Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering Applications for 2020 Admission

[2020bioE]

34 minutes ago, Baarbod said:

I haven't heard back from Columbia, uPenn, USC, and Northwestern. Should I just assume that I got rejected at this point? I'm contemplating just accepting one of my other offers already. 

Also haven’t heard back from Columbia ?

[AlwaysPPE]

3 hours ago, Baarbod said:

I haven't heard back from Columbia, uPenn, USC, and Northwestern. Should I just assume that I got rejected at this point? I'm contemplating just accepting one of my other offers already. 

From past posts, and people I heard from, I believe all of those have sent their interview invites and / or most of their acceptances. I am in the same spot for some of those (i.e. haven't heard anything), and I'd say certainly it's not hopeless they may extend you an offer, but I'm treating them as a rejection effectively. 

Personally, I am waiting to hear back from the places I've interviewed at to make a decision, but won't be waiting until last second for some slim hope of an offer from a University that has ghosted me, and I haven't visited. I guess it matters to me that a University cares about me, and sees me as a valuable candidate worth contacting and keeping up to date, not some backup. 

[2020bioeng]

I got my MIT BE acceptance! Not sure why it was a few days later than everyone else, but I'm 100% accepting. Thanks to those who reached out when I posted here asking about it!

[Kyle the Doctor*]

Was informed by email this morning that I've been accepted to the JHU BME PhD program!!

Anyone else who went to the JHU interview weekends and hasn't heard back quite yet--don't worry, they're apparently sending out official decision letters in the next few days :).

[Bioenglover]

I am doing my Masters at Columbia BME, so if anyone has questions, I would be happy to help; I know most of the PIs in our department.

[ghostedprof]

This is so frustrating. I had a good conversation with a professor at Duke, even got a Skype interview in, and they seemed really interested but haven't heard anything since. No replies to my follow up emails.  

I know that's 99% a rejection, but I can't seem to let go that 1% of hope. Being ghosted sucks. 

[2020bioE]

13 hours ago, Shani1 said:

I am doing my Masters at Columbia BME, so if anyone has questions, I would be happy to help; I know most of the PIs in our department.

Do you know if all offers have been sent out yet? I heard some have at least. I also heard some labs are shutting down until further notice due to the virus—how would that affect admissions decisions? The PI I’m most interested in has initials TD, don’t know if he’s sent out offers yet

[LPT]

If a Prof doesn't respond to follow up emails after an interview, is it pretty safe to assume they're no longer interested?

[2020bioE]

48 minutes ago, LPT said:

If a Prof doesn't respond to follow up emails after an interview, is it pretty safe to assume they're no longer interested?

I don't think so. I followed up with a prof at UCSD and then received no response but he's listed as one of my interim advisors. UCSD is rotation and not direct-match though. 

[2020bioeng]

50 minutes ago, LPT said:

If a Prof doesn't respond to follow up emails after an interview, is it pretty safe to assume they're no longer interested?

I've had professors respond and gotten rejected/waitlisted (UW). I've also had professors not respond and gotten accepted (MIT). I think it's more concerning to not get a response in a direct-admit program. Rotation-based programs it seems less concerning.

Especially right now where schools/departments are scrambling to deal with COVID-19, a lot of professors are going have delayed/forgotten responses. A late/lack of response is not the end of the world.

[ChemEBear]

If anyone here got admitted to Stanford bioE, could you PM me? I'm curious about how the funding works for students in that department, given that I am mostly interested in getting advised by bioE faculty there.

[2020bioE]

On 3/14/2020 at 8:38 PM, Shani1 said:

I am doing my Masters at Columbia BME, so if anyone has questions, I would be happy to help; I know most of the PIs in our department.

If I've not yet heard anything from Columbia (MS/PhD), is it likely a rejection?

[Sparkss]

 

4 hours ago, 2020bioE said:

If I've not yet heard anything from Columbia (MS/PhD), is it likely a rejection?

I applied to that program during the 2019-20 cycle. They didn't end up telling me that I had been rejected until April 25 and offered to have my app considered for the MS only, which I ended up receiving and declining.

[LPT]

7 hours ago, Sparkss said:

 

I applied to that program during the 2019-20 cycle. They didn't end up telling me that I had been rejected until April 25 and offered to have my app considered for the MS only, which I ended up receiving and declining.

R.I.P.

Hot take:

Sounds exactly like the type of arrogant ivy league bs they'd pull. A clear and widely agree upon deadline is established, and they don't even feel like giving a decision by then, nevermind a reply to said decision.

If they cared a bit more about students than their "yields" they could just interview/accept enough students to fill their slots, and not keep people in limbo just in case others reject them and they want backups... Plenty of other top schools seem to manage sending rejections in a timely manner

[2020futureBME]

Has anyone who interviewed at the University of Michigan heard back yet? It's been over a month since the interview weekend and still no word on acceptance/rejection. 

[Itai]

1 hour ago, 2020futureBME said:

Has anyone who interviewed at the University of Michigan heard back yet? It's been over a month since the interview weekend and still no word on acceptance/rejection. 

I had interviews and, so far, got no response.
The interviews went well (at least that what they said), so I guess that they just did not send decisions yet.

[AlwaysPPE]

So for all the International students currently not in the US, how does this current outbreak affect them?

Especially with the news that all US Visa operations abroad are suspended, and all the borders being closed? 

Do y'all think universities will simply wait for them to get here whenever that's possible? Or will they give them a spot in next year's class and give their current spot to someone else? Is it possible they just get their acceptances revoked (hopefully not as that sounds awful)?

Assuming of course this whole thing doesn't just blow over in a few weeks, which hopefully it does, but probably won't...

