2024 Biological/Biomedical Sciences PhD Applicants and Admissions Results

[biomvjvd]

I couldn't find any threads for posting admission results for Biochemistry, Molecular/Cell/Developmental Biology, Genetics, and other related PhD programs (other than the Neuroscience results thread), so please feel free to post here whenever you receive any responses/results from the ones you applied to! Please mention the program name and any other details you'd like to share about your application process, and you're welcome to post any applicant stats as well. Best of luck to all the fellow prospective Bio PhDs, the pain of agonizing waiting and email refreshing will be over soon!

[mrroc]

Hello, I am an applicant this year as well! Nice to me y'all. 

[deep_lazy]

Hi! I applied to a variety of quantitative biology programs this year.

Student Type: International (East Asia)

Undergrad :  Top institution in the country (medical schools are undergrad institutions in my country)

Major: Medicine & Mathematics (double major)

GPA: 3.06 (overall), 2.64 (medicine), 3.90 (math/stats courses)

Test scores: TOEFL (109), did not take GRE

Research: 5+ years throughout medical school at the same lab (bioinformatics). 3 publications in computational/statistical methodology in genomics in high-profile journals (IF>10). 1 paper is under review at one of the journals I previously published, and two preprints have been submitted. I'm the first author of all six. 

Other Experience: Worked at a TV channel during the presidential election as a poll analyst (developed Bayesian poll aggregators). Currently a primary physician at a local community doing regular volunteer activities. Journal reviewer at Nature Communications and International Journal of Epidemiology.

Letters of Recommendation:  My research advisor (bioinformatician), A professor who coauthored a paper with me (cancer biologist), my math thesis advisor (I also took graduate real analysis from him throughout a year which I got As)

Schools I am applying to: USC (Computational Biology and Bioinformatics), Stanford (Biomedical informatics & Genetics), Berkeley (Computational Biology), UW (Biostatistics), UMich (Statistics), Chicago (Genetics, Genomics & SysBio), Chicago (Biophysical Science), Harvard (Biostat), Cornell (CompBio), Columbia (Stat), Columbia (SysBio), CMU (Statistics), UPenn (Genomics and Computational Biology)

A poor GPA from medical school is apparently my weakness, but I hope my research records and decent math GPA get me through. 

[dammit_bobby97]

Hi all! I'm interested in protein-organellar study, particularly the areas of neurodegenerative or (eukaryotic lol duh) proteosomal diseases.

____________________________________

Student Type: US resident hailing from PNW

Undergrad :  Transferred to a state university in PNW from a community college in the same region

Major/minor: BS Biology with molecular biosciences focus minor in Chemistry

GPA: 3.82 at community college and 3.50 at state college

Test scores: Did not take GRE

Research: 

• Published two papers with a physician I shadowed during undergrad relating to clinical biases affecting quality of care.
• Did not mention in applications but volunteered part-time work on pharmacology manuscript for a year and a half with another physician that got rejected twice on moral objections by editors (hard to explain succinctly), so, against the desires of the physician and in agreement with the stance of editors, I abstained from re-submission. Physician could still provide good recommendation for me after all; he's a super considerate mentor. 
  • This work tied together my interest in cell biology underlying opioid pharmacology and my personal trauma related to my mother's long-term opioid abuse. Did mention in applications about how my inspiration to study opioid pharmacokinetics stems from my experiences with my mother's addiction but that I learned along the way that I am even more strongly intrigued by fundamental cell biological/protein biochemistry inquiry.
• Worked in molecular genetics lab for six months during undergrad. Did not get published but my efforts laid the groundwork for subsequent publications.
• Working in protein biochemistry and cellular biology lab for the past three years on the subject of opioid receptors and their endocytic trafficking. Co-author on two papers (second author on STAR Protocols and third author on Nature Chem Bio). Second author on work in preparation relating to my primary focus in lab.

Other Experience: Volunteered in video and audio production for local music festivals. Canvassed for Universal Healthcare in local government. Worked as tutor during and after undergraduate degree program. Participated in a club at state university pertaining to global health issues-- raising funds to address issues or spending time philosophically engaging headlines.

