Shamrock_Frog Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 PSA: I'm a first year student at this program and will be involved in recruitment. Can't wait to see you new hopefuls! Cool! I'm really looking forward to meeting people! I have a friend from undergrad who is there currently (in BMB) and I met a couple of his lab mates. I also work in the medical center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashmatack Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Do you know if this includes international applicants? Can confirm. Just got email from program, all invites went out on Friday and 95 applicants were invited for recruiting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CancerImmune Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I just got an MIT Biology invitation about an hour ago! neverdecaf, spaceimmunology and kimmibeans 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss2player Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Cool! I'm really looking forward to meeting people! I have a friend from undergrad who is there currently (in BMB) and I met a couple of his lab mates. I also work in the medical center. Fantastic! I'm not in BMB but Dr. Wagner (the director) is one of my favourite people. Can't wait to meet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSG-mdx Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I just got an MIT Biology invitation about an hour ago! Congrats! Biochemistry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habtidis Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Congrats! Hey NSG-mdx, for your UT-Southwestern invitation, did they inform you that you were interviewing for the MoDTS track? I applied to the same program and also got an interview invitation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSG-mdx Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Hey NSG-mdx, for your UT-Southwestern invitation, did they inform you that you were interviewing for the MoDTS track? I applied to the same program and also got an interview invitation. I am sorry for misleading you. It should be Division of Basic Sciences. I applied to the DBS and also submitted some additional materials to the MoDTS. I received interview invitation from DBS and they did not specify which specific program offered me this invitation. Did you receive any email asking you to choose POIs for interview? Which recruitment weekend did you choose? Mine is 02/05-02/07. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habtidis Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I am sorry for misleading you. It should be Division of Basic Sciences. I applied to the DBS and also submitted some additional materials to the MoDTS. I received interview invitation from DBS and they did not specify which specific program offered me this invitation. Did you receive any email asking you to choose POIs for interview? Which recruitment weekend did you choose? Mine is 02/05-02/07. No worries you didn't mislead! I also submitted that extra MoDTS essay. I'm still waiting for the recruitment weekend they'll set up for me, but I'd guess it'd be the same as yours. From what I gather with UT Southwestern is that they tell you POIs you'll be interviewing with when you actually get on site. Congrats on all your invites! Looks like we got into similarly ranked schools, but I went more West Coast. I'm holding on to that sliver of hope for Stanford Genetics lol.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSG-mdx Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 No worries you didn't mislead! I also submitted that extra MoDTS essay. I'm still waiting for the recruitment weekend they'll set up for me, but I'd guess it'd be the same as yours. From what I gather with UT Southwestern is that they tell you POIs you'll be interviewing with when you actually get on site. Congrats on all your invites! Looks like we got into similarly ranked schools, but I went more West Coast. I'm holding on to that sliver of hope for Stanford Genetics lol.... Has Stanford Genetics finished its interview invitation? I did not receive interview invitation nor rejection but I saw several posts about genetics interview. Anyway, good luck to your interview and I hope you will receive the invitation from the Genetics program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmolecularbiology Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Anyone interested in learning more information about UTSW or particular PIs here message me and I'll give you an honest answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habtidis Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 @NSG-mdx - Nope nothing from Stanford, just playing that waiting game. Seeing what the crowd source results show at the end of the day. @mrmolecularbiology - Thanks for the offer, I might have to take you up on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashmatack Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Congratulations! What group did you apply to? I just got an MIT Biology invitation about an hour ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearhat Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I have an interview at Stanford Biosciences! amertume and NSG-mdx 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSG-mdx Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I have an interview at Stanford Biosciences! Congrats! Which program did you apply? