2013 Applicant Profiles and Admission Results

[bamafan]

It is a good idea to relax before the up coming intensive traveling and interviews. But I don't think I can relax at all at this time. I'm just so anxious now.

 

 

I can't relax, because while I am on my first interview, according to past trends on grad cafe I will be expecting to get email invites for the majority of my programs. I'm so nervous and anxious. I've been on a six person, 3 and a half hour interview before, but it was not as important as this interview.

 

Also, there's no need to be nervous or anxious. These interviews are meant to be fun and just as much of an opportunity for you to interview them as it is for them to interview you. In fact, you're likely to enjoy yourself more, get more out of the visit, and present better if you are relaxed about the whole thing.

 

And... you guys have invites already as well! Don't sweat it. There's lots of folks out there still waiting for their first one. I was really anxious before I got my first one, and then after that, the anxiety kind of just disappeared.

[Cogidubnus]

I was very nervous until I got my first interview. Then I kind of relaxed. Now I'm kind of nervous again...

[ion_exchanger]

I was very nervous until I got my first interview. Then I kind of relaxed. Now I'm kind of nervous again...

 

My thoughts exactly. I just want everything to go well. my problem is that I'm usually an introvert, so I don't want to come across as if I don't care. If I'm too aggresive, however, I run the risk of seeming fake. This is my biggest anxiety about interviews where I will have to make small talk with many people at dinners and social gatherings. The actual meetings with faculty, I'm not as nervous about. I know my research, I know I love research, that's actually the thing I am looking forward to. I have a near perfect job interview record.

[biotechie]

I think my professors (I have two PIs for my Master's) are more stressed out about my interview than I am. I'm just nervous that I won't hear from anyone else.

[MicroB2012]

biotechie:why don't you apply to more schools, i think there are some schools have Jan-15 deadline.

[biotechie]

I'm working on about four applications at the moment, but I'm also trying to make figures for a paper and I'm summarizing the literature I will need for my Masters thesis. I would apply to more than that, but my funds for applications are running dry. I just wish the schools I already applied to would be better about their application status updates. It is really hard to confirm that everything was received without pestering them.

Edited December 30, 2012 by biotechie

[nishiki]

cheers everyone! time for me to stop lurking, i guess.

 

Undergrad Institution: top large public research university
Major(s): bioengineering
Minor(s): maybe math
GPA in Major: 3.80
Overall GPA: 3.89
Position in Class: fairly close to the top, not sure
Type of Student: domestic female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 169 (98%)
V: 170 (99%)
W: 4.5 (73%)
Biochem: let's just say... not good. 

Research Experience: a little over 2 years in a school lab and one summer research program, doing research related to my interests. no publications, a couple poster sessions

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's List every quarter, Phi Beta Kappa, Tau Beta Pi, bioengineering departmental scholarship, other school scholarships, study abroad scholarship

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: student mentor, self-employed math tutor

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: demonstrated interest/activities in service and social issues, including a couple activities related to engineering/science.

Special Bonus Points: i'm a girl but that will probably only matter for the engineering programs, if at all. 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: taken extra computer science and other technical classes. i think my recommendations were all strong, and i'm happy with the SOPs i submitted, but who knows.

Applying to Where:

Northwestern University, Interdepartmental Biological Sciences (IBiS)

University of Washington, Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB)
University of Texas at Austin, Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB)

Rockefeller University

UC Berkeley, Bioengineering

Boston University, Biomedical Engineering

MIT, Biological Engineering

University of Pennsylvania, Bioengineering

 

i'm interested in systems and synthetic biology, computational biology, genomics, bioinformatics, evolution, and microbiology/infectious disease. might seem a little random but i think i made it work in my SOP and it was specific enough for me to narrow down my initially ginormous list of schools (though as i read different forums i discover new grad programs that sound interesting. maybe if i don't get in anywhere this round i'll look them up, haha. let's hope not). 

 

things have been going good for me so far, i was relieved to get a couple interview invites. i made a couple mistakes on my apps, including one i was sure was going to sink me for UW, but they didn't seem to hurt me too much after all. if anyone is feeling bad about their bio/biochem subject test score i'm sure i could make you feel better (PM me if you want). 