Letters of Recommendation:  My current PI, a collaborating PI who supervised my current protein characterization work, and my undergraduate PI.

Schools I am applying to: Northeastern, UMass Amherst, Tufts, Rutgers New Brunswick, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh, Brown University, and (maybe unrealistic dream) University of Pennsylvania. Really uncertain of my aptitude for admission, so I've been feeling unsure if my school choices are reasonable!

__________________________________

Polishing my applications to Brown, Einstein, and Penn, but all others are completed. Moving away from PNW to branch out in my life experiences and access to biomedical research tools/resources by moving to the Northeast. Eager to hear back, but I will simply plan to seek a new research position in the Northeast if I fail to land in a suitable program.

[bingbog22]

Hey there! Thought I would share just because I keep looking for information on if interviews have been sent out yet for the programs I applied to, so I'll try and keep this updated with information I hear and when I get any rejections or offers for interview.

Student Type: International student

Undergrad : BSc at top 10 ranked uni.

Major/Minor: BSc in Biological Sciences and doing an MSc right now

GPA: 3.94 for BSc and 3.88 for MSc

Test scores: Did not take GRE

Letters of Recommendation:  My current PI, my previous PI and the head of my department at my university.

Schools I have applied to: Applied to biology, immunology or bioengineering program at Cambridge, Stanford, Harvard, MIT, UPenn, WashU, NYU, Brown, Princeton, Yale, Sloan Kettering/Mount Sinai.

 

[interferon_gamma]

Hey everyone! Bioengineering/BME applicant here:

 

Student Type: US Resident

Undergrad: US T20

Major: BS Bioengineering

GPA: ~3.5

Test scores: None

Research: 4 years synthetic biology lab research in undergrad, one very high impact and one low impact publication (co-author for both), NSF REU, multiple posters/presentations.

Other Experience: 2 years industry research in big pharma, internal posters and presentations, mainly oncology research with mix of assay development, computational biology, omics, and machine learning computer vision.

Letters of Recommendation:  Undergrad PI mentor and my two most recent industry managers/mentors (both senior level scientists in pharma).

Schools I am applying to: UC Berkeley/UCSF (Bioengineering), California Institute of Technology (Bioengineering), Stanford University (Bioengineering), Harvard University (SSQBio), MIT (Biological Engineering), University of Pennsylvania (Bioengineering), Boston University (Biomedical Engineering).

Main concern is GPA and school selection, nervous but optimistic!

[deep_lazy]

I just heard from Columbia Systems Biology! In-person interview in February.

[reddiaper]

Student Type: International (South America)

Undergrad: Top institution in the country (medical schools are undergrad institutions in my country)

Major: Medicine 

GPA: 3.91 (overall), but entered 3.76 incorrectly in some programs (stupid mistake while calculating my american GPA).

Test scores: TOEFL (109), did not take GRE

Research: 5.5 years throughout medical school (6y in total, will graduate in July 2024). 3 years at the same lab (molecular biology/nephrology) + 4 short research internships in US and Europe + including 1 summer school in molecular biology in Europe. 8 publications in mid-level IF journals (~6 IF) 2 publications in journals with IF > 9, first author of 4 papers, co-author of 6. 

Other Experience: Founded a student league for teaching research methodology and biostats to undergrad students, and worked in an international think tank for evidence-based nutritional science. Journal reviewer at Plos One, BMC Urology, Renal Failure and European Journal of Medical Research.

Letters of Recommendation: my current PI in South America, and 2 previous PIs from the US from a previous research internship. 

Schools I am applying to: UT Southwestern (Basic Sciences PhD), NYU Vilcek (Biomedical Sciences), Northwestern Driskill, Brown (MCB), Albert Einstein (Umbrella Biomedical Sciences PhD), Mayo (Bioengineering and Physiology), Dartmouth (MCB), UPenn (Immunology), UPitt (Immunology), Yale (Immunology), UMich (PiBS), Baylor (Immunology). 

