2013 Applicant Profiles and Admission Results

[nishiki]

BU BME acceptances coming in. Y'all think these will be the only round of acceptances?

on CC someone called BU BME and they said "The adm com is still meeting every week. There is no estimate of when all invites will done being sent out." and if you look at results it does seem like they are sending acceptances intermittently.

[cleverfool]

Accepted to Purdue Chemistry! (I applied under the Chemical Biology specialization).

I am now wishing I had found more chemistry programs to apply to...I am liking this whole admit-without-interview thing.

[RaganSmash]

on CC someone called BU BME and they said "The adm com is still meeting every week. There is no estimate of when all invites will done being sent out." and if you look at results it does seem like they are sending acceptances intermittently.

 

Awesome, that's what it looked like to me too.

[genesplicer]

Accepted to Purdue Chemistry! (I applied under the Chemical Biology specialization).

I am now wishing I had found more chemistry programs to apply to...I am liking this whole admit-without-interview thing.

 

Congratulation!

 

What is your feeling about Purdue?   DId you get funding info. right away?

[stmwap]

Just had my Einstein interview yesterday. For those of you going, be warned. They will stick at least one member of the admissions committee onto your list of interviewers, whether you've requested them or not. In fact, if you havent requested them then that is a good way to figure out who they are. They will grill you pretty hard and ask you leading questions to try to see how you react. Be firm about your desire to go to Einstein. 

True elsewhere as well, not just Einstein.  Emory had us interview with 3 "interests" and 3 members of the admissions committee.  Vanderbilt had us interview with 3 "interests" and 1 member of the admissions committee.  

[ion_exchanger]

This might be a silly question: do we need to take notes during interview? Or do we need to bring a purse or something to carry, say, CV, cell phone, etc?

 

I'm a little late, but I didn't take notes during the interview. I brought a small fancy folder pad that had notebook paper, pen holder, and slot for extra CV's, but no notes. The interviewers have already been provided your files. Some of mine had read them, some didn't. My first interview actually gave me a fancy folder with info in it, for those who didn't have things. When they gave us a bunch of info, they gave us small bags to carry it. You can bring a purse just so you don't have to carry all of your things in your pocket. Ladies, I will suggest carrying safety pins, and maybe even a travel sewing kit. You never know when a wardrobe malfunction may strike! This happened to someone on my interview.

[banksy]

I'm a little late, but I didn't take notes during the interview. I brought a small fancy folder pad that had notebook paper, pen holder, and slot for extra CV's, but no notes. The interviewers have already been provided your files. Some of mine had read them, some didn't. My first interview actually gave me a fancy folder with info in it, for those who didn't have things. When they gave us a bunch of info, they gave us small bags to carry it. You can bring a purse just so you don't have to carry all of your things in your pocket. Ladies, I will suggest carrying safety pins, and maybe even a travel sewing kit. You never know when a wardrobe malfunction may strike! This happened to someone on my interview.

 

Notes are typically not necessary in the interview environment.

 

I took a standard composition book with me anyway. In it I had a concise outline of my research and brief summaries of what my interviewers were researching. I didn't use either as I had already committed both to memory, but the process of taking the notes helps me take in information. 

 

I did write down one line in the notebook after an interview - the interviewer basically was trying to figure something out and I said I would think about it and wrote down his goal. I then emailed him following up on our interview and directed him to a recent publication that might be useful in his project.

 

At the end of the day, I think it is good to bring a notebook.

[ion_exchanger]

Notes are typically not necessary in the interview environment.

 

I took a standard composition book with me anyway. In it I had a concise outline of my research and brief summaries of what my interviewers were researching. I didn't use either as I had already committed both to memory, but the process of taking the notes helps me take in information. 

 

I did write down one line in the notebook after an interview - the interviewer basically was trying to figure something out and I said I would think about it and wrote down his goal. I then emailed him following up on our interview and directed him to a recent publication that might be useful in his project.

 

At the end of the day, I think it is good to bring a notebook.

