2014 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[agalaapple]

I am patiently waiting for an admissions decision to one PhD program (UC Berkeley MCB) as a re-admit applicant.

 

Undergraduate Institution: Large public university

Major: Biology 
GPA in Major: 3.20
Overall GPA: 3.12
GRE Scores (old version):
Q: 780
V: 580
W: 5.5

 

Graduate Institution: UC-Berkeley

Major: Environmental science

GPA in Major: 3.80

Research Experience: 4 years experience

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: NSF Honorable Mention

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: 2 first-author publications

 

Advice for those new to the process: Stay relaxed and carefree

[Adenine_Monarch]

Alright, my season is officially over as well! It's been quite the ride and now I know I'm headed to Baylor College of Medicine's IMBS program!

 

Here are my stats once more:

 

Undergrad Institution: Large, private university

Major(s): Biological Sciences
Minor(s): Psychology
GPA in Major: ~3.6
Overall GPA: 3.78
Position in Class: Graduated magna cum laude
Type of Student: Female, US citizen, mixed race, non-traditional (I'm a bit old!)
GRE Scores (revised version):
Q: 160 (78%)
V: 162 (89%)
W: 5 (93%)

Biology: 690 (58%)

Research Experience: 8 years as a technician and researcher in a gene therapy lab, 1 year working in an invertebrate zoology lab.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's List, magna cum laude

Pertinent Activities or Jobs:  Worked at an animal hospital and humane society (originally wanted to be a veterinarian); also spent a month working on a conservation project in Costa Rica.

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Nothing in particular I can think of. Been in the lab a long time so I know my way around it. That's probably the main thing. Had one 2nd author paper and 5 middle author ones. Also some abstracts and posters.

 

Advice for those new to the process: Definitely start early. Especially with essays. That was probably the most stressful part of the application to me. To write well, you just need a lot of time to edit and mull over your words. Even if you're a good writer, you still need a minimum of time (especially since there will inevitably be days where you don't feel like writing and would benefit from standing back from your essay anyway), so don't wait till the last minute! Definitely give your letter writers plenty of notice (and a convenient dossier full of information they can refer back to) and definitely start early when researching programs. In hindsight, I probably applied to a handful of places I had no business applying to because the research fit just wasn't really there. But I didn't really realize this until I was putting the finishing touches on those applications. Basically I knew which schools were probably going to be rejects before I even pushed submit (not finding too many faculty you're interested in is a BIG clue!!!). Had I started a little earlier and had a better understanding of the program, I could have saved myself the trouble of a few apps and kept the total number to under 10 (not that I think you have to do this - apply to the schools you want to apply to and don't worry about what anyone else says about what "a good number" is) but...time is money, you know.

 

Don't stress too much about interviews. You will need to be conversant about your research and it certainly helps if you can articulate well and ask insightful questions. But most of my interviews were very much like friendly, low key chats, so just don't worry too much and be yourself. And don't forget to interview them/the program as well! Ask lots of questions and be polite. Try not to be shy - you just don't have time for it. The interviews really fly by and are over before you know it, even the 45 minute ones.

 

Use recruitment weekend time wisely and get as much information as you can. Record conversations, write diaries about your experiences (particularly about your impressions of faculty), and take pictures. I went on 8 interviews and over such a long and tiring stretch, you forget about stuff if you haven't written it down or otherwise stored the memories in some way. Also, make sure to go to all of the activities (even staying out later at the bars and other "optional" gigs), even if you're tired and don't feel like it. The reason I suggest this is because, for me, I realized after a couple of interviews that it just seemed to take a certain amount of time before I (and the others around me) felt more relaxed. It takes a bit of time (around 48 hours for me) for the visit to "sink in," if that makes sense. If you want the most accurate impression of a place and the people, you've got to give yourself as much exposure as possible. I would arrive feeling a bit awkward and out of place, then after most of the time was up, I'd start feeling that "click" of what a place/school was like. You want to get to that "click," if at all possible, before you have to go home. Also....8 interviews was tiring as hell and I can't believe I did it. However, I didn't have a job or school to worry about, so I managed it. But even still it was a challenge. I don't recommend it if you're in your final year or something. If you are going on lots of interviews, just make sure to take care of yourself and pack light but smart!

