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Same. Good news is that I'm done and decided. Yay!

For what it's worth, I had a case where I didn't know I was rejected because the e-mail landed in my junk folder. Otherwise, I would stick with the Stanford adage that "no news is not necessarily bad news."

I emailed 3 professors during the admissions cycle and none of them responded. I got into one of the schools to which I sent the email, rejected from another one, and am still waiting for the third. I think I read somewhere that it doesn't really matter if you reach out to professors beforehand, especially nowadays where seemingly everyone is sending out these sort of emails. Out of fairness, what you write in your email does not reflect what is reviewed during the committee evaluation process. Of course there is the situation where you are lucky and your technical background matches exactly what that professor is looking for. Then he/she may be able to put in a good word for you during the application review process. Even then, I doubt it would overcome significant deficiencies in your profile. My suggestion is that if the professor hasn't responded for those two emails, then just let it be and wait for your decision. I don't think it's good to look too needy. Best of luck.

I thought all in-person interviews were for March 9-10, barring the international travel criterion. Maybe those are for finalists? Either way, I see I'm not the only one angsty about this. That Stanford BioE email update scared the crap out of me haha. I thought it was a rejection.

Got into Davis! First acceptance. ?

Email landed in my junk folder along with an invitation to consider the MTM and MEng track. Will be considering those pending other decisions.

Awesome! Thanks for the info. I've been wondering about UCSD. I saw a few rejections posted for that school, but little else. Best of luck. I'm quite literally on the edge of my seat now haha.

Congratulations! Do you know when or if they have a visit weekend?

I was wondering the same thing. I figured they've already sent out all their invites since this/next week would be really short notice; but then again, I live overseas and you are international. I wonder if there's a different protocol for us. Whichever the case, it's not over until it's over haha. Good luck.

I haven’t heard anything. There seems to be a few informal interview invites on the results page, but I think I read someone say that they will send their official invites in February.

I didn't get this either. Been dead silent on my end. Sorta expected though. Hope the other UCs will respond soon, along with USC. Good luck to all those out there.

Oh good catch. Mine says incomplete too on the checklist page. I’m not too worried about it though. It says they have received my letters of recommendation, transcripts, personal statement, and GRE score. Enough for them to make a decision. Also, there’s a statement that says they won’t respond to individual inquiries about the completion of the application at the beginning of the page, so I guess contacting them about it won’t help.

My application says ‘submitted’. No sign of incomplete. Maybe call or email just to double check.

Aside from not drinking too much, the only thing I can think of is to be yourself and enjoy the event. I went through medical school interviews a few years back and I'm assuming that the process will be quite similar for you. Make sure you're dressed appropriately (now is not the time to make a fashion statement). The school will most likely have professors and current student mingle with you to get a sense of what you are like as a person and a (future) clinician. I would recommend attending the pre- and post- interview socials as they will increase you're chance of finding people who you can click with. Congratulations on your invite and best of luck!

I think you're reading too much into the professor's response. It sounds to me like your interview went well. Best of luck!

Hey there! I feel it's a bit late in the process to be applying for backup schools. It's hard to say what the repercussions of a mediocre GRE is in applying for masters programs, especially ones at the calibre you've listed. While it may be true that many schools don't care much about the GRE, that's not to say that they don't care at all (especially if you report one). Be aware, there will be plenty of applicants submitting stellar scores at the schools you've listed. The general consensus I hear about the exam is that they want to see you can test within a favorable range; obviously, this range is higher for more competitive programs. Wait to see what happens this cycle, and, if it doesn't work out, I recommend investing some energy in a retake. Think of the GRE as almost a "rite of passage" for most aspiring grad students: don't take it too lightly. Best of luck!

I think I read someone quote a Stanford email that said “no news is not bad news.” Only bad news is bad news. Of course, no news is not good news, which is clearly what both of us want from Stanford. Best of luck!

Good luck future neuroscientists! From a future bioengineer! (Because I apparently cannot delete posts on Grad Cafe)

First off, great job on your masters GPA; it must’ve taken a lot of steady effort. I think the question regarding retaking the GRE depends on the competitiveness of the program you want to go to. I wasn’t always a ranking snob, but having picked a lower ranked medical school (for its location) over a higher one, I have learned the hard way and recommend that you strive for the best program you are of capable of getting into. I believe the quality of the faculty and, to an extent, the students really makes a big difference in how much you will enjoy your graduate school experience. This will be reflected on the curriculum you will go through and the support group and network you have around you. The GRE can be cracked with time and persistence. The verbal section really comes down to knowing your vocabulary, which I’ve been told will “make or break you.” I recommend studying beyond the required study guide words and venturing into unconventional word banks, such as Merrium Webster’s Word of the Day, because words like that do seem to pop up on those tests! Reading comprehension seem to be more about accrued aptitude and I recommend just doing a bunch of practice tests until you “get the hang of it.” Math is really about reviewing concepts we learned way back in high school or early college and doing practice problems as well. Develop your intuition and don’t take the real thing until you start seeing favorable improvements in your practice scores. All the best!