Afraid that my GPA mistake will make my application look worse. Also, I am a rookie (1st time applying), so I'm really anxious! Still got no replies, but I saw that some people already got interviews invitations from UPenn and UT Southwestern this week. 

 

[deep_lazy]

Just heard from Chicago Biophysics! 

[deep_lazy]

Another from Penn GCB.

[reddiaper]

Still haven't heard anything — no invitations and no rejections. Should I be worried? 

By the way, congrats @deep_lazy!

[boldinoldi]

Hi everyone! Nice to connect here.  I haven't heard back from any program yet.

Student Type: US Resident / international student

Undergrad : US T30 public university

Major: computational biology & public health double-major + statistical modeling minor

GPA: 3.62 (overall)

Test scores: did not take GRE

Research: Currently a post-bacc bioinformatics researcher at T10 med school. 1 co-authored publication in translational immunology (IF>10). 2 presentations at international conferences. 5 personal bioinformatics projects describing my background in DL and single-cell biology.

Letters of Recommendation:  Current PI, senior bioinformatician co-worker, my undergrad advisor (all presumed to be very best quality)

Programming skills: 1 year of full-time bioinformatics work experience using Python, R, HPC server, Git, and DL.

Others: 1 university scholarship, university honors, TA for Evolution course, 2 years of diverse computational biology lab experience in undergrad.

Schools I am applying to: UChicago (Human Genetics), UChicago (Molecular Engineering), Northwestern (HSIP)

Good luck y'all!!! 💪

Edited December 18, 2023 by boldinoldi

[Nautmed]

Hi everyone! Nice to see this thread. I haven't heard back from my program yet.

Student Type: International student

Undergrad : UK top schools

Major: Molecular Biology

GPA: 3.3 (overall)

Test scores: did not take GRE

Research:Currently leading a commercial lab with previous experience in infectious disease and platelet biology

Letters of Recommendation:  Former PI, former employer and manager

Programming skills: Beginner course for Python

Others:  Published children science book, presented at two international conferences, published 4 papers, 8 years of work experience

Schools I am applying to:NYU (biology)

[nebsdivo]

Hi Y'all!

I just wanted to tell everyone there is no formula to this Grad school app shit. It is literally a coin toss! I wrote my SOP Nov 30th had my big bro who has no relevant experience in Biology or Grad school to help me review it. I was late for the deadline so I submitted it with some typos and awkward word phrasing. I just got informed today by UNC Chapel Hill(BBSP) and UColorado Anschutz(Computational Bioscience) to confirm interview dates with them. UNC Chapel Hill btw sent me an email saying they barely accept any international students when I asked for a fee waiver. So I just want to say to all those stressing out and thinking you can get wisdom out of this forum, that you will have a better chance of improving your acceptance if you go to your local voodoo witch doctor or juju caster and listen to their advice. Wishing the best of luck to everyone who applied this fall cycle

[yc1217]

Hi! This year, I am thrilled to be applying to a range of prestigious programs in the field of quantitative biology and biostatistics. My journey in academia and research has led me to explore further education in this vibrant field.

Student Type: International (East Asia)

Undergrad Institution: A Medical University in China. I pursued a Bachelor of Science in Applied Statistics, specializing in Biostatistics.

GPA: 3.95/4.00 (WES), ranked 1st in a class of 42.

Research Focus: My expertise lies in microbiome data analysis, differential abundance analysis, longitudinal data analysis, spatial transcriptomics, and Bayesian statistical methods.

Publications and Projects: Sole first author of Bioinformatics

Research Experience: Gained valuable insights and experience at renowned institutions like the Mayo Clinic and Case Western Reserve University, focusing on microbiome research and statistical analysis.

Awards: Received prestigious awards such as the China National Scholarship and the First Prize in the National College Mathematical Contest.

Skills: Proficient in R, Python, C, Linux, Google Cloud Platform, SAS, SPSS, Qimme2, and MicrobiomeAnalyst.

Exciting News: I am honored to have received interview invitations from the University of Michigan for their PhD program in Bioinformatics (PIBS) and from Mayo Clinic for their Clinical and Translational Science Track. These opportunities are a testament to my academic and research achievements.