 

Also, you really have to be organized, especially if you're applying to a lot of places. There will be so many details and emails to keep up with, so come up with an organizational scheme early. WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN! If you think you'll remember it, you won't. I used a lot of spreadsheets. For example, an excel file that had a tab for each school and all of it's relevant application/program info. A simple way to do these is to use a snip program (there's one that comes with Windows) to capture info from websites and paste into the tabs so that you don't have to re-type (and screw up) information. Come interview time, I needed another spreadsheet just to keep up with contact info of program coordinators and travel/airline reservations and itineraries. I used yet another to keep up with deadlines, files and test/letter info I had submitted, and dates of interview weekends for every school.

 

Oh yeah....and just don't worry about the subject test! Unless you're ug school/program is unknown/untested, you were a non-biology major, the application requires it, or you're just bad ass that way, I think it's not worth it. I spent a lot of time studying for it and ended up screwing myself because even though I knew the material pretty well, I went too slow and only did about half the questions. But even though I only got 58%, I was still interviewed by top programs and to some schools, I didn't even bother submitting the score (the ones that didn't require it anyway) and was also still interviewed. It's definitely not a deal breaker, so just save your time and money. If you do do it, like I said, don't dawdle. It's a lot of material and my experience was that the real test was harder than the ETS practice one they give you.

 

Haha...and on that note, be prepared for the expense! This process is EXPENSIVE! Test score reports, study aids, transcripts, plane tickets (reimbursed when the school feels like it), interview clothing, etc., the cost can really ramp up.

 

And lastly...I have loved the support and invaluable information I have received on grad cafe but, for the love of God....don't hang around on this site TOO much. Don't get nerdy about it. Don't refresh your email zillions of times, don't agonize over every single detail. Don't worry about whether to call/email the department/faculty/letter writer for too long. Either do it or don't. In short, don't let this process consume you. I know it's like trying to ignore a log in your eye, but do try to get away and remember that this is something that is just a PART of your life. That being said, however, I do recommend trying to get as much enjoyment out of the process as you can, especially with interviews. For many people, it is basically a once in a lifetime thing. Even if you go through this two or three times, it's still not a forever thing.You will see so many places and meet so many cool people...try not to let the stress and fatigue ruin it for you. Just do your best and RELAX! If it truly is your ambition, you will end up in grad school one way or another. You might as well make it fun...especially since the actual grad school itself will suck the life out of you....ok, ok. I'll stop now.

 

Thank you so much, everyone!!!

 

If any future hopefuls would like my help, feel free to message me. I would like to try to stay present on this site and help out where I can.

[MrsWizard]

Ahahahah!!! I landed a skype interview for next week! This was my only positive outcome from this application season, so I am very excited. I have to compile my list of faculty I want to talk with by Monday. I am so nervous! For those that have done Skype interviews, how did it go for you? I know it is not the ideal situation, but I am hoping that it still is a positive outcome.

[Piedwerp]

I spent a lot my time lurking on this forum, but I've finally decided to post my stats hoping that they will be helpful to future applicants, especially those of us that have to deal with some of the disadvantages that accompany being international. 

 

 

Undergrad Institution: Big Ten
Major(s): Molecular and Cellular Biology, Honors Concentration
GPA in Major: 3.98
Overall GPA: 3.99
Position in Class: Approximately top 1%
Type of Student: International

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 170
V: 165
W: 4.5
B: N/A

Research Experience: 3 years in a lab at my home institution, including 3 full summers. Presented at a couple of conferences, but they were both undergraduate specific, and thus far I have not been published. 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: A couple of research awards from my home department, another research award from an honors program, and a couple of other awards for academic performance and such. 

