pipettingerror

Yeah a lot livelier than before!

Yikes, that's a little scary.

Big oof ?

Wow two interviews already! That's fab! Best of luck to you, hope you get them all.

I know that feeling. Every notification makes me jump out of my skin. One of the programs I applied to sent an email on 2nd Dec, a day after the deadline, and I stg my soul left my body trying to comprehend how quickly they were rejecting me but turns out it was just a notification to inform everyone that the deadline was extended till the end of the day ?‍♀️ Good luck with your college decisions and fellowships!

Same here, international, second time applying. It does seem quieter than usual but it is an unusual year in every way so why not this. Is this info on the program websites? A lot of people on r/gradadmissions also posted about receiving really quick decisions for f21 which made me feel like there might be fewer applicants this time around, though it seems unlikely given all predictions. Only does so much good to dwell on it though, for the most part it is out of our hands now. Fingers crossed!

That's great! I interviewed for Pitt's Biological Science program last year. Good luck!

I keep checking my email too ? lets hope there is some good news waiting one of these days! Good luck!

You have a really strong profile, I am sure you'll end up with more than a couple of offers! Good luck!

Now that the Dec 1 deadline has passed, where did you guys end up applying?

Hi all, I applied to a small handful of programs last year. A bit unexpectedly, I was rejected from programs that I think for my profile would be considered "target" or "safety" schools, and ended being accepted to one of the more prestigious programs I applied to. Now I want to obviously preface this by saying I understand grad school admissions are very personal and rankings matter a lot less than undergrad, they pay quite a bit of attention to fit, and above all that admissions are kinda arbitrary to begin with. That said, I didn't take any of the places I applied to lightly, I customized everything in my application to those schools, reached out to faculty members whose research themes fit very will with mine and all that jazz. So I was pretty floored to not even be invited to interview at those places. Another high ranking program on my list didn't really invite me to interview, but the program director did say I apparently barely missed the cut. I am applying to places again this time after having to decline my previous offer, so I kinda want to know what happened last time. I have some theories, though it is also important to declare that my sample size is fairly small because I only applied to 5 places. I figured one reason could be that the higher ranked programs have more resources to support someone like me (I am an international applicant) and that is why I made it bit further in their selections than the rest. But do you think there could be other factors involved? I would like to know so I can structure my choices this time to try to address that as best as possible.

Bumping this up. Would also appreciate advice on this front.

Not exactly. In fact when I was initially discussing my situation with the graduate advisor he said it might be a bit tougher next year because they may have to take fewer people with the losses brought about by the pandemic. I would take it with a grain of salt because they were of course wanting me to accept the offer so that agenda was there. But no doubt what will happen next year is a mystery. That said, after declining the offer I got in touch with all the people I knew at the department and they did encourage me to apply next year. @Modulus

Maybe it didn't come across well. I am not juggling competing offers. I had only my first choice on hold and that was because at this point it wold have been impossible for me to predict if with the ongoing pandemic my personal circumstances would allow me to attend. Since there is still no clarity I have turned the offer down and will not be joining any PhD program this year. As @Modulus recommended, i got in touch with the graduate committee, my interviewers, and my PI and let them know of the circumstances and everyone was very understanding. Hopefully the place can go to someone who is able to attend. Thank you for pitching in everyone.

The admissions officer said a deferral may not be possible. Really stuck between a rock and a hard place here. But thank you all for inputs. I hope something works out some way.

Hello. In a bit of a pinch here. I have an offer in hand but I am a bit doubtful if I will be able to attend grad school this year at all. However because it's not certain i also don't want to just give it up. Is it possible to accept an offer and then drop out a bit later?

YOU get accepted and YOU get accepted, and YOU also get accepted! EVERYBODY GETS ACCEPTED!

Ah I did ask, and they said a "few weeks". What is A FEW SIR. Two weeks have passed since the interview, and I had thought I would hear back by now because I know they wrapped up the last of their interviews with me. But I don't want to be bothersome either. Hahaha that sounds neat! Must think of investing in something similar. Here's to good news arriving soon for all of us!

How long after the interview would it seem acceptable to contact a program to inquire about decisions? Or is it best to avoid doing that entirely? How are ya'll coping with the wait?

Has anyone heard from Michigan MCDB? Internationals in particular but if domestic students know the dates when they are interviewing please let us know.

Right you were! Heard back from graduate program coordinator, she mentioned that my application had been reviewed favorably and they will get in touch to schedule an interview in the next two weeks!!! I reckon I heard back since I asked about the status of my application, but since she mentioned they will be coordinating interviews sometime during the next two weeks, I suspect other internationals might hear back during that time. Hope this helps someone!

In case anyone is waiting on Rutgers Biochem, I heard the committee will sit for review on 9th Jan. ?

In case anyone is waiting on Rutgers Biochem, I heard the committee will sit for review on 9th Jan. ?

Yes I applied directly to MCDB. I tried to open an application for PIBS but on the first page itself it made it clear that it was for US citizens only. I didn't dig too deep either since I was interested in MCDB anyway and the PI I reached out to also said to apply to that program. Let's see, if I don't hear from them for another two weeks that will pretty much confirm it. But fingers crossed for both! Quite keen on both these programs.

Hey, thanks for the info! On UMich's website it mentioned that the PIBS program is exclusively for US residents if I'm not wrong. International students have to pick a particular program, so I picked MCDB. That said, I'm guessing the AdCom is similar for both since MCDB is a subset, so maybe I have't heard back because I didn't make the cut. Let's see how it goes. The Vanderbilt program I applied to had a Dec 1 deadline, so maybe that looks bleak as well.