2012 Applicant Profiles and Admission Results

[paulio]

have most people heard back from MIT CSBi? i'm still waiting for a response, but it seems like a lot of domestic and international applicants have heard back. does anyone know?

Who knows, but hey - if you haven't heard then you haven't been rejected! I'd say no news is good news right about now. [EDIT: And I wouldn't expect to hear back until the new year by now, probably?]

Edited December 24, 2011 by paulio

[fmrp]

yeah, i guess so. i'll just wait it out, but whatever...csb is kind of a weird program anyway.

[obob]

Whoever posted on the survey about a rockefeller acceptance-- did they also call? did they send it to your home or school mail? did you get an email? etc etc

First time posting

I received an acceptance package via FedEx early today (delivered to my home). Few hours later, I received an e-mail as well notifying that I should be getting the package sometime today. Needless to say, I was super excited! This will definitely reduce the pressure for other interviews (Neuroscience at WashU St Louis, Emory and OHSU thus far).

Happy Holidays!

[fosgfp]

First time posting

I received an acceptance package via FedEx early today (delivered to my home). Few hours later, I received an e-mail as well notifying that I should be getting the package sometime today. Needless to say, I was super excited! This will definitely reduce the pressure for other interviews (Neuroscience at WashU St Louis, Emory and OHSU thus far).

Happy Holidays!

Congrats!! I hope there wasn't just one round for my own sake Although I kind of think so because any others would probably have to go out after the holidays and it seems weird to split them like that

[olfactorybulb]

It seemed a little bit early for Rockefeller. Last year they started sending out in January. Congrats truffle201!

[obob]

It seemed a little bit early for Rockefeller. Last year they started sending out in January. Congrats truffle201!

Yes I was surprised by the early notice as well. Have you already heard back from Columbia? Application isn't due until January 3rd but I submitted in December. When did you hear back and how? Thanks for sharing

[olfactorybulb]

Yes I was surprised by the early notice as well. Have you already heard back from Columbia? Application isn't due until January 3rd but I submitted in December. When did you hear back and how? Thanks for sharing

They sent the interview e-mail yesterday. I think they send it early because I'm an international student. I live outside of the US. They said that if they decide to proceed with my candidacy after skype interview they will invite me for an in person interview. UCLA did the same thing. So I guess they want to first check my language skills and other stuff and then invite me to the US.

Edited December 24, 2011 by olfactorybulb

[intothenight1]

It seemed a little bit early for Rockefeller. Last year they started sending out in January. Congrats truffle201!

Sorry thought I looked like scroll down, then I saw what it meant, didn't mean to do that.

[paulio]

OK, so this might be a bit late but how strongly do schools weight GREs and GPAs (and I know it varies by school/program etc. but is there a general schema used)?

I'd always assumed (based on conversations with postgrad application people) that GREs are a good way for an admissions comity to assess your ability if you'd come from a less prestigious or unknown school or maybe your GPA was not great (for whatever reason - illness, unfairness etc). As a result I'd not really worried too much about my GRE scores 580V 760Q 4.5W because my GPAs are pretty strong - 3.7 and 4.0 from top 10 world institutions (with higher research marks, research scholarships, research awards, summer research projects etc.). Clearly they're still important, but I'd figured that 760 to 800 probably wouldn't make a huge amount of difference.

BUT everyone seems to have an 800Q at least, often with higher verbal scores than me to boot, and now I'm increasingly seeing people getting called for interviews for the programs and schools I've applied to and I've only yet heard from 1/11.

It sounds incredibly arrogant, but having turned down multiple offers to do Ph.Ds over the last few years I sort of thought I'd at least get interviews, but now I'm actually terrified that I might only get this one. As an international applicant competition is (at some schools at least) more competitive, and I just wonder if I've totally shot myself in the foot by not retaking the GRE and getting a more competitive score.

Any thoughts would be appreciated - sorry, I'm just really stressed about it all!

[XXX]

Morning! All new here. Does anybody get invite from UT Houston? The waiting game makes me extremely anxious. Thank you! GL to all.

[ryanmor]

Undergrad Institution: NE US State Flagship, top 50

Major(s): Honors B.S. Biology

GPA in Major: 3.7

Overall GPA: 3.8

Type of Student: Domestic, white male. First-generation college student. Top 10% in class.

GRE Scores (revised/old version):

Q: 740

V: 560

W: 4.5

Research Experience: 3 Years. Honors thesis research (2 years) in plant ecology with 2 second author publications in review. Field relevant summer REU. Another year of independent research in another lab.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Prestigious national undergrad STEM scholarship, national research grant awarded for self-written proposal. Full-ride undergraduate scholarship

Applying to Where:

Harvard, OEB, PhD

Yale, EEB, PhD

Wisconsin-Madison, Botany, PhD

U Florida, Botany, PhD

UGA, Plant Biology, PhD

Updates- Interview/Recruitment invite to UGA Plant Biology for the first weekend in February. Also found out that my name is being put forth by the department for a university fellowship. Have not heard anything from any of my other schools.

[Pitangus]

Congrats on the invite/fellowship nomination ryanmor!

It's good to see that the EEB-type departments might be starting their reviews (I know plant bio is often its own program, but still).

