2015 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[Meep_Meep]

Has anyone heard from Columbia CMBS?

I was told they met on Thursday and will send invites next week!

[expandyourmind]

Heard from Mt. Sinai today! woot woot! Developmental and Stem Cell Biology

Jan 8-9 or 12-13

 

 

(Applied: 1/13): UChicago, Johns Hopkins, Cambridge, UW Madison, Columbia, Northwestern, Rockefeller, Mt. Sinai, Cornell Weill, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, NYU

(Interviews: 3/10) Mt. Sinai

(Accepted: 0/13)

(Rejected: 0/13)

(Attending: 0/1)

Edited December 13, 2014 by expandyourmind

[insaneinthemembrane]

 

Heard from Mt. Sinai today! woot woot! Developmental and Stem Cell Biology

Jan 8-9 or 12-13

 

 

(Applied: 1/13): UChicago, Johns Hopkins, Cambridge, UW Madison, Columbia, Northwestern, Rockefeller, Mt. Sinai, Cornell Weill, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, NYU

(Interviews: 3/10) Mt. Sinai

(Accepted: 0/13)

(Rejected: 0/13)

(Attending: 0/1)

 

 

I also heard back from them with an interview offer! Immunology though but I guess they send out invites for the same date because I had friends applying to genetics and they also got their offers today. 

 

Are you originally from NYC also?

[lilbert5]

I was so nervous when I saw that everyone had received invites from Sinai today because I had looked at my phone and it showed no new emails. Then I logged onto my email on my computer and there it was!! Interview from Mt Sinai Cancer Biology!

[Soupinacanoe]

Super late to the game but....

 

Undergrad Institution: Liberal arts
Major(s): Biology
Minor(s):
GPA in Major: 3.4
Overall GPA: 3.35
Position in Class: n/a
Type of Student: Domestic female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 80%
V: 99%
W: 80%
B:

Research Experience: 1.5 years full time in respected immunology lab, 5 summer internships in various fields (biofuels, genomics, cancer...). 1 third author publication (and 2 second author publications in preparation). Several conference presentations.

 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: n/a

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: n/a

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Went to a jungle to study lemur behavior for fun in college 

Special Bonus Points: n/a

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: 

Applying to Where:  Everywhere......mostly because I let myself get freaked out by all the stats. 

 

Brown Pathobiology, Columbia CMB, Einstein BMS, Harvard Immunology, Mt Sinai Immunology, NYU BMS, Penn CAMB, Rockefeller BMS, Stanford Immunology, UConn BMS, UCSF BMS, UMass Worcester BMS, Weill Cornell IMP, Yale BBS

[Vene]

Applying to Where:  Everywhere......mostly because I let myself get freaked out by all the stats. 

And you've already got 3 interviews, you'll do fine.

[neuronsbeyondneurons2]

i see a lot of mt. sinai notifications going out... does anyone know about the neuroscience program?

[expandyourmind]

I also heard back from them with an interview offer! Immunology though but I guess they send out invites for the same date because I had friends applying to genetics and they also got their offers today. 

 

Are you originally from NYC also?

 

I couldn't make it to the two dates they mentioned (I'm overseas) but they have a third date offered Feb 2-3 FYI

 

Nope, midwest! Trying to move to NYC. Man I'm so nervous for all the schools I applied to because my GRE is sorta crap and my undergrad bio grades were iffy... but i have a ton of research experience. I'm hoping that brings me up!!

[bsharpe269]

I couldn't make it to the two dates they mentioned (I'm overseas) but they have a third date offered Feb 2-3 FYI

 

Nope, midwest! Trying to move to NYC. Man I'm so nervous for all the schools I applied to because my GRE is sorta crap and my undergrad bio grades were iffy... but i have a ton of research experience. I'm hoping that brings me up!!

 

Our profiles are fairly similar... I have a 3.28 uGPA, 3.0 science uGPA, 4.0 MS GPA, 168Q, 162V, 4.0 for GRE. Im also applying with tons of research experience, amazing LORs, and a very focused SOP since I have a great grasp on my intented subfield.

 

We both already got an interview so I think (hope) we will do fine!

[mvp713]

Thought I'd chime in again!

 

Anyone here is free to PM for advice on interview prep.  It was only a year ago for me but I remember how stressed and hectic that time was. 

 

Also if you have any specific questions about UT Southwestern, I'd be more than happy to help.

 

Best of luck to all!

