palyndrone

Most (if not all) of the applications I filled out asked about academic policy violations. There's typically a space to explain yourself if you check "yes", and it sounds like your violation wasn't of the degree it would prevent you from being accepted if you have an otherwise strong application. Be concise and honest. It will hurt you more in the long run if it's in your records and you don't disclose it.

Hello! A good place to start might be going to the recent applicant profiles threads in the Life Sciences > Biology subforum. You may be able to get an idea of the kind of CVs that PhD applicants have who are applying in the same fields as you will be. 
I can also say right off the bat that besides meeting the GPA/GRE/TOEFL and class requirements, the most important part of a successful application is research experience. If you haven't already, seek out opportunities for research experience in relevant fields wherever you can.

I'm gonna repeat good advice here and say that, unless it's directly relevant to your grad school program/field of study, limit talking about your personal life or making excuses for grades in your SOP as much as possible. Your SOP should highlight your qualifications, your motivations, and your ability to contribute something of value. Unlike an undergrad application essay, there should be a lot more "statement" than "personal". If your grades weren't great, focus on your internships and your individual skills.
Even though it shouldn't, in a worst case scenario discussing poor mental health can make you seem unreliable and a potential risk to the reviewing committee. It's unfair, but the system does discriminate. Let your application speak for itself. If you feel like something stands out so much you have to explain it, keep it brief.

I'm gonna repeat good advice here and say that, unless it's directly relevant to your grad school program/field of study, limit talking about your personal life or making excuses for grades in your SOP as much as possible. Your SOP should highlight your qualifications, your motivations, and your ability to contribute something of value. Unlike an undergrad application essay, there should be a lot more "statement" than "personal". If your grades weren't great, focus on your internships and your individual skills.
Even though it shouldn't, in a worst case scenario discussing poor mental health can make you seem unreliable and a potential risk to the reviewing committee. It's unfair, but the system does discriminate. Let your application speak for itself. If you feel like something stands out so much you have to explain it, keep it brief.

I'm gonna repeat good advice here and say that, unless it's directly relevant to your grad school program/field of study, limit talking about your personal life or making excuses for grades in your SOP as much as possible. Your SOP should highlight your qualifications, your motivations, and your ability to contribute something of value. Unlike an undergrad application essay, there should be a lot more "statement" than "personal". If your grades weren't great, focus on your internships and your individual skills.
Even though it shouldn't, in a worst case scenario discussing poor mental health can make you seem unreliable and a potential risk to the reviewing committee. It's unfair, but the system does discriminate. Let your application speak for itself. If you feel like something stands out so much you have to explain it, keep it brief.

Seconded! If you're viewing the actual unit, you have got to check for smoke detectors. My first apartment (as a sophomore fresh out of dorms) had absolutely no smoke detectors or alarms anywhere, just grey plastic circles in the ceiling. Bad idea!
Look at the walls near the floor, the shower sealing in the bathroom, and around doors and windows for wear, holes, and mold spots. Sometimes you can see small damp patches on painted walls, or peeling paint, which is a bad sign even if theres no mold visible.
If its somewhere cold, check for double paned windows: these are a huge plus for conserving heat and cash. 
Depending on climate and location, I'd also definitely recommend looking for slug slime trails. Seriously. 
 

I would find a way to ask the questions informally. I would keep the questions phrased in terms of being a more competitive applicant.
I would not expect specific answers to questions sent via email. Risk management is increasingly important. If Student A were told that his/her application materials for X, Y, and Z weren't up to standard, and later found out that other applicants had lower Xs, Ys, and Zs, there could be...controversy.

Seconded! If you're viewing the actual unit, you have got to check for smoke detectors. My first apartment (as a sophomore fresh out of dorms) had absolutely no smoke detectors or alarms anywhere, just grey plastic circles in the ceiling. Bad idea!
Look at the walls near the floor, the shower sealing in the bathroom, and around doors and windows for wear, holes, and mold spots. Sometimes you can see small damp patches on painted walls, or peeling paint, which is a bad sign even if theres no mold visible.
If its somewhere cold, check for double paned windows: these are a huge plus for conserving heat and cash. 
Depending on climate and location, I'd also definitely recommend looking for slug slime trails. Seriously. 
 

