2014 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[tcmazer]

I am so sorry to hear that. I see you applied to UTHSCSA. I spoke with one of the Dean's concerning my rejection and he said  to book an appointment to speak to him on April 15th. He said he would be able to point out the weaknesses and problem areas of my application and would provide "constructive comments" on how to improve it. I know it doesn't lessen the pain now but I believe speaking to admissions and finding out what areas needs improvement will help you make the best decision on what to do now and the next application cycle. If you are interested in becoming a tech PM me and I could forward your CV to my PI since I am vacating my spot. Again really sorry to hear that. 

 

PM sent.  Also I've been contacting all the schools I applied to about feedback, and some have responded, all agreeing that GPA really is the main concern.  Northwestern said that a Master's wouldn't be worth the money and recommended a research tech position, Van Andel recommended either, and the coordinator at Austin is helping me talk with the committee on what I should be doing now.

[tcmazer]

It's so strange because even though I don't know you guys in real life everyone feels like my friend! I'm really sorry to hear that

 

It's alright, a gap year isn't the end of the world, plus it's probably a good idea to do so before committing to a phd program.

[ss2player]

PM sent.  Also I've been contacting all the schools I applied to about feedback, and some have responded, all agreeing that GPA really is the main concern.  Northwestern said that a Master's wouldn't be worth the money and recommended a research tech position, Van Andel recommended either, and the coordinator at Austin is helping me talk with the committee on what I should be doing now.

 

Sorry about your rough cycle, I went through similar last year: 11 schools, no interviews. I took some graduate classes to boost my GPA and that might have done the trick! Gap years can definitely help; hell, I took 4 of them! But seriously, it really helps you focus and learn, many PIs I interviewed with this cycle said my experience would put me at the top of the heap in their incoming classes and I could hit the ground running.

Also, if you're interested in moving to the East Coast, I'll also be leaving my lab manager/tech position so PM me as well. 

[tcmazer]

Sorry about your rough cycle, I went through similar last year: 11 schools, no interviews. I took some graduate classes to boost my GPA and that might have done the trick! Gap years can definitely help; hell, I took 4 of them! But seriously, it really helps you focus and learn, many PIs I interviewed with this cycle said my experience would put me at the top of the heap in their incoming classes and I could hit the ground running.

Also, if you're interested in moving to the East Coast, I'll also be leaving my lab manager/tech position so PM me as well. 

 

That's good to hear, thanks for the advice!  I'll go ahead and PM you now, thanks you guys for being so awesome!

[Adenine_Monarch]

So, I know a while back there was some discussion on negotiating pay. I agree with whoever it was that said that stipends are rather fixed and that if you're going to negotiate anything, it ought to be about whether or not you can get any extra fellowship money thrown on top. What I was wondering was whether or not anyone else has been getting offers for fellowships this late in the game. I got one from one school about a week ago and just today, they upped it again to a pretty incredible offer. I am, however, frustrated that the top two schools I'm looking most closely at have not offered me anything (one of them hasn't even yet replied to my email of simply seeking extra info about something!), even though I've been hinting at how I'm rather torn between the two options. I feel like if one of them was to give me a fellowship, that would probably make the decision right there. So who thinks I should just take more direct action and ask about the possibility of fellowship offers? Seems like it is still possible to get something, especially since others must still be rejecting offers (and fellowships) even now. Makes me wonder about those who took offers earlier in the cycle. Maybe if they'd waited, they would have gotten more money? For me, everything I was offered came out of the blue. But I feel bad for people on the wait list and I don't want to drag this out too long if I can help it. Do you guys think it is worth it to wait longer or should I just make a decision with what I've got?

