2015 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[Sarochan]

Thanks, Vene. I have been in touch with a PI there, so I'll try contacting them.

[Jalish]

Hello all,

I am kinda new here. So I applied at Columbia Medical Center's Integrated PhD program (Fall 15). I was invited to interview on January 16. We were supposed to get the decisions by the forth week after interview. However, I am still waiting for my result.

My interviews went well and I am a recent Columbia master's degree graduate, which kinda made me optimistic about it. But I am really nervous now and didn't get any response from the program coordinator after I had sent an email. Any idea/ suggestion/ shared experience?

[kjc]

Congratulations, notsaxophones! That must be pretty exciting to be accepted to every program you applied to. I hope your decision-making process goes well!

Has anyone heard anything from the University of Vermont biology program? There's only one entry for it in the Results survey that I can remember seeing, and that's from ages ago (relatively speaking).

 

I had an interview at UVM for both the bio and plant bio programs in late January and was told I would hear back "in the coming weeks" ... one month later and no word from either program on acceptance/rejection. Either they are really slow or I've been waitlisted. Did you interview at UVM? Also, which program were you accepted into at UC Riverside? I have been accepted there as well. 

Edited February 27, 2015 by kjc

[Sarochan]

I didn't interview, but I thought I had some positive correspondence with a faculty member there. :\ Guess it might not have been as positive as I thought. Oof, I was pretty interested in that program too.

On a happier note, I was accepted into the Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics program at UCR!

Edited February 27, 2015 by Sarochan

[rhopalias]

 

They do 10k first quarter and 10k spring quarter of your first year (assuming you aren't failing all your classes, etc). I think they give this fellowship out to multiple new students each year. Maybe future applicants stumbling across this thread will be more likely to apply to UC Irvine next year, haha. 

 

I wonder if were were at UCLA interviews the same weekend, I liked that program a lot as well! Gah, this whole deciding process is so difficult. 

Yeah, it seems we were at UCLA for the same weekend. I was the dude with the periodic table bow tie, and I interviewed for IMMP. My IRL name is Frank.

On that note, I  also liked UCLA. They're not exactly known for their immunology (compared to Hopkins and UW), but they have a very strong program overall. Most of the PIs who interviewed me consistently publish in high impact factor journals. I really liked the mix of immunology and pathogen/host interaction research.

Edited February 28, 2015 by rhopalias

[MidwesternAloha]

I didn't interview, but I thought I had some positive correspondence with a faculty member there. :\ Guess it might not have been as positive as I thought. Oof, I was pretty interested in that program too.

On a happier note, I was accepted into the Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics program at UCR!

Congrats! Those are my 3 favorite fields!

[Sarochan]

Thanks! They're mine too, especially genomics. UCR seems to have some very interesting research going on as well.

[berba9]

Hello all,

I am kinda new here. So I applied at Columbia Medical Center's Integrated PhD program (Fall 15). I was invited to interview on January 16. We were supposed to get the decisions by the forth week after interview. However, I am still waiting for my result.

My interviews went well and I am a recent Columbia master's degree graduate, which kinda made me optimistic about it. But I am really nervous now and didn't get any response from the program coordinator after I had sent an email. Any idea/ suggestion/ shared experience?

 

So, my Duke interview was on Dec 18th and I was told I'll hear back 'shortly.'

I got an acceptance this week 

 

Not sure how relevant it is to Columbia, (I was later told by Duke that I should wait for a short while after the final interview weekend - which was last weekend, so find out if they have another weekend, they may delay their decisions till then)

[Jalish]

So, my Duke interview was on Dec 18th and I was told I'll hear back 'shortly.'

I got an acceptance this week

Not sure how relevant it is to Columbia, (I was later told by Duke that I should wait for a short while after the final interview weekend - which was last weekend, so find out if they have another weekend, they may delay their decisions till then)

[Jalish]

Thanks berba9. That's comforting to hear. However, there was another interview weekend on Jan 28 or 29. So, during our introductory period on the morning of Jan 16, we were told that decisions are made about two weeks from the last interview weekend. Also, I was following Columbia's 2015 enrollment on the gradcafe page. There I saw a few guys getting accepted/rejected even before the second int. weekend. I also saw some getting their acceptance on Feb 23. But the overall numbers seen on the gradcafe sheet is only a few.

[Jalish]

Austin and UCLA have their last interview weekends this weekend, so I assume they are done. Sorry

[Jalish]

Hi nutellarain, thanks for the UCLA info. I applied to UCLA Molecular Biology IDP Phd Program and haven't heard back from them yet. I called their office mid-February asking about the status. They just told me they are still reviewing the application. I guess they can't directly say "no" to someone right away, although it'd be the best thing to do.

[Meep_Meep]

Hello all,

I am kinda new here. So I applied at Columbia Medical Center's Integrated PhD program (Fall 15). I was invited to interview on January 16. We were supposed to get the decisions by the forth week after interview. However, I am still waiting for my result.

My interviews went well and I am a recent Columbia master's degree graduate, which kinda made me optimistic about it. But I am really nervous now and didn't get any response from the program coordinator after I had sent an email. Any idea/ suggestion/ shared experience?