[LPT]

On 3/11/2020 at 12:45 AM, LPT said:

What are people's thoughts on Case Western Reserve University vs. University of Minnesota (Twin Cities)?

Anyone have any insight on if one has a better reputation than the other? Like do companies look at BME PhDs from one more than the other? What's their reputations around academia?

Of course this info is only a small part of my decision, but I'm curious anyway. Thanks!

Anyone have any insight on this?

Especially poignant given Case's recent BME alliance with Cleveland Clinic, meaning you can work in a CCF lab with a CCF PI, and classes/degree from Case.blockquote widge

Edited March 22, 2020 by LPT

[Itai]

6 hours ago, AlwaysPPE said:

So for all the International students currently not in the US, how does this current outbreak affect them?

Especially with the news that all US Visa operations abroad are suspended, and all the borders being closed? 

Do y'all think universities will simply wait for them to get here whenever that's possible? Or will they give them a spot in next year's class and give their current spot to someone else? Is it possible they just get their acceptances revoked (hopefully not as that sounds awful)?

Assuming of course this whole thing doesn't just blow over in a few weeks, which hopefully it does, but probably won't...

International student here.
-First of all, some of us already have a 10-year VISA, so that's not such a big issue. 
-Second, I asked about it when the Corona thing started. I have been told that as a first step, international students will participate in online lectures, and any other problems will be solved, hopefully, along the way. 
-Also, as far as I know, some US borders are still open. 
If you ask me, the biggest issue that affects all of us, international and domestic, is the economic crisis that might harm our stipends.

[AlwaysPPE]

12 hours ago, Itai said:

International student here.
-First of all, some of us already have a 10-year VISA, so that's not such a big issue. 
-Second, I asked about it when the Corona thing started. I have been told that as a first step, international students will participate in online lectures, and any other problems will be solved, hopefully, along the way. 
-Also, as far as I know, some US borders are still open. 
If you ask me, the biggest issue that affects all of us, international and domestic, is the economic crisis that might harm our stipends.

I think most international students require a F-1 Visa, which are a maximum of 5 years, and are only issued after getting an I-20 (which only happens after enrollment/registration). This process usually involves a Visa interview, conducted in their home countries (which have now been suspended).

Glad to hear there's some flexibility with online courses happening, hopefully that continues to be the case.

Check the news, the US's southern, northern, European, and Asian borders are all but closed.

I am also worried about the economic crisis, though hopefully the nature of the issue makes governments realize they need to spend MORE not less on biomedical research (which is ultimately where our stipends come from, PI's grants).

 

[Bioenglover]

On 3/15/2020 at 10:45 AM, 2020bioE said:

Do you know if all offers have been sent out yet? I heard some have at least. I also heard some labs are shutting down until further notice due to the virus—how would that affect admissions decisions? The PI I’m most interested in has initials TD, don’t know if he’s sent out offers yet

I got my acceptance letter on the first week of April! so don't worry if they haven't responded yet, It's not necessarily a rejection. 

Have you received an invitation for a one-way interview?

TD is a fantastic PI! I hope you'll get in! 

[2020bioE]

10 hours ago, Bioenglover said:

I got my acceptance letter on the first week of April! so don't worry if they haven't responded yet, It's not necessarily a rejection. 

Have you received an invitation for a one-way interview?

TD is a fantastic PI! I hope you'll get in! 

I have not received an invitation for a one-way interview, but I did interview on-campus in mid-Jan. Thanks for the reassurance. Not super confident about my chances but good to know there's some hope. 

[LHMQ]

Hi guys, original poster here. It has been one crazy ride, and I have finally decided to join Boston U this fall (hopefully the COVID-19 thing won't push back the date...). Everyone here is so excellent and I hope that you will all get into your desired program. Who knows, maybe one day we will be colleagues.

To future applicants: Good luck, don't be too stressed, and hopefully my profile and other profiles here can be useful references to obsess over.

Wash your hand,

[Bernt]

3 hours ago, LHMQ said:

Hi guys, original poster here. It has been one crazy ride, and I have finally decided to join Boston U this fall (hopefully the COVID-19 thing won't push back the date...). Everyone here is so excellent and I hope that you will all get into your desired program. Who knows, maybe one day we will be colleagues.

To future applicants: Good luck, don't be too stressed, and hopefully my profile and other profiles here can be useful references to obsess over.

Wash your hand,

Congrats on getting into and choosing BU. I am finishing up my BME undergrad at BU right now and it's a fantastic school! Best of luck

[AlwaysPPE]

On 3/13/2020 at 1:49 PM, AlwaysPPE said:

 Personally, I am waiting to hear back from the places I've interviewed at to make a decision, but won't be waiting until last second for some slim hope of an offer from a University that has ghosted me, and I haven't visited. I guess it matters to me that a University cares about me, and sees me as a valuable candidate worth contacting and keeping up to date, not some backup. 

Just to update my thoughts here:

I have also ruled out universities I've interviewed at, but have not yet responded to me. Given they've sent people acceptances, it's clear they picked their first choices and the delay is just hedging me as a backup.

I guess I really care that if I'm going to spend 5+ years somewhere, that I am their first choice too! I imagine it would be weird to work for a PI that didn't view you as a top candidate, especially if that has a lasting effect on their impression of you.

 

At this point, if a university couldn't be bothered to get back to me by now, I have sent them an email (nicely worded) letting them know I'll be pursuing a better fit elsewhere. 

I encourage others to do the same if you also care about such things, it'll help people waiting who don't have any other options. It should also (eventually) teach them a lesson about prompt responses.