not one soul asked me about it. I highly doubt anyone from a genetics/biomedical science program will care about you not taking organic II. But if you take it and get a C...a lower GPA could be a deciding factor down the road.

  3. To add to your list, Michigan's biomedical sciences program (PIBS) doesn't require the GRE anymore and ranks quite highly. As for categorizing or ranking them, I'd imagine each schools' competitiveness is comparable to last year's, if not more competitive, due to more applicants since getting rid of the GRE. I'd pay attention to the schools' past statistics on their websites, US news rankings, and available information on this forum. Good luck! And if you stick with this list, 10-12 applications is not abnormal, so it might be worth a deep dive into all of them to find your research interests.

  4. On 3/10/2019 at 8:14 PM, paraent said:

    I wanna know what life without a car is like in Nashville. If I came, I'd be turning down some of the most walkable cities in the country and would love to read someone telling me that it's NBD haha. I don't even have a driver's license!

    This depends a lot on where you're living and where all you need to get to. Regardless, if you're looking for a city you can fully experience via bus/bike/foot, Nashville isn't it. If you live within biking distance of campus--and you just want to be able to go to class, get your groceries, and hit up a few restaurants and bars--that's totally do-able. You'll probably have a cohort with cars, if you're okay with depending on them for group outings. Just don't expect the buses to EVER be on time.

  5. 14 hours ago, Madison17 said:

    Does anyone have any thoughts on applying to multiple programs at the same school? One of my schools allows up to three programs to be applied for with one application and most of the faculty I'm interested in are listed in multiple departments.  I've read that this can make an applicant seem unfocused however, so I'm not sure if I should turn in more than one.

    I'd talk to the admissions coordinator about your situation. They'll be able to tell you what's normal for their program, plus that'll mean that at least one person is looking out for your application.

  6. On 10/20/2018 at 3:13 PM, e106vikingS said:

    Undergrad Institution: University of Minnesota
    Major(s): Neuroscience BS
    Overall GPA: 3.1
    Type of Student: Domestic

    GRE Scores (revised/old version):
    Q: 157 - 65th
    V: 159 - 83rd
    W: 5.0 - 92
    B: N/A

    Research Experience: 1.5 years in a cellular neuroscience lab at my university. Two publications (2nd author out of 5, 3rd author out of 6). Also have presented some of my work at a symposium.

    Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Within school: Dean's list

    Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Tutor (intro biology - usually basic genetics and cell biology), have a job lined up as a lab technician for when I graduate in December.

    Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Not sure where exactly where this fits, but is somewhat relevant to my experience; I worked the majority of my time as an undergrad (average ~30 hours a week), eventually was promoted to a supervisor position (not a job related to biology)

    Special Bonus Points: strong letters of recommendation

    Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: My biggest worry is my transcript being a little "all over the place." I started college in 2009 (non-science and had a very low GPA). Took time off and worked, went to community college later then transferred to UMN. My GPA is largely weighed down from classes I took in 2009-2010. 

    Applying to Where:

    Northwestern - NUIN
    Baylor - Cancer & Cell Biology, Genetics & Genomics
    Case Western - BSTP

    UNC - BBSP

    Emory - Cancer Biology, Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology

    UT Health (MD Anderson) - GSBS

    University of Minnesota - Neuroscience

    University of Illinois - Chicago - GEMS

    University of Tennessee - IBS

    You've got quite the spread of programs here, with some neuroscience and some completely different. Are you wanting to continue in neuro or branch into something else? If you want to keep your options open, it may be wise to apply to the schools' umbrella programs when available, instead. Baylor has a separate umbrella program (IMBS), as does Northwestern (IBiS or DGP, for the respective campuses). You'd be able to rotate in any department's labs. As for Emory, they don't have an umbrella, so you'll be picking your top two for possible interviews. As you can probably tell, I applied to a several of these schools, so let me know if you have any specific questions.

  7. 4 hours ago, Claire617 said:

    Hi! I've been reading these for a while now and decided to finally post one of my own. Although I ended up at a school that I loved, I had a bad experience applying to college in high school because I applied to schools out of my reach and I'm trying avoid repeating that mistake. So please be brutally honest with your opinions of my chances of getting into these programs! Thanks!