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illusionev Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Harvard Chem Bio invites are coming out this PM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tito balisimo Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 My ego feels much better. Just got an invite from Medical University of South Carolina! After seeing all the California schools send out there invites, I was feeling really down about my future. Sigh of relief. tito balisimo and Biochemistry 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxyyxx Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Harvard Chem Bio invites are coming out this PM! any idea how many apps they received? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary_B Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Hello: This is my first time posting to this forum; so, if I have posted in the wrong place please forgive me! I applied for the PhD microbiology program of a fairly good school and was not accepted. They did however invite me for the MS thesis without funding. I do not have a strong background in microbiology and my bachelor's will be in biomedical sciences. I had a summer internship and my GRE scores were in the 60th percentile. That said, I am trying to be positive about this- should I be happy that I at least got into the MS thesis? The coordinator even said that many students transfer to PhD after a year. However, I would have to find my own funding for that first year. Please let me know your thoughts on this situation. Thank you very much for your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vene Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I applied for the PhD microbiology program of a fairly good school and was not accepted. They did however invite me for the MS thesis without funding. I do not have a strong background in microbiology and my bachelor's will be in biomedical sciences. I had a summer internship and my GRE scores were in the 60th percentile. Your GRE seems a little bit low for a PhD, if your GPA is also on the low side that's where you may benefit from a masters. Otherwise, an unfunded graduate degree is kind of questionable in terms of value. I'm sure the degree is fine, but it's just that the cost of such is high and biology, even microbiology, doesn't have strikingly high earning potential. If you have no debt from undergrad and a way to support yourself, it could be valuable, but if you need to go into significant debt I'd think long and hard. That said, I am trying to be positive about this- should I be happy that I at least got into the MS thesis? The coordinator even said that many students transfer to PhD after a year. However, I would have to find my own funding for that first year. I would honestly take the words of the coordinator with a grain of salt. Is there an interview or any current students you can talk to? They're the ones who are most able to tell you how the program works on an individual level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expandyourmind Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Hello: This is my first time posting to this forum; so, if I have posted in the wrong place please forgive me! I applied for the PhD microbiology program of a fairly good school and was not accepted. They did however invite me for the MS thesis without funding. I do not have a strong background in microbiology and my bachelor's will be in biomedical sciences. I had a summer internship and my GRE scores were in the 60th percentile. That said, I am trying to be positive about this- should I be happy that I at least got into the MS thesis? The coordinator even said that many students transfer to PhD after a year. However, I would have to find my own funding for that first year. Please let me know your thoughts on this situation. Thank you very much for your time. I would definitely take a year between undergrad and grad and either get a master's (if you can find funding) or get a job as a lab tech and really boost your lab experience. During that year you should definitely work on getting that GRE up. My GRE was relatively low, but my lab experience and master's GPA outweighed a few of my blemishes on my application. Definitely work on boosting your lab experience, raise your GRE score up a bit, and if you decide to go the master's or research tech route - work on getting a stellar LOR. Those can definitely help. I wouldn't rely on transferring into a PhD, there's a lot that can happen (good and bad!) in a year. But if you know 100% that this is the person you want to work with and you can find funding, go for it. But be aware there are many routes you can take to pump up your application for next season if that's what you're hoping to do! Best of luck to you! elkheart and amertume 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary_B Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I have spoken Your GRE seems a little bit low for a PhD, if your GPA is also on the low side that's where you may benefit from a masters. Otherwise, an unfunded graduate degree is kind of questionable in terms of value. I'm sure the degree is fine, but it's just that the cost of such is high and biology, even microbiology, doesn't have strikingly high earning potential. If you have no debt from undergrad and a way to support yourself, it could be valuable, but if you need to go into significant debt I'd think long and hard. I would honestly take the words of the coordinator with a grain of salt. Is there an interview or any current students you can talk to? They're the ones who are most able to tell you how the program works on an individual level. I have spoken with a graduate student at this program and she has suggested that I try to see what funding options I have with grants, fellowships, even finding a PI willing to support me. She also told me that many in her program switch over