2014 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[nermah1]

An hour before Skype interview!!!

Super nervous  

I hope every one has good result from interview weekend!!! 

[iheartplants]

Freaking out about what to pack to wear... Email from Dartmouth said the event is "casual" and stressed not to wear dress shoes or business suits! Ugh. Any advice??

ERR_Alpha-- I definitely second the boots. If Dartmouth ay casual, they probably mean it. Go with dark pants that fit into the boots and a nice top. You'll look pulled together. However, even at Berekely last weekend (SUPER casual vibe) some people wore dress pants. Then again,  I saw some people wearing Teva sandals and hiking shorts. Just do you! Whatever makes you comfortable.

[byt2104]

Does anyone know when I should be getting Columbia's Micro&Immuno itinerary/hotel info? They sent me an invite, asked for a faculty list, and then seemingly died. It's soon, so I'm getting worried.

I applied to Pathobiology/Molecular Medicine.  Still nothing and it's next week.  Same story about Weill Cornell IMP.  If I hear nothing from either by the end of the work day today, I'll follow up by e-mail.

[Javier Galdón]

Hi!

Long time lurker here, but I have just seen in the result search that some international student has been accepted in the Molecular Biology PhD at the University of Utah. Did you get an skype interview previously? Getting really anxious about hearing from the American schools I applied to!

[nermah1]

Hi guys, I just finished a Skype interview with Cornell plant biology. 

 

Because I don't have much lab experience, I wanted them to ask more about my knowledge and interest in the department, not just entirely about my experiments. (which are futile :-S)

But they just asked about my lab project and experiments......and after I answered then they simply said "Do you have any questions?" and I asked a few things......and end of the interview....!!!

 

I was a bit disappointed because I read many articles from my PI and professors from the department. 

Well.....honestly, my feeling is that they don't have much interest with me. Hm.....!!!

 

But now what....I just have to wait and wait again    

Edited February 6, 2014 by nermah1

[iheartplants]

Phone/ Skype interviews can be weird, nermah1. Maybe it went better than you think! Good luck!

[nermah1]

Phone/ Skype interviews can be weird, nermah1. Maybe it went better than you think! Good luck!

Hey, thanks. You've always been cheerful  

So you've been through with many interviews! Did you post about them? I really wanna hear about other's interview

[molecularneuro]

Unusually long compared to last year. Next interview weekend starts tomorrow. I emailed the admin - i'll post what she says.

 

UC Irvine CMB Acceptance! She was just waiting for graduate school approval.

[MackF]

I don't think it is a budget constraint for the Penn Biology interviws. Most US schools typically accept about 80% of the domestic interviewees (there are expections, e.g. Columbia). In other words, most schools already invite close to the minimum number of students the they can for on-campus interviews (probably because of budget constraints). As such, these interview weekends are largely there for recruitment purposes. If they're going to do a pre-screening round on Skype, then that would actually add to the expenditures of the interview process (taking up several professors time is expensive). My guess is they really wanted to interview more people at least at a basic level before essentially admitting them by inviting them to the on-campus interview, so they added in this "first round" of Skype interviews.

 

If they do some Skype interviews as the only round (like it sounds like they are doing at Syracuse), of course that would save some money. In that case I don't know what fraction of people would be accepted afterwards. They could keep the ratio similar to the on-campus numbers, but it could also be a more selective process because of the lesser cost per interview. Very weird that would give out 2 different types of invites to domestic applicants. Are you located really far from Syracuse, MackF?

 

Edit: Nevermind just saw you listed PA in your sig. Strange about this, maybe its up to the professors that are doing the interviews. Could be you just happened to get matched to some PIs that prefer Skype interviews.

Thanks for the input. I'm not intending on going there anyway unless all else fails. Their program isn't medical genetics but the others that I applied to are. I'm actually on a plane to Florida right now for an interview. Best of luck to everyone else out there.

[nerdson]

Zebura,

Seeing from your signature that you have interview invitation from Roswell park, when did you get the invitation? I am still waiting on that one. I called program administrator and was told international invitations are sent out later. So fingers crossed!

