2015 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[ilovelab]

I'm not buying that. There are plenty of articles that suggest the opposite is true. In California, for example, Berkeley, UCLA, and other top public schools have an overwhelming international population. Some above 40% at some of schools are foreigners. The reason is because international students in many cases are willing to pay absorbatant tuition to attend the program; in some cases triple the standard tuition. This doesn't include the money that the state and federal government allocate schools advocating diversity. In fact, all of my California applications had me write a diversity essay because they profit from taking in minority and international populations. You can google hundreds of articles on this topic. As a west coast student, it's disheartening that public institutions value international students over domestic and force many natives to move to inland America. The entire game involves money, not diversity. Do you really think that schools would take excess internationals if it WASN'T financially advantageous? Look at the worlds top institutions, all have billions in endowment and it's mostly because of their tuition rates and their large foreign population who pay vastly more than Americans do.

 Having attended UCLA I can tell you for a fact that your 40% international population is made up. I was actually curious about the real % and lo and behold its significantly less than 40%. https://www.admissions.ucla.edu/campusprofile.htm Here is UC Berkley:  http://opa.berkeley.edu/uc-berkeley-fall-enrollment-data  Here i UC Davis: http://budget.ucdavis.edu/data-reports/documents/enrollment-reports/eethnicity_fcurr.pdf None of them are near the 40% mark.

   Public institutions do not value international students over domestic, that is not the case at the UC's. Where you got that I don't know.

 The reason the diversity essay and the other ones they have you write are used as deciding factors for admission. UCLA gets 80,000+ new undergrad apps a year. Here's a link for 2013 http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-sets-new-undergraduate-applications-242778 They enroll about 5000+. At a certain point the all of the candidates have the same test scores, GPA, volunteer etc. But you still have 15,000 qualified students. They need a way to weed people out, that's the point of the essays.

 Also, taking more international students doesn't fully address the budget gaps. Have the UC's increased international and out of state adimissions, sure but NO WHERE near enough to make a dent in the budget.

[elkheart]

That's the data I was waiting for, ilovelab.

For the lazy:

UC Davis    7.2% international
UCLA        12.6% international
UCB          12.9% international

All data are from 2014, and all are for enrolled undergraduates (the only category that could matter here, as these schools fund almost all of their PhD students)

Me thinks Ted Binsky doth protest too much...

Edited January 25, 2015 by elkheart

[blinchik]

@Ted Binsky, I sincerely hope that calling random other people who have done nothing to offend you "dense" and a multitude of other words is not a quality you will take with you to your interviews - I just came back from an interview weekend and people (PIs, admissions committee members) were certainly commenting about off-putting personalities being a KOD.

[Crucial BBQ]

The number of Asian/American students in the entire UC system is more than twice their percentage in overall California population. 

 

All UCs and CSUs heavily favor California residents first and and foremost, with UCB recently increasing non-resident admits and UCLA recently increasing California-resident admits. 

 

At UCLA, the total number of Asians who are California residents is ~40%.  The total number of California Whites at UCLA is near 26%.  So, there lies the confusion.  They are Americans students, not International students. 

 

Also, in 2010, 2011, and 2012 UCLA accepted more International students than Domestic.  

[Crucial BBQ]

 

 

I get that you applied to smaller programs with less evidence seen in results and you are a masters applicant mostly as well as having applied to programs with late deadlines. 

So under those presumptions...why would anyone be freaking out about not getting an interview in your situation if A. your program doesn't give interviews and B. none of the deadlines had passed yet or just recently? 

Clearly the people saying "I just want to know I'm officially rejected" have some reason to believe they aren't admitted be it that interviews have been posted and/or they are seeing results in the results search for their program, otherwise if I were you I, wouldn't be worried nor would I be posting about wanting an official rejection since it's so easy to simply reject someone when its not even a situation that would be happening yet.

I am wondering with the varying conversations going on in this thread if you have me confused with someone else?  

 

I have no idea where I stand with my programs at this point in time.  Some are still in the process of reviewing applications and others are not going to begin the process until after Feb. 1.   I don't know where you got the idea that I am fussing over decisions.  

[ilovelab]

The number of Asian/American students in the entire UC system is more than twice their percentage in overall California population. 

 

All UCs and CSUs heavily favor California residents first and and foremost, with UCB recently increasing non-resident admits and UCLA recently increasing California-resident admits. 

 

At UCLA, the total number of Asians who are California residents is ~40%.  The total number of California Whites at UCLA is near 26%.  So, there lies the confusion.  They are Americans students, not International students. 