to PhD. I would not stop at a masters, I would move on to a PhD. Thank you for your input. I don't really have other options as I have my daughter so I cannot move to other areas of the country- this is my only option as far as graduate school goes. So, according to your suggestion, I should wait a year and keep applying to the school until I get funding? My GPA was 3.78 and I have 10,000 in debt from undergrad. Thank you for your opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tito balisimo Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Hello: This is my first time posting to this forum; so, if I have posted in the wrong place please forgive me! I applied for the PhD microbiology program of a fairly good school and was not accepted. They did however invite me for the MS thesis without funding. I do not have a strong background in microbiology and my bachelor's will be in biomedical sciences. I had a summer internship and my GRE scores were in the 60th percentile. That said, I am trying to be positive about this- should I be happy that I at least got into the MS thesis? The coordinator even said that many students transfer to PhD after a year. However, I would have to find my own funding for that first year. Please let me know your thoughts on this situation. Thank you very much for your time. While GRE scores are certainly important, so is your research experience. If your GPA is above a 3.0 and your GRE scores meet the minimum requirements, your app will be looked at. What it really comes down to is your research experience and how competitive your scores and gpa is. Personally, my GRE scores sucked, but schools are still giving me a shot because I have a publication and 2 years of research. My grades were pretty good too, which certainly helps. As for a Masters or not, I would think about this. What do you really want to do with your life? Do you want to teach, work for a pharmaceutical company, or be a professional researcher? People that hold a MS in the biological sciences don't need a PhD to work for a company, and it can save you time. You could also teach in a high school or community college with a masters degree. However, master's programs aren't really funded well and can leave you in debt. A PhD is more versatile but takes longer to achieve. With a PhD you could: teach, work for a compnay, or become a full tenured professor, or do research. I feel that many people don't ask themselves these questions, but you should. tito balisimo, GABA-daba-doo, OncoImmuno and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary_B Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 While GRE scores are certainly important, so is your research experience. If your GPA is above a 3.0 and your GRE scores meet the minimum requirements, your app will be looked at. What it really comes down to is your research experience and how competitive your scores and gpa is. Personally, my GRE scores sucked, but schools are still giving me a shot because I have a publication and 2 years of research. My grades were pretty good too, which certainly helps. As for a Masters or not, I would think about this. What do you really want to do with your life? Do you want to teach, work for a pharmaceutical company, or be a professional researcher? People that hold a MS in the biological sciences don't need a PhD to work for a company, and it can save you time. You could also teach in a high school or community college with a masters degree. However, master's programs aren't really funded well and can leave you in debt. A PhD is more versatile but takes longer to achieve. With a PhD you could: teach, work for a compnay, or become a full tenured professor, or do research. I feel that many people don't ask themselves these questions, but you should. Thank you for you opinion. I knew that my application was not truly competitive because of the minimal amount of research I did (only a summer). My ultimate goal is to be a professor of biology at a college; so, I need a PhD. I am going to try to see if I can find funding somehow so I can go into the least debt possible. However, if this is the only option I have- so be it. Thank you for your opinions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meep_Meep Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) Has anyone heard from the Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine home program at Stanford Bioscience? I'm trying to decide whether I should go ahead and accept a different interview offer that happens on their weekend or hold out hope that they haven't sent invites yet... Edited January 14, 2015 by swaye15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vene Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I have spoken I have spoken with a graduate student at this program and she has suggested that I try to see what funding options I have with grants, fellowships, even finding a PI willing to support me. She also told me that many in her program switch over to PhD. I would not stop at a masters, I would move on to a PhD. Thank you for your input. I don't really have other options as I have my daughter so I cannot move to other areas of the country- this is my only option as far as graduate school goes. So, according to your suggestion, I should wait a year and keep applying to the school until I get funding? My GPA was 3.78 and I have 10,000 in debt from undergrad. Thank you for your opinions. From this, it does sound like you may want to start a conversation with the PIs to try and find one who will fund you. At least, that's the next step I'd take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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