MIT Biology interviews and acceptance rates

[factanonverba]

Hi all,

There are quite a few threads already about post-interview acceptance rates at other programs, but I for some reason cannot find much info about MIT Biology. How selective is the program post interviews? Also, does anyone happen to know how many people they typically invite to interviews (or to each of the three open house dates)? 

[phospholipasec]

Pretty competitive... anecdotally, I have two peers who are grad students in the lab of an MIT Biology PI, but they are students in the Department of Chemistry because they were rejected from the Biology program. Even their PI suggested applying through Chemistry if they really wanted to work in that lab, because Biology is even more competitive than Chemistry.

Edited January 14, 2018 by phospholipasec

[factanonverba]

I should clarify - I have been invited to their open house, so I'm more curious about their post-interview acceptance rather than general selectivity.

[BiomedicalPHD]

On 1/13/2018 at 10:47 PM, factanonverba said:

I should clarify - I have been invited to their open house, so I'm more curious about their post-interview acceptance rather than general selectivity.

MIT Biology is known as one of the more competitive programs to get accepted post-interview. I don't have any information about this year, but 2014 post-interview acceptance rate was around 50%. It will vary year to year, however, due to previous class size, funding availability, quality of applicants, etc. but I would assume it is in the 40-60% range.

[factanonverba]

4 hours ago, BiomedicalPHD said:

MIT Biology is known as one of the more competitive programs to get accepted post-interview. I don't have any information about this year, but 2014 post-interview acceptance rate was around 50%. It will vary year to year, however, due to previous class size, funding availability, quality of applicants, etc. but I would assume it is in the 40-60% range.

Good to know! Thanks BiomedicalPHD.

[siliconchins]

Also very interested in this. I've heard anecdotally in the past that they interview ~100 applicants and matriculate ~40-50 people per year, which puts it around the same range of @BiomedicalPHD's estimate. I would guess that they accept a bit more than their matriculation target, but since MIT is a top program I'm sure that they don't accept much more than their target number. 

[Bioenchilada]

I don't think MIT's yield is insanely high (i.e 90s) given that people that are accepted in top programs get admitted to quite a few as well. Assuming that the yield is 70% and the incoming class is 50 students, that would still mean that ~70+% of students are admitted if ~100 are interviewed . Also, you have to keep in mind that the strength of the cohort also dictates how many people get in. At some schools that I interviewed at, including Penn, they mentioned that they have the ability to accept all the interviewees, but that it is unlikely that this would be the case. 

[factanonverba]

57 minutes ago, siliconchins said:

Also very interested in this. I've heard anecdotally in the past that they interview ~100 applicants and matriculate ~40-50 people per year, which puts it around the same range of @BiomedicalPHD's estimate. I would guess that they accept a bit more than their matriculation target, but since MIT is a top program I'm sure that they don't accept much more than their target number. 

What is the source of these numbers? That actually doesn't sound bad. Ratio-wise it's quite similar to what I have heard about several other programs such as Harvard BBS, which I've heard accepts 80-90% of students post interviews with a matriculation rate much lower than that (although I don't remember the exact figures).

[siliconchins]

7 minutes ago, factanonverba said:

What is the source of these numbers? That actually doesn't sound bad. Ratio-wise it's quite similar to what I have heard about several other programs such as Harvard BBS, which I've heard accepts 80-90% of students post interviews with a matriculation rate much lower than that (although I don't remember the exact figures).

These numbers were given to me by someone I know who attends the program, but they were estimating. I would think that their numbers are pretty accurate. There are currently 220 students in the program - spreading that out over 5-6 different cohorts puts the number per year between 36-44 students. 

[jeanetics17]

Not sure if this helps, but MIT Biology's most recent class (2017 Matrics) is about 30 people, while comparably, Harvard BBS is 64. However, I don't have a sense of the matriculation rates. Most students that interview with BBS get an offer, while far less are likely to get an offer by MIT. MIT Bio is definitely one of the hardest programs to get an acceptance from, in large part because they do like to keep their class sizes small as well as they scrutiny by which they evaluate your academic record (which they attribute as a prognostic about how you'll handle their rigorous coursework). 

[JMicl]

Taken directly from MIT's official website (https://biology.mit.edu/graduate/why-mit-biology/diversity-in-the-graduate-program/😞

Students enroll in the PhD program following three stages in the admissions process. Most applications from domestic applicants are read by at least three faculty members, and the top ~25% are discussed by a committee of 22 faculty members with extensive experience in graduate education. Based on this evaluation, students are invited to interview in-person. About 20% of domestic applicants are interviewed. Among all interviewed students, approximately 80% are admitted and 45% of those matriculate in the program. Note that the selection process for international students includes additional screening steps, because we receive a large number of applications for a small number of funded positions.

Edited January 12 by JMicl