Chemistry Applications Fall 2014

[lellies]

It's basically what you wrote, based on my conversations with professors from a Top 1 school. I know people with much worse scores in Top 5 schools. Keep in mind, some professors have completely different opinions. Some greatly value the Verbal scores, since it partially indicates one's ability to write. In either case, a higher score is (obviously) always better than a lower score. But in my opinion, it'd be best to strongly emphasize your enthusiasm, commitment and competence for conducting research in your SOP.

 

The only schools you should look out for are ones that explicitly DO have a cutoff, which in my experience was more common in Top 30 schools. In that case, you'll want an additional letter from a professor to petition that rule. That's what usually is done for sub-minimum GPAs.

 

DTB

That's comforting to know that you know people with lower scores than I do who got into great programs. Thanks for your help. 

[clickclick]

Area of interest: Organic Methadology

GPA: 3.56

Chem GPA: 3.76

• 2 years of undergrad research experience (will be almost 3 years once I start grad school in August 2014)
• 1st author publication (Feature Article in Synthesis)
• Honors thesis
• ACS Undergraduate Award for best undergraduate organic researcher at my school
• 2 department scholarships for research
• 1 school scholarship for honors thesis project
• 1 national acs poster presentation, 2 regional poster presentations, and 2 school poster presentations
• 1st place and 3rd posters at the regional conferences

1 great LOR, 1 good LOR, 1 ok LOR

Don't have either GRE scores yet

 

Schools Applying to: UC-Berkeley, UI-Urbana-Champaign, Columbia, U-Penn, U-Michigan

 

Does anyone know how much my GPA will affect my chances at any of these schools and the typical cutoff for GRE scores? I feel like my research experience is strong but is being held down by my GPA.

So my general GRE scores came in 156(65%)Q and 153(58%)V. While I believe I could get +90% for the Q section I don't think I have enough time to retake the gre and send in my applications in time. Is this too low considering the rest of my application to be admitted into the programs I am applying to? I have contacted some of the professors I want to work with and they showed a lot of interest in having me in their groups but they are not aware of my test scores. Should I let them know? Should I just wait to apply next year after I retake my GREs? Feeling discouraged but I would be willing to take a year off if it meant a chance to work in the groups I am interested in.

[DropTheBase]

So my general GRE scores came in 156(65%)Q and 153(58%)V. While I believe I could get +90% for the Q section I don't think I have enough time to retake the gre and send in my applications in time. Is this too low considering the rest of my application to be admitted into the programs I am applying to? I have contacted some of the professors I want to work with and they showed a lot of interest in having me in their groups but they are not aware of my test scores. Should I let them know? Should I just wait to apply next year after I retake my GREs? Feeling discouraged but I would be willing to take a year off if it meant a chance to work in the groups I am interested in.

 

The rest of your stats (the important ones) are great. You absolutely should apply this year.

 

Don't let them know.

 

Don't wait a year. Someone will take your spot.

 

DTB

[clickclick]

The rest of your stats (the important ones) are great. You absolutely should apply this year.

 

Don't let them know.

 

Don't wait a year. Someone will take your spot.

 

DTB

Thanks for the motivation. What do you mean by someone will take my spot? If I apply next year will I not have the same or better chances if I improve my scores and maybe get another publication?

[asaprocky]

Thanks for the motivation. What do you mean by someone will take my spot? If I apply next year will I not have the same or better chances if I improve my scores and maybe get another publication?

 

Pretty sure DTB just means by not applying, you're just giving up a spot that you potentially could have had. Ie. apply

Edited December 5, 2013 by asaprocky

[DropTheBase]

@clickclick

 

I'm not talking about the university having a spot for you, but rather the professor! PI's don't have openings for students every year. They can only accommodate students when funds are available. If another student joins the lab this year, there might not be money for another student the following year. Even if you are accepted into the university, a different student might be more qualified and take your spot. 

 

This may not be as big of a concern for large groups, but you would be surprised. At my school's (Top 10) orientation, certain professors said they could take a large number of students. But when advisor-selection time came around, that number shrank considerably and quite a few students had to work with someone they did not want to!

 

DTB

[clickclick]

@clickclick

 

I'm not talking about the university having a spot for you, but rather the professor! PI's don't have openings for students every year. They can only accommodate students when funds are available. If another student joins the lab this year, there might not be money for another student the following year. Even if you are accepted into the university, a different student might be more qualified and take your spot. 

 

This may not be as big of a concern for large groups, but you would be surprised. At my school's (Top 10) orientation, certain professors said they could take a large number of students. But when advisor-selection time came around, that number shrank considerably and quite a few students had to work with someone they did not want to!

 

DTB

Ah! Gotcha. I didn't even take this into account so thank you.

[YaBoyAR]

I was talking about gradcafe results http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php

This is glorious! Can't believe I'd never seen it before. Thanks!

[YaBoyAR]

All those who've applied to UT-Austin have access to this information, but for those who don't, I thought this was interesting. Here are their admissions statistics from last year:

 

665 applicants, 143 acceptances given out, 46 of those matriculated, 21.5% acceptance rate. 32.17% matriculation rate.

 

Also, I spoke today to the admissions director for the Chem program at Georgia Tech (my undergrad institution) and the average GRE was 312 (Verbal + Quantitative) and 3.65 gpa for students who matriculated here last year.

 

Just thought some might like to know.