 

i hope i get more good news and i'll be disappointed if i don't, but i can't wait for the interviews i do have! i alternate between imagining how fun they'll be and obsessively checking forums and results for news about the programs i haven't heard back from.

 

good luck everyone, this next month will be nuts.

[biotechie]

Applying to Where:

Northwestern University, Interdepartmental Biological Sciences (IBiS)

University of Washington, Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB)

University of Texas at Austin, Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB)

Rockefeller University

UC Berkeley, Bioengineering

Boston University, Biomedical Engineering

MIT, Biological Engineering

University of Pennsylvania, Bioengineering

 

i'm interested in systems and synthetic biology, computational biology, genomics, bioinformatics, evolution, and microbiology/infectious disease. might seem a little random but i think i made it work in my SOP and it was specific enough for me to narrow down my initially ginormous list of schools (though as i read different forums i discover new grad programs that sound interesting. maybe if i don't get in anywhere this round i'll look them up, haha. let's hope not). 

 

things have been going good for me so far, i was relieved to get a couple interview invites. i made a couple mistakes on my apps, including one i was sure was going to sink me for UW, but they didn't seem to hurt me too much after all. if anyone is feeling bad about their bio/biochem subject test score i'm sure i could make you feel better (PM me if you want). 

 

i hope i get more good news and i'll be disappointed if i don't, but i can't wait for the interviews i do have! i alternate between imagining how fun they'll be and obsessively checking forums and results for news about the programs i haven't heard back from.

 

good luck everyone, this next month will be nuts.

So you got an interview at UW? I got my rejection from Immunology on the 20th. My GPA and general GRE weren't as strong as yours, though. I also didn't take the subject test.

I'm glad all of your are as crazy about checking out the results of others as me. If you guys didn't exist, I would think I was completely nuts to be so nervous.

[LMac]

I couldn't agree more. I feel like this site is my weird little support group.

Edited December 30, 2012 by LMac

[nishiki]

So you got an interview at UW? I got my rejection from Immunology on the 20th. My GPA and general GRE weren't as strong as yours, though. I also didn't take the subject test.

I'm glad all of your are as crazy about checking out the results of others as me. If you guys didn't exist, I would think I was completely nuts to be so nervous.

yeah i did, i got the phone call last week.

[ion_exchanger]

As much as I love the holidays, I'm so glad that they are ending this week so we can get back to what I keep calling "application season"!

[Jubilee]

^{Alrighty! Quick work break!}

 

<sup>Undergrad Institution: Two Large Public Research Universities (BA from one, BS from the other)
Major(s): Biology, Rhetoric & Writing (BA); Genetics (BS)
GPA in Major: Uhhhh.... don't remember this. 3-something for the first institution, 4.0 for the second
Overall GPA: 3.72 for BA, 4.00 for BS (3.8-something if you combine them)
Position in Class: No idea. My first institution was so big that it probably wouldn't be a very impressive rank anyway.
Type of Student: DWM

GRE Scores (old version):
Q: 770
V: 760
W: 5.5
Bio: 8-something (cumulative % in low 90's, molec./cell subscore 99%, probs should have taken the biochem one!)

Research Experience: A couple years, 1 independent research project w/ published abstract (the poster I made went to a conference w/out me! wah wah!), a semester under a PI at the first institution, worked on several projects while volunteering/working at core facilities (a couple years)</sup>

^{Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Typical honor society stuff. I was the only student nominated from my second program for a national scholarship that I did NOT receive. Heh.}

 

<sup>Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Working as a RA at a major cancer center, also did two clinical genetics internships at some pretty well-known places here in TX over one summer

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: I am dual-certified to work as a cytogenetic and molecular genetic technologist (clinical lab certifications). Marketable skills, baby!