[elanorci]

So, I know a while back there was some discussion on negotiating pay. I agree with whoever it was that said that stipends are rather fixed and that if you're going to negotiate anything, it ought to be about whether or not you can get any extra fellowship money thrown on top. What I was wondering was whether or not anyone else has been getting offers for fellowships this late in the game. I got one from one school about a week ago and just today, they upped it again to a pretty incredible offer. I am, however, frustrated that the top two schools I'm looking most closely at have not offered me anything (one of them hasn't even yet replied to my email of simply seeking extra info about something!), even though I've been hinting at how I'm rather torn between the two options. I feel like if one of them was to give me a fellowship, that would probably make the decision right there. So who thinks I should just take more direct action and ask about the possibility of fellowship offers? Seems like it is still possible to get something, especially since others must still be rejecting offers (and fellowships) even now. Makes me wonder about those who took offers earlier in the cycle. Maybe if they'd waited, they would have gotten more money? For me, everything I was offered came out of the blue. But I feel bad for people on the wait list and I don't want to drag this out too long if I can help it. Do you guys think it is worth it to wait longer or should I just make a decision with what I've got?

 

This is the same conundrum I'm facing now. I emailed one of my schools and inquired about the specifics of the monetary offer (because the area is so expensive, I'm concerned about $$) and they got back to me with very helpful details about what fees I do / don't have to pay out of my stipend. I feel weird about explicitly asking for a raise / fellowship, but I'm hoping that, like some people here, if I sit on the offer for a while, they'll spontaneously offer me something, perhaps as other people turn them down. 

 

So personally I'm going with the waiting longer approach. I know that it's hard for the people on the waitlist, but they can always accept them after the April 15th deadline; it'll be harder for them to accept such an offer, given that they'll have to break a commitment to another school, and I do feel bad about that. But this is our livelihood! I feel like making sure that we get the best monetary arrangement that we can is worth some inconvenience to the waitlisters, given that we'll have to live with this arrangement for /six years/. 

[LAguy]

I'm pretty sure that fellowships don't "add" to your stipend. Most departments/advisers reduce the stipend they pay you by the amount you receive from external grants/fellowships. 

[elanorci]

I'm pretty sure that fellowships don't "add" to your stipend. Most departments/advisers reduce the stipend they pay you by the amount you receive from external grants/fellowships. 

Many departments to which I applied do actually add to your stipend. This is a way of incentivizing students to apply for these kinds of fellowships; they save money when you get one even if they add a bit on the top, so it's likely a net positive for them to incentivize people in this way. 

[LAguy]

Many departments to which I applied do actually add to your stipend. This is a way of incentivizing students to apply for these kinds of fellowships; they save money when you get one even if they add a bit on the top, so it's likely a net positive for them to incentivize people in this way. 

True; Baylor SCBMB adds $2,000 for acquisition of external funding, but I feel like that is unusual. I would still encourage anyone  who is waiting to make an admissions decision to read the precise writing regarding fellowships/external funding in their university's departmental handbook (if you have access to it).

Edited April 2, 2014 by LAguy

[elanorci]

True; Baylor SCBMB adds $2,000 for acquisition of external funding, but I still feel like that is unusual. I would still encourage anyone  who is waiting to make an admissions decision to read the precise writing regarding fellowships/external funding in their university's departmental handbook (if you have access to it).

Definitely true. Even if you don't have access to the handbook, you can just email the dept administrator to clarify (that's what I did, and I got a very helpful response, even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear).

Edited April 2, 2014 by elanorci

[Adenine_Monarch]

I'm pretty sure that fellowships don't "add" to your stipend. Most departments/advisers reduce the stipend they pay you by the amount you receive from external grants/fellowships. 

It really depends on the fellowship. If, like you said, you are referring to most external grants/fellowships, this simply reduces the amount your PI has to pay. I am referring to the sorts of "smallish" fellowships that departments seem to offer (over and above the stipend amount) to incoming students as a way of incentivizing their most favored (or wavering) candidates. Although "smallish" is relative, I suppose. I've been offered everything from a one-time 1000 extra bucks, to larger awards over a few years (that are confirmed in addition to the normal stipend and usually disbursed in a lump sum at the beginning of the year). Plus, there are times when the school will give you a small amount over and above your stipend as a reward for drawing a larger fellowship (one that is NOT over and above, as is the case in your other post above) to the program. So it gets really confusing, I think. We know the departments out there have a little extra cash for "recruitment purposes," and it is mainly to this cash that I'm referring.

