Adenine_Monarch Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Sorry about the batch UCSF rejections....have stayed off this forum for a few days now and it was sad to see upon returning today Let's hope for good luck next week!
kevintoy Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Could someone provide some insights in terms of job hunting in the US for international students with a biology undergraduate degree? I need to seriously consider some alternative options.
aba1984 Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 (edited) Kevin, honestly, it's not that great, but I live in the South where generally scientific research is a bit more scarce for recent graduates, so maybe someone may give you a more optimistic answer. You might find an entry level lab technician job for $30k around here and may or may not do research. The good news is that you can get some pretty good raises if you prove yourself, stick around for a couple of years, or are willing to work odd shifts. Edited January 3, 2014 by aba1984
kevintoy Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Thanks. It's not decided yet. I simply feel that maybe there's just way more qualified people than positions available in the research industry and maybe I and the world would both be better off if I chose to do something else. Doesn't have to be biology-related. I went to a decent liberal arts college in the midwest and have taken courses in very different disciplines. We'll see. It's just a bit disappointing that I had everything planned out and did not expect such a competitive admission season.
neuroticism Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Hey guys, I'm freaking myself out (hence my username) and thought maybe one of you might be able to reassure me? I got a Harvard BBS interview a while back and didn't respond (i.e. filling out the online form they give you) til yesterday because I was waiting to hear from someplace else about dates. But now I'm worried that because I waited so long to fill it out, I might not get an interview spot. Is that a legitimate concern? They say "spots are limited" but I wasn't sure if that referred to having an equal distribution between weekends or if they actually send out more interviews than they can accomodate.
iheartplants Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Hey guys, I'm freaking myself out (hence my username) and thought maybe one of you might be able to reassure me? I got a Harvard BBS interview a while back and didn't respond (i.e. filling out the online form they give you) til yesterday because I was waiting to hear from someplace else about dates. But now I'm worried that because I waited so long to fill it out, I might not get an interview spot. Is that a legitimate concern? They say "spots are limited" but I wasn't sure if that referred to having an equal distribution between weekends or if they actually send out more interviews than they can accomodate. From an outside perspective, I cannot imagine that they would offer you an interview and then rescind it. They were likely referring to the limitation of spots on certain weekends so as to prevent crowding. Relax. I'm sure you're fine
LMac Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Hey guys, I'm freaking myself out (hence my username) and thought maybe one of you might be able to reassure me? I got a Harvard BBS interview a while back and didn't respond (i.e. filling out the online form they give you) til yesterday because I was waiting to hear from someplace else about dates. But now I'm worried that because I waited so long to fill it out, I might not get an interview spot. Is that a legitimate concern? They say "spots are limited" but I wasn't sure if that referred to having an equal distribution between weekends or if they actually send out more interviews than they can accomodate. Did you fill it out before the deadline? Many programs tend to give you a date to respond by, and if you did before that date then I don't think you have anything to worry about. If it was after the date, maybe call the admissions office and apologize for the delay, and let them know how excited you are about the interview opportunity. Either way, you should be just fine.
immuno555 Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Another one bites the dust. Got my WUSTL rejection this morning. Nothing I didn't already expect
RR1 Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Another one bites the dust. Got my WUSTL rejection this morning. Nothing I didn't already expect On the same boat. And Wisconsin - madison for cancer =/ undoubtedly, the worst way to wake up.
persimmony Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 (edited) Wow looks like a lot of notifications from grad schools already for the day...and I'm just sitting here refreshing my email. Next week should be interesting.. Ok this might be a dumb question, but does anyone have any idea when these programs would start? Fall 2014 seems a bit vague, and I can't find any info...I imagine each school would start at a different date. It'd be helpful for my PI to know in advance how long she has me for (IF I even get accepted. Big IF). Edited January 3, 2014 by persimmony
Leuco Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Wow looks like a lot of notifications from grad schools already for the day...and I'm just sitting here refreshing my email. Next week should be interesting.. Ok this might be a dumb question, but does anyone have any idea when these programs would start? Fall 2014 seems a bit vague, and I can't find any info...I imagine each school would start at a different date. It'd be helpful for my PI to know in advance how long she has me for (IF I even get accepted. Big IF). It depends.... one of my friends, who went to UC Santa Cruz, started after Labor Day. My friend who went to Harvard (Public Health) did an early summer rotation, in July. Purdue biochem students start about a week before classes I think, so early August. My guess: As long as you don't do a summer rotation, /probably/ around the time the undergrads start is when you would start.
persimmony Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 ^ Thanks, good to know. I'll tell her August to be safe.
