2020 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[blondebiophysicist]

Hi All. I haven't heard from any grad programs yet. I'm a  little nervous as to why I haven't heard. I don't think my application was bad (I filled out an applicant profile on page 4). Has anyone else not heard back yet? 

[balisticFeanor]

12 minutes ago, blondebiophysicist said:

Hi All. I haven't heard from any grad programs yet. I'm a  little nervous as to why I haven't heard. I don't think my application was bad (I filled out an applicant profile on page 4). Has anyone else not heard back yet? 

Its still very very early! I looked at your list of schools and I think a lot of them send out invites a little later. Also i think the trend this year is that all schools are taking more time and sending out invites later. You applied to mostly top programs and they just need some time to look through all of the apps bc they get so many. I wouldn't read into it too much, I think most of the programs you applied to havent stared sending apps, tbh i think all schools are just doing everything late this year 

[episome1996]

Does anyone have the link to that page someone made where they compiled all of the results from each year and showed graphs and gpas for each school and program based on the results page?

[kevykev20]

Undergrad Institution:Small in state southern school
Major(s): General Biology
Minor(s):
GPA in Major: 3.8
Overall GPA: 3.6
Type of Student: asian in rural virginia 

GRE Scores (revised/old version): (f**k the GRE I hate standardized testing I did terrible)
Q: 147
V:148
W:4.5
B:

Research Experience: overall 2 years of research experience in an ecotoxicology lab working with microplastics/animal models, capstone

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Academic excellence scholarship, deans list, (possibly a grant winner will find out january)

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: (Worked in the technology assistance center)

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Community service fraternity, environmental certificate/sustainability certificate

Special Bonus Points: Great LOR's from professors I've worked with, my professor personally knows the professor I want to work with at grad school so she talked to her and I got invited to a recruitment day, good SOP, idk being a gay asian from the south? lmao
 

I know i have literally no chance of getting into giant schools like Harvard, UCLA, etc. but I think I have a good chance at schools that aren't ivy leagues and extremely popular for a lot of programs right? 

[StardustCrusader]

Has anyone heard back from the UC Berkeley/Davis Microbiology groups?

[Neuromantic]

One of my friends just heard from UNC, UCLA, and UCSF. She didn't take the GRE / attended a small liberal arts college.

[potoooooooo]

5 hours ago, episome1996 said:

Does anyone have the link to that page someone made where they compiled all of the results from each year and showed graphs and gpas for each school and program based on the results page?

Not sure if this is the exact page you were looking for, but someone on reddit did something like this a year or so back  

https://www.reddit.com/r/gradadmissions/comments/7srxxy/decision_timelines_for_particular_universities/

Edited December 17, 2019 by potoooooooo

[atm14834]

Undergrad Institution: Small agricultural college in Georgia

Major: Biology-Biochemistry (my concentration was in biochemistry)

GPA in Major: Unknown

Overall GPA: 3.73

Type of Student: Domestic

GRE: I didn't take the GRE; my programs didn't require it.

Research: 3 years in a neuroscience lab. About a year in a microbiology lab (kinda). 1 international poster presentation, 1 regional poster presentation, 2 local poster presentations. 2 abstract publications (1 first author and 1 second). 

Awards and such: President's List, Dean's List, NSF ASSESTS Scholar, Magna Cum Laude graduate.

Other things: I co-authored a grant for my neuro lab. I have been working in a state lab for 3 years as a chemical analyst. I served as my school's principal horn player and section leader for 3 years. 

Applying to:

UNC, UGA, UAB, UVA, Duke, Vanderbilt, Emory, UPenn.

Recommendations: 1 from my adviser, 1 from my research mentor, and 1 from one of my bosses.

I'm really nervous. I applied to most microbiology programs. I know most of my research is in neuroscience, but I'm more interested in microbiology and immunology than neuroscience. We just didn't really have much micro research going on where I am at.

[mitochondria_1]

Do any of you know if Yale BBS - MCGD is done sending their interview invitations? and for those who got interviews, did you chose the date or was it assigned to you?

[reprobio_12]

On 12/16/2019 at 12:44 AM, mannarie said:

Do you mind telling me the BBSP interview weekends? I am not confident I will get one, but since I submitted close to the deadline maybe it will just take longer....either way I have already scheduled two interviews and I don't want to block out the weekends BBSP may be!

My interview weekend is February 6-8. There are probably multiple weekends though and they might depend on your specific department of interest. I applied before the Nov 25th priority deadline if that is helpful. Good luck!

[rnabio]

Undergrad Institution: Small public PUI. Not sure about reputation
Major(s): Biochemistry
Minor(s):
GPA in Major: 3.93
Overall GPA: 3.96
Type of Student: Domestic Female
GRE Scores (revised/old version): bless up GRExit
Q:
V:
W:
B:

Research Experience: 2 years undergrad organic chemistry, 1 year undergrad molecular biology, 1.5 years post-bacc full-time - 2 publications.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Outstanding achievement in Biochemistry from undergrad. Academic All-Conference for academics/athletics

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Part-time tutor in undergrad, full-time research assistant post-bacc

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

Special Bonus Points: female, but I don't think that's much of a bonus point...Post-bacc experience at R1 institution with dept chair as PI and letter writer.

