2015 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[yolk]

Congrats!!

 

I assumed that interview invites would come over email. On the results pages though it looks most people get phone calls. Can someone elaborate on who calls you and what this conversation entails? Is it my POI or the admissions office? Should I be ready to confirm interview dates or anything?

 

I received a call from the program director letting me know to expect an email from admissions. Received the official interview offer via email two days later.

[tito balisimo]

Congrats!!

 

I assumed that interview invites would come over email. On the results pages though it looks most people get phone calls. Can someone elaborate on who calls you and what this conversation entails? Is it my POI or the admissions office? Should I be ready to confirm interview dates or anything?

I guess different departments did different things, but University of Arizona's Neuroscience program offered me a skype interview for more info on me, and it was received through email. I don't know if that helps or not at all.

[Appsitude]

Congrats to everyone receiving interview invites! I'm glad to see this thread has been blowing up lately and hope it continues to do so as the season progresses. Don't be afraid to ask for general interview advice (or even school specific advice) because it can be a huge help as you enter the prime interviewing months (January-March).

[insaneinthemembrane]

Congrats!!

 

I assumed that interview invites would come over email. On the results pages though it looks most people get phone calls. Can someone elaborate on who calls you and what this conversation entails? Is it my POI or the admissions office? Should I be ready to confirm interview dates or anything?

 

Both of my interview offers so far have been via email. Emory had their program chair email me the offer and University of Chicago was a program administrator. I guess it's different for every program

Edited December 11, 2014 by insaneinthemembrane

[ghostoverground]

Congrats to everyone who got interviews!

 

I've got a dumb question...

 

What does POI stand for? (I know what PI stands for, but never seen POI before this website.)

[KINGLOUP]

Congrats to everyone who got interviews!

 

I've got a dumb question...

 

What does POI stand for? (I know what PI stands for, but never seen POI before this website.)

 

It stands for person of interest. It usually refers to a PI with whom you would like to work. For instance, the Pis you contacted and those you mentioned in your applications can be considered your POIs.

[Echo_Yang]

Both of my interview offers so far have been via email. Emory had their program chair email me the offer and University of Chicago was a program administrator. I guess it's different for every program

Would you mind share about which specific program do you apply to of Emory? I apply to the BCDB in BBSP but haven't hear anything back

[blinchik]

Just got invited to an interview (!) for Emory MMG via phone call from a professor, so I guess it's time to stop lurking and start posting...

 

 

 

Undergrad Institution: Private Research University
Major(s): Biomedical Sciences
Minor(s): Russian Language + Culture
GPA in Major: 3.75
Overall GPA: 3.81
Position in Class: Top 5% or better
Type of Student: Female US citizen

GRE Scores (revised version):
Q: 158 (71%)
V: 165 (95%)
W: 5.5 (98%)
B: Did not take


Research Experience: 3 summers at a lab (formerly at NIH, now FDA) studying hepatitis C virus pathogenesis + possible immunotherapies

2+ years at a microbiological lab at my undergrad institution studying infectious diseases - my mentor is trying to get a publication with my name on it out before I graduate, but I am unsure if that will get published in time.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Honors College member (top 5% of student body), multiple university merit scholarships (top 5% of student body), Dean's List Recipient, and a few other smaller things.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: None.

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: NA

Special Bonus Points: I am interested in HIV/viral hepatitis research, and have conducted research that is directly relevant to maybe 1/3-1/2 of the faculty members that I have contacted. I have received confirmation from at least one faculty member of interest at every program that I have applied to that they are looking for students next year and would be willing to consider me.

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I am graduating a year early - this could hurt or benefit me. Two of my professors mentioned it in my letters as a positive attribute. All let me read the letters after they had confirmed that all the letters had been submitted, and they are definitely positive!

 

My quant score is lower than I would like it to be - if any future applicants are reading this, I ​strongly recommend that you study for the GREs. I took two practice exams as the extent of my preparation, and my actual GRE had more geometry than I was expecting. I did contact an admissions program director at a top 10 program, and he said my GREs are more than fine, so there's that, at least.

Applying to Where:

Emory MMG

Duke MGM

Harvard Virology

Stanford Biosciences - Microbiology Home Program

UNC Chapel Hill BBSP

UAB GBS - Microbiology

Penn CAMB

Yale BBS - Microbiology

[blinchik]

Congrats!!

 

I assumed that interview invites would come over email. On the results pages though it looks most people get phone calls. Can someone elaborate on who calls you and what this conversation entails? Is it my POI or the admissions office? Should I be ready to confirm interview dates or anything?

 

I had a professor in the department call me and let me know that the selection process was competitive, my application was selected, and that they would love me to come for an interview. He gave me the dates and told me a bit about the recruitment/interview weekend, and told me that the specific professors that I had mentioned in my SOP would be shortly informed that I was coming to visit. He also told me how long I have to respond to the interview offer, so no, I don't imagine anyone would make you confirm that on the spot!

Edited December 11, 2014 by blinchik

[gliaful]

So I just checked the results and somebody has posted that they were accepted to UCSF's Neuro program (F15).

 

Reveal yourself! Congrats (even if you meant to select "interview" instead of "accepted", it's still pretty darn cool)!

[monkeybrains]

 

 

Reveal yourself! Congrats (even if you meant to select "interview" instead of "accepted", it's still pretty darn cool)!