[expredator]

Interview to Harvard BBS !!!!!! Just got the email

[expandyourmind]

Thought I'd chime in again!

 

Anyone here is free to PM for advice on interview prep.  It was only a year ago for me but I remember how stressed and hectic that time was. 

 

Also if you have any specific questions about UT Southwestern, I'd be more than happy to help.

 

Best of luck to all!

 

Could you give an overview of some of the questions, atmosphere, and things they're looking for? I honestly have no clue what will happen!

[elkheart]

Better late than never:
 

Undergrad Institution: UC Davis
Major(s): Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2012
GPA: 3.74
Position in Class: top 9%
Type of Student: domestic white male, vanilla pudding

GRE Scores:
Q: 158
V: 168
W: 3.5

Research Experience: Three undergraduate research positions with one paper pending. One year of full-time work at UC Davis post grad, currently halfway through a two-year position with well known global biotech company. 
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Departmental awards for "outstanding academics" and "significant independent research".
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Tutor at junior college and during summer abroad (Cambridge University, Genetics, 2012)
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Graduated a full year early.
Special Bonus Points: Took a few grad classes as an undergrad & made contact with several potential PIs over the last year, all were willing to converse at length.

Random other info:

1) Was rejected (without interview) from five programs during 2013 cycle, reapplying to several of the same ones.
2) Was interviewed (in person) and  offered a spot (with funding)  at UBC without even applying two months ago.

Applying to Where:

U. British Columbia - Genome Sciences and Technology - Protein Engineering

U. Wash - Biological Physics, Structure, and Design - Protein Engineering 

U. Wash - Genome Sciences - Protein Engineering

UCLA - Biochemistry - Protein Engineering

UCSF - iPQB - Protein Engineering

Edited December 13, 2014 by elkheart

[elkheart]

Also, just got an invite to come interview for BPSD. Seems very early. Could have something to do with the fact that I've been in conversation with three different professors at UW...

[ForScience!]

Got an interview at Mount Sinai Cancer Biology! Hoping to get a few more interviews (fingers crossed) by the end of next week.

[insaneinthemembrane]

I couldn't make it to the two dates they mentioned (I'm overseas) but they have a third date offered Feb 2-3 FYI

 

Nope, midwest! Trying to move to NYC. Man I'm so nervous for all the schools I applied to because my GRE is sorta crap and my undergrad bio grades were iffy... but i have a ton of research experience. I'm hoping that brings me up!!

 

That's cool, you'll love NYC. I kinda don't know whether I should leave but if a top program impresses me, I would be even more open to leaving. I'm in a similar spot  in terms of grades and GRE but so far I've gotten 3 interviews. I think letters and research experience might be the most important factors though. 

[ForScience!]

Does anyone know how much Mount Sinai offers in stipends?

[thebrownieofsc]

Undergrad Institution: University of California school, top 50
Major(s): Molecular, Cell Dev Biology
Minor(s): N/A
GPA in Major: 2.88
Overall GPA: 2.99
Position in Class: Not sure
Type of Student: Domestic

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 159
V: 159
W: 3.5 (I'm really hoping my verbal score compensates for this score)
B: N/A

Research Experience: Will have about 2 years worth at various top institutions at the time of submitting applications. Currently doing a one year research position in bioinformatics at a top 10 university. Learned/implementing various programming and statistical methods in analyzing RNA-Sequencing data; comfortably I might add.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: N/A

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: English tutor

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Second-author manuscript in the works, contributed to the construction of a widely used plant metabolics database (contributed to the paper as well).

Special Bonus Points: Three recommenders are faculty/researchers at the places I have worked. My current PI is a frequent collaborator with the POI at one of the programs I applied to; I will be assisting with data analysis for the POI's lab in the next month or so.

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: Explained my reason for the low GPA (which was caused by low grades in two terms) thoroughly; have had an upward trend in GPA since then (above 3.1 for multiple terms). Explained that my GPA does not reflect my abilities to apply my knowledge in research, which I am certain my recommenders will attest to.

 

Already was accepted to Northeastern University's MS in Bioinformatics but I am trying for PhD programs because I know for sure (out of experience, especially during my current lab position) that I want to go into research and want to make a career out of it. Never felt so sure about anything else.