    Undergrad Institution: Mid-size R1, relatively well known for biology/sciences/engineering
    Major(s): Biochemistry
    Minor(s): Chemistry
    GPA in Major: 3.56
    Overall GPA: 3.53
    Position in Class: Not reported
    Type of Student: Domestic female

    GRE Scores (revised/old version): Not sure if I will send these in to schools that are optional, does anyone have any thoughts on whether it will help my application or am I wasting money on score reports?
    Q: 163 (83%)
    V: 164 (94%)
    W: 4.5 (82%)
    B: N/A

    Research Experience:

    Undergraduate Institution: 2 years in a relatively well-known cancer and aging lab (school year and summers), worked on a few different projects but my main one was studying the relative cancer resistance of different rodent species. I wrote a senior thesis on this project to graduate with honors in research and got a second author paper. I also have a mid-author paper but that project was very small and had a ton of other undergraduate authors.

    Post-bac: I have been working as a tech at The Rockefeller University for the past two years in a lab studying obesity. I've been mostly doing behavioral experiments for a few postdocs and I'm beginning to take on a small project of my own that is part of their larger projects.  This research is very different from my undergrad research and what I eventually want to study (which is cancer biology), but I've gained a lot of experience and learned a lot about working full time in a lab. I have one second-author paper now and possibly one mid-author by the time I leave, although most likely not before applications are due.

    Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Honorary Science Award Scholarship, Graduated with Honors in Research, Dean's List 5 semesters

    Pertinent Activities or Jobs: None :(

    Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Vice president of my social sorority, Financial Vice President of my university's Panhellenic Executive Council (which oversees all sorority activities), first chair alto sax in wind symphony all 4 years

    Does anyone have thoughts on whether I should include my sorority affiliation in my applications? I know some people look down on it but I gained a lot of leadership experience and it really enhanced my college experience. 

    Special Bonus Points: My undergrad PI/recommender is well known in the aging field, my Rockefeller PI/recommender is famous, I took 2 grad classes as part of my undergrad major and did relatively well

    Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I am expecting an excellent recommendation letter from my undergraduate PI and at least a very good one from my undergraduate major advisor who will write about how rigorous the curriculum was at my school and that my major is one of the hardest at the university. Unfortunately I have not enjoyed working in my current lab and I am not terribly interested in the topic of research. I initially signed on because I wanted to get experience in a different field from my undergraduate research and I was very excited to work for such an esteemed PI. Things didn't really turn out as planned but I'm trying to make the most of it. So, I'm slightly unsure about the recommendation letter I will get from my current position but I don't really have any other options.

    Applying to Where: I have a VERY long list of schools that I am slowly narrowing down. I am mainly looking at umbrella programs that provide a lot of flexibility to explore different areas. I have a wide range of interests but I am mainly focused on cancer biology and gene regulation. I don't want to enter into a specific program but I am fine with choosing a track once I've picked a lab.

    MIT - Biology

    Stanford Biosciences - Cancer Biology

    UCSF BMS - Cancer Biology and Cell Signaling

    Duke CMB - Molecular Cancer Biology

    WashU DBBS - Molecular Cell Biology

    UCSD Biomedical Sciences - Cancer BiologyU

    U Michigan PIBS - Cancer Biology

    U Penn CAMB - Cancer Biology

    U Washington MCB - Cancer Biology

    Cornell Weill BCMB - Molecular Biology

    Gerstner Sloan Kettering - Cancer Biology

    Northwestern DGP - Cancer Biology

    UNC BBSP - Genetics and Molecular Biology

    NYU Sackler - Molecular Oncology and Tumor Immunology

    Tufts Sackler - Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology

    BU PiBS - Genetics and Genomics

    GWU IBS - Cancer Biology

     

    Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

     


     

    Hi! I was also heavily involved in my sorority, and included it on my applications. I would highly suggest you include it, especially if those are your only leadership positions while in college. When ( both male and female) interviewers asked me about being president of my sorority, it was always in an open-minded "what did you learn?" kind of way. That's when you talk about learning collaboration, speaking skills, etc.

    For the GRE, your scores would not hurt you. They're very good. As far as it being a waste of money on scores reports, I truly have no idea, given that schools that make it optional probably don't weigh it heavily at all. With your GPA being slightly below average, it could help to reinforce that your major was just really hard.

    Make sure to know the ins and outs of your new project, when it comes to research statements/interviews. Since you said you're unsure about the rec letter coming out of this, show your PI that you have it all together when collecting, sharing, and especially presenting data. You may lack the excitement and motivation to work on this project, but if you can exemplify discipline, that's much more valuable. Motivation will fade before you have your PhD, but discipline is what will get you to the finish line. Then tell your PI to frame the letter as you being a very disciplined and talented scientist, even when you're not interested in the specifics (just imagine how well she'll do in a field she actually likes)!