I'm still not expecting to hear anything before the end of January at the earliest, but it's nice to think that the review process has started or will be starting soon.

[paulio]

Big 'grats on the fellowship nomination - awesome stuff!

Just got an invite to interview at WashU, where my wife has already been accepted for the medschool program (and has her heart totally set on it). So relieved it's not a rejection it's literally made my Christmas!

[emanuega]

Undergrad Institution: Big state school. Good reputation in biology, particularly RNA.

Major(s): Applied Math and MCD Biology

GPA in Major: 3.85

Overall GPA: 3.85

Position in Class: near top?

Type of Student: Domestic white male

GRE Scores (revised/old version):

Q: 170 (99%)

V: 163 (93%)

W: 4.5 (72%)

Research Experience: 2 years in a lab under respected professor in the field and summer research program one summer

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: PBK, Dean's list

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: ​Expect good recommendation letters

Applying to Where:

Harvard - Biophysics

Stanford - Biophysics

Berkeley - Biophysics

MIT- CSBi

MIT - Biology

[fosgfp]

Just got an interview at Uchicago neuro

[kgumps2012]

Hey! I am new on here and after reading these profiles, I am quite nervous about my applications.

Undergrad Institution: Allegheny College (small lib arts undergraduate school), Thomas Jefferson Univeristy (Master's)

Major(s): Biology / Microbiology

Minor(s): Music Performance

GPA in Major: 3.0 (UG) 3.7(G)

Overall GPA: 3.33 (UG) 3.7 (G)

Position in Class: probably between near top and average for graduate average for undergraduate

Type of Student: domestic female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):

Q: 154 67%

V: 160 86%

W: 4.5 72%

Research Experience: Undergraduate Thesis: "Production of Indolic Compounds in DAPG-Producing Pseudomonas fluorescens" Presented at Erie, PA Sigma Xi Conference

Summer Internship in Plant Molecular Biology

Master's Thesis: "Understanding of the interactions between the Myosin Light Chain Phosphatase Subunits and Myosin"

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's List 2 years (UG)

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Forensic Science TA for 3 years with Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Summer Program, 1 year in a research lab at TJU, 1 summer internship at OSU

Applying to Where:

Case Western Reserve - BTSP

University of Pennsylvania Biomedical Graduate Studies

the Ohio State University - Integrated Biomedical Science

Drexel University - Biological Sciences

University of Rochester - Microbiology

Thomas Jefferson University - Immunology and Microbiology

[eponine10642]

Just got an interview at Uchicago neuro

Congrats!! Mind sharing what date it is?

[fosgfp]

Congrats!! Mind sharing what date it is?

Of course. THe interview is set up kind of weirdly, in my opinion. (The two dates are on the same weekend and require you to arrive or depart way after the actual interview). Here is the information:

"There are two interview dates. You can choose to interview on *EITHER* Friday February 10, 2012: arrive Thursday (2.9), depart Sunday (2.12) *OR* Monday February 13, 2012: arrive Saturday (2.11), depart Monday (2.13)."

It overlaps with my UPenn interview so I think I am going to take the Monday interview but I won't be able to arrive until Saturday afternoon or evening (they tell you to arrive Saturday morning and depart Monday night for the Monday interviews)

[tensors]

Who knows, but hey - if you haven't heard then you haven't been rejected! I'd say no news is good news right about now. [EDIT: And I wouldn't expect to hear back until the new year by now, probably?]

Any idea when MIT Biological Engineering is going to send out interviews? Haven't seen any reports so far...Just got a general email 3 days ago said my documents are under review.

[manofhonor]

Anyone applying to Immunology PhD programs and gotten interviews so far?

[Pitangus]

Hey! I am new on here and after reading these profiles, I am quite nervous about my applications.

Welcome kgumps2012! Don't be nervous, it looks like you've got some nice experience.

I was worried at first when I realized that my Quant GRE was lower than many of the scores listed here, but I think we've established that the numbers tend to run high here, so I'm staying positive about my applications.

[isobel_a]

First time posting

I received an acceptance package via FedEx early today (delivered to my home).

I used to work at RU - they send *everything* FedEx, it used to drive the accounts and operations people nuts. :/

Congrats. You'll love it there, if you go - such a great place to be, with Sloan-Kettering and New York Hospital right across the street, it makes for a really lively intellectual community.

[neuronerd4life]

Either the people who visit these sites are among the more qualified applicants, or they're compulsive liars.

I completely agree! After all, don't these forums exist solely for students with some questionable stats (ie. me)? If mostly everyone posting has high 80-90th percentile GRE scores, phenomenal GPAs, 5+ yrs of research experience etc etc etc...why even bother posting when you are going to get in everywhere? Yes, you will get in EVERYWHERE! (we don't need to tell you that!) If I had that amazing academic background I wouldn't even think of being on here...this would actually be the last place I'd be. just saying and not to be mean or anything, please stop making the rest of us feel like crap.

[kgumps2012]

Thanks for your vote of confidence Pitangus. I am still looking for one or two more schools to apply to where I have a really good chance of being accepted. I am determined to get my PhD.

Edited January 3, 2012 by kgumps2012

[neuronerd4life]

I hear ya kgumps! I've wanted this for the longest time. I'm hoping everything works out (and soon!)