Hi Jalish-

I think they are in the process of waiting for people to turn down offers before offering more. I was one of those accepted right after the January 16 weekend and was asked to either accept or reject them by March 15. I would assume that another wave of acceptances will go out around March 15 as people turn down the offer. I got an email recently reminding me to tell them of my decision as soon as possible. I think that as much as it stinks, you should wait it out another week or so and then maybe email the coordinator again, by then they should know if they are going to send out more offers.

I hope all goes well for you!

[kjc]

I didn't interview, but I thought I had some positive correspondence with a faculty member there. :\ Guess it might not have been as positive as I thought. Oof, I was pretty interested in that program too.

On a happier note, I was accepted into the Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics program at UCR!

 

Well if you have yet to hear a no, that means there is still hope (at least that's what I keep telling myself- UVM was one of my top choices as well)!

 

And regardless, UCR is a great school- congrats! 

[BiochemMom]

Still waiting on Chapel Hill but I'm unexpectedly going down to UGA for a day next week because the PI coming from another university that UGA wooed wants me in his lab and wants me to meet him when he's in town ordering equipment for his lab. My current PI and our graduate director told me they didn't care how much better ranked and thought of the program and general faculty were at UNC relative to UGA (though UGA is still a "public ivy" and top 50) I'd be a fool not to work for this guy.

So if it works out...my last application back up school is looking pretty sweet to be my top choice. They sent me an acceptance six business days after I applied and have been wooing me like crazy haha. If UNC wants me they need to tell me before I go down there cause you'd better believe if the PI wants me I want it on record before I take the offer over UNC.

Edited March 1, 2015 by BiochemMom

[poweredbycoldfusion]

Hi Jalish-

I think they are in the process of waiting for people to turn down offers before offering more. I was one of those accepted right after the January 16 weekend and was asked to either accept or reject them by March 15. I would assume that another wave of acceptances will go out around March 15 as people turn down the offer. I got an email recently reminding me to tell them of my decision as soon as possible.

No one should be pressured to make a decision hastily, but this is a good point. If you have multiple offers and know that there is a school or schools you don't want to attend, let them know sooner rather than later. Funding can often be on the line, too. Hanging onto multiple offers until the last, bitter hour of April 15th isn't fair to anyone. It actually can screw lower ranked schools out of taking full-sized recruitment classes, too. If you're waiting on your #1 program, hold onto #2, but maybe let the others go?

[eznai]

If the cut off date is April 15th, and someone waits until then to reject their offer, does the university still fill that place with another student?

[Vene]

If the cut off date is April 15th, and someone waits until then to reject their offer, does the university still fill that place with another student?

It's important to realize different universities recruit differently. Some want exactly x new students and if they have x-n then they ask for more from waitlists. Others will accept x+n expecting n to reject the offer and are comfortable taking on more or less than x that year. (where I'm at one year had an exceptionally large cohort followed by an exceptionally small one)

 

Schools will also treat the April 15th deadline differently. It's not a legally binding agreement so if they really want to have a certain number of students they can still try to bring more on.

[tanaxurato]

Hello all,

I am kinda new here. So I applied at Columbia Medical Center's Integrated PhD program (Fall 15). I was invited to interview on January 16. We were supposed to get the decisions by the forth week after interview. However, I am still waiting for my result.

My interviews went well and I am a recent Columbia master's degree graduate, which kinda made me optimistic about it. But I am really nervous now and didn't get any response from the program coordinator after I had sent an email. Any idea/ suggestion/ shared experience?

I'm in the same situation, except that I interviewed at the second weekend. In addition, I believe they have an even smaller third weekend -- one of my friends interviewed for the Integrated Program around February 6. I felt that my interviews for this program were mixed in quality, but I really liked a lot of the research they were doing. Given that they only have ~50% acceptance rate after interview, I don't feel particularly strongly about my chances.

[acetylcholine]

I am down to 2 schools left out of 10.

 

This is my second round.

 

I don't know what's wrong with me.

 

I am miserable.

Edited March 1, 2015 by acetylcholine

[virus guy]

I was there for neuroscience theme. I am interested in glia work and UAB is the only school in the country that has a designated glia center which is why I applied.. but I think they have been the most accommodating of any of my interviews! The students, the faculty, all of it was awesome. Not to mention the cost of living, guaranteed support and excellent student outcomes. I never thought I would live in Alabama, but am seriously considering it!

 

Which program were you there for?

 

I was there for Microbiology, which might as well be Microbiology and Immunology. When I went there my interviews were fantastic and their stipend is fantastic. I felt that if you say yes to them they will have your back all the way through. 

[ghostoverground]

I am down to 2 schools left out of 10.

 

This is my second round.

 

I don't know what's wrong with me.

 

I am miserable.

Two is not zero! Don't give up yet! No use being miserable until you're sure.

 

(Not that you should be miserable or that I want you to be miserable, but this is something I struggle with a lot--worrying about things prematurely, etc. So this is what I try to tell myself.)

[eeee1923]

Finally finished with interview season. All I have to do now is wait for the decision from Case Western and then make the final choice. 

[MidwesternAloha]

Finally finished with interview season. All I have to do now is wait for the decision from Case Western and then make the final choice. 

 

I. LOVED. Working at Case Western.  Gosh I miss it! Good luck, I hope you get in!!!  Let me know how it goes!!!  They are top notch!

[acetylcholine]

eteshoe, at least turn down SOME of those acceptances.  It's not polite to hold onto so many when others might want in.

Edited March 2, 2015 by acetylcholine