2013 Applicant Profiles and Admission Results

[biotechie]

I wonder how accurate this is. Are there really only 88 people in the world that want to study Biophysics at stanford? Just seems like the applied numbers are kind of Low.

 

I know. I find it hard to believe some of my programs are only getting 200 applicants... But that is the site I keep getting directed to. Maybe someone has a better site?

[Leuco]

Undergrad Institution: Well-known public research university in the Midwest
Major(s): Biochemistry
Minor(s): Classical Studies: Material Culture and History (because why not?)
GPA in Major: about the same as major GPA
Overall GPA: 3.75
Position in Class: Unsure


GRE Scores (revised):
Q: 162
V: 157
W: 4.5


Research Experience: Since spring of my freshman year in an enzymology lab, so three years (including the last two summers), with the same professor.  No papers, but a pdb submission, a poster, a presentation, and two grants (a summer fellowship and an undergrad research grantone for this year)

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: A number of school awards/grants, including a summer fellowship to do research

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Biochemistry Club, President (we do outreach, as well)


Special Bonus Points: I'm female, though no idea if that matters anymore.  Also have taken a number of upper-level classes, including a grad class in Bioinorganic Chemistry


Applying to Where:

School - Program - First Choice of Focus
University of Washington - Molecular and Cellular Biology - Microbiology (Rejected)
Emory University - GDBBS - Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
University of Maryland - GPILS/Molecular Microbiology and Immuno - Bacterial Pathogenesis

University of California, Los Angeles - ACCESS - Microbial Physiology and Pathogenesis

[HopefullyNeuro]

I think this is the site, but I don't know how often it is updated:

http://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools.aspx

thanks!

I agree with the others, it doesn't seem accurate, bummer. i guess i have to stay blind to the process.

[Biohopeful]

Or it could be outdated? Some of the numbers seem off to me.

Congrats on the acceptance, bassish!

[Gina]

anyone know if UCSD Biological Sciences is done sending out invitations?

They told me the first weekend is full and they are still looking through apps for the second weekend of interviews... I'm expecting to be rejected at this point. Ha ha.

[shadowclaw]

 applicatio

I think this is the site, but I don't know how often it is updated:
http://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools.aspx

 

Well, that site both made me feel confident and inadequate at the same time. According to their stats, Syracuse (Biology) got 95 applications and accepted 12, which makes feel a bit nervous about my application. Although it doesn't specify how many were PhD applicants and how many were MS applicants. For Pittsburgh (E&E), on the other hand, it says only 36 people applied (with 9 accepted). Much fewer people to compete with As usual, there are no stats for Penn State's Ecology program. I am completely blind for that program (there aren't even at results on here), other than my POI saying he had several people contact him about his lab.

 

Edit: Also looked for the Master's programs I applied to. Drexel accepted 82%, and Bloomsburg took everyone. So at least I should be good on getting into a Master's program if the PhD program don't work out.

Edited January 16, 2013 by shadowclaw

[flat_rhino]

An IPiB! Was that anyone here?

[Winteriscoming]

You think there's any chance it's not true?

 

 

I don't know... but it may be true. Both interview invites on the result list were sent on the 9th, but no one has posted rejections, so I guess not hearing from them equals a rejection by now. 

But never loose hope, right?   Maybe we'll be lucky and it's not true! *wishful thinking maybe?*

Edited January 16, 2013 by Winteriscoming

[microman2013]

Ahhhhh, conflicting dates!

[RaganSmash]

Ahhhhh, conflicting dates!

 

Ask the second university that invited you for an interview if you can reschedule. If you make the point that the other university asked you first, you won't tip your hand as to any preference.

[banksy]

Don't get too caught up in the numbers of accepted/rejected pre and post interview invite. Just keep in mind that if you have an interview - an acceptance at this point is yours to lose or gain, however you want to look at it (this statement is a bit outdated at this point). 

