whirlpool4

I'm a 2nd year MS student and this month marks my 1-year in my lab. My PI has given me "the talk" about being more careful and paying attention and being able to think critically multiple times. I have little to no results to show for what I've been working on and it sucks. It's like every little easy thing that every undergrad can do, somehow the gods of science are against me and I don't get anything. It's frustrating to have your boss tell you you're obviously doing something wrong when I'm pretty sure I didn't. It's like I'm going crazy. /rant

I too have been officially rejected from all the PhD programs to which I applied. I want to try to catch the last train out and apply to Master's programs, which aren't due till May or June, from what I've read. I do not want to have to take the GRE again (I took it pre-2011 change and my score is >1200). Fingers crossed...

Gave me a good laugh on the inside, especially in hindsight since I was crying my heart out due to hearing 3 rejections in the same week and assuming that my significant other was ignoring me during such a difficult time... Still waiting to hear back, so good luck to all

My best friend told me not to look to grad school as a 'savior' and for once, I starting thinking about back-up plans. Not to be pessimistic, but to be realistic and at least be prepared for anything. Aside from applying again, this time for a Master's instead of a PhD, I would probably continue my job as a part-time tutor at the small state college in my town. I still want to be a professor and although I'm not too keen about research, I live too far from any research university to get involved without having to relocate anyway. I don't really have any cool plans aside from that... I did consider becoming a high school teacher as well, but I currently tutor some high school students and trying to teach them something is like pulling teeth.

Worth a try at this point!! thanks

One of my LOR writers hasn't responded to any form of contact, even though I submitted my first app in October. Of course, today being the first deadline, I'm just a tad anxious... I have a hard copy and wanted to snail-mail it in, if I could. I called UTexas to ask what I should do and the microbiology department told me I could scan it in and attach the doc to my application. However, no matter how many times I've tried yesterday and today, or what computer I use, the UT microbiology website will NOT LOAD. I'm not sure what to do?!?!

Congrats!! I'm not in the humanities field, so I have reason to believe mine are still due today. I called yesterday and today to ask about one LOR writer who hasn't done jack squat for me so far and they told me to upload it myself. I tried to get into the UT microbiology website and it has entirely CRASHED?! No matter what computer I use or what I type in to get to it, it fails out

Lucky you! I'm Texan-born and bred so of course I'm applying to UT Austin, but I have been reading the transcript situation all wrong this entire time and they only accept it in PDF form. It's not like I carry one around with me all the time, so I ordered one this morning, and I have to wait for it to get to my house, scan it, turn it into a PDF, and plug it into the application. There's no way it'll all get done by tomorrow, so I'm hoping for the best. I did email (last week) and repeatedly call the department (today), but neither answered.

^ My sentiments exactly. I wouldn't call my job tedious - it's actually quite fun, but it is still work. I wanted to have all my apps done in even intervals, like submitting one every three days or something, but I managed to send three, then take a two-week break, and churn out one more... I still have three more to go Good luck everyone

I was a commended student for the PSAT in high school and made a good enough score on the SAT, but that was years ago, and I studied my butt off for the GRE. As a college student, you study for your major, not for standardized reading and math, so obviously we're going to be out of touch. I consider myself to be a good test-taker, but those things are not in my everyday use. I didn't take a Kaplan course or anything, so I did all my studying out of my own volition, on my own time, during a lazy Florida summer, and I had the worst time trying to focus and push myself to practice everything on my own, using books and online resources. Granted, I made average scores, but there's no way I'm going to take it again.

I said something relevant in a different thread:

I'm applying to PhD programs in microbio / immuno / pathology myself. I made almost equal on quant and verbal, so although they aren't great, I am not going to retake it. However, as a fellow student, I would suggest you retake the GRE if you are worried about that 300s score on verbal. I think your research experience will work in your favor, but I am not sure about your funding situation.

I just graduated with my BS in molecular and microbiology at a large state university. I'm applying to 7 PhD programs for fall 2012 in microbio / immuno / pathology departments with an ideal focus in toxins and pathogenesis. I have very scattered, irrelevant research experience, but I tried to put them in the best light in my SOP. I've submitted 2 apps so far... I know I'm slow on the road considering deadlines are coming up next month Good luck to all

I am also interested in pathology and almost all the programs to which I'm applying are some combination of micro / immuno. Look specifically at the topics of the faculty - if you like what they are doing, it shouldn't matter which department they are in. I also figured most, if not all, of the programs have lab rotations, so I can get a feel for both micro and immuno in passing.

I ended up calling that prof, stuttering and all (jk), and he spent the better part of 40 minutes explaining the admissions process and told me about some huge fellowships that I had no idea about. He said that since I was proactive and contacting profs ahead of time, he would tell me info that other students wouldn't get to hear. He also said he would get in touch with the graduate program coordinator to keep an eye out for my application AND gave me some tips about loopholes to get my app looked at faster. Def worth it!!

I recently switched out one of my schools for another, so I'm also starting an app from scratch at this point. I'm trying to submit as many apps as I can this week but I'm still waiting on emails back from profs to see if they're accepting students, etc. I guess I should just send them in... Also, I'm glad when a department says they're going to contact me, but I also had a prof say I'm free to call him. scared of what to say :x

I was an "independent contractor" with a small college-based company that hired students to type up their notes every week. I was paid a flat rate and then a small commission based on the number of packets they sold at the local bookstores. I'm sure the professors were aware of such a business and probably would not have raised an issue regarding intellectual property. I agree that I would not have bought these notes myself because I write very thorough notes and typing them up afterward reinforces the material. In one of my courses, everyone was failing but I excelled because I understood the way the professor taught - more abstract and difficult to follow if you were a come-to-class-and-copy notes person. I typed the explanations into my notes and hoped it helped whoever bought them. I'm sure they were also useful to those who had missed a lot of classes throughout the semester.

I don't remember in which thread I saw this, but this blog article from a professor's point of view may help: http://science-professor.blogspot.com/2011/10/writing-to-me-reprise.html

I'm applying to PhD programs in microbiology / immunology / pathology - being in the sciences seems to have automatically made my writing relatively dry and to the point, although I have been an avid prose writer in my free time. Regarding my inspiration, my true initial interest in these fields came from reading books like The Andromeda Strain (fiction) and The Demon in the Freezer (non-fiction) when I was in high school, in addition to my science classes at the time, of course. Should I include information like this? It has potential to seem juvenile and irrelevant if I don't do it right, so I have refrained from putting anything like it in my SOP template so far. If I do include it, how should I best tie it in to the rest of my educational / research experience? http://en.wikipedia....ndromeda_Strain http://en.wikipedia...._in_the_Freezer Thanks in advance

I'm applying to doctorate programs in immunology / pathology. I work part-time as a tutor at a local state college and I love it so much. I'm still perfecting my SOP and having an issue with letters of rec for online apps, but otherwise I'm well on my way. I just hope things don't start to bunch up closer to the end of the semester when those apps are supposed to be done and submitted.

The letters are printed on watermarked letterhead and signed, and like I said, I can't physically go back and get them to sign the envelopes, so I guess my only choice is to ask the schools.

My recommenders gave me their letters either as is or in unsealed, unsigned envelopes. I have already graduated and moved on. Is it okay to mail them in unsigned envelopes?

They didn't tell me about signing the envelope. I've already graduated and moved away, so unless I mail them back to them and have them mailed out from there, or just go back to visit, I can't really get them to do that. I'll just contact the schools and ask if that's okay.

I could just put them in envelopes and seal them. Bazinga!

So it's okay to send it with letterhead but not official envelopes?