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Volunteered quite extensively with various MCB related and unrelated activities, including things such as undergraduate research workshops, tutoring sessions, and even some humanitarian work.  

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Part of three different honors programs on campus, the most selective of which admits about 2% of the incoming class. This means that one of the most common letters on my transcript is an H, which stands for honors. Don't know how much of a difference this makes though.

Special Bonus Points: A handful of graduate level courses, and one of my letters was from a professor who taught one of those courses. The reason I mention it, is because I have a feeling his letter made a significant difference to my application. 

Applied (9):

 

MIT Biology (Interviewed, Waitlisted, Accepted) 

 

UW Madison MDTP (Interviewed, Accepted) 

 

Yale BBS Microbiology (Interviewed, Assumed Rejected)

 

Columbia University Medical School- CMBS (Interviewed, Rejected)

 

Stanford Genetics (Rejected)

 

Duke MGM (Interviewed, Accepted)

 

WUSTL MCB (Interviewed, Accepted)

 

UW Seattle Microbiology (Invited for an interview but I couldn't make it due to scheduling conflicts)

 

UPitt IBGP (Rejected)

 

 

Advice for future applicants: I'd like to address what I consider to be a few key points below.

 

 

Grades/Scores/All the numbers

 

Although my GPA and GRE scores are relatively high (excusing of course the writing score ony my GRE), I don't believe they got me into any schools I wouldn't have gotten into otherwise. Several faculty members I met with during the interviews specifically told me that those numbers aren't given too much importance beyond a certain level. Under most circumstances, nobody should feel the need to get above a 90th percentile on the GRE or 3.90 GPA on a 4.0 scale. I have seen several students with much lower scores be just as successful as me, if not more so. A number that could make a significant difference however, is the number of publications you have. Several good publications can often compensate for even extremely low GPAs. 

 

 

Research Experience

 

I am sure most applicants know this already, but this is by far the most important aspect of your application and both quality and quantity are often necessary. As to the debate between spending several years in a single lab without interruption, or trying to squeeze in as many REUs as possible, I prefer the former. However, over the past few months I have learned that it might be most attractive for one to spend regular semesters or quarters at a lab in your home institution over an extended period of time, and do a couple of REUs over the summers. 

 

 

Letters of Recommendation

 

These are up there with your research experience. I had one from my PI, one from a professor who taught me a graduate level course, and one from an instructor/academic advisor/honors coordinator who I worked closely with all through undergrad. I had been warned that the recommendations my PI writes are often extremely dry and they often don't read very well (English is not his first language), and so I sought out people who were much more likely to be passionate about my future and would be able to convey that effectively in a letter. Some would suggest that it is best to have at least 2 letters from research supervisors for a competitive application, and so I made sure that all the people I recruited letters from would be able to comment on my research experience and graduate school potential in a significant manner. I had discussed my research extensively with both these people, and it might have helped that they saw me at my bench all the time as they passed by on a regular basis for the past few years. 

 

 

Statement of Purpose

 

Although important, I don't believe it needs to be extensive as long as you satisfy the basic criteria. Typically that involves talking about your research experience, motivation to continue to do science and potential future research interests, and choice of graduate school (including names of faculty members you are interested in working with). Mine was rather short, but I made sure it covered all the bases, although it was the least fun part of the application cycle for me. 

 

 

Deciding where to apply

 

A lot of the admissions process cannot be quantified, and what I mean by that is that it is highly unlikely that you will be able to logically come to a precise conclusion regarding which schools you are going to apply to. However, there are several constraints that can be applied, and that will make this task much easier. I believe the most important factor is fit. If you are already aware of the kind of research that interests you, obviously make sure that the programs you apply to are strong in that area, but also make sure you have the freedom to explore new areas of research. Just because the specific program or track to apply to is part of a bigger umbrella program or division doesn't necessarily mean you have access to faculty outside of the program/track you've picked. After fit, the two most important factors I think are location, and prestige. And when I say prestige I'm referring to the program, not the school itself, there is sometimes a significant difference. Prestige becomes important if as an international student you want to keep the option of going abroad after your PhD open. After fit, location, and prestige, I think the focus should be on program structure, stipend, and any other constraints you can come up with. 