  8. On 8/6/2018 at 11:21 PM, thezonehunk said:

    Undergrad Institution: Ivy, strong bio research reputation
    Major(s): Biochemistry
    Minor(s):
    GPA in Major: 3.3
    Overall GPA: 3.6
    Position in Class: N/A
    Type of Student: Domestic male

    GRE Scores (revised/old version):
    Q: 164
    V: 170
    W: 5
    B: N/A
    
    
    Research Experience: (At your school or elsewhere? What field? How much time? Any publications (Mth author out of N?) or conference talks etc...)

    In HS, did research for 2 summers that amounted to a 2nd author publication and a national conference poster presentation (Is this too old to include in an application, since it's been ~6 years?)

    Undergrad, worked in a cancer immunotherapy lab for 3 years, 1 poster presentation, mid-authorship on a manuscript that has been in the works for over a  year now; the post-doc I was working with put this project on the backburner and has not reached out to me about publishing it for a while; I'm currently planning on just listing it as a manuscript in my application

    Currently an NIH postbac working in an HIV lab, submitting a manuscript that should be accepted by the time applications are due. 1 local poster presentation, 1 international presentation that will take place after apps are submitted, but my abstract will be in before then.

     

    Awards/Honors/Recognitions: (Within your school or outside?)

    Dean's List junior/senior year of undergrad

    NIH poster day presenter award

     

    Pertinent Activities or Jobs: (Such as tutor, TA, SPS officer etc...) N/A

    Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

    I volunteered in a science tutor/mentor capacity with underserved students  both in undergrad and at the NIH
     

    Special Bonus Points: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...)

    Took several grad classes in undergrad and achieved A's

    Current PI is a major name in the field that will write a very strong recommendation letter

    Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
    Definitely a strong upward trend with regards to science grades; as a couple of other posters mentioned, I had C's in a couple of organic chemistry courses earlier on, followed A's in almost all of the rest of my courses.


    Applying to Where:
     

    UCSF BMS

    Stanford Biosciences- Immunology

    Yale BBS Immunobiology

    Rockefeller

    Columbia Immunology

    Baylor College of Medicine Immunology

    University of Washington Immunology

    WUSTL Immunology

    Emory Immunology/.Molecular Pathology

    University of Chicago Immunology

    Harvard Immunology

     

    Considering: NYU,U Colorado, U of Minnesota

     

    Applying second time around; hopefully my additional research experience. Please let me know if there are any immunology programs I should add to my list/replace other schools with, esp those that would not be considered reaches! 

     

    I'd add Colorado (if you're talking about Denver, they're known quite well for immunology in particular, but they're technically an R2, I believe. All I know about UC Boulder is that it's an R1 that ranks much higher generally). Another "second tier" school might be Vanderbilt. Perhaps look into Notre Dame if you're okay with living in the sticks (but hella $$$). And, of course, if you want the hook up for someone in the immunology department at Baylor, I'd be happy to give you some student contact info.

  9. I love Story Collider and Hello PhD both! I definitely recommend scrolling through the episode titles for Hello PhD; the discussions are very useful, but can also be very situational to different seasons of grad/science life. For my science news, I listen to AAAS's Science Magazine podcast.

  10. On 7/12/2018 at 9:43 AM, Dark Chocolate Mocha said:

    160 dollars? Was it new or used? It sounds affordable, actually. Computers or other electronic appliances that are imported from other countries are very expensive in my country due to the taxes :(

    It was new! Mine is a Lenovo 100S. I've had some problems handling multiple windows open this last month, but a factory reset helped.

  11. From what I've seen (Southerner here), everyone wears pants pretty consistently, but those are often jeans or leggings. A girl in a neighboring H. pylori lab wears shorts all the time, but she also handles things without gloves and we judge her hardcore for both. I'd just wear pants and if you're NOT working with an infectious disease and other people show up to lab in shorts, it's probably acceptable to wear shorts.

  12. Definitely contact the department administrator to let them know your situation. You don't necessarily have to say that you can't afford to visit on your own dime, but let them know where you'd be coming from and ask what other information they need from you. They should make it evident in their reply what "arrangements" they're able to make (read: pay for). This could range from scheduling meetings to setting up a graduate student host to paying for a flight, hotel, and meals. If they don't make it clear in their reply, then I'd reinforce that a visit is very important in making your decision, and then ask directly what financial assistance is available.

