2015 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[inyourgenes]

Crud!

 

I created and regularly updated a spreadsheet to track my application progress this season. I hung a huge dry erase board on my wall that I have been making regular use of:  I use this board to remind myself of import things--it hangs right next to my office door and my desk even faces it.  In addition have also been keeping a physical hardcopy (binder) of information relating to my applications.  I thought about every component of each application on a sometimes hourly basis yet for what-ever reason I did not have transcripts sent to any program despite having written on my dry erase board in big 'ol bright red letters "-->Send Transcripts!!!<--" complete with the multiple underlines, exclamations points, arrows and stars.  My brain never made the connection until two days ago.  To add, I only managed to send my GRE scores to four programs, and that was months ago.  This has effectively cut my applications from twelve programs down to four/five:  one has a Jan. 15th deadline (so I'll be close with that one if not too late), two have Feb. 1st deadlines, and two have a final deadline of March 1st.  

 

The good news is that my top two programs are on that list of four/five and ironically, perhaps, those along with two of the other programs are the original four programs out of five (the 5th being MIT/Woods Hole) that I had put on my grad school dream list a few years.  The fifth program (or fourth if the 1/15 app is not accepted) is my "safety" if I may call it such. 

 

The other piece of good news is that one of my top choices and still-able-to-apply-to-program is a program at UC Davis.  Being from Sacramento, and having just been home for the Holidays, and having to have also just happened to be in Davis during one of those days, I cold-called the program director to see if I could swing by and check things out.  I called so late in the early-evening that I assumed no one would answer, but someone did-and it was okay for me to stop in for a chat.  We spoke for the better part of a 1/2 hour and I learned of how I can make my application as competitive as possible.  No real insider information of any sort but I do feel more confident about that application than I had felt previously. 

 

Feeling glad that I still have my top programs to apply to, yet also, despondent. 

 

Some of the programs to which I applied only care about the date that the application was submitted. So if you've already submitted (and presumably shelled out money for) the application, I would go ahead and send the transcripts & GRE scores. At the very least you should call the programs and see if they'll accept the extra materials past the deadline. This is all assuming that you already sent in the applications for these programs. If that's not the case then ignore this post altogether.

[insaneinthemembrane]

Holy #*&% you have an interview NEXT WEEK? How are you feeling? Did they send you a "detailed" schedule for the weekend? How are you feeling?

Sorry, I just feel like #*&% just got real.

 

I guess to actually answer your question: nope, I won't be there.

 

Yea, **** totally just got real.... I'm feeling pretty nervous but at least I still have one more week to prepare. I'm still waiting on the names of my interviewers and where we're going for meals but other than that, I think the schedule I have is mostly final. Hopefully I get my main POI in the program, it would be so awesome to talk to her for 40 minutes.

[eeee1923]

I see you have an interview at OSU, will I be seeing you this Thursday?

 

I'll be there - hope everything goes well.

[ashmatack]

Anyone interviewing in NYC for the Tri- Institutional PhD Programme in Chemical Biology between 25-27 Jan?

Any ideas how many people were called ?

Or how many will be accepted this year?

[quietedge]

Is anyone going to the interview weekend next week at NYU Sackler?

I will be there! So excited! This will be my first time on the east coast.

Edited January 8, 2015 by quietedge

[xxyyxx]

anyone hear back from Scripps? they began sending out invites already

[glow_gene]

I just wanted to throw something out there...it seems like a lot of people are "giving up" on schools because they didn't make the first round of interview invites. Unless you or someone you trust has called the school and the school has said, "That's it, there are no more invites to give!" then don't give up. Some schools don't send out rejections until later because they're waiting to see how the first round of interviews go and will send out interviews later.

 

I received an invite in March for a program that started sending invites in January. Don't give up hope!

[Mabester]

I'll be there - hope everything goes well.

 

 

I noticed you're coming to Duke PCB's recruitment event. I'm in the department, so if you have any questions before you arrive, just let me know! I'm sure you'll learn plenty while you are here, but some like an idea of what they're getting into.

[CoomassieFingers]

anyone hear back from Scripps? they began sending out invites already

I got an invite on 12/23.

