2015 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[insaneinthemembrane]

Got a call yesterday that I was admitted to University of Washington Immunology! This was by far the best (if you value rankings and reputation) school that I interviewed at. I loved Seattle, the people were awesome, and the facilities blew everything else I've seen out of the water. I'm a little hesitant though that the faculty don't align perfectly with my interests. I have a more applied immunology background, and they're almost exclusively basic immunology. 

 

What do you guys think? Do faculty have to be doing exactly what you think you want to do, or are you open to researching new areas within your general field of interest if the faculty/school is great?

 

I'm trying not to sabotage this for myself, since there are a mountain of pros and only one con. 

 

 

First - congrats! Second - this is a very good question that I'm sure is going to be case-specific, but here are my two cents:

 

Grad school is the time and place to learn what you need to learn to become a full-fledged, independent scientist. It is almost certainly not where you will do your best work (if you do peak in grad school that’s probably a bad thing). You are going in order to learn how to devise good research questions, how to follow a project through from beginning to end, and what it is like to be responsible for your own work. And of course at the end of it you should have x-number of publications demonstrating objectively that you can do this type of work. Does this mean the work you do as a grad student has to be the work you will do for the rest of your career? Not necessarily. As long as you learn all the skills you need to learn, and are successful in your demonstration, then there is wiggle room. But I would throw in an important modifier: if the work you commit to doing bores you then you’re going to be in real trouble. Every grad student horror story I have seen traces back to a profound misalignment between the suffering grad student and the lab/field they committed to.

 

I’d love to hear what others think about this important question.

 

I think what elkheart said is very true, the grad students in my lab are pretty happy because everyone is excited about their project. That being said, if basic research bores you, it might not be the best fit for you. I've been judging how interested i've been in the faculty at the school by their explanation of their research. There are some faculty members that I wished I had a longer interview with to discuss some of the finer points about their research and in some cases, I've wanted to (and am planning on) asking some faculty if they have any recommended reviews for labs I'm interested in rotating with. This has worked well for me but obviously, everyone has to find their own strategy that works. 

[expandyourmind]

I would be very careful about committing to a program that didn't have research that excited you.

[blinchik]

Is anyone else still doing their undergrad and going through this process?? I wanna know if anyone is managing to survive missing all of these classes and making up for it in their free time. 

 

I'm dying over here and can certainly commiserate - just took a biochem exam, and I am absolutely certain that if I hadn't missed 1/3 of the classes thus far I would have done better. I also find it exhausting to study after interviews. If it's any consolation, all of the PIs/adcom members I've talked to have said that all you need to do is pass your final semester. That being said, if you have an A average, I don't think getting a 2.0 will be looked upon well. 

[BiochemMom]

FYI, I interviewed at UNC Jan 22-24 and received an offer this week. My interest areas are Comp Bio/Biophysics.

At the interview, I was told that BBSP sends offers to some students in the weeks following the interviews and then sends the majority of offers in March. I was told this by someone from BBSP in general, not by my specfic phd program.

I left with the exact same vibe that you got... I had one intervewer tell me that I was a "shoe in" and the others invited me to come for summer rotations. It worked out decently for me so good luck... based on what you say, it sounds like you should expect an offer in the next few weeks! I dont think everyone leaves with this impression. I chatted with several students who said that they couldn't tell whether their interviews went well or not.

Awesome news! I want to do protein structure. X-ray crystallography is my primary interest. But I want my degree to be biochemistry and do the biophysics certification program they offer.

[gliaful]

Got a call yesterday that I was admitted to University of Washington Immunology! This was by far the best (if you value rankings and reputation) school that I interviewed at. I loved Seattle, the people were awesome, and the facilities blew everything else I've seen out of the water. I'm a little hesitant though that the faculty don't align perfectly with my interests. I have a more applied immunology background, and they're almost exclusively basic immunology. 