[iheartplants]

Hey, thanks. You've always been cheerful  

So you've been through with many interviews! Did you post about them? I really wanna hear about other's interview

haha thanks, I've tried to stay positive through this process. It's kind of fun if you embrace the awkwardness of the whole process. My interviews have been good so far. I had a very good interview at CU Boulder last summer--very relaxed and fun and met with my POI and the department. Last weekend I was at Berkeley, which was also fun. I prepared like crazy for faculty interviews, but when I got there it turned out to be a very relaxed/non competitive interview situation. All of the faculty I met with just wanted to talk about my interests and past work (really fun--no grilling). Today, I am on my way to Michigan State (Brr). This will be my first more "competitive interview." Should be a good experience. I've spent a lot of time at MSU nduring past studies. Also--have experienced a LOT of phone\skype interviews. I am hilarious on the phone, but it seems to be working out okay. You've just gotta laugh sometimes. I just try to convey my love of plants and research interests, and more importantly try to be myself. Keep on keeping on, Nermah1! Good luck!

[mvp713]

Waiting to fly to Dallas for UTSW interview. It's my first ever interview and im trying to relax myself and prepare for a nice weekend talking science and trying not to worry about grilling!

[LAguy]

Hi!

Long time lurker here, but I have just seen in the result search that some international student has been accepted in the Molecular Biology PhD at the University of Utah. Did you get an skype interview previously? Getting really anxious about hearing from the American schools I applied to!

 

Hope you don't mind if I piggyback on your comment - but have any domestic students heard an acceptance/watilist/rejection from University of Utah for MB or BC after the first interview weekend? IIRC they have new interviewees coming in this weekend and I haven't heard anything

Edited February 6, 2014 by LAguy

[zebura]

Zebura,

Seeing from your signature that you have interview invitation from Roswell park, when did you get the invitation? I am still waiting on that one. I called program administrator and was told international invitations are sent out later. So fingers crossed!

I got it on Jan 14th and I am domestic student.

[persimmony]

Uc Irvine cmb acceptance! First one. Feels good.

[JCN]

Freaking out about what to pack to wear... Email from Dartmouth said the event is "casual" and stressed not to wear dress shoes or business suits! Ugh. Any advice??

 

I just finished up the first Dartmouth MCB interview weekend on Sunday. Very few people wore dress shoes and even those with ties seemed slightly out of place. Only two or three people wore suits. Overall the atmosphere was quite casual and most interviewees were wearing nice pants with a sweater and a collared shirt while most faculty and grad students were simply wearing jeans and a hoodie or fleece jacket. 

Edited February 6, 2014 by JCN

[nns91]

PENN CAMB!!!!!! Got my official email today, though I was notified by one of my interviewers last night (Still in disbelief mode)  En route to Pittsburg now! Good luck everyone

[elanorci]

Congrats to the many acceptances rolling in!! Such an exciting time

But of course don't worry too much if you haven't gotten one yet. Staying positive and calm probably has as good an effect on your interviews as on your mental health

Iheartplants, you ARE super positive!! I too am very awkward on the phone - from now on I'm going to try to laugh at it and not stress, like you

[toxicgirl]

Has anyone heard anything after the first weekend of Baylor Immunology interviews? (meaning acceptances?)

[ERR_Alpha]

I just finished up the first Dartmouth MCB interview weekend on Sunday. Very few people wore dress shoes and even those with ties seemed slightly out of place. Only two or three people wore suits. Overall the atmosphere was quite casual and most interviewees were wearing nice pants with a sweater and a collared shirt while most faculty and grad students were simply wearing jeans and a hoodie or fleece jacket.

Thanks so much! I'm thinking about wearing dark jeans, boots, a nice blouse and a jacket. I think my dress pants with the jacket would be too much.

[Science_Nerd]

Uc Irvine cmb acceptance! First one. Feels good.

 

 

Congrats!

[Science_Nerd]

PENN CAMB!!!!!! Got my official email today, though I was notified by one of my interviewers last night (Still in disbelief mode)  En route to Pittsburg now! Good luck everyone

Congrats!

 

and just curious, when did you interview at Penn State Hershey? if you dont mind asking.

[tcmazer]

Einstein is working on their 3rd wave of invites, should take 2-3 weeks.

[tcmazer]

Called San Antonio, said they can't extend an interview, fudge.

Edited February 6, 2014 by tcmazer

[pyrocide]

Called one of my programs to check on my app, discovered that the Grad office didn't forward my rec letters to the Bio dept with the rest of my application even though they were all in before I even submitted the app. I'm so happy they're still going to review my application. 

Finding out one of your last two applications has been compromised: feels, man. So many feels.