2015 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[bsharpe269]

I'll post my overall stats/results as well. Hopefully they can give hope to someone nervous about a low undergrad GPA.

 

Undergrad Institution: Mediocre state university
Major(s): Applied Mathematics
GPA in Major (undergrad): 3.0/4.0

Overall GPA: 3.25/4.0

 

Masters Institution: Unranked state university
Major(s): Bioinformatics

Overall GPA: 4.0/4.0

GRE Scores (revised version):
Q: 168
V: 162
W: 4.0

 

Research Experience:

Undergrad:

1 year in bioengineering lab - didn't do anything special, just normal freshman work.

1.5 years in biomath modeling group - 2nd author conference publication (would have been 1st author but my advisor was presenting the material so had to be listed first) and 1 poster at school symposium

Summer REU at top 20 school for biomath modeling work

 

Masters:

2 years in biophysical modeling - 1 middle author publication, 1 first author publication, 1 poster at a big national conference, 2 posters at school symposiums and 1 talk at school symposium. Both publications are in medium impact journals that are well respected in my field. The middle author one was submitted when I applied and the first author one still had a ways to go but I was able to discuss the work in detail in my SOP and interviews which seemed to be the important factor. My LOR writers also mentioned that we would be publishing it in my letters.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

A big research award during undergrad and then small tuition scholarships during masters and a conference travel award.

 

Other Info:

My MS research is very involved. I really know the stuff in depth and can discuss my research and current literature in the field all day... I think this was the huge thing for me. Also, my LORs were terrific - all were from my MS program. I TAed for 3 semesters during undergrad and 1 during MS (though I don't think this mattered much).

 

--Results --

 

Rejections :

Stanford and UCSF (no interviews)

 

Interviews/Acceptances:

Johns Hopkins, WashU in St Louis, University of Washington, University of Pitt/Carnegie Joint Program, Rice University, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Maryland, Stony Brook

 

Attending:

WashU in St Louis - After visiting all of the schools this was a really easy decision to make. Perfect research fit, great resources, great stipend, great environment. The professors seem very concerned with the success of their students. It was all around the perfect for for me.

 

Overall Impressions:

I thought my low uGPA would hold me back more than it did. I was unfocussed during undergrad my science GPA was rough. I have worked my butt off during my MS and read literature nonstop so I think that my LORs and knowledge of research in the field were the reasons I got in. I am passionate about the work I do and have a clear focus for the work I want to do for my PhD. My low undergrad grades weren't mentioned at all during interviews. Hopefully this can give hope to anyone out there worried about a mediocre GPA.

[Island_grl]

Is there anyone here who has decided on PIBS at the University of Michigan? 

[biosci1993]

12 minutes ago, Island_grl said:

Is there anyone here who has decided on PIBS at the University of Michigan? 

I would check out the 2016 Applicant Profiles & Admissions Results thread. You might find a better response to your question there!

 

[AD]

On 12/12/2014 at 0:50 PM, ilovelab said:

 My brother interviewed there for the ABBS program. PM me if you have specific questions about the program. I'll bug him for answers.

hey has all the invites for fall 16 ABBS has been sent??? I have contacted the office but they dont seem to reply my mails??? could you bug down your brother :-P..

thanks