Applying to Where:

Dartmouth College - MCB

University of Connecticut - MCB, Genetics and Genomics concentration

University of Kentucky - Biology, tailored track (already spoke with the POI - he replied saying I was a good fit for his lab)

 

Seeing everyone elses profiles is definitely disheartening to me, given my low GPA. But I am being optomistic about my background in research, especially in the application of computational methods which I have had experience in. I believe I might have a shot at these programs. I spoke with POIs/directors at each of the programs and told them my situation and reasons for applying. If they expressed some sort of interest I submitted my application to that program.

 

Anyways, thoughts and comments are welcome.

Edited December 13, 2014 by thebrownieofsc

[ss2player]

Does anyone know how much Mount Sinai offers in stipends?

 

I think they're similar to Sloan-Kettering/Weill Cornell: 34-35K, based on what a friend told me last season. Anyone who interviewed there last year can maybe confirm this?

[bsharpe269]

Anyways, thoughts and comments are welcome.

 

I would encourage you to apply to a few more programs if you can find any with later deadlines that are a good fit. It is difficult for anyone to get into a program with only 3 applications... even with a GPA in the high 3s! I am currently working on my MS In bioinformatics and loving it. I am applying to PhD programs now, mostly biophyics programs since I am interested in protein structure/dynamics.

 

I knew that I wanted to go into research since undergrad too (did lots of biomath research as an undergrad) but I graduate with a 3.28 and science GPA was more like a 3.0. If you end up needing to do a MS first to prove you can handle the course work then dont be disappointed. It was been an amazing expereince for me and I have really been able to focus in my research interests.

[ForScience!]

I think they're similar to Sloan-Kettering/Weill Cornell: 34-35K, based on what a friend told me last season. Anyone who interviewed there last year can maybe confirm this?

Just checked, its $33,500 (http://gradschool.mssm.edu/eforms/2014-financial-support/#1.-stipend-and-tuition-–)

[lilbert5]

I couldn't make it to the two dates they mentioned (I'm overseas) but they have a third date offered Feb 2-3 FYI

 

Nope, midwest! Trying to move to NYC. Man I'm so nervous for all the schools I applied to because my GRE is sorta crap and my undergrad bio grades were iffy... but i have a ton of research experience. I'm hoping that brings me up!!

 

I'm also dying to move to NYC!! I'm praying that I get into at least one NYC school!

[insaneinthemembrane]

I think they're similar to Sloan-Kettering/Weill Cornell: 34-35K, based on what a friend told me last season. Anyone who interviewed there last year can maybe confirm this?

 

 

Just checked, its $33,500 (http://gradschool.mssm.edu/eforms/2014-financial-support/#1.-stipend-and-tuition-–)

 

So I actually have gotten a chance to visit the school and have a tour and speak to some of the directors there since I live in the NYC area. It's actually a pretty decent stipend in NYC, I think only Cornell and NYU offer higher stipends and a graduate student there told me that they do adjust for cost of living every year. They also have guaranteed housing that is pretty cheap for NYC, they pay anywhere from about $500-$700 in the Upper East Side which is a steal for rent anywhere in NYC but especially that neighborhood.

 

Also, if you want to know the specifics of the funding, the grad school covers the first year and then the PI picks up the stipend once you declare. It's also not dependent on teaching since they don't have an undergrad campus. 

Edited December 14, 2014 by insaneinthemembrane

[insaneinthemembrane]

I'm also dying to move to NYC!! I'm praying that I get into at least one NYC school!

 

It's a pretty great city. If you wanna know anything in particular about it, let me know. I can give you all the info on any of the neighborhoods around the schools. I don't know too much about the academic specifics for all the schools but I know a decent amount about Cornell and Sloan since they are 3 blocks away from me and Sinai since I got to visit all 3. Rockefeller is also around but I don't know too much about it other than they have a really great society meeting with free food and alcohol every month that is open to everyone in the area  

[ForScience!]

So I actually have gotten a chance to visit the school and have a tour and speak to some of the directors there since I live in the NYC area. It's actually a pretty decent stipend in NYC, I think only Cornell and NYU offer higher stipends and a graduate student there told me that they do adjust for cost of living every year. They also have guaranteed housing that is pretty cheap for NYC, they pay anywhere from about $500-$700 in the Upper East Side which is a steal for rent anywhere in NYC but especially that neighborhood.

 

Also, if you want to know the specifics of the funding, the grad school covers the first year and then the PI picks up the stipend once you declare. It's also not dependent on teaching since they don't have an undergrad campus. 

Columbia GSAS offers $35000 from what I remember