2014 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[MackF]

If you're referring to the IDP program, yes, I went there for their first weekend (the 26th-28thish)?

 

 

I was there for the Genetics/Genomics program at the Genetics institute.  Just got back home last night

[ss2player]

I got an email back from one professor saying he hopes he'll see me in September! Yay!

 

BAM. Worth it.

[zebura]

I got an email back from one professor saying he hopes he'll see me in September! Yay!

I won't be too excited about this email since last year I got a similar email from one of my interviewer and lastly got rejected (although I was on the waitlist)

[ERR_Alpha]

I won't be too excited about this email since last year I got a similar email from one of my interviewer and lastly got rejected (although I was on the waitlist)

http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/114139

[biotechie]

ERR_Alpha (slash everyone), are you sending thank-yous to everyone you interviewed with, or just ones that you feel went particularly well / who you made a real connection with / etc? Anyway, I'm sure that all the little things that you think you 'messed up' are looming about 100x larger in your own mind than in your interviewers'

 

I might be in the minority here, but I haven't sent any thank you emails and don't plan to. I'm not sure whether this will negatively impact my chances -- I'm 1/1 on post-interview acceptances, but that's obviously too small a sample size. I'll be interested to see anecdotal evidence from here about whether this seems to change anything. Just wanted to put this out there, since I pretty much panicked when I first heard that people do this (before thinking about it and deciding that I don't want to) and want others to know that there's at least one person out there who doesn't (: 

 

I sent thank yous to every professor I interviewed with at the school I liked, and don't forget the program administrator! They work hard, too! One of the PIs I had e-mailed to thank ended up e-mailing me back to tell me he appreciated hearing back from me and hoped to see me in the fall. He ended up being one of the head guys on the committee. Even if you don't normally send them, I would recommend it, especially if you really love the school.

 

One program I was so disenchanted with by the end of the interview, I did not send thank yous, but I also had an acceptance from them before my plane touched down at home from the interview, so it wouldn't have mattered.

Edited February 10, 2014 by biotechie

[zebura]

http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/114139

I will wait until the official acceptance letter arrives before celebrating. Please reminded that nothing is fixed until official notification comes. (Of course I hope u will get that soon, but just want to say proceed with caution)

[ERR_Alpha]

I will wait until the official acceptance letter arrives before celebrating. Please reminded that nothing is fixed until official notification comes. (Of course I hope u will get that soon, but just want to say proceed with caution)

I know haha it's just nice to hear something positive. Makes me slightly less neurotic.

[Louis21]

Can someone share their experience at this week's Harvard BBS interview?

Thanks!

Edited February 10, 2014 by Louis21

[username1824]

Can someone share their experience at this week's Harvard BBS interview?

Thanks!

I was just there last weekend and it was absolutely incredible. So many faculty addressed the Harvard rumors that everyone hears "It's cutthroat and faculty compete against each other and faculty never get tenure, etc" and they addressed it with a sense of humor because to them it was not true at all. We were supposed to go from the campus to a building downtown, but my last interviewer took me to his departments "beer hour" (exactly what it sounds like) and then drove me (he didn't have a drink, don't worry) to the building downtown. Just me and him talking about college and art and life and everything. If I get accepted there, I think it's very likely I'll end up going.

[ERR_Alpha]

I was just there last weekend and it was absolutely incredible. So many faculty addressed the Harvard rumors that everyone hears "It's cutthroat and faculty compete against each other and faculty never get tenure, etc" and they addressed it with a sense of humor because to them it was not true at all. We were supposed to go from the campus to a building downtown, but my last interviewer took me to his departments "beer hour" (exactly what it sounds like) and then drove me (he didn't have a drink, don't worry) to the building downtown. Just me and him talking about college and art and life and everything. If I get accepted there, I think it's very likely I'll end up going.

That's awesome! I'm wondering if the rumors about Yale BBS (very similar to Harvard BBS) are true. I feel like you can't believe everything you hear anymore. 

[zinde]

I sent thank yous to every professor I interviewed with at the school I liked, and don't forget the program administrator! They work hard, too! One of the PIs I had e-mailed to thank ended up e-mailing me back to tell me he appreciated hearing back from me and hoped to see me in the fall. He ended up being one of the head guys on the committee. Even if you don't normally send them, I would recommend it, especially if you really love the school.

 

Agree with this - I've sent thank yous to each PI, even the ones I didn't really click with during interviews. Doesn't really take that much effort (unless you go for the handwritten note - seems extreme, but I know some people who have) and it can't hurt. I've certainly gleaned various things from the replies (about the program, my chances, or even just the PI him/herself) and it's not a bad habit to get into.

[Adenine_Monarch]

I personally agree with sending thank you emails to all the people you interview with, the coordinator and any students that hosted or helped you. I think it's just the nice, polite thing to do and it doesn't hurt anything. Even with some interviewers that I didn't end up feeling much connection with, I received very nice replies!