Special Bonus Points: None really. I'm a creative writer who has been trying to get published in The New Yorker since his teens (yeah, fat chance), but I probably won't bring this up voluntarily during interviews that are supposed to be about science, which is my main passion!</sup>

 

^{Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: Ehhh.... Can't think of anything.}

^{Applying to Where:}

 

^{Baylor College of Medicine}

^{California Institute of Technology}

^{Columbia University}

^{Cornell University}

^{Harvard University}

^{Princeton University}

^{Rockefeller University}

^{University of Chicago}

^{University of Texas- Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas}

^{University of Washington- Seattle}

^{University of Wisconsin- Madison}

^{Yale University}

 

^{So far, I've heard back from five institutions (out of twelve): Baylor, UWisc, UTSW, Cornell, and Yale. All contacted me with interview offers during the week of Dec. 17th. So far, so good. I'm waiting to hear back from the others. I know that Columbia, Princeton, and UChicago seem to have sent stuff out already, so those might end up being weee!-jections. Still, I'm hopeful about the others!}

 

^{Congrats to everyone on the offers so far! And if you're still waiting, don't give up hope just yet. There's still time!}

[MicroB2012]

Happy New Year, everybody!!!!!

[ion_exchanger]

Happy New Years everyone!

[chemaholic]

Happy New Year everyone!

 

@Jubilee: Which program did you apply to at UW-Madison?

Edited January 1, 2013 by chemaholic

[Sofi dlS]

Undergrad Institution: Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina) (Master's Degree)

Major(s): Biology

Minor(s): Ecology

GPA in Major:

Overall GPA:

Type of Student: International student, female, hispanic

GRE Scores (revised/old version):

Q: 153

V: 162

W: 3.5

B:

TOEFL Total: 117/120

Research Experience: 2 years working at National Animal Health Service in Argentina (Molecular Biology Department); 9 months as Research Technician/Assistant in a non-profit in Maine (heavy metal contamination in wildlife)

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: See Research Experience

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Active volunteer in reef/beach cleanups and fish counts in Maui, HI.

Special Bonus Points: Woman, Latinamerican

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: Bigger project already in place (funded), where I would have my own project (also funded by the research group).

Applying to Where: University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Biology. (PhD)

[Jubilee]

Happy New Year everyone!

 

@Jubilee: Which program did you apply to at UW-Madison?

 

I applied to genetics programs, or whatever the next best thing was. (Some schools, like CalTech, don't seem to have a program specifically for genetics.) I believe my UW-Madison response came straight from the genetics program.

[diamedic17]

Anyone get any invites, rejections, or any type of correspondence today??

[Winteriscoming]

Yessss, me!! First time hearing something from USA: U Rochester!  

 

Happy new year everyone!

[MicroB2012]

Congrats Winteriscoming!

[ImmunoXX]

Someone heard from Scripps, but not sure what campus (CA or FL). Also NO STATS!!! Why aren't people posting stats? It helps the rest of us immensly!!!

[MicroB2012]

Yessss, me!! First time hearing something from USA: U Rochester!

 

Happy new year everyone!

What program did you apply to UBC? I applied to their pharmaceutical science program.

[Sylvia720]

You guys scared me, what the high credentials you have. Oh well, I applied 16 programs (biochem/biomed) but heard nothing from them yet. I do hope I can get at least one interview invitation out of 16, but it seems that majority of univs have sent out their invitations before Christmas (I guess). Good luck to everyone and Happy new year!

[Jubilee]

I'd like to take a quick opinion poll. How many interviews would you have to do before you'd feel confident about your shot at getting accepted into a program? I ask this because there's no way I'll be able to go on more than five interviews. This is not just because they'll be a bit exhausting, but also because I have to use my (limited) paid time off to go on them. I'm assuming that the people who applied to 20+ programs won't be going on 20+ interviews, even if they get offers from everywhere.

 

Anyway, I'm just trying to figure out my schedule, and which offers I should accept. For all I know, the rest of the schools I've applied to will reject me, so the five interview offers I have now will be the five I do.

[MicroB2012]

I'd like to take a quick opinion poll. How many interviews would you have to do before you'd feel confident about your shot at getting accepted into a program? I ask this because there's no way I'll be able to go on more than five interviews. This is not just because they'll be a bit exhausting, but also because I have to use my (limited) paid time off to go on them. I'm assuming that the people who applied to 20+ programs won't be going on 20+ interviews, even if they get offers from everywhere.

 

Anyway, I'm just trying to figure out my schedule, and which offers I should accept. For all I know, the rest of the schools I've applied to will reject me, so the five interview offers I have now will be the five I do.

I will go everywhere that gives me interview invitation, if there is no conflict.

Edited January 3, 2013 by MicroB2012