 

Exactly. I also put the research outlines of my interviewers in it so that I could glance quickly at it to remind myself of what their research involved when I walked into my interview. I always say, it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[Snail Fever]

Really late to the party, but new to the forum. I figured I'd post here for kicks. I am interested in infectious disease, parasitology, and immunology despite my primary research experience being in a vastly different field.

 

I'm also one of those weirdos gambling on one program--I'm also applying to the CDC/APHL EID fellowship in case this falls through so I might boost my credentials and try again at this program or another.

 

Undergrad Institution: Small (2,000 students) private liberal-arts; good reputation in-state, perhaps obscure out-of-state
Major(s): Biology
Minor(s): Chemistry
GPA in Major: 3.96
Overall GPA: 3.98
Position in Class: Top 5%-ish
Type of Student: domestic, female, nothing special

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 155
V: 164
W: 5.5
B: --

Research Experience: (At your school or elsewhere? What field? How much time? Any publications (Mth author out of N?) or conference talks etc...)
3 years internally, in plant physiology. One publication (2nd author of 3), four poster presentations (three in-school and one outside)

 

Summer lab (not so much research per se) experience in an Emory-affiliated immunoparasitology lab.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Presidential scholar (internal), student research grant (internal), Goldwater Scholar nominee (2x), Phi Kappa Phi member

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA for a non-majors biology course.

Special Bonus Points: One direct connection to the program (recommender is an alumnus), one famous recommender (former Deputy Director of the CDC amongst many other accomplishments)

Applying to Where:
UGA - Infectious Diseases - Parasitology (Interview in one week; nominated to UGA Presidential Fellowship, but not officially accepted)
 

[banksy]

Everyone keep a good lab notebook! (obviously)

 

I am writing up materials and methods for a couple of manuscripts right now. I don't have the best lab notebook, serendipitously everything related to the manuscripts, including all intermediates is well documented.    Looking at my notebook though, JEEZ it could have been bad! A great lesson to learn before graduate school!

[cleverfool]

Congratulation!

 

What is your feeling about Purdue?   DId you get funding info. right away?

I got general funding info about the dept., but nothing specific.

I love Purdue, but I am biased, as it is my alma mater. It has a strong focus on research, so it's probably a little better from a graduate perspective - you could feel a little lost as an undergrad.

The area gets a bad rap, but the W. Lafayette/Lafayette cities are pretty fun, with a lot to do for smallish towns. They are in the middle of nowhere, though. An hour or so to Indy, and two to Chicago.

Downside: It's rough being a Boilermaker athletics fan - they break your heart regularly.

[mengyan528]

Accepted to Purdue Chemistry! (I applied under the Chemical Biology specialization).

I am now wishing I had found more chemistry programs to apply to...I am liking this whole admit-without-interview thing.

 

Congrats! Admit without interview is loved by all the people!

[Gram Neutral]

I got general funding info about the dept., but nothing specific.

I love Purdue, but I am biased, as it is my alma mater. It has a strong focus on research, so it's probably a little better from a graduate perspective - you could feel a little lost as an undergrad.

The area gets a bad rap, but the W. Lafayette/Lafayette cities are pretty fun, with a lot to do for smallish towns. They are in the middle of nowhere, though. An hour or so to Indy, and two to Chicago.

Downside: It's rough being a Boilermaker athletics fan - they break your heart regularly.

 

Haha if you go from Purdue to Illinois it won't get much better. Of course if I go from Illinois to Purdue I'm in the same boat. I kind of want to be on a Big 10 campus again (Half my applied schools are Big 10). Purdue and Illinois are very similar I feel. Although I go to UIUC, I visited Purdue in high school. 

[genesplicer]

Haha if you go from Purdue to Illinois it won't get much better. Of course if I go from Illinois to Purdue I'm in the same boat. I kind of want to be on a Big 10 campus again (Half my applied schools are Big 10). Purdue and Illinois are very similar I feel. Although I go to UIUC, I visited Purdue in high school. 