[leslberries]

ERR_Alpha (slash everyone), are you sending thank-yous to everyone you interviewed with, or just ones that you feel went particularly well / who you made a real connection with / etc? Anyway, I'm sure that all the little things that you think you 'messed up' are looming about 100x larger in your own mind than in your interviewers'

 

I might be in the minority here, but I haven't sent any thank you emails and don't plan to. I'm not sure whether this will negatively impact my chances -- I'm 1/1 on post-interview acceptances, but that's obviously too small a sample size. I'll be interested to see anecdotal evidence from here about whether this seems to change anything. Just wanted to put this out there, since I pretty much panicked when I first heard that people do this (before thinking about it and deciding that I don't want to) and want others to know that there's at least one person out there who doesn't (: 

 

I mostly sent semi-generic thank you's to the PIs I interviewed with (made sure to include some tiny personal bit in each), but for the 3 I clicked well with, I made sure to follow up/ask more questions, mostly because I was still curious about their labs and I feel confident that I would go there if I'm accepted (due to perfect timing in the way research there is developing). I doubt it has much bearing on the decision.

[aaabbbccc88]

Just received my very first interview invite and I am freaking out. I know it sounds stupid and I probably sound dumb but can someone provide a draft email of how they responded to the email. All I can think of right now is saying "HELL YES" but i am pretty sure that wont sit well with the officers.

[ERR_Alpha]

Just received my very first interview invite and I am freaking out. I know it sounds stupid and I probably sound dumb but can someone provide a draft email of how they responded to the email. All I can think of right now is saying "HELL YES" but i am pretty sure that wont sit well with the officers.

I just said something like I was able and excited to attend. Short and sweet.

Also for my fellow friends on the SO applying to grad school adventure... My SO got rejected from Cornell. Which I'm sort of happy about (horrible, I know). But it's one less problem we could have!

[rat.girl]

Just got into my dream school!  Absolutely ecstatic!  Best birthday present ever!!

[Science_Nerd]

Just got into my dream school!  Absolutely ecstatic!  Best birthday present ever!!

 

Congrats!

 

 

and happy birthday!

[toxicgirl]

Did you attend an interview weekend? Congrats!!

[nermah1]

UW Madison Plant Breeding and Genetics has sent me a rejection (almost). 

They've already chosen and sent invitation for selected applicants.

 

Hmmmm.........I am not that highly competitive, so this is acceptable.

 

But I now regret that I didn't contact any of professor.

They highly recommended that applicants should directly contact their PIs.

So maybe only the applicants who contacted were selected.

 

Only two schools are left.

Getting nervous again........Ha 

[mvp713]

GOT INTO UT SOUTHWESTERN!!!!!!! FIRST ACCEPTANCE!

[MackF]

Just received my very first interview invite and I am freaking out. I know it sounds stupid and I probably sound dumb but can someone provide a draft email of how they responded to the email. All I can think of right now is saying "HELL YES" but i am pretty sure that wont sit well with the officers.

 

Hi [sender of the interview offer],

 

I'm writing to let you know that I will happily accept your invitation to interview at the [PROGRAM NAME HERE].  I am extremely excited to see the campus and meet the students and faculty at [sCHOOL NAME HERE].  My preferred method of transportation is by plane, as I am several hours away in Pennsylvania.  However, the University is within driving distance, and I do own a vehicle, should that become necessary.  I look forward to hearing from you soon.  Have a great weekend!

 

PS This school asked me about transportation to the interview so that's why its included.  Feel free to omit that.

[Science_Nerd]

GOT INTO UT SOUTHWESTERN!!!!!!! FIRST ACCEPTANCE!

 

Congrats!

[elanorci]

Congrats to the UTSW acceptances!!! And happy birthday rat.girl!! That's totally awesome :D 

 

ERR_Alpha, I totally feel you. It's really hard to mentally toe the line between wanting the best for your SO's career and wanting you guys to end up in the same location. :/ My boyfriend actually isn't even applying to grad school this year, so I'm stuck having to vaguely guess at where he'll end up when he does apply next year... Which isn't really anything to go on and it's so unsure that I probably shouldn't even consider it as a factor, but it's really hard not to. 

[aaabbbccc88]

 

Hi [sender of the interview offer],

 

I'm writing to let you know that I will happily accept your invitation to interview at the [PROGRAM NAME HERE].  I am extremely excited to see the campus and meet the students and faculty at [sCHOOL NAME HERE].  My preferred method of transportation is by plane, as I am several hours away in Pennsylvania.  However, the University is within driving distance, and I do own a vehicle, should that become necessary.  I look forward to hearing from you soon.  Have a great weekend!

 

PS This school asked me about transportation to the interview so that's why its included.  Feel free to omit that.

 

Thank you!

[devneuro18]

Just got into Duke DSCB! So relieved to know that I'm going somewhere.

 

Best of luck to everyone that is still waiting, I'm sure that good news is just around the corner