 

What do you guys think? Do faculty have to be doing exactly what you think you want to do, or are you open to researching new areas within your general field of interest if the faculty/school is great?

 

I'm trying not to sabotage this for myself, since there are a mountain of pros and only one con. 

You say the faculty don't align perfectly with your interests, but do they align at all? It's always possible that during rotations you'll find yourself captivated by something you hadn't considered before. However, I disagree with the "better school" approach. I was invited to interview at UW, but their interviews overlapped with those of "lower-ranked" schools with research that was more appealing to me -- and I ultimately declined UW for that reason. "Better school" doesn't mean you'll be a "better researcher" when you graduate. Also, the most recent NRC rankings are 5 years old and the US News & World Report rankings are derived from faculty surveys. A final thing to consider is whether the stipend will go far enough in Seattle. Seattle's recently approved a $15 minimum wage and their already-high prices are likely to inflate in response to that.

[notsaxophones]

You say the faculty don't align perfectly with your interests, but do they align at all? It's always possible that during rotations you'll find yourself captivated by something you hadn't considered before. However, I disagree with the "better school" approach. I was invited to interview at UW, but their interviews overlapped with those of "lower-ranked" schools with research that was more appealing to me -- and I ultimately declined UW for that reason. "Better school" doesn't mean you'll be a "better researcher" when you graduate. Also, the most recent NRC rankings are 5 years old and the US News & World Report rankings are derived from faculty surveys. A final thing to consider is whether the stipend will go far enough in Seattle. Seattle's recently approved a $15 minimum wage and their already-high prices are likely to inflate in response to that.

 

The wage change is one thing I am worried about with Seattle. Another thing to think about is the housing market - prices in Capitol Hill, at least, have increased since the amazonians moved in (amazon.com). I feel like you have to live a decent distance from the campus to find affordable housing there. 

[stygldbby]

Is anyone else still doing their undergrad and going through this process?? I wanna know if anyone is managing to survive missing all of these classes and making up for it in their free time. 

 

I am! As for surviving, I guess we'll see now that exams are starting to come up... Ugh.

[Biochemistry]

Harvard MCO rejection. Not super surprised, but not super disappointed either.

[stygldbby]

Just heard back from NYU Sackler!!

[nutellarain]

The wage change is one thing I am worried about with Seattle. Another thing to think about is the housing market - prices in Capitol Hill, at least, have increased since the amazonians moved in (amazon.com). I feel like you have to live a decent distance from the campus to find affordable housing there. 

Meh, I still think seattle is very affordable compared to most major cities. Capitol Hill is one of the most expensive areas, if you live north of campus up towards Ravenna it is pretty reasonable (still walkable to campus or 5 min bike ride). Wallingford is still pretty cheap as well. 

[insaneinthemembrane]

got my acceptance notification from NYU Sackler today!

[signalmytransduction]

Has Stony Brook made their decisions yet?  Also, do they interview?

[kjc]

Is anyone else still doing their undergrad and going through this process?? I wanna know if anyone is managing to survive missing all of these classes and making up for it in their free time. 

 

I am currently in my undergrad, going through the application/interview process, and trying to write a manuscript for publication. I am surviving doing all of this. But I feel I should emphasize surviving, not thriving. I am pretty glad I have already sent all my transcripts! Ha! 

 

Thank goodness I don't have 8 interviews though! 

[peachypie]

Yea my professors have been understanding but it's just hard trying to do all the work that I normally have 7 days for in about 4 because I can't really be productive on interview dates with all the travel and activities they have planned for us. I just realized I have 2 quizzes and an exam next week and they snuck up on me. 

Hey.....its like you are getting a taste of grad school early.  Welcome to your new normal.  

[eznai]

I'm just wondering if anyone knows about the IMP program at Emory?

I have seen a few people on this forum have been accepted to it.

I applied for it and havent heard anything back. No interview, nothing.  I called the office last week and they said I am still an active candidate, and just to wait...They said they already send out some rejections a few weeks ago, but I was still active.

