alkaline262

Nevermind, I changed this a bunch by eliminating the part about my background and submitted it.

Sorry first time using this, it should be public to anyone with a link now. Anyone with the link should be able to see it and comment. Thanks guys.

Hi, I am a very weak writer, but I really need to make a decent,short thank you letter for some fellowship funding I received for graduate school. Please let me know you think.https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4IsPvIIjvg2c3J5Zm5NelpKOEk/edit?usp=sharing

I received offers from Marquette University(PhD Biology) and Washington State University(PhD Molecular Biosciences). I am leaning heavily towards WSU, but thought I would make a quick post for additional input. I have mulled over this decision on my own for weeks and talked with professors about it. WSU has more research faculty with a greater diversity in research topics. WSU has 30 faculty involved in research, while Marquette only has about 16. WSU has a larger,newer facility, and the department seems overall better funded. WSU, unlike Marquette, has a sequencing center. Marquette did offer a better stipend by a few thousand dollars(22K plus summer stipend vs 22K for entire year at WSU). Marquette is also recommending me for a $30,000 fellowship, which would relieve me of TA duty for a year. WSU offered a RA for my first semester, which would only relieve me of TA for my first semester. The point of stipend does not matter much to me, just thought I would include it to cover all the bases. Both programs waive tuition. I visited both universities, through my eyes, WSU seems a better program, better fit of research, and is in a beautiful area. Does anyone have input or experience?

Good suggestion, maybe I could also ask how quickly students find jobs outside of the program

Hello again, I have an interview coming up and am currently entering freak out mode. I did one interview already and felt I did not have enough questions to ask the profs about their research specifically or about the program in general I made a thread a few weeks ago about what questions you are likely to be asked, but I want to now focus on what kind of question you could ask the interviewer! Here is what I brought to my last interview: Questions for all profs. What are you doing in the lab right now, and where do you see the research going? What kind of methods commonly employed in the lab? How do lab rotations work and how do you choose students for the lab? What is the state of funding in the lab? How do you think students would describe the experience of working in your lab? What is important to you in a graduate student? What articles do you publish your papers in? Questions about program What kind of courses will I be taking? What areas are available for graduate concentrations? How long does it take students to complete the program? What percentage of students complete the program? What kind of examinations/thesis work are required? What do students do after the program? What is the average size of a class? What is it like to live in this area? I feel like I am lacking in questions to ask the profs, not necessarily the program specific column. Any thoughts?

Cmon guys, nothing?

- All of my top schools were PhD programs, but I also applied to several "safe" MS programs. I received an offer from a PhD program, but now what should I do for the MS programs? It seems like I should not consider attending them over the PhD. I got an email today from a faculty member of one of the safe schools, and in it he expressed interest in my file and explained some of his research. Because I put so much work into my applications and I did not accept any PhD offers yet, I am hesitant to email these programs telling them I am no longer available, but I also don't want to waste anyone's time. What to do in this situation?

Now that is a tough one, how did you respond? I guess I would have made a comment about the attention grabbing topic of the last paper...tough one though

So I have my first interview coming up very soon, and I have been looking back through the topics for the kinds of questions people have been asked during interviews. I am practicing these topics by reading questions out loud, thinking for a moment, and then answering the questions out loud. I am not trying to coach myself or develop "canned" answers to interview questions, but more trying to get a good sense of what might be asked and have a few points I want to make already in my head that I can elaborate on organically in the context of the interview. A few questions I came across in this forum enough to consider common: What is your objective of applying for PhD? Why choose this university? Describe a challenge you have overcome? Why do you want to be in this program? What other schools have you applied to? What kind of career do you want in the future? What have you done since graduating? Does anyone else have examples of common topics, or even specific questions they have been asked in an interview?

Thanks for the info, and I think I will email a few students in advance of the interview day.Also, I will be meeting grad students in the lab of my prospective advisers on the interview day, so having previously contacted some of them might make this meeting go even smoother.

I have an interview for the PhD Biology program in two weeks at Marquette University in Wisconsin. I am considering contacting current graduate students at the program and ask them what the interview is like. Is this unreasonable? This is my interview, and I am very concerned.

Great thanks!

I have several schools asking for a list of awards and achievements. I couldn't find anything about this in the search engine; do you think they are just looking for a literal list without explanations? University of Minnesota application states: "Please list any honors or scholastic awards you have received and extra-curricular activities in which you have participated. Be sure to include any national or international fellowships for which you are currently applying or have received. Give titles of publications and of any research, inventions, or other creative work you have done. (Please limit your response to one uploaded page" I just have a few scholarships, few awards, and poster presentations from research projects. Should I just list them and give award dates?

I like the idea of asking them in the letter if they would like future reminders as other due dates approach. I applied to twelve schools, and I am afraid some will get forgotten.

I have a question about reminding my recommending profs that some of the deadlines for their reference letters are approaching. I applied to 12 schools with due dates ranging from Dec 1st through Feb. I was last in contact with my professors on Oct 26 when I sent them additional information about one more school I decided to apply to. Should I still send out a brief reminder about the due dates, and if so when? I was thinking about sending something in two weeks saying: Dr. X, I just wanted to let you know that the application process for some of the programs I applied to will be coming to a close soon in the beginning of December. I know this is also a very busy time for you with the end of the semester, but I just wanted to get in touch with you to see how letters are going. Please let me know if there is any additional information you need to complete the process. Thank you, Student

Hi, I have a statement of purpose for graduate school biological sciences. I would love the opportunity to exchange sops with anyone, just pm if you are interested. I have to leave for the night right now, but will be back on late morning/afternoon tomorrow. Thank you.

Well at least they will have seen my name once, it can't hurt when lab selection comes after the first year, even if they are not responding now.

What exactly do you mean by rotation format?

I am intending applying to several general biology and molecular biology programs for the fall semester of 2013. I graduated this last May with a bachelors in biology. I have noticed that some schools require me to have a prof agree to advise me before I even send in the application, is this requirement common? I have tried to email about a dozen profs from several different school, but have not established any correspondence. In my email I outline my research experience and express interest in the professor's work; I conclude the email with asking if they have any room for new students. What happens If I cannot get in touch with anyone prior to application, should I just apply anyway? I really hope I am qualified enough to get an adviser. I worked on 3 research projects during my undergraduate for several semesters, high GPA, and scholarships etc.

My school does not offer this, and at least one of the schools I am applying to will mail a request to him for the letter after I apply. I paid for an interfolio account, but that doesn't seem to be much help.

Hi, I asked one of my professors the other week if he would write me a letter of recommendation, but I wont be applying until the application round for 2013 fall semester. I did research with him for a year, and would have waited to ask him, but I think he is retiring very soon. He agreed to write it, but I don't know what to do about when he is going to mail them. Thanks in advance for any help.

okay, that makes this easier. I actually have a resume made up from applying for scholarships, so I will just forward that to him and tell him i can furnish a personal statement if he feels he needs more.

I asked a professor, who I have been doing research for a year, if he would write me a letter of recommendation. He seemed happy to do it, but asked if I could write him up a background of all that I have done. Should I write up a personal statement like this: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/2/ or do you think he wants something else?

I am applying to about a dozen schools on the west coast this next year for biology/biochemistry/molecular biology, and I am worried about interviews. I live in the midwest and have will apply to about a dozen or so schools, most of which are on the west coast. If each school considers me will I have to fly out for a dozen interviews, or are interviews not as common for graduate school? I have heard that graduate schools sometimes pay for a potential student to fly out and visit, how common is this too?