2021 Computational and Molecular Biophysics/Biophysical Sciences/Biological Physics PhD Admissions

[papu]

Hi,

So I didn't see any thread for biophysics programs so here we are.

[papu]

Applied to the following programs and heard from three so far.

U of Chicago: Biophysical Sciences [Interview invitation sent 12/17]

UC San Francisco: Computational and Molecular Biophysics  [Interview invitation sent 12/16]

John Hopkins: Molecular Biophysics [Interview invitation sent 12/17]

NYU: Biophysics

UCSD: Biophysics

Harvard: Biophysics

Berkeley: Biophysics

Stanford: Biophysics

 

To be honest I didn't even think of getting an interview at all since my physics undergrad was low, but I guess 3 years of research experience made up for it, let's see!!

[lipward]

Any Updates ? 

[papu]

On 1/11/2021 at 3:19 AM, lipward said:

Any Updates ? 

Got interviews everywhere but NYU, UCSD and Harvard.

[lipward]

On 1/14/2021 at 8:32 PM, papu said:

Got interviews everywhere but NYU, UCSD and Harvard.

Thank you!. Good luck with the interviews. I have not heard back from anyone yet.

I applied for 

• Berkeley: Biophysics
• U of Chicago: Biophysical Sciences
• John Hopkins: Molecular Biophysics 
• Rochester: Biophysics 
• Duke: Biochemistry
• U of W at Madison: Biophysics 

I applied late for all the programs as I had to deal with some other issues first

I have previously mastered out from my PhD (Chemistry) at a public Ivy as I got sick. 

MA GPA:3.5 (did not attend classes as I was quarantined for a semester and just took exams as I cannot withdraw without paying back tuition as an international student)

GRE Chemistry 880 (95%) 2013 but could not do the test again as ETS canceled the most recent test dates ( From April to Oct)

GRE General Q 167 V 163  (2020)

TOEFL iBT 119 out of 120 (2021)

18 presentations ( 6 oral and 12 posters ) and counting at BPS, ACS, ASBMB, and other international conferences

Coauthor of two papers (middle) 

One first author review in preparation

Four co-author papers are in preparation

16 published abstracts and six submitted ( ~10 citations at google scholar)

11 years of research experience (physical organic, bioanalytical, biophysics) & ~ one year at a big biotech company (diagnostics) 

In 2020, I got one poster award, one young investigator award, a few travel awards, Sigma Xi membership

4 LORs ( current PI, one member from the previous dissertation committee, one is a supervisor at the biotech company, one very famous peptide chemist (a Regents Professor))

[Atom345]

Hey I hope this forum is still active:

I got automatic acceptance into University of Michigan Biophysics with no interview.

I will be interviewed for Madison Wisconsin's biophysics program in February.

Was interviewed by Caltech but have not received a second interview. RIP lol

[lipward]

9 hours ago, Atom345 said:

Hey I hope this forum is still active:

I got automatic acceptance into University of Michigan Biophysics with no interview.

I will be interviewed for Madison Wisconsin's biophysics program in February.

Was interviewed by Caltech but have not received a second interview. RIP lol

Thank you for the update. I have had not that much luck with biophysics programs. I made up my mind to reapply if I have to.  

[calizab]

Niceeeee a biophysics forum!

Out of the biophysics programs I️ applied to I've gotten interviews from Berkeley, Weill Cornell, UCSF, UNC, UW, Rochester and Pitt (and got into UMich and UIUC). I've def been rejected by Stanford and Yale but oh well I briefly mourned but I've got some other schools I'm very excited about (and in the end it's probably for the best)! My top 3 right now are probably (and very loosely) Berkeley, Weill Cornell, and UCSF, but I️ also love the rest of them (especially UW and the Institute for Protein Design) so who knows. 

I️ also applied to some biochem, chemical biology, and comp bio programs, but biophysics wherever I️ could.

Edited January 29, 2021 by calizab

[Atom345]

14 hours ago, calizab said:

Niceeeee a biophysics forum!

Out of the biophysics programs I️ applied to I've gotten interviews from Berkeley, Weill Cornell, UCSF, UNC, UW, Rochester and Pitt (and got into UMich and UIUC). I've def been rejected by Stanford and Yale but oh well I briefly mourned but I've got some other schools I'm very excited about (and in the end it's probably for the best)! My top 3 right now are probably (and very loosely) Berkeley, Weill Cornell, and UCSF, but I️ also love the rest of them (especially UW and the Institute for Protein Design) so who knows. 

I️ also applied to some biochem, chemical biology, and comp bio programs, but biophysics wherever I️ could.

Haha I guess we both love to design proteins. I'll most likely pick University of Michigan or Madison so if you decide to go there, let me know  

[Atom345]

15 hours ago, lipward said:

Thank you for the update. I have had not that much luck with biophysics programs. I made up my mind to reapply if I have to.  

I'm sorry man. I think your experience is far greater than the rest of ours. Could the reason be because you applied late?

[lipward]

13 hours ago, Atom345 said:

I'm sorry man. I think your experience is far greater than the rest of ours. Could the reason be because you applied late?

Thank you! Yes, that and I am still considered as an international student. Most of the top Biophysics programs use NIH training grants to cover funding for students, which are limited to citizens and residents. I cannot complain as the selection of international students are a privilege.  Hopefully, I get my Greencard by the next cycle. My lawyer told me that I have enough citations to file. Most probably, I would see you guys at future Biophysical Society meetings!

[Atom345]

1 minute ago, lipward said:

Thank you! Yes, that and I am still considered as an international student. Most of the top Biophysics programs use NIH training grants to cover funding for students, which are limited to citizens and residents. I cannot complain as the selection of international students are a privilege.  Hopefully, I get my Greencard by the next cycle. My lawyer told me that I have enough citations to file. Most probably, I would see you guys at future Biophysical Society meetings!

Yes I would love to meet you at the Biophysical Society meeting! I went to the one last year and it was a very reward experience ^_^.

I Really hope you get your green card!

[papu]

On 12/18/2020 at 2:57 AM, papu said:

Applied to the following programs and heard from three so far.

U of Chicago: Biophysical Sciences [Interview invitation sent 12/17]

UC San Francisco: Computational and Molecular Biophysics  [Interview invitation sent 12/16]

John Hopkins: Molecular Biophysics [Interview invitation sent 12/17]

NYU: Biophysics

UCSD: Biophysics

Harvard: Biophysics

Berkeley: Biophysics

Stanford: Biophysics

 

To be honest I didn't even think of getting an interview at all since my physics undergrad was low, but I guess 3 years of research experience made up for it, let's see!!

So I ended up being accepted in UChicago and Berkeley. No rejections yet. Is going to be a really hard choice now.

[lipward]

On 2/8/2021 at 12:40 AM, papu said:

So I ended up being accepted in UChicago and Berkeley. No rejections yet. Is going to be a really hard choice now.

Congratulations ! What is your research interest? I love that UChicago program has an setup with two mentors to carry out interdisciplinary research with a combination of experimental, computational, and theoretical work.

[kwikzodik]

Has anyone who interviewed heard back from Yale BQBS or MIT CSB? 

[papu]

Ended up being accepted to U of Chicago,UC San Francisco, John Hopkins, Berkeley and Stanford. Hard choices now.