Quantum Buckyball

Why do you want to get a PhD in Virology? I know a guy worked in a virology lab as a lab tech with a BS in Biology. Have you considered to go interview with a couple of professors or grad students in the similar field (i.e. immunology, microbiology etc.) to see how is it like? Because you don't have any relevant research experiences in the field. You will most likely need to have a BS in the related field (i.e. Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology etc.) or, you could shadow in a virology lab or in the similar field, or, work as a lab technician or a volunteer in a virology lab to gain some hands on experience.

I think they'll only let you defer it if you have family emergencies or other medical reasons.

I am currently in a PhD program for Chemistry right now. I don't think is a good idea to attend a program just for a specific group. After you entered the program, you will have to submit another application to join the research group of your choice. However, this is where a lot of students (some of my peers) got screwed over and some of them ended up either (1) switched to another division (2) joined a different research group (3) left the program Do you consider yourself as a top/competitive student in comparison to your cohort class?

ChemE is all about approximation and optimization, they don't really teach you anything about separation, spectroscopy, and any other analytical techniques...nor physical techniques...nor bioinorganic...nor biochemistry......nor computational techniques (maybe a little, but not like biomolecular modeling work).

A girl from my cohort class got her BS in ChemE and she is doing okay in my program right now (she did not get into the research group she wanted). I think ChemE is a good degree but it does not prepare you enough for a typical Chem program or vice versa. I think that as long as you're good at math and programming and a quick learner then it won't be too bad.

It depends on your credentials. Your chance is pretty slim if you.... (1) lack of research experiences involved chemical engineering (2) lack of letters of recommendation from chemical engineers (3) lack of computer programming skills (C++, matlab, and others) (4) lack of advanced level of math courses (probability theory, linear algebra, etc.)

I am very sorry to hear that this happened to you. To my knowledge, most graduate programs will only review completed applications first. You might still have a shot for graduate programs with rolling admission though.

If you have any questions regarding pharmacy, medical, dental schools please go to http://studentdoctor.net/ It's a website similar to Gradcafe but more targeted toward pre-health major students.

You have a valid point. It's all depends on what you want to do after graduation. If you intend to go into industry then 40 hrs/week is enough for you to get there. However, if you intend to do a postdoc at a top place, then 40 hrs/week might be too low.

It has became a norm that most of PhD applicants all have a Masters already, which made it very hard for those without a Masters to compete, mainly due to lack of (1) number of first author publications, (2) fellowships, and (3) thesis writing experience.

Yes I started my Roth IRA back in 2010 and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made for myself. I also have a CD as a emergency fund (3X of your monthly expenses). I only contribute about 10-15% of my monthly income toward my retirement account though.

Yes, the classes time are 8-9 am and 11-12 pm on Tuesday and Thursday. I will be done with my coursework by the end of this semester.

You can't, it's part of being anonymous.

My typical work schedule, I only stay in the lab until really late during the weekends. I'm definitely taking the advantage of being single and with no kids status. Some of my peers thought it was a bit extreme and that I have "no life". But remember, you're in graduate school to be productive and and not have a "life". Your productivity will dictates where you go after you're done with your PhD. In addiction, a lot of programs make their students to finish within 4-7 years because they officially kick you out or stop funding you. You can always have a more "well-rounded" life style after you're done with school. Monday 10 am - 9 pm Tuesday 9 am - 8 pm Wednesday 10 am - 9 pm Thursday 9 am - 8 pm Friday 10 am - 9 pm or 12 am Saturday free day Sunday 12 pm - 6 pm or Saturday 10 am - 12 am Sunday free day

It's really not just about the classes and degree. In your case, I think you should do a Masters first to see if it's for you or not, especially you don't really have a strong background. It would be extraordinarily hard to convince the admission committee to accept you over applicants with a BS in Biology/Zoology with relevant research experiences/number of publications/scholarships/fellowships/teaching/volunteer experiences.