 

Also, in 2010, 2011, and 2012 UCLA accepted more International students than Domestic.  

 

  UCLA did not accept more international students than domestic in those years. It has NEVER done that for undergrad and NEVER will. Here's a link showing geographic location of undergrad admissions http://www.aim.ucla.edu/tables/geographic_origin.aspx

[peachypie]

I am wondering with the varying conversations going on in this thread if you have me confused with someone else?  

 

I have no idea where I stand with my programs at this point in time.  Some are still in the process of reviewing applications and others are not going to begin the process until after Feb. 1.   I don't know where you got the idea that I am fussing over decisions.  

I was responding to your response to me when I had said that I didn't get the difference between the people who are assuming rejection and want an official rejection.  You responded to me explaining how it is different for you, to which I said that anyone asking for an official reject has some other reason to believe they will be rejected so those in your situation (deadlines haven't passed or just recently as well as masters applicants do not fall into the category that you were saying were those who may want an official reject or those who have not received an interview offer should not presume rejection.)  I was speaking to those that have said they have all but assumed rejection (due to interviews for their program) and those that have applied to deadlines back in december.  Those are the ones that if they want an official rejection soon, I don't understand.  Just go a few pages back to where I replied to your response. 

 

Again you seem to be an anomaly in the process due to applying to masters and applying to programs that are not as popular (results search-wise) and also to programs that don't necessarily have interviews.

[NSG-mdx]

I just finished an interview and the admission committee member said they would only offer a few slots for international students because of limited funding. Although I am an International student and I know sometimes it is more difficult for international student to receive an offer, I never complained about it. We cannot change our ethnicity but at least we can try to become the best of ourselves. If you make every endeavour to become outstanding, admission committee will definitely find your distinct characters. Therefore, just to be confident and show the best of yourself!

[berba9]

I feel like everyone underestimates how hard it is to get into the University of Wisconsin....  I'd put UW-Madison over UCSF in that ranking for mol bio.  I don't know your stats so I can't comment on that but that thread is unfortunately extremely inaccurate and filled with emotional and no fact based comments.  I'm a scientist so I only like to discuss evidence based information  Call me crazy.  I'm glad you have interviews though, if you are international it may explain why many of the public universities have rejected or assumed rejected you.  You cost more to a public insititution than a private one.  Looks like you have Duke and UNC, best of luck.

 

 

By seeing the outcome I obviously did underestimate.

In UCSF, I had heard about the crazy international numbers for my program and knew there was no chance in hell. But it was my dream school, from where I had read a TON of papers, so...

Even if you do rank Wis Mad > UCSF as a program, for internationals, UCSF is probably the  single hardest place to get into. This year, 2 international students were interviewed and 1 got accepted into the whole Tetrad (genetics, biochem+mol bio, dev bio, cell bio) program . Even among domestic applicants, the gradcafe results page of UCSF was a graveyard of really impressive CVs.

 

Very very honestly speaking, and acknowledging that there is no way for me to judge an application merely by the stats, it's inevitable that I would judge anyway based on the stuff on the results page...And given the stats of some of those who had got interviewed, I thought I had just enough to get an interview as well...

Another point is that I'm a chemistry major, and people from the chemistry department of my university with similar applications in terms of everything (Research experience, GPA, GRE, subject GRE) have been getting accepts at Madison for years (including this year). I was thus encouraged by my professors, and history, and a POI whose work I was smitten with, to apply there. So it could be a genetics dept thing (that old thread was for UW Madison genetics as well)

 

(Pretty much all the relevant stats are posted as my signature btw)

 

On a side note, I completely sympathise with the view that state univs cater first to state students and national students - that is a fair  return on people's tax, etc. I still thought given the stats of the domestic students interviewed, I had a shot at an interview. Anyway, I would never have been so upset had the POI's work not appealed so much.

 

 

And yes, I'm relieved I got interviews as well...another one today 

[Biochemistry]

Congrats Berba when is your Cornell interview?

[ERR_Alpha]

Feeling the need to remind everyone of this again: what is seen on GradCafe is just a small sample of people applying, typically skewed higher. The results section is supposed to give you a general idea, but it's not including every single person who got in or didn't get it.

[Crucial BBQ]

  UCLA did not accept more international students than domestic in those years. It has NEVER done that for undergrad and NEVER will. Here's a link showing geographic location of undergrad admissions http://www.aim.ucla.edu/tables/geographic_origin.aspx

Well, sure.  You are correct.  Keep in mind this info is for matriculated students who have accepted the offers.  