  13. 10 minutes ago, M(allthevowels)H said:

    Reviving the Nashville thread!

    Okay, so I know some things about this thread are dated ($900 for a 1 bedroom next to Vandy? Oooh 2013 was a simpler time) but I was wondering if the “East Nashville isn’t so bad” v “East Nashville will get you shot” argument is now settled in 2018? I don’t mind roughish areas, especially if the primary crimes are nonviolent theft or drunken disorderly (I see a lot of that on Nashville’s crime map).

    Also, because I’d rather rent a small house or townhouse than an apartment, (I have dogs), has anyone who moved to Nashville worked with using a real estate agent for a rental? I never have, but it’s more common in some cities. Also also, are there still neighborhoods where people only advertise rentals with signs out front (like I’d be best served driving around areas I already know I like) or are most of the houses already investor/corporate owned so it’s all going online anyway?

    I’m trying to keep my rent around 1400, so I know the area immediately around Vanderbilt is out. But I have a car and I don’t need a ton of space so I’m hoping I can find something in the city with a little digging.

    Thanks to anyone who has answers/general advice.

    (I’m relying heavily on this Youtube video for neighborhood breakdowns) 

     

     

    Haha wow the video wasn't too far off, especially for the bars and touristy areas.

    So for the low down...I live walking distance to Vandy's med center (not sure where your English classes would be, but also walking distance from my apartment, I'm willing to bet), and I pay $1000/mo for my 1BR apartment (no pets allowed and no space for the doggos anyway, sorry). If you're looking for a house for $1400/mo, you might be able to find a 2BR/1Ba in Sylvan Park, East Nashville , possibly even Germantown for that price. If you're willing to get a roommate or two, you could easily find a 3BR house in any of those areas or closer to campus and pay more like $1000 apiece, perhaps less.

    You're right, the argument over East Nashville is settled, and it can be summed up by one interaction I've had: some guys came up to me one night to ask, "what's the seediest part of Nashville?" I said, "you're pretty much in it, sorry," and their reply was "Seriously? This is the whitest, most gentified piece of shit." (if anyone's wondering, they were looking for cocaine). It's gentrifying (FAST) for better or for worse. Still not nearly as kitschy as Broadway, the Gulch, etc; it's more akin to 12th Ave with the hipster restaurants, speakeasies, tourists seeking out hot chicken. There are a few sketchy areas, but if you walk around your neighborhood beforehand, you'll know pretty immediately whether you'll feel safe there or not. Or you could probably do a google maps search and base it on how many coffee shops are within a 1 mile radius.

    From what I can tell, there are definitely still places you'll only find if you drive around and look for signs out front. They don't have to advertise all that much in Nashville with tons of people moving here and renting temporary apartments til they find homes. I did find my (individually owned) apartment via internet, though, for what that's worth.

    Hope that was helpful! Also, if anyone without pets wants my apartment, PM me (my lease is up the end of June).

  14. Maybe she wrote her SOP about gender discrimination she's experienced or how she was discouraged from pursuing the field from a young age. That would've made her essay stand out for sure. With that said, graduate admissions is a bit of a crapshoot to begin with--with many outstanding candidates having applications of equal quality, but a program having only a few spots to fill.

    As far as positively selecting for diversity in gender (and other factors), why is that surprising or egregious...? If dozens of qualified applicants are up for a limited number of spots and a school's first choice stand-outs (who likely have had the most opportunities/best education/most help with applications) are almost entirely men, why not give the last spot to a woman (and/or an ethnic/racial minority, a first gen college student, an LGBTQ+ person) who is equally qualified as other applicants from traditionally advantaged socioeconomic groups, but who will add to the diversity and the breadth of life experience in a cohort?

    I'm not trying to comment on your individual privilege, because I know absolutely nothing about you except that you seem to be a male applying to math programs. I'm just trying to bring up points as to why underrepresented points of view (which you may also have in your own way) are valuable to a university. Given how few women pursue advanced math degrees, however, it makes sense as to why their perspective is easier to sell to admissions committees.

  15. Looking for advice on living close to the medical center! I've been told "it's a buyer's market," so it's common to see some very negative reviews, but where should I actually avoid? Also, how functional is the bus system/the light rail? I'll have a car, but I'm wondering how easy it'd be to take public transit for my daily commute. Thanks!

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