I'm just starting my PhD this fall too, but I've been renting for a couple years now!
Before you go apartment hunting, look up projected living expenses & utilities in your city, and figure out a rough budget. Doesn't have to be exact, just an estimate. Pick a range of what you're willing to spend on rent, and stick to it. Think about transportation too -- are you willing to pay a little more in rent if it means you won't have to buy gas/bus passes? (etc, etc)
Living on campus can be good if you've never been on your own before, because typically utilities and maybe wifi are included, and of course its right where you need to be. You can always live on campus for a year and then decide to move somewhere with less tailgating after you get a better idea of the area.
When you visit apartments, pay attention to the condition of the appliances and the bathroom especially. Find the nearest grocery store, hospital, laundromat, bus stop, etc. Some questions to ask:
Is the heat gas or electric? Is insurance required? Are there laundry facilities in the building? Are you responsible for repairs or is the landlord/super? What are the rules for having people stay over? Is it mostly students in the area or are there a lot of families and retirees? Always look up the landlord or agency and do some thorough vetting -- you really don't want to get ripped off out of your security deposit or have somebody walking in unannounced to inspect you! Look out for red flags on review sites, beyond the normal complaints of loud neighbors.
Good luck!

That's really unfortunate, and I hope your appeal is successful!
From what I recall, all of the applications I filled out asked about academic misconduct. Often, there was a space for you to explain the circumstances if you checked "yes". If you're able to explain the situation there to the grad committee in an honest way, including your appeal attempt, that might be your best bet. Homework collusion isn't a great charge to get slapped with, but....it could be worse. If the accusation sticks, all you can really do is try to make the rest of your application stands out. Letters of recommendation, especially, if other professors can testify to your academic abilities and integrity. 

That's really unfortunate, and I hope your appeal is successful!
From what I recall, all of the applications I filled out asked about academic misconduct. Often, there was a space for you to explain the circumstances if you checked "yes". If you're able to explain the situation there to the grad committee in an honest way, including your appeal attempt, that might be your best bet. Homework collusion isn't a great charge to get slapped with, but....it could be worse. If the accusation sticks, all you can really do is try to make the rest of your application stands out. Letters of recommendation, especially, if other professors can testify to your academic abilities and integrity. 

I'm just starting my PhD this fall too, but I've been renting for a couple years now!
Before you go apartment hunting, look up projected living expenses & utilities in your city, and figure out a rough budget. Doesn't have to be exact, just an estimate. Pick a range of what you're willing to spend on rent, and stick to it. Think about transportation too -- are you willing to pay a little more in rent if it means you won't have to buy gas/bus passes? (etc, etc)
Living on campus can be good if you've never been on your own before, because typically utilities and maybe wifi are included, and of course its right where you need to be. You can always live on campus for a year and then decide to move somewhere with less tailgating after you get a better idea of the area.
When you visit apartments, pay attention to the condition of the appliances and the bathroom especially. Find the nearest grocery store, hospital, laundromat, bus stop, etc. Some questions to ask:
Is the heat gas or electric? Is insurance required? Are there laundry facilities in the building? Are you responsible for repairs or is the landlord/super? What are the rules for having people stay over? Is it mostly students in the area or are there a lot of families and retirees? Always look up the landlord or agency and do some thorough vetting -- you really don't want to get ripped off out of your security deposit or have somebody walking in unannounced to inspect you! Look out for red flags on review sites, beyond the normal complaints of loud neighbors.
Good luck!

Ah no I'm sorry, that was my poor phrasing: you should definitely be able to give your decision on the day of the 15th.

Plenty of people wait to the last day to give their answers if they're waiting on offers, though giving your answer earlier (if you've made up your mind already) generally is considered polite for others on the waitlists. You're allowed to wait, and you don't have to tell the programs why. Since you're international, though, don't forget to keep your time zone in mind!

Your stats are great, and it seems like you have good research experience, so maybe you should take a look at your SOP(s) and evaluate your fit to the PIs you were interested in. I would talk to a prof/post-doc who helped you out with your apps about how to improve them if you plan on reapplying in the next cycle, and make the next year count.
Honestly, you also have to consider that those are all 5 extremely competitive and selective programs. They probably have hundreds of applicants with scores and CVs just as good as yours, and not everyone thats qualified can get an offer. Maybe think about applying to other top public R1 schools where your creds and research will stand out more (if they're a good fit for you).  In the meantime, I hope you find something else that works out!

