hostgenetics

I don't want to give any wrong information in case plans change as they often do in 2020! But beyond getting to chat with faculty and hear from department chairs, definitely expect to hear lots about the benefits of living in Chicago and having a lot of opportunities to get to know the current students. In more typical application cycles, the interview weekend gives potential students a ton of opportunities to get to know the current students and see how they fit in. Obviously, COVID poses a massive obstacle to genuine human interaction so I think the admissions committee is trying to figure out the best ways to do that without forcing interviewees to be on zoom from 8am-8pm. Oh and MOST importantly, they're figuring out a way to get interviewees free meals over the course of the weekend.

I'm a current Northwestern DGP student feel free to PM me with questions or tag me in any comments

Hey y'all incoming DGP student here. See ya in Chicago

Keep your head up. If a PhD is your dream, you should not give up quite yet. It's hard to base how you stand for those schools off of GPA and test scores. Your SOP and LOR are the most important aspects of your application. What were the profiles of your LOR writers and how well did they know you? Don't let this cycle get you down from your scientific dreams, it was extraordinarily competitive. Work hard this next year in your lab position and perfect that SOP. I'm sure that you will find a place that fits your interests down the line.

Thanks! Yeah, I was hoping to gauge whether all BMS invites were sent out or just specific concentrations. Still holding out a sliver of hope

Was wondering if anyone has heard back from UCSF BMS for cancer bio or immunology?

Thank you BabyScientist! I looked at some of the faculty members and program descriptions of Cedar Sinai and will definitely look into more programs with hospital collaborations. For a student like myself with a fairly low GPA (Major GPA is actually 3.5, doesn't make much of a difference though) and no published papers or presentations outside of team and company meetings (kinda the one big drawback with having lots of industry experience), what kinds of schools would be in the realistic tier and safety for molecular/cellular biology? Most schools I've looked at have at least 3 labs that I am interested in doing work at, I'm mostly just wondering what schools would fall in line with my statistics that I should be looking into more.

Undergrad Institution: Northeastern UniversityMajor(s): Bioengineering (Concentration: Cell & Tissue Engineering)Minor(s): Political ScienceGPA in Major: 3.3Overall GPA: 3.6Position in Class: Lower-topType of Student: Domestic, Hispanic MaleGRE Scores:Q: 160V: 160W: 5.5B: N/AResearch Experience: Academic Research in two labs on campus. One was using biomaterials to influence endothelial cell function, primarily worked with protein and genetic analysis. Second lab focused on atherosclerosis research using physical flow models over endothelial cells to monitor genetic markers of atherosclerosis development. The first lab I have worked in for 2 years on and off approximately 10-15 hours per week, and the other I worked at during this most previous summer for ~20 hours per week. Industry My industry experience has been more in depth. 6 months at large pharma developing high content screens for rare disease small molecule drug discovery. Worked heavily with mechanism of action assays of drug targets. 12 months at smaller biotech in immuno-oncology and cancer biology. This is where my research interests have been strengthened. Worked mostly on the discovery side of immunology utilizing functional genomics to interrogate genes of interest, doing some deep genetic pathway research into cancer biology.Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Full-tuition scholarship (Top 1%), Honors College, Dean's ListPertinent Activities or Jobs: President of Fraternity (Social Fraternity), member of Biomedical Engineering Society, Undergraduate Research, Club Lacrosse TeamSpecial Bonus Points: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...) Met and networked with scientific founders of current company (PI's at UCSF, Broad Institute, and Whitehead Institute), One LOR writer is past director of oncology at Novartis and is now CSO of current company, Hispanic and Asian MaleApplying to Where: I'm interested in translational biology specifically in the field of genetic disease and cancer. I've been looking at programs associated with large research hospital collaborations. UCSF - Tetrad University of Washington - MCB University of California, Berkeley - MCB University of California, Los Angeles - MBIDP University of Southern California - Molecular Biology University of Texas - GSBS *Looking to see if these are a good group or other recommended programs for my stats/interests

I mistyped, but meant 160V, 160Q, 6W

Hi All, I am concerned primarily about my lack of publications and how that affects my chances at top programs in molecular/cellular biology. The large portion of my research experience has been in industry where publishing is not common unfortunately. I'm hoping to convey my knowledge and interest in research through my personal statement and my CV. I've done some fairly thorough dives into various programs around the US and have had really productive conversations with PI's at the schools I'm interested in below followed by some relevant parts of my research experience and application. I was hoping some people on this could shed some light about how I may stack up among applicants with my lack of publications? Schools of Interest:1. University of Washington - MCB Program2. UCSF - BMS Program3. UCLA - MBIDP4. University of Southern California - MCB ProgramGPA: 3.51 (Major GPA 3.45) @ Northeastern University; Majoring in Bioengineering (conc. Cell and Tissue Engineering) w/ a minor in Political ScienceGRE: 600V, 600Q, 6 Writing (Taking again in October as I didn't have ample time to study on my first take)Academic Experience:- Advanced Biomaterials for NeuroEngineering Laboratory (3 years on and off working on different projects relating to stem cell development)- Atherosclerosis Laboratory (1 year, researching development of atherosclerosis and how ECM components are involved)Work Experience:- Sanofi Genzyme: Rare Disease Pharmacology (6 months doing Small Molecule Discovery, Cell Based Assay Development, in vitro Model Development)- KSQ Therapeutics: Immuno-Oncology and Cancer Biology (12 Months - Present, Engineering Primary Immune Cells, CRISPR Screens, Cell Based Assay Development, Small Molecule Discovery) *Ultimately my experience has mostly been in industry, where most of my LOR will be coming from. My academic experiences have varied due to business of class schedule and Northeastern's co-op program, so I've been in and out of the labs that I worked in fairly consistently and not able to be on a single project for more than a semester.