2013 Applicant Profiles and Admission Results

[banksy]

Casual preliminary meeting with POI at UCSF on Monday.

 

Nervous 

 

Need to focus 

 

Stay calm 

 

And make deals, partnah 

[Leuco]

Hey all.

 

Just wondering if anyone's heard from Emory's GDBBS yet, or if anyone else applied there.  I put my primary focus as Microbiology + Molecular Genetics... and I think it's the school I'm most excited about.  Just no word yet, haha.

[mop]

Hey all.

 

Just wondering if anyone's heard from Emory's GDBBS yet, or if anyone else applied there.  I put my primary focus as Microbiology + Molecular Genetics... and I think it's the school I'm most excited about.  Just no word yet, haha.

I was invited for BCDB interview back in December, and I think some other departments in GDBBS have sent out invitations as well. Check out the results page.

Edited January 18, 2013 by mop

[Laggs0]

I received an invite to Caltech BCMB on January 14, UCSF iPQB on January 15, and Stanford Biophysics (by phone and mail) on January 16. Just thought I'd let you guys know!

[docholliday]

I think I'm the only one who posted a CMU/Pitt invitation, and it's a big program. I'm guessing they're not done sending out invites.

I have a little hope but I guess it's time to prepare for the worst case scenario. Do you remember if you sent in your app before December 1 or did you wait it out until the second deadline December 16? By the way, your stats are amazing.

[Winteriscoming]

On 1/17/2013 at 4:24 PM, bhammerson said:

No I still haven't heard anything. It's killing me, UW is my first choice, and probably my last hope after the rejections I've received.

 

Sorry to hear that bhammerson!    You can always call or write them to confirm that all invites are out.

If they answer with bad news, don't worry too much about it. I'm pretty sure you will find something next year and you'll be more prepared.

Last year I was rejected from everywhere - school or grant - I applied to, except one interview that didn't work out. 

This year round, I feel much more prepared and I hope I'll get in somewhere. So if you really want to go to graduate school, don't worry, you'll get in, you'll see!! 

 

P.S: MIT, pretty please, can you just tell me that I'm out? Just pleeeease! This can't be healthy!! 

P.S.2: Just received UW Seattle rejection e-mail... let the rejections begin!! 

[genesplicer]

I have a little hope but I guess it's time to prepare for the worst case scenario. Do you remember if you sent in your app before December 1 or did you wait it out until the second deadline December 16? By the way, your stats are amazing.

 

 

Doc, 

 

   Are there any other schools that you can put up with?  With a written SOP I have managed to remodel it for a new school and can now easily get an application in within a week (LOR's are the only problem)  

 

  I have finally got an interview and it was one I started 3 days before the deadline (I thought it was actually the priority deadline) 

  I am probably going to work on one this weekend for the Feb 1 date. 

 

As one of my LOR writers said "spread your applications far and wide.....funding it tight this year."

[mrmolecularbiology]

I received an invite to Caltech BCMB on January 14, UCSF iPQB on January 15, and Stanford Biophysics (by phone and mail) on January 16. Just thought I'd let you guys know!

Im still waiting on something from stanford but I will see you at UCSF! Congratulations.

 

P.S. Could you post your stats please?

Edited January 18, 2013 by mrmolecularbiology

[bhammerson]

UW micro rejection received. Damn. That's probably it for PhD options this year.

[Cogidubnus]

I have a little hope but I guess it's time to prepare for the worst case scenario. Do you remember if you sent in your app before December 1 or did you wait it out until the second deadline December 16? By the way, your stats are amazing.

 

I sent it in before 12/1. I have good grades and test scores, but I don't have a good research background and I didn't take any CS courses in college... my CS background is self taught over the last year. Hence the rejects from UCSF and MIT (and probably all the others at this point except Cornell...).

[iowaguy]

As one of my LOR writers said "spread your applications far and wide.....funding is tight this year."

 

That's the general feeling that I'm getting from the Ecology/Env. Science/Env Engineering fields.  Anyone else have input on the "tightness" of funding for this particular application year compared to previous years?  Problem is, I'm not sure it's going to get any better for Fall 2014/2015/2016, etc...

[RaganSmash]

That's the general feeling that I'm getting from the Ecology/Env. Science/Env Engineering fields.  Anyone else have input on the "tightness" of funding for this particular application year compared to previous years?  Problem is, I'm not sure it's going to get any better for Fall 2014/2015/2016, etc...

 

To be honest, it probably has to do with ongoing uncertainty regarding the budget cut battles with Congress.

[BeakerBreaker]

To be honest, it probably has to do with ongoing uncertainty regarding the budget cut battles with Congress.

