StemCells4Lyfe

Hey! I was thinking about this too, as I also got accepted to UTSW and BCM! Based on the interview experiences, everyone seemed to take it a lot more seriously than the government of Texas, but it is a frightening thought. I also was feeling this when Texas had the failure of their power grid during the winter storm (would be hard and dangerous to be in that situation, especially as someone from out-of-state without a social network). But I also live in a very liberal big city currently, Philadelphia, and manyy people do not wear masks or take social distancing seriously here either. Even with the shutdowns, many of the apartments around my school are hosting rather large parties with students going about without masks. The city response here also leaves a lot to be desired, and enforcement of the existing regulations is lacking. So the unfortunate thing is that in pretty much any big city, there will be those that take the pandemic seriously and those that don't, and either way it is hard to avoid those that do not.
 
Also, are you leaning towards either UTSW or Baylor? I am having a difficult time deciding between their programs (BBS and I&M). Ultimately, I think I am more likely to pick Baylor because of its access to the Texas Medical Center, but I am interested in what others with similar decisions are thinking and why.

"Take it personally". Wherever you end up, show that that they made the wrong choice.

Hi guys, I hope you don't mind if I rant a bit. I guess this entire cycle has just been really hard. I received my waitlist from BU (where I currently work, got my undergrad and masters degree from AND all of my recommendations were from faculty in the program...), and I'm just... sad I guess. Pretty much rejected from every other program (I am very fortunate to have one interview though). Like it just doesn't seem to make sense to work this hard (already for the institution I work for) and now I'm just sitting at my work desk like K, thanks. 
Sorry to take over and rant, but I just want to say if you're feeling down today I feel you and I know we will make it through but its okay to be a little sad. Virtual hugs all around! ❤️ 

Did anyone interviewing at TJU get to either a) Choose their interview dates or even b) choose who they are interviewing with? I wasn't, and I'm not even interviewing with people in my field of interest, which is frustrating 

I'm not too familiar with Rockefeller as I didn't apply, but as a general rule of thumb I wouldn't compare yourself to other applicants, especially if you already were offered an interview. They saw something in you that they liked and thought would be a great addition to their program/university.
Good stats help, but they aren't everything, and you don't have a full picture of their whole application. They could have had a weak SOP/LORs, or their past research wasn't a good fit, or they couldn't properly communicate themselves as a strong applicant on paper, or there was some je ne sais quoi about you/your application that made the admissions feel like you would be a better fit. 
Be confident going into your interview, because they already liked you enough to want to talk to you out of thousands of applicants. They'll probably ask you to elaborate more about your research. Emphasis why you're interested in the program and earning a PhD. Just take a deep breathe and be you, because that's who they were interested in in the first place. 

Only 1 out 4 of the places I have interviews with had actual social events, but it was super laid back. There was a break out both days with student hosts that we had been assigned to. The first one was just to ask questions with current students (what's life like in x city, how was the transition, do I need a car, etc) and the second was to destress after our actual interviews and go over any questions or issues we had with what had just transpired. After that, we had the opportunity to join a Zoom break-out groups to play either Codenames or a Pictionary-like game, where more faculty jumped in and out of so we could "meet" more people than who we had interviewed with. Definitely meant to be a relaxing time, and not something you have to really prepare for. I will note, though, that after being on Zoom interviews for 5 hours, it was quite tiring to continue on with the social events and seem just as enthusiastic. But that was a 9-hour Zoom day for me. Hopefully yours will be more spread out. 

I'm not too familiar with Rockefeller as I didn't apply, but as a general rule of thumb I wouldn't compare yourself to other applicants, especially if you already were offered an interview. They saw something in you that they liked and thought would be a great addition to their program/university.
Good stats help, but they aren't everything, and you don't have a full picture of their whole application. They could have had a weak SOP/LORs, or their past research wasn't a good fit, or they couldn't properly communicate themselves as a strong applicant on paper, or there was some je ne sais quoi about you/your application that made the admissions feel like you would be a better fit. 
Be confident going into your interview, because they already liked you enough to want to talk to you out of thousands of applicants. They'll probably ask you to elaborate more about your research. Emphasis why you're interested in the program and earning a PhD. Just take a deep breathe and be you, because that's who they were interested in in the first place. 

Thanks! Congrats to you too! And yeah, it was QUITE long compared to other places, but I did feel like the longer first day helped me get a LOT more info on the program that you can't get from just reading the website, so now I'm worried about future interviews and whether I'll get as good of a sense of the program and life at those universities LOL. Can't win I guess.
My biggest piece of advice is getting a GOOD night's rest before each day and after, and getting a back rest for your chair. I used a hot water bottle as a make-shift one. The first day was a lot, but I did get a bit more information about the program so it easier to stay attentive. The second day was definitely rougher.
The interviews themselves were quite straightforward (explain x project you did or explain a project you did that you were most excited about, do you have any questions for me), so I wouldn't sweat that too much. But after 5 of them and then extra activities, it was quite tiring. Definitely use your whole breaks to step away from your computer and stretch, eat during the lunch time they give you, with snacks towards the end. I also stayed off of screens during my breaks to give my eyes a rest.
Can't really think of anything to avoid saying, but keep your camera on during the sessions even if you are tired. It's really easy to notice who has theirs off. Take advantage of the current-student break out groups to ask ANYTHING you have questions about, because the students are quite candid. Also, if there are PI's your interested in that you weren't given an interview with that show up during the poster sessions and break-out groups, take the opportunity to talk to them. It'll really help you get a better sense of the program, what they are like "in-person", and how well you can picture yourself at UTSW. 