 

If you look up the numbers for offers of admission, you will see they are considerably higher in terms of percentage.  In the years that I cited, and in terms of percentages, UCLA extended a higher percentage of offers of admissions to International applicants.  I apologize for the confusion.  

 

Here is info for 2011:

https://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/Adm_fr/Frosh_Prof11.htm

 

 

With the high levels of stress that are surely floating around as we wait in anticipation,   it seems like many of us are getting cranky.

 

How about we all take a moment to look at pictures of fluffy orange kittens?

Edited January 25, 2015 by Crucial BBQ

[CancerImmune]

Well, sure.  You are correct.  Keep in mind this info is for matriculated students who have accepted the offers.  

 

If you look up the numbers for offers of admission, you will see they are considerably higher in terms of percentage.  In the years that I cited, and in terms of percentages, UCLA extended a higher percentage of offers of admissions to International applicants.  I apologize for the confusion.  

 

Here is info for 2011:

https://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/Adm_fr/Frosh_Prof11.htm

 

 

With the high levels of stress that are surely floating around as we wait in anticipation,   it seems like many of us are getting cranky.

 

How about we all take a moment to look at pictures of fluffy orange kittens?

Those percentages are for each category, not for the total number of students. The internationals admit rate at 41.45% is from 2309 admits out of 5571 international applicants. They received 61,556 applicants total, so only about 4% were internationals.

[GABA-daba-doo]

I heard from Vanderbilt IGP last Friday, so they are still reviewing apps if anyone is still waiting

[brainnetwork]

Hey guys just checked UCSD Biological Sciences done with interview invites. SAD.

[insaneinthemembrane]

To everyone in the Northeast area right now, stay safe!! 

 

To everyone trying to get into a school in the Northeast area, unexpected snow days are an added benefit that are generally not listed in the stipend packages 

[shadowclaw]

Snow days may seem like a great benefit, but my department has a course policy that if a lab section is cancelled due to bad weather, the lab will be made up on the weekend. That means whoever is teaching the lab has to come in on the weekend, and whoever is doing setup for the lab also has to come in and tear everything down and get it set up for Monday in a very short period of time.

[Dreams of the North]

Rejection from University of Washington Microbiology via email. Expected it at this point but I was really hoping for an interview invite from this program. Doubt I could have fit in the interview at this point, but I may have tried.

[Vene]

To everyone in the Northeast area right now, stay safe!! 

 

To everyone trying to get into a school in the Northeast area, unexpected snow days are an added benefit that are generally not listed in the stipend packages 

If you really want snow days you're looking for lake effect. So, I guess that means looking for a university in the shaded area.

[ERR_Alpha]

If you really want snow days you're looking for lake effect. So, I guess that means looking for a university in the shaded area.

Hm... I guess this is the potential for lake effect. I went to undergrad in part of the shaded NY area and we had two snow days in four years

[eeee1923]

If you really want snow days you're looking for lake effect. So, I guess that means looking for a university in the shaded area.

 

I lived up around the Cleveland area for a few years and I don't really remember every getting snow days. But now that I live a little bit south I crave snow days even though I know that I'll regret having to make up the work later. 

[amertume]

If you really want snow days you're looking for lake effect. So, I guess that means looking for a university in the shaded area.

 

I was going to say that since I lived in Boston my entire life (until now), snow days only happen when there's a good 3 feet of snow -__- classes weren't cancelled during that massive blizzard we had a few years back

[ribonucleic]

Just got an interview for the GSBS program at UT-Houston  

 

So the date for the interview is Feb 19-21, but I'm getting back from my Duke interview Feb 18th. I live in Texas, and Houston is a 3hr drive from here so I'd probably be able to drive there. I should probably inquire what the alternative dates are though, because being at interviews 6 days in a row may be too tiresome :/ 

[ss2player]

Just got an interview for the GSBS program at UT-Houston

 

So the date for the interview is Feb 19-21, but I'm getting back from my Duke interview Feb 18th. I live in Texas, and Houston is a 3hr drive from here so I'd probably be able to drive there. I should probably inquire what the alternative dates are though, because being at interviews 6 days in a row may be too tiresome :/ 

 

I can tell you their 3rd and final weekend is March 5-7. Hope to see you!

[molecularmagic]

So I just asked CU Denver for an update, and they said I'm on their waitlist.  Is this basically a rejection, but they don't do rejections till March or so?