 

It depends on the year - the first year I applied I got 2/7 interviews with a 3.26 and 9 months of research experience and got 1 acceptance, though like i mentioned before if i did not express doubts i would have gotten both acceptances. Last year the applicant pool was MUCH tougher and bigger! I applied to 9 and got 1 interview, I hardly changed my application thinking I was good from the previous year. I talked to the admissions committee from the 1 interview/rejection at Umass I got and he said last year they only accepted 50% of the people they interviewed. I have been in contact with many people on the admissions committee's in preparation for this application and they said last year was unusually competitive and it is not expected to happen again this year (clearly because I am 6/9 currently). All in all, I think this is a good year to be applying because all the tough candidates got snatched up (added bonus is all those smarty-pants will be a year above us). By the way the Umass admissions committee member this year who told me the 50% number said they did not see the same ridiculous pool of applicants - i think this is a general trend. 

 

My mentor/recommender got that information from the committee because he was wondering why he was seeing my application for the second year in a row, after i received an interview and rejection. He looked at the books and realized last year was straight cray-cray..

[biotechie]

I hope you're right, Banksy. I also hope I hear from my other two schools, soon! I just submitted a new application to another one... but UCSD and University of Florida are freaking me out a little bit.

[RaganSmash]

I'm jealous of you micro and cellular biology people. I'm ready to start hearing from bioengineering and BME folks so I know if I need to start job-hunting...

[ion_exchanger]

To the lucky ones that have been accepted to UPenn biology, congrats! What was your Skype interview like? Did they stay true to standard grad school interviews, or were there any curve balls?

Edited January 16, 2013 by ion_exchanger

[biotechie]

Good luck Banksy! And...neither have I heard from University of Florida...

 

Did you apply to the IDP program? I know their first interview is the 27-29, so I'm worried. They are one of my top choices.

[mengyan528]

Yes I did! I submitted mine early in November. Once I sent them an email about my transcript and it took them a month to give me the reply, but luckily I solved the problem on my own...

[mrmolecularbiology]

According to the results page all invites have been sent out for UC Berkeley Biophysics 

[JulesJules]

According to the results page all invites have been sent out for UC Berkeley Biophysics  

 

Edited January 16, 2013 by JulesJules

[bassish101]

Thanks, all!

 

@ion_exchanger: The skype interview was about 20 minutes long and was with 2 professors at once. It started with them asking about my research history, then research interests, then what I looked for when selecting which programs to apply for. At the end, I had time to ask questions.

[microman2013]

To the lucky ones that have been accepted to UPenn biology, congrats! What was your Skype interview like? Did they stay true to standard grad school interviews, or were there any curve balls?

 

The interview was very relaxed and fun. No curve balls, just an honest 20 mintues of questions, answers and lots of joking around. They are not trying to burn you, but rather trying to put a face to a piece of paper and confirm that you are the right fit. If they did not like you on paper they would not be interviewing you. My only advice is this, be yourself. And like many people have said, have questions ready to ask them, because you want to make sure it is a good fit for you as well.

[microman2013]

To the lucky ones that have been accepted to UPenn biology, congrats! What was your Skype interview like? Did they stay true to standard grad school interviews, or were there any curve balls?

 

I think that they are really looking for passion, so be ready to express it. Plus everything Bassish said.

[mrmolecularbiology]

Yeah, that was me, I sent them an email. Sorry man. 

It's cool. I'd rather know than be dragged along. If all the invites are sent a rejection email would have been a good courtesy.

[RaganSmash]

Has anyone replying here been accepted to Boston University's BME program? The deadline for domestic applicants was last night, so are y'all international students? Or does BU have rolling admissions?

[JulesJules]

It's cool. I'd rather know than be dragged along. If all the invites are sent a rejection email would have been a good courtesy.

 

Yeah, they are lazy like that. They said something official will come at some point. 

[mrmolecularbiology]

Yeah, they are lazy like that. They said something official will come at some point. 

All of the California schools I applied to were in my opinion reaches anyways. I'm going to go ahead and expect a rejection from Stanford and rejoice and prepare for my interview at UCSF.