 

 

Interviews

 

Terribly exciting, so much fun, and once in a lifetime opportunities that need to be taken advantage of. These are often just as much of an interview weekend as much a recruitment weekend, and I would suggest going to as many as you can. After 4-5 interviews it can get exhausting, but it is definitely worth it. My impressions of several schools changed drastically after I visited, and that has helped me a great deal in making my final decision. Talk to as many people as you can, faculty, graduate students, administrative staff, and other recruits. One typically doesn't have to prepare much for these. Just make sure you can confidently talk about your research, whether it's a short summary to be delivered in 10 seconds, or a 30 minute description. And also make sure you can answer questions regarding your work (Shouldn't be much of a problem if you've worked on your projects for an extended period of time). Also, I know some schools only admit 40-50% of the students they interview, but that should not be something to worry about during the interview weekend, it won't help. 

 

 

Post-interview

 

Some schools take forever to get back to you (Yale Microbiology still hasn't gotten back to me), and others will send you an email on your way back from the interview weekend. Try not to spend hours of your days refreshing your email or stalking GradCafe because it won't really help you hear back any sooner. In my opinion, you will never really know what your PhD experience is going to be like at any given institution unless you spend a few years there actually doing your PhD. And keeping in mind what I said earlier about how it's nearly impossible to precisely quantify your experiences and determine which school would be the best fit for you, it might be best to simply talk through your decision making process with others who could be of help, including PIs, other professors, and anybody who either has a PhD in the sciences or is working towards one. Family and friends can be helpful too if you think out loud with them there to help you figure out what you really want.

 

Lastly, international students need to keep in mind that for a large number of programs, being international does mean that your chances of admission are lower. Although sometimes it might not make much of a difference, at times it could mean that while a school accepts nearly all the domestic students who interviewed, they might not have the funds to offer admission to many of the international students. (Sometimes as low as 1 out of 4 students who interviewed on site)

 

Based on several of the factors mentioned above I have decided to accept my offer at MIT Biology. UW Madison-MDTP was my second favorite amongst all the programs I visited.

 

 

I hope this post is helpful for future applicants, and I would be happy to answer any other questions that might come up (specifically for international students). Just send me a personal message. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TheCubaLibre]

As my application season now officially comes to a close - courtesy of a long time coming rejection email from UTSW - I would like to say thanks to everybody for sharing in this roller coaster ride. It's been real!  

 

Best wishes to all, especially those applicants who did not get accepted into their choice of graduate programs this year. As someone who had this happen to him in the prior application cycle, I urge you not to give up in the face of adversity, if earning a doctorate is truly your dream; hang in there, improve your application, and give it another go. I can assure you that your reaction to your first acceptance (of hopefully many) next season, will be even more special given the fact you persevered!

 

I will do my best to return to the forum this fall/winter to provide encouragement and advise to next year's crop of candidates. Until then, I'll be incommunicado.

Edited April 13, 2014 by TheCubaLibre

[MackF]

Ahahahah!!! I landed a skype interview for next week! This was my only positive outcome from this application season, so I am very excited. I have to compile my list of faculty I want to talk with by Monday. I am so nervous! For those that have done Skype interviews, how did it go for you? I know it is not the ideal situation, but I am hoping that it still is a positive outcome.

 

 

Skype Interview was a little bit awkward for me.  Its not terribly difficult, but it wasn't quite as formal as the in person ones I did.  It was short (20 min) and I only talked to one faculty member and one grad student.  Make the best of it!  Is it for a PhD or a Masters?