Programs I am applying to: My applications include PhD programs in Biostatistics, Biomedical Informatics, and related fields at top institutions like Upenn, Harvard, MDAnderson, NYU Langone, CMU-PITT, UNC, UMich, CWRU, TAMU, UF, UMN Rochester, Weil Cornell Medicine, Upitts, UMN Twin City, Brown, Colorado School of Public Health, USC, UA, and Rutgers.

I am eager to advance my education and make significant contributions to the field of quantitative biology and biostatistics, bolstered by my academic background and the exciting prospect of these interviews.

[reddiaper]

On 12/13/2023 at 3:27 PM, reddiaper said:

Student Type: International (South America)

Undergrad: Top institution in the country (medical schools are undergrad institutions in my country)

Major: Medicine 

GPA: 3.91 (overall), but entered 3.76 incorrectly in some programs (stupid mistake while calculating my american GPA).

Test scores: TOEFL (109), did not take GRE

Research: 5.5 years throughout medical school (6y in total, will graduate in July 2024). 3 years at the same lab (molecular biology/nephrology) + 4 short research internships in US and Europe + including 1 summer school in molecular biology in Europe. 8 publications in mid-level IF journals (~6 IF) 2 publications in journals with IF > 9, first author of 4 papers, co-author of 6. 

Other Experience: Founded a student league for teaching research methodology and biostats to undergrad students, and worked in an international think tank for evidence-based nutritional science. Journal reviewer at Plos One, BMC Urology, Renal Failure and European Journal of Medical Research.

Letters of Recommendation: my current PI in South America, and 2 previous PIs from the US from a previous research internship. 

Schools I am applying to: UT Southwestern (Basic Sciences PhD), NYU Vilcek (Biomedical Sciences), Northwestern Driskill, Brown (MCB), Albert Einstein (Umbrella Biomedical Sciences PhD), Mayo (Bioengineering and Physiology), Dartmouth (MCB), UPenn (Immunology), UPitt (Immunology), Yale (Immunology), UMich (PiBS), Baylor (Immunology). 

Afraid that my GPA mistake will make my application look worse. Also, I am a rookie (1st time applying), so I'm really anxious! Still got no replies, but I saw that some people already got interviews invitations from UPenn and UT Southwestern this week. 

 

Heard back from UMich and Northwestern! 

[wingingitt]

Hi! I haven't heard anything yet, but I thought I'd share my experience so far. 😄

Student Type: International (South Asia)

Undergrad : US institution 

Major: Biomedical Engineering

GPA: ~3.5

Research: 2 full-time 6-month undergrad internships in industry, over 2 years of undergraduate research and 1+ year of full time research at a lab, 6 publications in genetics/population health fields

Letters of Recommendation:  3 current research advisors and 2 undergraduate advisors

Applied: Brown University (Computational Biology), UPenn (GCB and Bioengineering), UCSD (Biomedical Sciences and Bioinformatics), Columbia (Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies), UCLA (Genetics and Genomics) and Boston University (Bioinformatics)

 

[bingbog22]

On 12/10/2023 at 3:46 PM, bingbog22 said:

Hey there! Thought I would share just because I keep looking for information on if interviews have been sent out yet for the programs I applied to, so I'll try and keep this updated with information I hear and when I get any rejections or offers for interview.

Student Type: International student

Undergrad : BSc at top 10 ranked uni.

Major/Minor: BSc in Biological Sciences and doing an MSc right now

GPA: 3.94 for BSc and 3.88 for MSc

Test scores: Did not take GRE

Letters of Recommendation:  My current PI, my previous PI and the head of my department at my university.

Schools I have applied to: Applied to biology, immunology or bioengineering program at Cambridge, Stanford, Harvard, MIT, UPenn, WashU, NYU, Brown, Princeton, Yale, Sloan Kettering/Mount Sinai.

 

Here to provide some updates and information I have heard to far:

So far, I have received interview offers for Brown, NYU, Yale, NYU, Cambridge, and WashU.

