2014 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[Raerosk]

Not sure of the deal with Stanford. But for anyone that wants to know, I got my email invitation on Friday and also received my snail mail packet today even though it is just the same info that was already attached to my email (this was for immuno). Although I guess some people didn't get an attachment for some reason? I'm surprised the snail mail packet came so quickly.

eep! Has anyone else heard back?

And btw, is anyone having trouble getting the logistics scheduled with Baylor?

I haven't sadly :-( Scripps Edited January 14, 2014 by Raerosk

[leslberries]

eep! Has anyone else heard back?

 

I got an invite from them in December, right after Christmas

[Raerosk]

I got an invite from them in December, right after Christmas

I'm about to spam California, there are 4 schools out there I haven't heard from.

[No Coffee Plz]

MIT Biology interview just came out for me. Feb 10th, Feb 24th, Mar 10th.

[ERR_Alpha]

to what extend is no news good news in this waiting game?

I just got my first interview today so there's still hope! Guess it depends on what schools / programs you've applied to.

[Thesbane]

MIT Biology interview just came out for me. Feb 10th, Feb 24th, Mar 10th.

Congratulations! There's only so few of you who heard back =)

[marinamacarena]

Hello all! Long time lurker here!

 

I noticed that there seem to be a couple of you who were invited to interview at GSK, and I was wondering if any of you might be doing your interviews this week. If you got here a bit early like myself, would you like to grab lunch tomorrow (the 14th) afternoon before the whole insanity that is the grad school interview begins? Maybe go shopping for warm clothes if you find that you came here grossly unprepared for the weather ahaha

 

I figure we're all staying at the same hotel so it shouldn't be too hard to meet up! This is a shot in the dark considering I just thought of doing this and it is so late, but I thought it might be nice to finally put a face to a username =)

 

Hope to hear back from some of you!

[Raerosk]

So I emailed the cancer program coordinator at Stanford, got my rejection email within 30 mins. Yay... Well at least now I know.

[nermah1]

MIT Biology interview just came out for me. Feb 10th, Feb 24th, Mar 10th.

Wow!! Super!! Congrat man!

[noncreativename]

I know some people have listed interviews from Northwestern NUIN already, but I was wondering if anyone has received a rejection?  What are my odds of being offered an interview at this point if I haven't heard back from them.

 

Additionally, has anyone else had problems with their GATS system?  I found the email they sent about that about a month late (it went to the secondary email I listed on my application) and the information didn't work.  I'm a little worried that maybe something got messed up with my application, since that system also seems to be the one they use to forward applications to faculty/committee people.  I definitely turned everything in and received confirmations saying so, I just can't log in to view my application status using the credentials they provided.

[hashirama]

Anyone here applying to MIT CSB (or CSBi) ?

 

From the result page, it seems that this department is very straightforward. Both invitations and rejections seem to be sent at the same time. 

Edited January 14, 2014 by hashirama

[medullate]

ugh nightmare... I log onto this portal (which I didn't know I could do until today) and see that my GRE scores have not been received in Montana (I sent them in October). Just ranting here. I wonder why this is happening?

[ERR_Alpha]

ugh nightmare... I log onto this portal (which I didn't know I could do until today) and see that my GRE scores have not been received in Montana (I sent them in October). Just ranting here. I wonder why this is happening?

I would email them and ask. UConn's portal still says they do not have my GRE scores but the program coordinator said they did.

[Chimeric Phoenix]

Oh jeez major fail on my part. Literally just realized my Stanford app was listed as incomplete. Emailed them asking what exactly I'm missing but I'm expecting a rejection at this point. I guess it's not in the cards for me to stay in California. Anyone else scared of the cold for Midwest/East Coast interviews? lol

 

I had the same problem, it was due to ETS not sending in the official GRE scores correctly, but they told me they would use the self-reported scores and it wouldn't hurt my application. (which I'm almost positive was rejected anyway...)

[No Coffee Plz]

Well this is a little bit overwhelming. Scripps Research Institute (Florida) just gave me an interview offer. Feb 13-15 or Feb 27 - Mar 1.

 

They said they noted my interest in the CA campus (I applied to both) but acknowledges that the the La Jolla Campus is not done reviewing the applications yet. FYI to students who applied to the CA campus.