ERR_Alpha Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Got an email from a Dr.... Subject "PhD in Biomedical Sciences..." And it's Case Western still wanting me to apply. Gah messing with my emotions. sqxz and toxicgirl 2
toxicgirl Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Has anyone heard from USC MMI, UNC MI, or Oregon Health and Sciences MMI? toxicgirl 1
behavioralneuronerd Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Got an email from a Dr.... Subject "PhD in Biomedical Sciences..." And it's Case Western still wanting me to apply. Gah messing with my emotions. Ahh, same. Had a momentary adrenaline surge. toxicgirl 1
Justin123 Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Rejected from Berkeley. It hurts :-( The fact that they started the email with "Dear Applicant" instead of my full name is pretty insulting. Oh well... There are 7 other possible rejections to come... toxicgirl and Justin123 2
sayitaintso Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Rejected from Berkeley. It hurts :-( The fact that they started the email with "Dear Applicant" instead of my full name is pretty insulting. Oh well... There are 7 other possible rejections to come... Berkeley MCB? toxicgirl 1
tuba250 Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 The results page made me so sad Most of the international applicants were rejected.Completely dejected....Now I am really worried and mentally preparing for another application cycle.
RR1 Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Today is such a bad day and its not over!! UW-Madison, UChicago and WUSTL said thank you but no thank you lol
acetylcholine Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 tuba250, to be honest the problem with international applicants is eligibility for funding. There are a lot of funding opportunities open to American graduate students that simply aren't to international ones. Also, to be honest, it makes sense that an American program is going to prioritize American students from a financial, legal, and ethical standpoint. ss2player and perfectionist 2
katethekitcat Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Rejected UChicago Cancer Biology. Sorry to hear that Did you get an e-mail or did you check the admissions portal? Has anyone heard from any of the UChicago unclustered (medical physics, health studies, biophysical sciences) programs? I've combed through results from previous years but I can't even determine their interview policy (some people interviewed, some people didn't, some people found out early January, some people found out March).
CanRes Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 Sorry to hear that Did you get an e-mail or did you check the admissions portal? Has anyone heard from any of the UChicago unclustered (medical physics, health studies, biophysical sciences) programs? I've combed through results from previous years but I can't even determine their interview policy (some people interviewed, some people didn't, some people found out early January, some people found out March). I got an email that told me to check my portal.
tuba250 Posted January 3, 2014 Posted January 3, 2014 tuba250, to be honest the problem with international applicants is eligibility for funding. There are a lot of funding opportunities open to American graduate students that simply aren't to international ones. Also, to be honest, it makes sense that an American program is going to prioritize American students from a financial, legal, and ethical standpoint. I agree with you to some extent. If I were an american student,I would say the same thing.But if you think from a different perspective, you might understand a few things more. US school get more funding than most of the universities all around the world. So even the chance for an international student to get into one of those programs is less, it is still better than what they may get in their home country. Also,when an international student finds out that he/she has experienced the best which was available in their country, they think about exploring new place that offers better opportunity.So it is applicable to all countries which has good research facilities,not just America.And most importantly, it is the scientific community which is beyond all nationalities. If you carefully look at the faculty list of most of US grad schools, you would be surprised to see how many of them come from a different country. It must have been hard for them at the begining as well.But they worked and proved their worth.Some universities even proudly announce how many international students they have. It is all about trying to get the best regardless of the origin of the student. It may sound weird, but the truth is american programs are not just american anymore. ss2player and Cup Cake 1 1
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