I didn't receive a BBS offer from Haravrd on the 16th, so that is a silent rejection and I believe UPenn sent out invites for my program on the 18th, so that is another silent rejection. The Harvard rejection definitely hurt my ego, but I realize I just need to be grateful I got any interview offers and not dwell on that.

I believe Stanford sends out offers very late! A friend last year got his interview offer on January 20th I think, so I anticipate that coming out very late (so don't worry if you applied to them and haven't heard back). MIT will likely send out emails the first or second week of January and Princeton sends out rolling emails apparently so I haven't ruled them out yet. For, Mount Sinai, I have no idea when they will send out offers for interviews ngl but apparently they are usually in person?

[Mustang_97]

On 12/19/2023 at 9:21 AM, nebsdivo said:

Hi Y'all!

I just wanted to tell everyone there is no formula to this Grad school app shit. It is literally a coin toss! I wrote my SOP Nov 30th had my big bro who has no relevant experience in Biology or Grad school to help me review it. I was late for the deadline so I submitted it with some typos and awkward word phrasing. I just got informed today by UNC Chapel Hill(BBSP) and UColorado Anschutz(Computational Bioscience) to confirm interview dates with them. UNC Chapel Hill btw sent me an email saying they barely accept any international students when I asked for a fee waiver. So I just want to say to all those stressing out and thinking you can get wisdom out of this forum, that you will have a better chance of improving your acceptance if you go to your local voodoo witch doctor or juju caster and listen to their advice. Wishing the best of luck to everyone who applied this fall cycle

Can't agree more! I am a current 1 year PhD student and from my 2x experience in applying to grad schools, I realized it is just gambling and rolling your dice. Anyway, good luck to all those applying / applied in this cycle. 

[deep_lazy]

Got notified from Chicago GGSB. I guess all the other schools I applied to are likely to send out interviews after the holiday season. Berkeley might send theirs this week though. 

Edited December 21, 2023 by deep_lazy

[Nautmed]

9 hours ago, bingbog22 said:

Here to provide some updates and information I have heard to far:

So far, I have received interview offers for Brown, NYU, Yale, NYU, Cambridge, and WashU.

I didn't receive a BBS offer from Haravrd on the 16th, so that is a silent rejection and I believe UPenn sent out invites for my program on the 18th, so that is another silent rejection. The Harvard rejection definitely hurt my ego, but I realize I just need to be grateful I got any interview offers and not dwell on that.

I believe Stanford sends out offers very late! A friend last year got his interview offer on January 20th I think, so I anticipate that coming out very late (so don't worry if you applied to them and haven't heard back). MIT will likely send out emails the first or second week of January and Princeton sends out rolling emails apparently so I haven't ruled them out yet. For, Mount Sinai, I have no idea when they will send out offers for interviews ngl but apparently they are usually in person?

Hey! Congratulations on your interviews! For NYU, which program did you apply to?

[aalexxx]

Has anyone heard of anything recently? My email has been so quiet. It’s so nerve breaking 🥲

[chossthumper]

Radio silence over here too

[yh9995]

Hi everyone!

Nice to see this thread. Glad I am not alone waiting for emails and refreshing my inbox every minute 😂 Here is my summary and updates:

International student, Masters in US, didn't submit GRE, 4 years lab experience and 2 publications, 4 LORs (current PI, previous PIs, Master advisor and undergrad advisor)  

Applied: Northwestern DGP, UofC BSD, UIC GEMS, UW-Madison (CMB, Biochemistry, Genetics), Sloan Kettering, UCSF Tetrad, UW (genome sciences and biochemistry)

Interviews so far: UW- Madison CMB,  Northwestern, UofC

Rejection: Sloan Kettering, UCSF, UW Genome science.

Haven't heard back from anywhere else since the last week of december.

Good luck to everyone!! 🤞👍

 

[bingbog22]

On 12/21/2023 at 5:06 AM, Nautmed said:

Hey! Congratulations on your interviews! For NYU, which program did you apply to?

The Vilceck program! But I had a friend who applied to the GSAS biology and he heard back already, so I think they sent offers out as well (not sure if they are rolling or not).