OldGrad2012

@Tall Chai Latte What is the best way to say this? By email or confront the PIs in person? I feel it's better to just sent the PIs an email mentioning that I want to "explore more options" like you said above. So do I need to give the PI two weeks notice?

Hi all, My graduate program has an option of doing rotations ( about 3) five weeks in each lab to find out if the lab is fit for you. It is optional but I find that I need to do rotations in order to get to know my potential mentor and get along with him or her. Does any of your program require rotations. If at the end of my rotation which is what I am doing now, I find I do not like this lab. So how do I tell my current PI that I want to move on to another rotation? Do I not tell them at all and just start another rotation. Is there a two weeks notice like a job when you want to move on to different lab? Does anyone in the same situation as me?

@deconstructing, I do not think age is the factor in admission for graduate school because I got in at age 37, and I had a choice to make on where to go too. But then again, I am a domestic student. In your case, If you are an international student, I do not know the answer. I guess you have to try applying to find out. But then again, maybe age is not a factor anyway.

Maybe I am in the same boat as you'all because I made a choice to stay in California and go to UCR in SoCAL. I am from Northern CAlifornia. Although it is still a new area and environment for me, I thought the other program at Washington State University that I got accepted into was more interesting in terms of research. WSU is heavily focused on mammalian system as a study model. However UCR is heavily focused on plant model. It is also too hot here as well.

I just started my PhD program at age 37. I am the oldest in this thread. Gosh, I am so behind, but I know others people in the 35+ club in this forum have also started their graduate study at around this age or even older.

THis time last year I was preparing for the GRE and took it. Also prepared for the GRE subject. I had also worked full-time doing research in a lab. I was also looking into many grad schools and started my grad application.

My program had a summer program in which I was supposed to start in July. I am delaying in to the beginning of Aug and start the summer program. It sucks because I do not have any break over the summer plus the fact that I am also working now and have to leave soon, which mean I have no break from my job and this summer program.

I am moving from San Jose CA to Riverside CA UCR. I have lots of furniture and will need a U-haul. I am thinking of towing my car too. But my other idea is to drive my car to Riverside and fly back to get a U-haul and hauled all of my stuffs. It will be more economical and safer than to towed my car at the same time.

I will be attending UCR as well in the Fall 2012. I think they have a good science program.

I just gave my boss a notice of my last day ( two weeks from now Aug 3). Is this too soon? I will not have a break. I will start my graduate summer program starting Aug 1( should have been in July but I delay it until Aug); and ending until my class start on September 21. I still have lots of thing to finish up at work and I hope my boss understand that I have to start my summer program in order to receive the full summer stipend.

@butterfingers2010 I agree with you of keep working until the very last few weeks when school starts. I feel very nervous about leaving my job early because I need the money before I start graduate school on a tight budget and all. I plan to leave early September even my school does not start until late September. At the same time, I want to fast forward this situation. I wish they would paid me a lump sum right now so I can leave sooner for grad school.

I must have to say getting the LOR worst the absolute worst thing and depression as well. I had to start over too because I graduated in 1997. It is 2011 when I applied too. Most of the professors where I got my bachelor degree were retired or does not remember me. So I had to asked my supervisors or boss from work for them. It could of being worst. If I had applied sooner like soon after I graduated in 1997, I could of gotten better LORs. But I got in anyway.

@ Loc Nguyen. I am of Vietnamese descent too. I will start my PhD late though. I will be almost 38 coming in this Fall 2012. I wish I could of started earlier or years ago. But it nice to know that there a lot of people in their 30s going back to grad school.

If I start my program in July, i will be doing an extra rotations and not get started in my thesis yet because I have not picked my lab yet. I think I will start in September and not do a rotation in the summer because I want to earn more money on my job as a research associate. I also want to be coauthor in paper submitted in the lab if I would stay longer until end of August? What do you guys think?

Anyone going to UCR GGB(Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatic) PhD programs. That University of California, Riverside GGB program?