I was going to write this myself, although I feel like we're in an okay spot at the moment.  The outcome of the budget cuts won't be known until march, and by then we should (hopefully) have some offers on the table.  If the cuts are as bad as projected, and NIH slashes 25% of their grants, those applying in the next few years are going to be in trouble.

 

In addition, I think another factor is the crummy economy and people attempting to stay in school and away from the job market.

 

I would really like to know if anyone has some inside information or hard numbers on the # of applications and offers made this year vs. previous years.

[RaganSmash]

I was going to write this myself, although I feel like we're in an okay spot at the moment.  The outcome of the budget cuts won't be known until march, and by then we should (hopefully) have some offers on the table.  If the cuts are as bad as projected, and NIH slashes 25% of their grants, those applying in the next few years are going to be in trouble.

 

In addition, I think another factor is the crummy economy and people attempting to stay in school and away from the job market.

 

I would really like to know if anyone has some inside information or hard numbers on the # of applications and offers made this year vs. previous years.

 

Well I know personally that the Northwestern BME program saw fast growth in applicants the last couple years only to see about a 10% drop this year, and other people here have said this year is supposed to be somewhat less competitive than last.

[Laggs0]

Im still waiting on something from stanford but I will see you at UCSF! Congratulations.

 

P.S. Could you post your stats please?

 

Not sure what format everyone uses exactly but:

 

School: Small liberal arts, decently strong ranking

Major: Biochemistry, mathematics minor

GPA: 3.94

GRE: Quant = 170; Reading = 166; Writing = 4.5

Didn't submit subject test scores

Research experience: Two summers in biotech industry internship and one summer at an Ivy REU in biochemistry. Honors thesis research in bioinorganic chemistry.

 

I'm also a four year varsity athlete.

 

Just got rejected from MIT CSBi, though...

[mrmolecularbiology]

Not sure what format everyone uses exactly but:

 

School: Small liberal arts, decently strong ranking

Major: Biochemistry, mathematics minor

GPA: 3.94

GRE: Quant = 170; Reading = 166; Writing = 4.5

Didn't submit subject test scores

Research experience: Two summers in biotech industry internship and one summer at an Ivy REU in biochemistry. Honors thesis research in bioinorganic chemistry.

 

I'm also a four year varsity athlete.

 

Just got rejected from MIT CSBi, though...

I have a similar GPA, and decent research experience; your GRE scores blow mine out of the water. Quite impressive.

Edited January 18, 2013 by mrmolecularbiology

[mtlve]

I was going to write this myself, although I feel like we're in an okay spot at the moment.  The outcome of the budget cuts won't be known until march, and by then we should (hopefully) have some offers on the table.  If the cuts are as bad as projected, and NIH slashes 25% of their grants, those applying in the next few years are going to be in trouble.

 

In addition, I think another factor is the crummy economy and people attempting to stay in school and away from the job market.

 

I would really like to know if anyone has some inside information or hard numbers on the # of applications and offers made this year vs. previous years.

If NIH continues to cut budgets as suggested, then all of us are screwed. We might get a graduate position, but the PIs will not have funding to take us when we get there. Funding is already bad enough as it is

This makes me glad that I applied abroad too.

[iowaguy]

other people here have said this year is supposed to be somewhat less competitive than last.

 

Any thoughts on what might contribute to this?  The economy hasn't improved much from last year...

[mengyan528]

When we are asked to choose faculty interviewers, are we limited to choose only those professors who are going to recruit new students in the coming semester?

[BeakerBreaker]

If NIH continues to cut budgets as suggested, then all of us are screwed. We might get a graduate position, but the PIs will not have funding to take us when we get there. Funding is already bad enough as it is

This makes me glad that I applied abroad too.

Maybe -- the school where I work signs a contract with the incoming graduate student that says (paraphrasing) "if your PI runs out of money, the university itself will pay your stipend/tuition reimbursement for the duration of the program." There are plenty of students here whose labs have run out of money, but they are still able to continue.

[RaganSmash]

Any thoughts on what might contribute to this?  The economy hasn't improved much from last year...

 

The biotech industry has started hiring a bit more, plus last year was ridiculously competitive. It may be that that competition discouraged as many people from trying this year.

[Biohopeful]

Rejected from UW Madison CMB. At least I have two other interviews to look forward to next month, yeah?

[RaganSmash]

Hnnnnnnnnngh UCB/UCSF Bioengineering needs to announce soon...

[sassypants]

Hnnnnnnnnngh UCB/UCSF Bioengineering needs to announce soon...

 

SECONDED.  And these early Washington rejections have me antsy as well.  I guess there are still about 5 hours left before their offices close today though....

[Jubilee]

I should be working, but I thought I'd share the news. I just received an interview offer from Caltech's bio program. It's very exciting! Hopefully the few other folks on here who applied to Caltech will hear something very soon.