Seconded, all of the above. The prestige of your undergrad institution doesn't mean anything without the experience and skills to back it up! MSU is a perfectly good school, and there's no reason to transfer mid-degree just on the basis of rank or the promise of prestige. Use your four years to build a resume, explore your interests, and make connections with the professionals wherever you end up.
You might find, like I and a lot of other people did, that your academic goals and interests will change after you start actually getting into a field. I went into my biology degree wanting to do invertebrate zoology. After internships, summer lab volunteering, and my thesis project, I ended up settling on microbial biogeochemistry! (Which MSU has some good research in). Where you eventually apply to grad school should be where you can find mentors and opportunities that fit your niche.
PS: good luck!! you'll be fine  

Go with 1 and 2 -- I really wouldn't use somebody you mainly worked with in high school unless it's a last resort. No harm in putting the paper on your CV though!
If your CS prof can attest to your TA skills, that could maybe give you points if your PhD program requires teaching like a lot do. Unfortunately trying to figure out how much LORs matter and who even reads them is always gonna be a total shot in the dark, but your main PI writer sounds really solid! As long as somebody can speak for your research experience, which it sounds like you have plenty of. 

The OSU specific buses run pretty frequently during business hours and are great for getting around campus. The Columbus bus system (COTA) is fairly expansive and free to OSU students. The city is not very public transport friendly considering its size (no bus lanes, rail transit, etc.). People can and do use the bus exclusively, but it's definitely a slower method than driving around and the schedules/frequency are not the best. 

The area immediately surrounding campus is cheap and a good mix of graduate students definitely do live in the area. If you are looking to avoid an undergraduate alcohol-fueled shitshow every Saturday in the Fall, I would avoid the area bordered by High Street, Summit Street (or even 4th St), 11th Ave, and Lane Ave. West of High Street is much calmer, though there are still rowdy pockets on the streets immediately bordering campus. I lived on Southwest campus for all of my years in undergrad and it was a pretty balanced mix of (mostly) chill undergrads and graduate students. 

I'll take a shot based on your username and guess you're applying to microbiology/biomolecular science programs, so you'll probably be doing rotations your first year anyway--so you can be flexible. Definitely bring up the PIs you named that align with your 'interest', and if you're enthusiastic about the school for other reasons, talk about that too!

I've been in your position for one program, and I spun it as "My interests align well with the current work of Dr. X, Y, and Z, but I'd like the opportunity to collaborate with researchers in other fields/take an interdisciplinary approach/learn new techniques" etc. Having more than one focus isn't a weakness as long as you have the rationale or experience to back it up.

I had a 20 minute skype interview a few weeks ago with admissions committee members (not a POI). They pretty much asked what you mentioned reviewing: what I liked about their program specifically, what my research interests were, what I wanted to do with a PhD, and about some of the academic/research experience I had put on my CV. I'm not sure how it works in the humanities, but they probably just want to get a feel for you and make sure you're a serious applicant.

Have a couple questions ready to ask them too! Honestly I was crazy nervous the whole time, and asking questions about the program helped me get a handle on the conversation and end with a strong note. 

Be concise and clear--somebody's only looking at this essay for a minute. Always include: what your interests are and why, what makes you qualified, and what you want to get out of a PhD program. Something I did to save time on 8+ essays was tailor my opening and closing to the school, but keep the body (research experience, interests, skills, motivations) the same. Try to nail it in 500 words, longer doesn't mean better. How specific you are about your plans for study is gonna depend on the you and program, but you should definitely follow tm_s's advice and mention faculty members whose labs interest you. Even if those people aren't taking students, it demonstrates that you know enough about the program to make an informed candidate and that your interests do actually fit.

Remember: the goal is to score an interview! The interview is where you can be charming or interesting and share more about your background--but you have to look good enough on paper for them to want to know more.

I had a 20 minute skype interview a few weeks ago with admissions committee members (not a POI). They pretty much asked what you mentioned reviewing: what I liked about their program specifically, what my research interests were, what I wanted to do with a PhD, and about some of the academic/research experience I had put on my CV. I'm not sure how it works in the humanities, but they probably just want to get a feel for you and make sure you're a serious applicant.

Have a couple questions ready to ask them too! Honestly I was crazy nervous the whole time, and asking questions about the program helped me get a handle on the conversation and end with a strong note. 

Every email notification I get now gives me a heart attack. Now that it's the end of Jan and most 1 Dec applications have been processed already, I'm almost as desperate for rejections as interviews, so that I can stop clinging to false shreds of hope! Sounds like everyone else is feeling the same way ?

Every email notification I get now gives me a heart attack. Now that it's the end of Jan and most 1 Dec applications have been processed already, I'm almost as desperate for rejections as interviews, so that I can stop clinging to false shreds of hope! Sounds like everyone else is feeling the same way ?