Hey Great Thread, I am also currently working as a research associate in a lab. My boss and co-worker have been understanding from the beginning of the application to the end when I got accepted. In fact, they even wrote me a great LOR. As for me, I did not give them my last day yet. My program does not start until late September. Although I was offererd a summer stipend of $5k to come early in July. I am still contemplating of whether to leave in July or August. For me, I want to keep earning my salary until the last day because I know I will earn more than $5k if I stay until August. I also want to take some time off too but the thought of losing good earn money make me so hesitant to do it. What do you guys think? Is it better to stay in my job until the end of August like the 31st to earn some good money or quit in Late June to start the summer intern at my grad school? Either accept the $5k and leave my full time job in late June or earn more than $5k by staying until end of August? Any thoughts?

Here is my situationa also low undergraduate GPA, but decent graduate GPA; my undergraduate GPA is 2.92 in microbiology from UC Davis. My MS is in Biology from SFSU with GPA of 3.46. GRE score : Verbal (590): Quantitative(680). Writing: 3.5 I have 10 years of research experiences both in academia and industry. My SOP is geared toward my research experience. Applied to all PhD programs. Accepte into two Phd programs. Had to decline one (WSU). Plan to attend UCR in the Fall 2012. So who say you cannot overcome a low undergrad GPA?

9% ( 2 acceptances, 20 rejections) Applied to all 22 PhD programs in molecular biology and biosciences mostly in the west coast. Are these success rate good to you????

I am also in the same situation as you by having to decide between two schools and ultimately choosing the one which I did regret. I did have thoughts of choosing the other programs which I thought would be better fits for me. But through personal matters, I ended up choosing the program that only about 6 hours away by car compare to the one 14 hours away by car. I think at this stage of the game, it may be too late for asking the other school to accept you again with the same offer once you decline them. They may reserved your spot to someone else already. So you could try to call them and if they say yes, then do it. But you may want to make sure about the school that you decline by asking them to make another offer before you rescind to your first offer of acceptance. The school that you decide to rescind will be very upset about you and it is not professional to do it. You need to keep your integrity and sincerity by staying with your first acceptance.

Yeah, did you decline the offer from the higher ranked program? I was in the same situation as you. I had to decide between a higher ranked program and a lower ranked program according to US News and World Report. The lower ranked program has research that fit me more than the higher ranked program. I particular got along with the faculties and grad students during my visit on campus. I did not meet with interesting faculties at the higher ranked program. But I ultimately chose the higher ranked program, but felt that I had made the wrong choice by choosing it. I think you made the right choice in choosing the program that fits you most. Be grateful about it.

I was also in the same situation of having to choose between two schools. School A is a higher ranked in biological science according to US News and World Report and QS world report. School A is nearer to home and weather is much better. School A does not have the same professors which I liked according to research interests. School B is located in a remote location out of my home state. School B weather is very cold and snow in winter. School B living cost is lower than School A. The professors in school B has research interest that I like. But I ended up choosing School A for its location and weather over school B. I do not know if I had made a right decision and still fret over this decision. I feel horrible to turn down School B, but I had to choose between the two. But I agree with the comments above that whichever you choose, think that the "grass is always greener" on the school that you chose.

Yep, I agree with most of these advices; you and your spouse both need to be happy when making a decision of where to go to grad school. I make my decision based on my spouse opinion also.

UCLA, you should stay with your SO cause long distance relationship does not work.

Hey, the city of Binghampton cannot be worse than Pullman because it is a suburban area. Pullman is a rural area so I guess there is more thing to do in Binghampton than Pullman. There is also not much to do in Pullman and you have to drive about 5.5 hours to see a big metropolitan city. I heard there is extreme snow and thunder in Pullman. I do not know about Binghampton.

UCR pro: close proximity to bay area ( about 5 hours drive) close to parents and family decent weather about $2000 less in funding compare to WSU decent research ( higher ranked according to US News and World Report) close to LA area has lots of restaurants also cheaper than SF GF willing to move with me and get jobs there more jobs in the long run full funding cons: Research has few animal models focused on plant systems no football team traffic WSU pro: decent research lots of animal models cheaper than UCR less traffic quiet environment no smog has football team full funding about $2000 more than UCR cons: extreme weather: (heavy snow in winter: hot in summer) too far from bay area and family and friends ( must fly out) isolated from rest of the world in a rural areas would feel lonely no jobs in the area after graduation GF would not move with me No jobs for GF in business field Asides from all these, the two school does not differ in funding much, but WSU has $2000 more in funding, but Riverside is better in ranked and reputation according to most ranking systems. Plus the weather is decent and it close to family. Which school should I choose?