 

 

  Well,  you might think that Purdue is in the middle of nowhere, but it can't be any worse than Mississippi.. ...  though without the hurricanes.....

[Gram Neutral]

  Well,  you might think that Purdue is in the middle of nowhere, but it can't be any worse than Mississippi.. ...  though without the hurricanes.....

 

Subtract hurricanes, add tornados haha. We had a tornado right outside Champaign last year. There was this big hail storm and we all thought it was awesome and were throwing hail at each other and ignoring the tornado siren cause it always goes off. Like 30 minutes later people started posting pictures of the tornado like 2 miles off campus haha. Whoops. 

[mop]

Just got an interview for UC Davis BMCDB if anyone else is waiting for them.

 

I also brought a pocket sized notebook to my first interview but I felt it would have been a bit rude to whip it out and start writing in the middle of an interview.

Edited February 2, 2013 by mop

[Biohopeful]

From what I understand, when most faculty interviewers discuss their research it's more like a conversation than anything.  They should have everything on file in front of them.  Would it look bad if I opted against bringing any sort of notebook or that?  Should I bring a small one to look professional just in case?  I don't like the idea of sitting there, whipping out a notepad, and jotting down notes as the faculty are enthusiastically telling me about their research, though.

 

Panel discussions and presentations I attend are a different story, however.

[biotechie]

From what I understand, when most faculty interviewers discuss their research it's more like a conversation than anything.  They should have everything on file in front of them.  Would it look bad if I opted against bringing any sort of notebook or that?  Should I bring a small one to look professional just in case?  I don't like the idea of sitting there, whipping out a notepad, and jotting down notes as the faculty are enthusiastically telling me about their research, though.

 

Panel discussions and presentations I attend are a different story, however.

 

The professors I interviewed with were really happy that I brought things in with me; they told me so. I brought in a copy of my most recent seminar presentation powerpoint (printed) so I wouldn't have to try to draw pictures, and I had a printout and notes in my notebook on each professor and their research. They asked me several questions on my research and invited me to ask questions as they explained theirs. It was a ver comfortable conversation atmosphere, and it made me more comfortable to have my research and notebook there with me. I've interviewed with a total of 14 professors, now, and they most told me they like it when students come in with documents for their own research and notes that show they researched who they are talking to.

Someone mentioned that lots of schools put people in the admissions committee into the interviews. That totally happens, and those interviews, in my experience, veer out away from research and turn into more of a life story session where you also feel like you are in an advisement session.

[banksy]

Just got an interview for UC Davis BMCDB if anyone else is waiting for them.

 

I also brought a pocket sized notebook to my first interview but I felt it would have been a bit rude to whip it out and start writing in the middle of an interview.

 

when is the interview? im hoping they didn't send them all out yesterday. 

[mop]

There are going to be two interview times, 2/28-3/1 and one later in march, I can't remember what the prof said the second was off the top of my head. I'll let you know once they send the official follow up email.

[banksy]

There are going to be two interview times, 2/28-3/1 and one later in march, I can't remember what the prof said the second was off the top of my head. I'll let you know once they send the official follow up email.

 

thanks.

 

why did you decline UT-Austin interview? it wasn't high up on your list or something?

[mrmolecularbiology]

At the airport after my first interveiw. Any one else interviewing at UTSW you are going to have a great time.

[diamedic17]

Leaving for Stony Brook Microbiology & Molecular Genetics interview tomorrow...anyone else going or know anything about it I may not have heard from their website?

[mop]

thanks.

 

why did you decline UT-Austin interview? it wasn't high up on your list or something?

Yes, and I had interviews already booked on both their interview times. UT Austin offered Skype as an alternative, but since it was low on my list already I just said thanks but no thanks.

[EnzymeKinetics]

anyone have info on how small umich plans on making this incoming pibs class? i heard they're shrinking it a little so post-interview admit rates might be lower and take longer to trickle out...