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Got an offer from UC Santa Cruz Bioinformatics program!!!

I've just done my sinai's interviews and really like people there, which is beyond my expectation! Beside their new AIET (Artificial intelligence & emerging technologies), there's also a new center for advanced genomics technology, called AGI or something. Anyone applying for PhD programs in genomics and neuroscience can keep an eye on Mount Sinai, it's def a great place for research and it's in Manhattan lol 

Hi! I am an international with no green card applying to bioinfo this around.
Unfortunately, it is extremely hard for international to get a PhD in bioinformatics in the States, since lost of bioinformatics programs receive training grants not available for internationals without permanent residence.
The first thing that I would say is try not apply to the bioinformatics programs that receive NIH/NLM training grants:
https://www.nigms.nih.gov/training/instpredoc/pages/PredocInst-Bioinformatics.aspx
U Arizona, UCSD, UCSF, Georgia Tech, JHU, BU, MIT,  Duke, UNC, Brown
Harvard BIG usually does not take many internationals as well. 
Penn GCB, Stanford Biomedical informatics are difficult for internationals as well.
Many Chinese people get in Yale computational biology and bioinformatics by getting China Scholarship Council - Yale World Scholars Program, but you have to be nominated by these 9 Chinese top universities.
Sometimes these schools have 1-2 positions supported by private foundations, and you can try the chances of winning lottery.
See. The top 20 are almost there.
My suggestions would be: try to establish connections within WashU and you might get a better shot there. 
Search for more programs that accept internationals and good luck.
 
 

Good luck with your application!

Know your research project in and out so it shows that you led the project and you weren't just an observer. They want to know that even if your role was small in the research, that you understood why they were doing those sets of experiments and which questions they were trying to answer. I believe they care more about how much you knew about your PI's research than how talented you were at research as an undergrad. One of the things a grad admission person kept saying is they want to know that you know what you're getting yourself into and that you're sure you want to be a part of it. 

Can anyone share experiences of compbio/bioinformatics interviews? will there be many technical questions? thank you!

Last year they have separate batches of interviews for domestic students and for international students. I saw international students get interview invites at the end of January last year, though they don't take many international students. So I guess if you are an international student like me, you can still keep hope.