[MrsWizard]

Skype Interview was a little bit awkward for me.  Its not terribly difficult, but it wasn't quite as formal as the in person ones I did.  It was short (20 min) and I only talked to one faculty member and one grad student.  Make the best of it!  Is it for a PhD or a Masters?

It is for a PhD. I have a conference room set up at the university where I work, so hopefully that will make it seem less awkward than sitting at my desk. They sent a request for a half hour interview, with some of my faculty choices. I think they are spring break this week, so it will be interesting to see the turn out. Since it is so short, what types of questions did they ask you? Or was it more of a brief describe your research. And did you get an offer after the interview? Thanks for the info!

[MackF]

It is for a PhD. I have a conference room set up at the university where I work, so hopefully that will make it seem less awkward than sitting at my desk. They sent a request for a half hour interview, with some of my faculty choices. I think they are spring break this week, so it will be interesting to see the turn out. Since it is so short, what types of questions did they ask you? Or was it more of a brief describe your research. And did you get an offer after the interview? Thanks for the info!

 

They asked about my research, why I wanted to go there (truth be told it was basically my bottom choice), what kind of career I wanted in the future, etc.  It wasn't too terribly hard.  I accepted a different offer of admission.  There was also a little bit of time for me to ask them questions about their stuff.

[ERR_Alpha]

BU PiBS reject finally. They were the absolute worst with communication. I wouldn't apply there again if I was doing this twice.

[ss2player]

BU PiBS reject finally. They were the absolute worst with communication. I wouldn't apply there again if I was doing this twice.

 

Solidarity as the same thing happened to me last year, also did not apply there this year. Too much bureaucracy, I think.

[MackF]

BU PiBS reject finally. They were the absolute worst with communication. I wouldn't apply there again if I was doing this twice.

 

Syracuse gave me a skype interview then never gave me an admission decision one way or the other.  They were my bottom choice but still it would've been nice to have closure.  Oh well University of Rochester Med. Center here I come!  I wouldn't even bother with Syracuse again.

[somanyphage]

BU PiBS reject finally. They were the absolute worst with communication. I wouldn't apply there again if I was doing this twice.

Finally got rejected from BU too! It is such a shame - something sloppy is happening internally in my opinion. Officially attending CUNY for my masters. Any advice/tips for increasing the strength of my application? I feel like the GREs were my weakness. This has been a very exhausting past few months, I was discouraged but I am not letting it get to me giving up on my goals. Gradcafe really helped me and made me not feel alone in this process! Congratulations to everyone accepting offers to their programs - I wish you all the best of luck! Maybe I will bump into you one day on an interview! 

[knightrunner]

You guys probably wouldn't believe this, but I actually got accepted to KGI today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is a professional science degree, but this program leads to a PhD in Applied Science if I choose to continue.  I can feel my fire burning again.  I guess I'll be taking the science & business route since they picked me first  I am happy with my red battle scars now.

[elanorci]

You guys probably wouldn't believe this, but I actually got accepted to KGI today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is a professional science degree, but this program leads to a PhD in Applied Science if I choose to continue.  I can feel my fire burning again.  I guess I'll be taking the science & business route since they picked me first  I am happy with my red battle scars now.

CONGRATS!!! That's so awesome!!!! I'm so glad it worked out for you :D 

[MrsWizard]

So I had my interview schedule for a phd program today (via Skype) at 3:30. At 2pm I got a call to my cell phone from what I thought was the program. It turns out that it is the head doctor from a VERY good government research position I applied to as a back up to grad school!! We had an amazing interview and she wants me to fly 1000 miles to her next week to meet in person (I will be moving to that location in 3 weeks).... First world problems I am contending with 1. I teach college biology, and have finals and grades due next week so the earliest I could go is Friday. 2. She only has until April 30th to make a decision, so there is no time 3. I still had my phd interview and they won't inform me until next week.... My husband says that I do t have to let her know about my possible grad school entrance, but I don't like being deceitful. And what if I turn her down only to find out that I didn't get into school? School would always come first to me, but I feel like I am dating 2 people at once right now, and that it is all going to go terribly wrong... Soooo... Help! Should I tell her about the grad program? Should I tell the grad program about the job offer?

