2014 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[ab2003]

Totally forgot about this. Should've posted a long time ago, but today's my free day

 

Undergrad/grad Institution: Big state uni.
UGrad Major(s): Biology
UGrad Overall GPA: 3.32

Grad Major(s): Molecular Genetics, Biochem

Grad Overall GPA: 3.79
Position in Class: average???
Type of Student: Naturalized US citizen/Immigrant from war torn country (whatever category that puts me in) - I'm a girl

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 157 (darn thing dropped to 68%!)
V:  160
W:  4.0 

Research Experience: 0.5 yr undergrad, 1.5 yr grad MS thesis that I want to publish before I graduate.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's, President's lists 6 semesters

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Worked in a lab setting for 5 years as a lab technologist; offered promotion to assistant manager but decided I wanted to go back to school instead (I followed my heart, so we will see if this was the right decision)

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Ran my own business for 7 years while working full time/going to school, land lord, and a couple other passive income deals, but all this is irrelevant since I will phase this out once accepted to stay within the school rules.

Special Bonus Points: Maybe that I speak three languages and come from a country no one has heard of?

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: Nothing really, I see myself as rather average when it comes to what really matters.

Applying to Where: See signature

Edited December 26, 2013 by ab2003

[perfectionist]

If my GPA is .1 higher after this semester is it appropriate to send an updated transcript to the schools I applied to?

[sys88]

If my GPA is .1 higher after this semester is it appropriate to send an updated transcript to the schools I applied to?

Unless you're waitlisted I wouldn't bother.

[SystemsBio]

Just discovered this thread and decided to jump into the conversation. I'm applying mostly for computational bio, systems bio, and biophysics programs. So far I've only received an interview offer from UNC Chapel Hill, no replies from the other schools yet.

[musicalscientist]

Columbia has started sending out email invitations for their "Open House" days. Department of Biological Sciences.

[byt2104]

Weill Cornell IMP interview!  Looks like it might conflict with Columbia's interview though.  Hopefully something will be able to be worked out.

[nns91]

Weill Cornell IMP interview as well !!! Which weekend are you going to, byt2104? I am offered the weekend of Feb 12-14. Out of curiosity, which Columbia's program did you apply to?

[byt2104]

Weill Cornell IMP interview as well !!! Which weekend are you going to, byt2104? I am offered the weekend of Feb 12-14. Out of curiosity, which Columbia's program did you apply to?

Feb 12-14, applied to Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine.  It looks like the actual interview days do not conflict though

[immun0]

Were Weill Cornell IMP's sent out in a single wave, or is there still hope? =/

[mrmolecularbiology]

I meant to check this forum more frequently, so I could offer advise and encouragement to this year's applicant pool, as many grad students did for me last year. If anyone has any questions about UTSW (interviews etc) or grad school in general I'd be glad to answer them. 

 

I also interviewed at UCSF IPQB (accepted) Duke SSB (accepted)  Cornell biophysics (accepted)  and Johns Hopkins Molecular biophysics (rejected post interview). And can comment somewhat on what to do (and not do haha) when interviewing and what it is like. 

Edited December 27, 2013 by mrmolecularbiology

[ERR_Alpha]

I meant to check this forum more frequently, so I could offer advise and encouragement to this year's applicant pool, as many grad students did for me last year. If anyone has any questions about UTSW (interviews etc) or grad school in general I'd be glad to answer them. 

 

I also interviewed at UCSF IPQB (accepted) Duke SSB (accepted)  Cornell biophysics (accepted)  and Johns Hopkins Molecular biophysics (rejected post interview). And can comment somewhat on what to do (and not do haha) when interviewing and what it is like. 

Do you remember when about you heard from Cornell? I applied to BBSB and got rejected and sent to biophysics (my second choice.) Apparently they won't email me another rejection though so I was wondering when interviews are normally sent.

[ERR_Alpha]

Just discovered this thread and decided to jump into the conversation. I'm applying mostly for computational bio, systems bio, and biophysics programs. So far I've only received an interview offer from UNC Chapel Hill, no replies from the other schools yet.

Yay biophysics! Did you apply to Hopkins biophysics by chance?

[mrmolecularbiology]

Do you remember when about you heard from Cornell? I applied to BBSB and got rejected and sent to biophysics (my second choice.) Apparently they won't email me another rejection though so I was wondering when interviews are normally sent.

I got my invitation the 13th of december last year.

 

And in case you wanted to know Invite for Hopkins biophysics was received on january 8th.

Edited December 27, 2013 by mrmolecularbiology

[DirtyLabCoat]

Oh god I see 2 Weill Cornell IMP invites go out today...when I called a few days ago they said they wouldn't contact until the new year...great more stress until new years

[DirtyLabCoat]

Were Weill Cornell IMP's sent out in a single wave, or is there still hope? =/

I really really really hope not because I was banking on that one!!!