 

GET HIM!!! \s

[KevAquarius]

I know a lot of Emory programs have already done their initial scan this past weekend. My girlfriend just got an invite from Emory's GMB program. 

[ilovelab]

U Arizona biomedical sciences offered me an interview!

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

[ForScience!]

Did anyone receive Emory's Cancer Biology program invites yet?

[ballwera]

Got an e-mail from OSU saying one of my letters was missing (their website says otherwise). Was worded a bit odd I think. Kind of interpreting this as good news possibly? 

 

Hello,

 

I am writing to let you know that we still need an additional letter of recommendation to complete your OSU graduate application.  We have received letters from Drs. XXXX and XXXX.  Please have your third recommender complete and return the attached form with a letter and send it to us at:  bsgp@osumc.edu at your earliest convenience.  The Committee would like to see this letter come from your current research supervisor.  We look forward to receiving this additional information.

 

Thank you,

Program Director

[Vene]

Got an e-mail from OSU saying one of my letters was missing (their website says otherwise). Was worded a bit odd I think. Kind of interpreting this as good news possibly? 

 

Hello,

 

I am writing to let you know that we still need an additional letter of recommendation to complete your OSU graduate application.  We have received letters from Drs. XXXX and XXXX.  Please have your third recommender complete and return the attached form with a letter and send it to us at:  bsgp@osumc.edu at your earliest convenience.  The Committee would like to see this letter come from your current research supervisor.  We look forward to receiving this additional information.

 

Thank you,

Program Director

No, this is not good news, this means they believe the application is incomplete. The way I see it is you could contact the program and tell them the system says that the third letter has been received. If this is true contact your letter writer immediately to get them to email the letter to the address listed in the email. Alternatively, you can contact the letter writer first and have them email the recommendation to the listed email and not worry about if their system is fucked up just so that you know the program will have the letter. You may want to ask your recommender to forward the email to you after submitting it so you can see that it was sent to the correct address, but some of this depends on your relationship with said recommender.

[ERR_Alpha]

Got an e-mail from OSU saying one of my letters was missing (their website says otherwise). Was worded a bit odd I think. Kind of interpreting this as good news possibly? 

 

Hello,

 

I am writing to let you know that we still need an additional letter of recommendation to complete your OSU graduate application.  We have received letters from Drs. XXXX and XXXX.  Please have your third recommender complete and return the attached form with a letter and send it to us at:  bsgp@osumc.edu at your earliest convenience.  The Committee would like to see this letter come from your current research supervisor.  We look forward to receiving this additional information.

 

Thank you,

Program Director

I had this happen to me last year from Boston U PiBS and then they strung my along for months and rejected me.... so, yeah. Haha. 

[ballwera]

No, this is not good news, this means they believe the application is incomplete. The way I see it is you could contact the program and tell them the system says that the third letter has been received. If this is true contact your letter writer immediately to get them to email the letter to the address listed in the email. Alternatively, you can contact the letter writer first and have them email the recommendation to the listed email and not worry about if their system is fucked up just so that you know the program will have the letter. You may want to ask your recommender to forward the email to you after submitting it so you can see that it was sent to the correct address, but some of this depends on your relationship with said recommender.

I already have all of that going, my letter writer's office is right next to my desk. The only problem is, he's grant writing like a mad man and travelling so the letter won't get out til tuesday when his assistant gets back. It just seemed odd that they said at my earliest convenience and that the committee wanted to see it and specifically asked that it come from my research supervisor. O well..grasping at straws I suppose. 

[GABA-daba-doo]

I already have all of that going, my letter writer's office is right next to my desk. The only problem is, he's grant writing like a mad man and travelling so the letter won't get out til tuesday when his assistant gets back. It just seemed odd that they said at my earliest convenience and that the committee wanted to see it and specifically asked that it come from my research supervisor. O well..grasping at straws I suppose. 

 

Pretty much this same thing happened to me for UCSD... I got my letter into them again within a couple of hours of them emailing me and was told that my application was now under review and that it wouldn't affect that status of my application. I would say best thing you can do is get it in ASAP and if your letter writer has a confirmation email from the first time it was submitted, forward that along too.  

[CancerImmune]

I just got my second invitation to interview!! Columbia University Microbiology and Immunology! 

[neuronsbeyondneurons2]

RECRUITMENT WEEKEND INTERVIEW FROM UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN (NEUROSCIENCE)!!!! ah i'm so happy!

[NWFreeheel11]

RECRUITMENT WEEKEND INTERVIEW FROM UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN (NEUROSCIENCE)!!!! ah i'm so happy!

 

How did they contact you?

[neuronsbeyondneurons2]

How did they contact you?

 

by email. they tried to call but couldn't because i'm abroad at the moment. i think they're calling everyone though.

[NWFreeheel11]

by email. they tried to call but couldn't because i'm abroad at the moment. i think they're calling everyone though.

 

Is anyone else lucky enough to have received a call?

 

CONGRATS by the way!

Edited December 12, 2014 by NWFreeheel11

[chibimolinero]

RECRUITMENT WEEKEND INTERVIEW FROM UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN (NEUROSCIENCE)!!!! ah i'm so happy!

 

Congrats!

 

But also, Michigan sucks