So I am wondering if the delay is because I am international and interview via skype is going to be a hassle (I'm Australian), or am I just  a second string at this point waiting for people to reject their offers?

No idea how this works, but it is the only program I applied for, so I'm just going crazy over here! Any insight would be lovely!

Thanks,

Erin

 

[Illusionev]

Has anyone interviewing at Weill Cornell heard back with their decision?

Thanks!

[poweredbycoldfusion]

I really like the Green Lake neighborhood in Seattle, but it's at the very northern edge of King's county and not close to the campus. If you have a car, driving to campus could be an option, and there are tons of bike lines and a reliable shuttle to downtown. The rent isn't as expensive as further south, and it's a nice community (even if it's not as young/exciting as cap hill).

Edited February 19, 2015 by poweredbycoldfusion

[expandyourmind]

Has anyone interviewing at Weill Cornell heard back with their decision?

Thanks!

[tanaxurato]

Had my interview last week. Haven't heard back from pbsb or bcmb

[expandyourmind]

Same here. If I remember correctly, BCMB said they would plan to send decisions on the upcoming Monday. Not sure about PBSB, which is unfortunate because that's the only one I'm actually interested in.

 

Now I'm wondering who you guys are, and if we met last week!

did you also interview for both programs? i actually liked PBSB better!

[tanaxurato]

did you also interview for both programs? i actually liked PBSB better!

Yeah I did ( I actually only intended to apply to PBSB, but I think I made an error in my initial application, specifying both tracks instead of just the one ). It seems very cool, but I didn't get to speak to that many faculty. I'm going back next week as part of the Tri-I CBM though and the PBSB faculty probably overlap a lot with them.

 

I also really want to hear decisions from Columbia Integrated Program in biomedicine, specifically C2B2 track. I'm not sure if all sub-programs release their decisions at once or what.

[amertume]

i can't stress fit enough. throughout every one of my interviews it has been SO apparent as to whether I fit or not. its been very surprising to look at the vibes a certain grad program gives off and whether or not i feel like its the right place. for me, it's pretty apparent where i'm going because the fit seemed so perfect - something i didn't really feel at other schools. anyone else feel the same way, that one school is just "the one"?

 

Yes! Which is why after I got my final acceptance, I've decided to commit to Emory If anyone's attending Emory this fall, shoot me a message!

[thebrownieofsc]

i can't stress fit enough. throughout every one of my interviews it has been SO apparent as to whether I fit or not. its been very surprising to look at the vibes a certain grad program gives off and whether or not i feel like its the right place. for me, it's pretty apparent where i'm going because the fit seemed so perfect - something i didn't really feel at other schools. anyone else feel the same way, that one school is just "the one"?

 

I definitely had this with my program. I applied to University of Kentucky thinking that it would be a good backup, but ended up loving everything about it and became my top choice. My POI, area of research, and emphasis on computational biology/bioinformatics was totally in-sync with what I wanted. So when I got the offer, I accepted it with delight. Sometimes you can tell with ease.

 

Also my future UK Wildcats, hit me up!

Edited February 20, 2015 by thebrownieofsc

[amaretto]

I have a question about declining offers; I want to help other applicants who want to attend get off of the waiting list, but I'm still afraid that I may regret not thinking things through longer. 

 

Has anyone declined any offers yet? Did you speak to advisers before making the decision? did you just wait until you received a more appealing offer?

[kimmibeans]

I have a question about declining offers; I want to help other applicants who want to attend get off of the waiting list, but I'm still afraid that I may regret not thinking things through longer. 

 

Has anyone declined any offers yet? Did you speak to advisers before making the decision? did you just wait until you received a more appealing offer?

It looks like you interviewed at a couple of schools who haven't gotten back to you yet. I would wait until you hear back from them, unless you are absolutely positive that you don't want to go to the schools you got accepted to, even if it means reapplying next year.