I personally made sure that the .pdfs I submitted were scanned copies of official transcripts mailed to me by my schools. I believe that was what was asked. Unofficial transcripts look unprofessional and are typically not regarded as complete documents. With that said, I’m still unsure of what to say about your situation and I’m afraid you’re at the mercy of the admissions officers reviewing your files. If you were a strong candidate with few errors on your application (I’m sure most people will make some), I think you’ll be fine. However, not following directions is just simply another reason for admissions to go with someone else, even though technically, yes, they will ask you to mail in official transcripts from your institutions after you are accepted. Either way, I wish you the best of luck in this admissions cycle.

Keep your head up! It’s still early (I think). I have a feeling this is the calm before the storm (i.e. before this blog explodes).

I came upon this post and wanted to express my sincere apologies for what you're going through. Do know that depression is a medical diagnosis with treatment options available from professionals. I would recommend seeking treatment if you haven't already. Most programs have established mental health centers for students and faculty. I personally went through something similar as a medical student. My school was very responsive in granting me remediation options when applicable and also in giving me time off (aka leave of absence) sanctioned by my treating medical doctor. I recommend keeping in touch with your professors and letting them know of your circumstances so they can help you the best way they know how. Though my situation ultimately led me to drop out of school halfway, I was able to recover and-after a few years of working- am now applying to PhD programs, which in retrospect may have been a better fit for me after all. I guess what I'm trying to say is that what you're going through is not uncommon and the most important thing to remember is that things will get better with time. Hope this helps and hope you're able to find the help you need to get back on your feet. As a scholarship recipient, I'm sure you're a strong student to begin with.

Thought I'd contribute to the collective spirit of this blog. I am a nontraditional BME PhD applicant having graduated from undergrad in 2011. I used to be a medical student. Dropped out after my second year (left after passing Step 1) because of combination of illness and burnout. After working for a bit, I decided I still want to go back to school and get a graduate degree. Here I am. Undergrad Institution: Washington University in St. Louis, Class of 2011 Major: B.S. Biomedical Engineering GPA in Major: ~3.6/4.00 Overall GPA: 3.74/4.00 Demographics/Background: Asian Male (Chinese) GRE Scores: Q: 166 (89%) V: 159* (83%) W: 5.0 (92%) *Thought about retaking, was scoring higher on practice tests (but also lower at times). LOR: 2 from my research mentors at Stanford University Department of Surgery (should be strong), 1 from a coworker at a medical device firm Research Experience: 4 years as a lab technician at WashU molecular oncology (no pubs), 2 years at an engineering lab at Stanford Department of Surgery (2 pubs and counting), 1 summer in a research fellowship in the department of emergency medicine while I was in medical school Publications/Abstracts/Presentations: 2 publications: one second author, one fourth author, more to come; lots and lots of accrued poster presentations Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Part of the team (and Senior Captain) that won the NCAA Division III National Championships in Men's Tennis, Dean's Summer Research Fellowship Award in Medical School, Sportsmanship's Award, Graduated Cum Laude, Biomedical Engineering honor society member (Alpha Eta Mu Beta) Fellowships/Funding: None so far (should I be applying? Is anyone applying?); I applied to a scholarship for KTH (Sweden) for masters programs Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Worked for 1.5 years in a medical device firm in Suzhou, China (2018-2019). Worked as a tennis coach/freelance illustrator from 2016-2018. Actually applied to architecture school after leaving medical school, but decided against it. Currently working for a Cancer Software Startup and a Private Hospital in Beijing as a Medical Officer. Research Interests: Microfluidics, Medical Imaging, Medical Computations Institutions/Programs: Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego (PhD bioengineering/biomedical engineering); Karolinska Institute (in Sweden) (M.S. Medical Engineering) Comments: I really appreciate the positivity and encouragement I've been seeing in this blog. Best of luck to everyone. I have gotten any interview invites yet (as of 12/27/19).