[redchiroptera]

I posted a while back about an interview conflict with UC Davis and Duke (both genetics & genomics programs). I already committed to Duke and was told by UC Davis a skype interview is the only alternative they can offer. Do skype interviews hurt chances of offers of admittance? It just seems like they wouldn't get as well of a picture of me as an applicant but I understand why it has to be this way.

[poweredbycoldfusion]

I posted a while back about an interview conflict with UC Davis and Duke (both genetics & genomics programs). I already committed to Duke and was told by UC Davis a skype interview is the only alternative they can offer. Do skype interviews hurt chances of offers of admittance? It just seems like they wouldn't get as well of a picture of me as an applicant but I understand why it has to be this way.

I have no idea about this, actually. Most biomedical programs still do/prefer in person. I'd do the Skype interview because you literally lose nothing if you do this.

[gliaful]

Do skype interviews hurt chances of offers of admittance? It just seems like they wouldn't get as well of a picture of me as an applicant but I understand why it has to be this way.

I don't know if they hurt chances of admittance, but it's the only kind of interview that international students usually get so it can't be that incomplete of a picture.

I've heard some pros to Skype interviews: you can have any materials you want right in front of you, which can help you feel confident/inspire good question-asking on your part. Also, if things take a bad turn, your connection can always "fail" (pull the plug), and then you can reconnect and put things on a better track.

[Ivey0126]

If anyone is waiting on UC Santa Barbara Biomedical, I emailed them and they are still reviewing applications.  Waiting continues for now....

[FunnyCurrent]

Interview invite last night via email for the Integrated Program - Cellular Physiology and Biophysics at Columbia University -  (Jan 29 - Feb 1)

 

Is anyone else interviewing these days?

[tonymontana]

Mayo graduate school interview (email)!... About 'dern' time I get one lol

[expandyourmind]

Interview invite last night via email for the Integrated Program - Cellular Physiology and Biophysics at Columbia University -  (Jan 29 - Feb 1)

 

Is anyone else interviewing these days?

 

@Funny Current, not interviewing on those days, but I'll be interviewing with the Department of Genetics and Development at CUMC early in February. I'd like to know what you think of the campus and anything before I interview! Warm up the interview committee for me!

[Biochemistry]

@expandyourmind, when will you be up at Cornell?

[eeee1923]

I noticed you're coming to Duke PCB's recruitment event. I'm in the department, so if you have any questions before you arrive, just let me know! I'm sure you'll learn plenty while you are here, but some like an idea of what they're getting into.

 

Alright thanks - I'll definitely PM you

[lzerimar]

Scripps interview invite 

[insaneinthemembrane]

I will be there! So excited! This will be my first time on the east coast.

 

Awesome! So glad to know at least one other grad cafer will be there too! What area are you interviewing for? 

[expandyourmind]

@expandyourmind, when will you be up at Cornell?

I'll be at Cornell Feb 11-13. I'm so excited they sent out a survey for some broadway shows. I didn't realize that these interviews would be somewhat fun ahha

[Crucial BBQ]

That sucks  Sorry to hear about that. When were the deadlines for the other programs?

The deadlines fell on Jan. 5th or Jan. 7th.  I realized my error on the 4th.  

[Biochemistry]

I'll be at Cornell Feb 11-13. I'm so excited they sent out a survey for some broadway shows. I didn't realize that these interviews would be somewhat fun ahha

Damn, I won't be there until the last week in February. Good luck! 

And I know right? One place was talking about hiking on the Saturday after interviews. 

[lzerimar]

anyone hear back from Scripps? they began sending out invites already

I just got an email about 30 mins ago for an interview at La Jolla.

[Crucial BBQ]

I posted a while back about an interview conflict with UC Davis and Duke (both genetics & genomics programs). I already committed to Duke and was told by UC Davis a skype interview is the only alternative they can offer. Do skype interviews hurt chances of offers of admittance? It just seems like they wouldn't get as well of a picture of me as an applicant but I understand why it has to be this way.

 

Even though this was for a different program, perhaps this would help;  when I met with the program director of my intended program at UC Davis I was told that Skype was a great way to chat with prospective PIs/mentors/advisors and that this was something that professors encouraged perspective students to do.