[scottdickson86]

That's good to hear, thanks for the advice!  I'll go ahead and PM you now, thanks you guys for being so awesome!

 

I admire your spirit bro! Keep the fire burning 

[Orims]

Has any international student who got waitlistet at MIT Biology after their 3rd week heard anything?

[immuno41288]

Did anyone get accepted to UTHSC-H GSBS and you plan not to attend? I am on the waitlist and I really want to attend this school. Just wondering If there is still a chance people are turning down their acceptance.

[Piedwerp]

Has any international student who got waitlistet at MIT Biology after their 3rd week heard anything?

 

I haven't. Honestly, I doubt there are many more than the two of us on that list. 

[Orims]

I haven't. Honestly, I doubt there are many more than the two of us on that list. 

If I don't hear anything by tomorrow I think I will be spending my next 5-6 years in California, sunny beautiful California .

[Piedwerp]

If I don't hear anything by tomorrow I think I will be spending my next 5-6 years in California, sunny beautiful California .

Haha.. Congratulations! I think Stanford is an absolutely great choice. 

[walkinlove]

Well, my long interview season has finally come to a close! I committed to UC Davis' Animal Behavior Grad Group yesterday! Took a pay (and prestige?) cut by not choosing Pop Bio, but I really wanted to go where I felt happy.  Hooray for being done and best of luck to everyone who still has tough decisions ahead!

[MackF]

With the April 15 deadline rapidly approaching I just wanted to say congratulations to all who were accepted and keep your head up to those who weren't.  Maybe there's a lurker on this forum I'll end up meeting in Rochester in the fall.  Good luck everyone!

[persimmony]

Well guys, it was nice to have a supportive thread to obsessively refresh during this whole process. Here's a wrap-up of my stats when I applied:

 

Undergrad Institution: Large state university. Not very research oriented.
Major(s): Biology
Minor(s): Chemistry, Physics
GPA in Major: 3.57
Overall GPA: 3.65

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 159 (75%)
V:  161 (87%)
W: 4.0 (54%)

Research Experience:

1 semester as a Research Intern in my undergrad.

A little over a year at my current Lab Researcher position in a stem cell lab, which is what I want to study.

3rd author paper submitted last week, a 1st author paper in preparation.

 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

2 semester Dean's List

Graduated cum laude

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: I was a lab technician in an analytical environmental lab for 4 years before I got interested in research. Worked with a transmission electron microscope to analyze x-ray crystallography patterns of asbestos structures from samples brought to us by clients. Not research, but still lab work so I hope it counts for something.

 

With an okay GPA, decent GRE, and 1.5yrs of research experience, I wasn't sure what to expect and even considered waiting a year to get more experience to match my competition; turns out I didn't need it. I think as long as you have 1 year of really solid research and can explain it to others in detail, you're good. I met a few people at my interviews who had more years on me but could barely describe their research. It's about quality, not quantity.

 

Looking back, I do wish I had applied to more "competitive" schools that would have been a good fit. Gotta admit that reading through the 2013 thread and comparing other people to myself based on stats made me shy away from schools that could have been good for me. So future applicants, apply where you think you'd be happy and have a good fit. Also mention why it'd be a good fit in your SOP.

 

Another thing is I really should have considered location before applying to some schools. Why I bothered applying to places where I'd never want to live is still beyond me..

 

Overall though, I'd say I had a good experience throughout the whole process and am super excited about where I'm heading. Good luck to the rest of you!

[Orims]

Can't believe this process is over and that I was admitted to my 1st choice! Here is my final breakdown:

 

Undergrad Institution: Large state university with lots of research but lots of pre-med/pre-vets
Major(s): Biochemistry
GPA in Major: 3.86
Overall GPA: 3.92

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 158 (72%)
V:  155 (68%)
W: 4.5 (78%)

Research Experience:

3.5 years in the same lab at my institution

2 summers at MIT

 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

Dean's list every semester

A few poster presentation award from my school

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: I guess my extensive research experience greatly helped me out.