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

Applying to Where:

Yale - BQBS
Cornell - BMCB
Columbia - Integrated Program - Biochemistry preference

Cold Spring Harbor - Watson School of Biological Sciences

Vanderbilt - IGP

UW-Madison - Biochemistry --interview scheduled

WUSTL - Molecular Cell Biology --interview scheduled

Indiana University - Cell, Molecular, Cancer Biology --interview offered

Case Western Reserve - BSTP --interview scheduled

 

[2020bioE]

Anyone hear from UCSF BMS? Seeing someone reported an interview. 

[gb123]

7 minutes ago, 2020bioE said:

Anyone hear from UCSF BMS? Seeing someone reported an interview. 

Yeah, I got an interview invite last night! They are offering two different interview weekends: Jan 23–25 and Feb 6–8. It looks like they are sending out invites in waves, but they gave no indication if they have sent out everything in the email they sent me. Wishing you the best!

[sadGenes]

Has anyone hear from U Washington Genomic Sciences or U Colorado Denver Biomedical Sciences??

[2020bioE]

41 minutes ago, gb123 said:

Yeah, I got an interview invite last night! They are offering two different interview weekends: Jan 23–25 and Feb 6–8. It looks like they are sending out invites in waves, but they gave no indication if they have sent out everything in the email they sent me. Wishing you the best!

Oh dang. Do you know if they generally send waves of invites?

[gb123]

42 minutes ago, 2020bioE said:

Oh dang. Do you know if they generally send waves of invites?

That's what I have heard in years past, but I am not sure!

[cc92]

congrats to everyone who has interviews!! sorry if this question as already been answered, but does anyone know if the time you submit your app affects the day you hear back? or are interviews usually sent out like all at once?

[balisticFeanor]

31 minutes ago, cc92 said:

congrats to everyone who has interviews!! sorry if this question as already been answered, but does anyone know if the time you submit your app affects the day you hear back? or are interviews usually sent out like all at once?

From what i can see no? I just got an interview at the University of Washington's Genome Science and I submitted a day before it was due, but I still havent heard from any of the schools I submitted in early November, so it's super dependent on the school, how many apps they got this year, when they close the admissions office for Christmas, etc. 

[Throwawaydnf99]

If your program has two options for interviews/weekends, does anyone think the first or second would hold any advantage over the other?

[Ninghuan]

3 hours ago, balisticFeanor said:

From what i can see no? I just got an interview at the University of Washington's Genome Science and I submitted a day before it was due, but I still havent heard from any of the schools I submitted in early November, so it's super dependent on the school, how many apps they got this year, when they close the admissions office for Christmas, etc. 

Congrats on UW Genome Sciences!!! May I ask when's their interview? Hopefully more invites are on their way :finger-crossed:

[DRMF]

2 hours ago, Throwawaydnf99 said:

If your program has two options for interviews/weekends, does anyone think the first or second would hold any advantage over the other?

Probably no. Logistically the second one may run marginally smoother just because they will have done it once already.

If you have potential conflicts (interview dates at other schools), just choose whichever is less likely to conflict. If neither has conflicts, I usually went with the first one, just because if anything comes up last minute (you fall sick, flight canceled due to weather, family emergencies) you can still ask to be rescheduled to the later date. Of course if you think you'll be really unprepared by the first interview date for whatever reason, then do the second one.

[reprobio_12]

I was able to see a list of all the interview weekends for the Vaderbilt IGP (and QCB) programs. I thought I would post here in case that is helpful to anyone: Jan 10, 17, 24, 31, Feb 14, 21, 28, March 6, 13, 27.

[episome1996]

Freaking out a bit about not receiving interviews (or rejections) this late in december but it seems as though none of the programs I applied to have sent out invites except for Columbia genetics and development. Though I haven't really seen many people that have submitted results for the programs I applied for in the past. Hope my GPA didn't kick me out. Applied to mainly genetics programs at each university. (BCMB for weill cornell, human genetics for UCLA, genetics and development for Columbia, Integrative physiology for UC boulder, biomedical sciences albert einstein)

Edited December 19, 2019 by episome1996
programs

[SRChromatinRNA]

Has anyone heard from Weill Cornell BCMB yet? 

Edited December 19, 2019 by SRChromatinRNA

[researchrocks]

I applied to 

Johns Hopkins (CMM and BCMB)

Cold Spring Harbor

Gerstner Sloan Kettering

NYU Sackler

Harvard BBS

Mayo Clinic (experimental therapeutics)

St. Jude

Duke (Cancer Bio)

UPenn (CAMB)

Also applied to MIT and Georgetown but I know they notify in January 

 

and I have not heard from any yet ? has anyone heard back from these? I saw a couple of posts in the results from U-Penn and Hopkins CAMB and from Mayo Clinic (experimental therapeutics) but I do not know if all the invites have been sent out yet for those programs. Should I be freaking out?!?