Only 1 out 4 of the places I have interviews with had actual social events, but it was super laid back. There was a break out both days with student hosts that we had been assigned to. The first one was just to ask questions with current students (what's life like in x city, how was the transition, do I need a car, etc) and the second was to destress after our actual interviews and go over any questions or issues we had with what had just transpired. After that, we had the opportunity to join a Zoom break-out groups to play either Codenames or a Pictionary-like game, where more faculty jumped in and out of so we could "meet" more people than who we had interviewed with. Definitely meant to be a relaxing time, and not something you have to really prepare for. I will note, though, that after being on Zoom interviews for 5 hours, it was quite tiring to continue on with the social events and seem just as enthusiastic. But that was a 9-hour Zoom day for me. Hopefully yours will be more spread out. 

Only 1 out 4 of the places I have interviews with had actual social events, but it was super laid back. There was a break out both days with student hosts that we had been assigned to. The first one was just to ask questions with current students (what's life like in x city, how was the transition, do I need a car, etc) and the second was to destress after our actual interviews and go over any questions or issues we had with what had just transpired. After that, we had the opportunity to join a Zoom break-out groups to play either Codenames or a Pictionary-like game, where more faculty jumped in and out of so we could "meet" more people than who we had interviewed with. Definitely meant to be a relaxing time, and not something you have to really prepare for. I will note, though, that after being on Zoom interviews for 5 hours, it was quite tiring to continue on with the social events and seem just as enthusiastic. But that was a 9-hour Zoom day for me. Hopefully yours will be more spread out. 

Idk who the f*** would rather live in Dallas over NYC. Does that answer your question?

I had my first interview last week, and personally found that the 30 mins goes SO fast that using visual aids gets in the way and is a little cumbersome.
Per interviewer, about 2-3 mins was devoted to talking about a specific project I did. Using figures/slides would take too much time and wouldn't add much to my explanations. 

The two places I interviewed with so far say they meet the week after. So my interviews were on a Friday, and the team meets the following Tuesday to make a decision.

The two places I interviewed with so far say they meet the week after. So my interviews were on a Friday, and the team meets the following Tuesday to make a decision.

The two places I interviewed with so far say they meet the week after. So my interviews were on a Friday, and the team meets the following Tuesday to make a decision.

It really varies from school to school rather than it being similar in a certain field/program. I originally thought unless you're super arrogant/rude/clearly don't know your science, then you're essentially in. But apparently some schools only accept 30-40% post interview. 
Like @helpert said, some programs disclose that info, but I've found that to be super rare. For the others, I'd take a look at past years results on here for people posting rejections after being interviewed. If it's a bloodbath, I'd say it's safe to assume they are very selective when they interview. 
 

I had my first interview last week, and personally found that the 30 mins goes SO fast that using visual aids gets in the way and is a little cumbersome.
Per interviewer, about 2-3 mins was devoted to talking about a specific project I did. Using figures/slides would take too much time and wouldn't add much to my explanations. 

I'm in the same boat there Patti. Now all my family members keep calling and asking if i've heard anything yet. I'm feeling pretty ashamed everytime they call and I have a new rejection to tell them about. I get why getting into grad school is so hard/competitive, but sometimes I just wish they admitted everybody. 
 
BTW, not to be a D**k or anything, but that Chris guy can't really know what it's like for us peons that only have rejections and no acceptance letters yet. -I mean, our entire futures are riding on the whim of several committee members whom we've never even met. The stress is immense and people like Chris who already have 7 yeses sitting on their high horse saying grad school isn't as great as it's cut out to be make me sick. I know you're just trying to make us feel better, but it doesn't really help. Just makes me realize that there are people out there who are already lucky enough to have heard back from their programs, which makes me sweat that much more. 

Most applicants jumped through the same hoops you did when you were in undergrad. They want to get in too, so they did research, they got in good with their letter-writers, they studied for their GRE. Every applicant will appear as a list of accomplishments to the committee.
The SOP is where you show that it is not just a list of hoops you jumped through. Talk about every notable experience in your SOP in a way that ties it into the program of study. I went to a rural small liberal arts college, I wasn't going to be able to go toe-to-toe with most other applicants in published papers, research opportunities, etc. And so I took my small and subjectively less impressive experiences but talked about them with such enthusiasm that I made it clear that they were important and they did make me a better someday-dietitian. I went through my resume and the mission statement of the program and found ways to talk about every extracurricular, job, shadowing experience, etc. that I had in a way that related to the goals of the program.
Use your SOP to force them to see how amazing your experiences were, because they may look ho-hum among the competition if you do not.
Runner-up tip: When asking for LORs I provided each writer with a 1.5 page letter outlining my accomplishments and my goals. I received feedback from all of them that knowing more about what drove me personally and what I'd been doing at the school outside of their view helped them write stronger letters for me. Help your LORs, it will probably result in stronger (and hopefully more punctual) letters.

That's a terrible way to apply to graduate school.

Anyone else stressfully watching Netflix/sipping hot cocoa. I'm trying to distract myself but it's not working so well.
I am so close to muting my other emails because I keep jumping on my phone every time I hear the email notification go off ?

Oh true, I should probably use this extra energy to work out and work off the food I've been stress eating. I keep telling myself I deserve the snacks, but honestly... have I really deserved them

Ugh, I used to be able to crochet, but it's been so many years. I've just been on Animal Crossing instead ? I'm virtually building snowmen because idk where I can properly socially distance in Boston to make them irl.

Oh true, I should probably use this extra energy to work out and work off the food I've been stress eating. I keep telling myself I deserve the snacks, but honestly... have I really deserved them

Ugh, I used to be able to crochet, but it's been so many years. I've just been on Animal Crossing instead ? I'm virtually building snowmen because idk where I can properly socially distance in Boston to make them irl.