[Istoleart]

All those who've applied to UT-Austin have access to this information, but for those who don't, I thought this was interesting. Here are their admissions statistics from last year:

 

665 applicants, 143 acceptances given out, 46 of those matriculated, 21.5% acceptance rate. 32.17% matriculation rate.

 

Also, I spoke today to the admissions director for the Chem program at Georgia Tech (my undergrad institution) and the average GRE was 312 (Verbal + Quantitative) and 3.65 gpa for students who matriculated here last year.

 

Just thought some might like to know.

 

Those stats actually aren't bad although only 46 went to attend UT-Austin. I'd of thought there would be more. Strange they don't mention international acceptance statistics. GRE of 159V/161Q seems reasonable although the UG GPA of 3.8 is high.

[Alchemist921]

Three more applications to go (MIT, Upenn, Stony Brook)!!! How's everyone doing in terms of submitting their apps?

[YaBoyAR]

Three more applications to go (MIT, Upenn, Stony Brook)!!! How's everyone doing in terms of submitting their apps?

Better hurry up! I think the old glove mit is pretty strict about that December 15 deadline for all application materials.

[Alchemist921]

Better hurry up! I think the old glove mit is pretty strict about that December 15 deadline for all application materials.

 

Thanks for the heads up! Just submitted the MIT application. Done with all your apps?

[MetalChemEnthusiast]

Area of interest: Metal-catalyzed Methodology and Complex Molecules Synthesis

 

BS (Chemistry) @ Small University

GPA: 3.72 (Chem GPA: 3.74)

 

MS (Chemistry) @ Big 10 University

GPA: 3.97

 

GRE (Old System): Verbal 440 (40%), Quant. 730 (69%), Writing 4.0 (54%)
GRE (Chemistry) 740 (59%)

 

3 great LoR and 1 good LoR

 

- 6 years of research exp (2 undergrad and 4 graduate)

- 2 publications: one 1st author (published), one 2nd author (submitting)

- 3 presentations (2 regional and 1 national)

- 4 years of teaching lab/recitation for organic chem

 

Applications: Scripps, Cal Tech, Berkeley, Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, UNC, Vanderbilt, Utah

 

Love this forum. Great opportunity to meet other students with similar research interest. Good luck to you all!

Edited December 7, 2013 by MetalChemEnthusiast

[YaBoyAR]

Thanks for the heads up! Just submitted the MIT application. Done with all your apps?

Yeah, I'm one of those overachiever types who submitted all of theirs in October. Lol. Anybody else agree that the UT-Austin and MIT applications were the worst? They asked for so much superfluous information, and the Texas app required that you fill out 2 separate applications. What a pain in the butt!

[Alchemist921]

Yeah, I'm one of those overachiever types who submitted all of theirs in October. Lol. Anybody else agree that the UT-Austin and MIT applications were the worst? They asked for so much superfluous information, and the Texas app required that you fill out 2 separate applications. What a pain in the butt!

I actually thought MIT wasn't so bad. The application was so simple, the program was simple and effective. Some other programs required more specific stuff. 

[asaprocky]

Yeah, I'm one of those overachiever types who submitted all of theirs in October. Lol. Anybody else agree that the UT-Austin and MIT applications were the worst? They asked for so much superfluous information, and the Texas app required that you fill out 2 separate applications. What a pain in the butt!

 

I think berkeley was the worst. Separate pdf's for just your teaching exp, potential classes you were going to take, etc. Just annoying that you had to compile that in pdf's and upload them separately when a CV could have taken care of almost all of those sections. 

 

Thanks for the heads up! Just submitted the MIT application. Done with all your apps?

 

I finished mine before Thanksgiving just so I have a buffer if I needed to do anything else. 

[YaBoyAR]

I think berkeley was the worst. Separate pdf's for just your teaching exp, potential classes you were going to take, etc. Just annoying that you had to compile that in pdf's and upload them separately when a CV could have taken care of almost all of those sections. 

 

That's true. That was tedious. It was the first app I submitted though, so I forgot all about having to do that.

[Chemisto]

Those of you who have applied to Chicago, have they verfied your GRE scores? I sent mine 15-20 days back. Still the portal says awaiting.

[Electric_displacement]

Those of you who have applied to Chicago, have they verfied your GRE scores? I sent mine 15-20 days back. Still the portal says awaiting.

 

As I recall, they verified mine fairly quickly.  However, I sent mine in early October so it probably wasn't peak season.

[Chemisto]

They did verify my TOEFL scores quickly too (but that was in summers) . Surprising as rest of the univs did on the same day they recieved the scores.

[clickclick]

For those who applied to UC Berkeley, is there a verification that your recommenders have ulpoaded their LoRs or can you just submit after you sent the request?

[MetalChemEnthusiast]

For those who applied to UC Berkeley, is there a verification that your recommenders have ulpoaded their LoRs or can you just submit after you sent the request?

I received an email after a recommender uploaded his/her LoR. You can also see the status of all your LoRs after you submit your application.

[YaBoyAR]

For those who applied to UC Berkeley, is there a verification that your recommenders have ulpoaded their LoRs or can you just submit after you sent the request?

 

You can definitely go ahead and submit your application without them. Then, you can revisit the application to see if they have submitted their letters. They do send out emails as well, however, upon receiving each letter.

[Alchemist921]

this whole application process is stressful. Dealing with LOR writers that say they submitted the LOR but I did not receive a confirmation e-mail and the application says it has not been submitted. Can't wait until this is all over!!!