[DirtyLabCoat]

Weill Cornell IMP interview!  Looks like it might conflict with Columbia's interview though.  Hopefully something will be able to be worked out.

 

 

Weill Cornell IMP interview as well !!! Which weekend are you going to, byt2104? I am offered the weekend of Feb 12-14. Out of curiosity, which Columbia's program did you apply to?

 

Who sent you this e-mail? When I called they said they weren't sending invites unil Jan

[SystemsBio]

Yay biophysics! Did you apply to Hopkins biophysics by chance?

Yeah I did! I haven't heard back from Hopkins yet though, have you?

[nermah1]

I'm not completely sure. It's just that last year the invitations were sent on December 18th. And now Berkeley's office is closed until January 6th. Considering the interview weekend is two weeks later, I don't think we'll get anything positive after the break...

Yeah.......I read the information on the PMB website again and you seem to be right!

They said they would send both interview-offering and rejection-noticing mails before the end of Dec.

And the interview weekend is not far from now........

[~*~*~*~*~*~*~]

Well, I've been creepin for long enough, so haiiiii to all the chemical biology and/or biophysics folks around here

 

Undergrad Institution: Tiny ass liberal arts school, no reputation in the sciences.
Major(s): Chemistry/Molecular Biology
Minor(s): Political Science 
GPA in Major: ~3.6
Overall GPA: 3.63
Position in Class: NA
Type of Student: White boy

GRE Scores (revised):
Q: 162 
V: 166
W: 5.5
B: Nope

Research Experience: 2 summers and a 10 week winter break at first lab (biochemistry and genetics, 3rd/4 author on publication), 2 years at my college (molecular biology, including summer/winter breaks, 1st author  poster presentation), 1 year+ as a tech currently (biochemistry and biophysics, 4th/6 author on a submitted publication).

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: One REU.

Special Bonus Points: uhhh... I guess my first and current PIs were with fairly well known people in their fields, and are at top 10 research universities. Also, strong to very strong LORs from all 3 PIs+ 1 chem professor who knew me very well. 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: My undergrad institute didn't offer p chem courses :-(

 

Applying to Where:

UCSF- Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Johns Hopkins- Molecular Biophysics

Yale- BBSB

University of Wisconsin at Madison- IPiB

UMass Amherst- Molecular and Cellular Biology

UCSD- Chemistry and Biochemistry

TSRI- Chemistry

NYU- Chemistry (Chemical Biology Track)

Edited December 27, 2013 by ~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[rpfey]

So, for those us who haven't gotten interview invities for Yale BBSB and Berkeley MCB at this point ...we can pretty much assume we've been rejected? 

[leslberries]

I've been lurking here for a while when I'm not stressing with people live and in-person, so I figured I should join and suffer with some new people, plus I saw some other biophysics folks: we need to stick together!

 

I got an invite to Madison, haven't heard back from anyone else (yet)

 

Undergrad Institution: Super Tiny Liberal Arts College
Major: Biology
Minor(s): Chemistry
GPA in Major: 3.84
Overall GPA: 3.72
Position in Class: We don't rank, but probably top 10% or so
Type of Student: Domestic female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 167
V: 163
W: 5.0
Biochem: 630


Research Experience: 2 years at my school, one SROP at a top research school

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Oral presentation award at statewide conference

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Biology/Chemistry Tutor and TA

Special Bonus Points: The closest thing I have to a connection is that I did my SROP at Stanford, so hopefully they want me back

Applying to Where:
The Scripps Research Institute - Biophysics Track

CalTech - Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics

Stanford - Biophysics and Structural Biology

UCSF - Biophysics

Berkeley - Biophysics

CU Boulder - Biochemistry and IQ Biology

UW - BPSD

UWisconsin Madison - Biophysics

[tuba250]

Yeah.......I read the information on the PMB website again and you seem to be right!

They said they would send both interview-offering and rejection-noticing mails before the end of Dec.

And the interview weekend is not far from now........

 Good to see some more international students. Makes me feel that I am not the only one who is suffering and has to wait longer. Any idea about about UT Austin invites for international students?

[T.J]

Congrats on your Weill Cornell admit.

I applied to the BCMB allied program (cell and developmental biology). Let's see if they start sending that out too.

Weill Cornell IMP interview as well !!! Which weekend are you going to, byt2104? I am offered the weekend of Feb 12-14. Out of curiosity, which Columbia's program did you apply to?

[nns91]

Who sent you this e-mail? When I called they said they weren't sending invites unil Jan

I received the email from the program's coordinator. I was really surprised and confused myself.

[DirtyLabCoat]

I received the email from the program's coordinator. I was really surprised and confused myself.

That's who I called a few days ago...i take it that it can't mean they all were sent out yesterday then