 

Also, I didn't take the GRE subject test (Scripps is the only institution that requires it), and they scared me by saying my application will be put at an disadvantage... but I guess they didn't care after all haha.

[Orims]

MIT Interview!!!! Totally thought that I was rejected.

[No Coffee Plz]

MIT Interview!!!! Totally thought that I was rejected.

Same here! I almost had a heart attack when opening the email. Congrats.

[Adenine_Monarch]

Well this is a little bit overwhelming. Scripps Research Institute (Florida) just gave me an interview offer. Feb 13-15 or Feb 27 - Mar 1.

 

They said they noted my interest in the CA campus (I applied to both) but acknowledges that the the La Jolla Campus is not done reviewing the applications yet. FYI to students who applied to the CA campus.

 

Also, I didn't take the GRE subject test (Scripps is the only institution that requires it), and they scared me by saying my application will be put at an disadvantage... but I guess they didn't care after all haha.

Wow, that's totally cool. Now makes me wish I hadn't bothered with the subject test. They're one of the main reasons I decided to take it at the last second. Are there any others that require it? They were the only one I saw.

[olsenolsen]

No news from Michigan PIBS. Bracing myself for a rejection tomorrow...

[mini0n01]

Well this is a little bit overwhelming. Scripps Research Institute (Florida) just gave me an interview offer. Feb 13-15 or Feb 27 - Mar 1.

 

They said they noted my interest in the CA campus (I applied to both) but acknowledges that the the La Jolla Campus is not done reviewing the applications yet. FYI to students who applied to the CA campus.

 

Also, I didn't take the GRE subject test (Scripps is the only institution that requires it), and they scared me by saying my application will be put at an disadvantage... but I guess they didn't care after all haha.

 

That's good to hear! I'm kind of bummed - I originally wanted to apply but didn't have time to take the subject test, so I scratched it off my list. Oh well. Congratulations, though!

[cardboardboxes]

I had the same problem, it was due to ETS not sending in the official GRE scores correctly, but they told me they would use the self-reported scores and it wouldn't hurt my application. (which I'm almost positive was rejected anyway...)

 

That makes sense... I'm probably somewhere in the same boat then. Pretty sure I was rejected regardless of what I was missing too.

 

And see you at the UW interview! Super excited about that one

[No Coffee Plz]

On the GRE Subject Test: I did not take it based on the advice given to me by upperclassmen who were accepted to top-notch biology PhD programs (hint: neither of them took it). One explicitly said it's a waste of money if one has a good GPA in my school.

 

I heard that a rule of thumb is, you take the GRE Subject Test if 1)Your GPA in the subject is not too great and you need to redeem yourself, or 2)your undergrad school does not have a competitive program in the field. My major GPA is good, and my undergrad institution has a rigorous biochemistry program (my major), so that's why I'm guessing they didn't count me off (they still explicitly said that lack of the GRE Subject Test will work as a disadvantage against you). I'm assuming other parts of the application probably outweighed the absence.

 

After seeing that the GRE subject test is required, I almost did cross Scripps off my list too, but then I was like "oh well". They don't have an application fee anyways (if I remember correctly).

Edited January 14, 2014 by No Coffee Plz

[DirtyLabCoat]

all you people have options...this turned out to be ridiculous for me :/ hanging onto one interview (Albeit a great one)

[Orims]

Continuing the topic of GRE subject tests (future tip for anyone reading this who is applying this fall) I would not worry too much about it or programs that ask for it. I have met people who have done terribly on the subject test and still got into programs that encouraged it (Stanford, MIT, JHU, etc...) and others who did not take it and still got into these programs. My PI even told me once "Who takes and asks for subject tests anyways?! I've never seen someone score above a 90 percentile!". 

Edited January 14, 2014 by Orims

[rexzeppelin]

I took the subject test because I'm coming from a tiny liberal arts program with no cachet in the sciences, to try and validate my training. If I was coming from a strong program with a good reputation I would have definitely just skipped the hassle and not insignificant expense. I think it might become more important in future if the numbers of applicants rise and programs need an additional criterion to cut the chaff, but not more useful than that.