[kimmibeans]

You guys probably wouldn't believe this, but I actually got accepted to KGI today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is a professional science degree, but this program leads to a PhD in Applied Science if I choose to continue.  I can feel my fire burning again.  I guess I'll be taking the science & business route since they picked me first  I am happy with my red battle scars now.

Congratulations! Good luck with everything and I'm glad you got in!

[quickjudgement]

 

Thanks for your advice! I am still trying to learn how to navigate in this forum!

[ERR_Alpha]

Tufts reject. Officially done! The blood bath is over haha

[jl2782]

You guys probably wouldn't believe this, but I actually got accepted to KGI today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is a professional science degree, but this program leads to a PhD in Applied Science if I choose to continue.  I can feel my fire burning again.  I guess I'll be taking the science & business route since they picked me first  I am happy with my red battle scars now.

Congratulations on the acceptance to KGI!!!! I'm so glad that everything worked out for you.

[biotechie]

I will be posting up a new blog in about two or two and a half weeks, once my coursework completes. What information would be useful for you guys from a student nearing the end of her first year? Coursework is wrapping up for me and I am starting on my qual.

 

I know there are still questions on backup plans, but also for those of you that have a destination already, how you afford to move, when to move, and what to expect in rotations. I'd rather tailor it to what you want to know. Feel free to message me if you would rather not post your question, here.

 

And congratulations! You've survived applications season without exploding!

[Vene]

Woo! Heard back from my last program. I was rejected, exactly what I thought was going to happen. But, I really don't care at this point because I've got an offer to a program which I think fits my interests quite nicely.

Edited April 26, 2014 by Vene

[threading_the_neidl]

To the people who applied to BU PIBS and felt there was poor communication, did you guys ever get any feedback forms or explicit chance to let them know you were unhappy about the process? The umbrella program is new, and even though I have my reservations about umbrellas in general, I don't want it to fail or offend potential students like it did this cycle. I'm happy to go chat with a few people and let them know specific experiences, how it was different/worse than from other schools, etc. I'm sure they would be very interested in improving the situation in the future. If you haven't already let them know about the issue, let me know so I can do something about it.

[ERR_Alpha]

To the people who applied to BU PIBS and felt there was poor communication, did you guys ever get any feedback forms or explicit chance to let them know you were unhappy about the process? The umbrella program is new, and even though I have my reservations about umbrellas in general, I don't want it to fail or offend potential students like it did this cycle. I'm happy to go chat with a few people and let them know specific experiences, how it was different/worse than from other schools, etc. I'm sure they would be very interested in improving the situation in the future. If you haven't already let them know about the issue, let me know so I can do something about it.

I never got a feedback form. My biggest peeve is that I was told in January I'd hear "shortly", and then got rejected in late April. They would never just say "we interviewed people and you didn't get one" it was constantly "you're under consideration" which was obviously a delayed rejection.

[threading_the_neidl]

It's been awhile since I applied, so I can't remember my own experience, but did you have other schools which didn't officially inform you of a rejection until ~April 15? I'm going to chat with the program advisor about it, because they're clearly mucking something up. If the fix is as easy as an earlier round of email updates, hopefully they'll be happy to do it.

[ERR_Alpha]

It's been awhile since I applied, so I can't remember my own experience, but did you have other schools which didn't officially inform you of a rejection until ~April 15? I'm going to chat with the program advisor about it, because they're clearly mucking something up. If the fix is as easy as an earlier round of email updates, hopefully they'll be happy to do it.

BU rejected me on April 15th and Tufts was the only one later. Seems to be a Boston area thing.