 

Applying as an international student was very scary and all I was aiming for was to get into 1 school. Today I cannot believe I was offered 5 interviews and pretty much accepted everywhere I interviewed (MIT wanted to accept me but wait-listed me since I went to their last recruitment week and they had already ran short on international funding). If I could give any advice for people applying within the next few years is to never doubt yourself. I thought that my list was too risky but I was able to get interviews at my 1st and 2nd choice. Also, don't let your GRE scores think that you are not good enough, I scored lower than the average student admitted into most of the schools I applied to but still managed to get acceptances. Finally, if you are an international student try to go to the 1st or 2nd recruitment week you are offered, going to the 3rd recruitment week at MIT was a bad choice given that they had already accepted many international students.

 

PS: Interviews are awesome, don't be scared/nervous about them!

 

Officially moving to the Bay Area and Stanford this fall! Good weather here I come!

[sqxz]

Excited to say that I have officially accepted the offer from the Biophysics and Computational Biology PhD Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign! Now I just have to find an apartment and finish out this semester before I can finally relax a bit. Good luck to everyone else on making their decisions! You have T-11 days to April 15, so it should be over for you soon too!

[No Coffee Plz]

Can't believe this process is over and that I was admitted to my 1st choice! Here is my final breakdown:

 

Undergrad Institution: Large state university with lots of research but lots of pre-med/pre-vets

Major(s): Biochemistry

GPA in Major: 3.86

Overall GPA: 3.92

GRE Scores (revised/old version):

Q: 158 (72%)

V:  155 (68%)

W: 4.5 (78%)

Research Experience:

3.5 years in the same lab at my institution

2 summers at MIT

 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

Dean's list every semester

A few poster presentation award from my school

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: I guess my extensive research experience greatly helped me out.

 

Applying as an international student was very scary and all I was aiming for was to get into 1 school. Today I cannot believe I was offered 5 interviews and pretty much accepted everywhere I interviewed (MIT wanted to accept me but wait-listed me since I went to their last recruitment week and they had already ran short on international funding). If I could give any advice for people applying within the next few years is to never doubt yourself. I thought that my list was too risky but I was able to get interviews at my 1st and 2nd choice. Also, don't let your GRE scores think that you are not good enough, I scored lower than the average student admitted into most of the schools I applied to but still managed to get acceptances. Finally, if you are an international student try to go to the 1st or 2nd recruitment week you are offered, going to the 3rd recruitment week at MIT was a bad choice given that they had already accepted many international students.

 

PS: Interviews are awesome, don't be scared/nervous about them!

 

Officially moving to the Bay Area and Stanford this fall! Good weather here I come!

Hi Orims. How sure are you about MIT Biology international applicants being put at a disadvantage if they attend the third interview weekend? It is irrational for the program and unfair for the students to have all the acceptances handed before everyone has been interviewed... and I am pretty sure they waited after Mar 10 to send out the bulk of the acceptances. Not trying to stir an argument, but I want this thread to be accurate as possible so that it benefits everyone who reads it next year (just like how we all have benefited from last year's thread).

 

Have a good time at Stanford by the way! I have also interviewed at MIT and Stanford, but I have been accepted to MIT Biology only and not Stanford haha.

[Orims]

Well by the time you go to their third week they already accepted a big bulk of international students and almost ever international I met during the 3rd week got put into this "we want you put can't afford you" wait-list because they had already accepted internationals from the previous two weeks. I also know quite a few faculty and administration from my two summers and a few of them outright told me that had I gone to the 1st or 2nd week I would have been admitted without a doubt. Still, MIT is a great place regardless and I feel going to Stanford and expanding my network is for my benefit, I can always post-doc at MIT .

[somanyphage]

have yet to hear from my last school - Boston University but on a happy note I got accepted into the master's program at Queens College.