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PhD Bioengineering/BiomedicalEngineering Fall 2015-


disasterprone

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I have specifically avoided doing this just because I want to give every school that brings me out for an interview a chance. Plus I am extremely non confrontational by nature. It makes for a busy couple of months.

 

It's also hard to do if tickets have already been purchased..

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I have specifically avoided doing this just because I want to give every school that brings me out for an interview a chance. Plus I am extremely non confrontational by nature. It makes for a busy couple of months.

 

I totally understand this.  Once I was accepted into at least 2 of my higher choices it became a waste of time for me to travel for 3 days and miss time working on my thesis and also wasting their time and money.

 

It's also hard to do if tickets have already been purchased..

 

Yea luckily for me the one place I "rejected" was withing 250 miles so I had to put the money up front.

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Rejected by Harvard bioengineering just now.  Checked website

 

Same here! Not exactly a surprise or disappointment at this point, but it seems like the least they could do is send an email (especially given their inflated application fee..)

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Does anybody know the recent post-interview acceptance rate for UPenn Bioengineering PhD program?

UPenn looks for a complete match so it probably varies year to year. Of the group I interviewed with last year I would say around 70% but that was just my weekend.

Also it is pretty obvious with Penn as you go right into the lab who selects you - no rotation like other schools. If you felt a good match you're probably in. If you had doubts whether it was a fit, you probably didn't and its for the best.

Edited by tuckbro
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Anyone know what the post-interview acceptance rate is at JHU?

 

Of course, this is anecdotal information and may not be true this year depending upon thier openings....

 

Last year, JHU was similar to MIT in that they only invited to interview those they felt they would accept.  A little different than MIT in that they only accept initially the exact number they need, and then make a waitlist of everyone else.  I recieved an email that I was on the waitlist but "expected to be admitted"  and I was shortly thereafter.  JHU went deep into the waitlist last year so chances are very good if you are interviewing.  There were probably some who weren't admitted, but I believe most were.  It all depends on how many accept that first waive of offers.

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By the way, at the schools where I interivewed I was directly told on the 2nds interview day to expect an offer for every school I eventually got into.  Not sure if all schools are that forthcoming, but you will definitely get a sense of whether you have a connection with the program/people and they with you.  You do not want to go somewhere without that connection so if it isn't there, don't worry, it's for the best.

 

I interviewed at:

 

UPenn

Columbia

MIT

JHU

RICE (post acceptance)

 

Anyone having questions about the process at these schools, let me know!

Edited by tuckbro
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By the way, at the schools where I interivewed I was directly told on the 2nds interview day to expect an offer for every school I eventually got into.  Not sure if all schools are that forthcoming, but you will definitely get a sense of whether you have a connection with the program/people and they with you.  You do not want to go somewhere without that connection so if it isn't there, don't worry, it's for the best.

 

I interviewed at:

 

UPenn

Columbia

MIT

JHU

RICE (post acceptance)

 

Anyone having questions about the process at these schools, let me know!

Thanks for your help! Was your UPenn interview very technical? I am interviewing with some professors who I haven't spoken to previously and didn't necessarily request, which has never happened to me before so I am a little concerned.. any insight appreciated! Thanks so much!

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Thanks for your help! Was your UPenn interview very technical? I am interviewing with some professors who I haven't spoken to previously and didn't necessarily request, which has never happened to me before so I am a little concerned.. any insight appreciated! Thanks so much!

Yeah they are technical as they are trying to see if your research goals fit in thier labs and you are trying to do the same.  I found myself really stuggling to fit my goals into their program, so left feeling that it wasn't right for me and expecting a rejection even though we got along well and everyone was really great.  I was ultimately rejected, but accepted at all the others so it didn't bother me.  It felt kind of off to me, the whole weekend.

 

Basically they'll tell you what they do and have conversations about how your interests might fit into that.  If they requested to meet you it means they feel there is a possible fit.  You should goodle them and have an idea of their research and how you might fit into that.

Edited by tuckbro
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I just got waitlisted to BU (my top choice). Has anyone gotten accepted but don't plan on attending? 

 

Also, in general, waitlisted people don't get a paid visit to the school, is this correct? Ideally, I would want to visit BU if I get off the waitlist before making a final decision. However, I live on the west coast, so a visit would be relatively expensive for me. For anyone who went to the visit weekend, what were your impressions of the school and faculty?

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I just got waitlisted to BU (my top choice). Has anyone gotten accepted but don't plan on attending? 

 

Also, in general, waitlisted people don't get a paid visit to the school, is this correct? Ideally, I would want to visit BU if I get off the waitlist before making a final decision. However, I live on the west coast, so a visit would be relatively expensive for me. For anyone who went to the visit weekend, what were your impressions of the school and faculty?

 

BU is my last visit (two weeks from now), so I'll likely know by then what my decision will be, if that helps at all. That's also their last visit weekend, so I'm sure some spots will open up soon. Best of luck.

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If you get the NSF fellowship, I wonder if you could just call up a certain school and ask if they would admit you even if you didn't apply? After all, they get an excellent student who they don't have to pay for. I just wonder what your success rate with that would be. 

 

I was awarded an NSF fellowship last year but deferred it until Fall 2015.  I am definitely in the "maybe" pile for several schools (Stanford, MIT, Harvard waitlisted me).   

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I was awarded an NSF fellowship last year but deferred it until Fall 2015. I am definitely in the "maybe" pile for several schools (Stanford, MIT, Harvard waitlisted me).

Have you contacted those schools about ur NSF? Has that changed their decision for you?

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I was awarded an NSF fellowship last year but deferred it until Fall 2015.  I am definitely in the "maybe" pile for several schools (Stanford, MIT, Harvard waitlisted me).   

 

Have you contacted those schools about ur NSF? Has that changed their decision for you?

 

As I said, I was awarded it last year, so it is listed on all of my applications.  Yet I was still waitlisted at Harvard and have yet to hear back from Stanford or MIT.

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As I said, I was awarded it last year, so it is listed on all of my applications. Yet I was still waitlisted at Harvard and have yet to hear back from Stanford or MIT.

And you applied to BioE right? Stanford and MIT have sent out rejections already, weird. Did you call the schools already?

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Just came back from the second interview weekend of JHU. Heard that they have about 80 interviewers this year... Why did they invite so many assuming they are cutting down the fundings... Weird. 

Edited by 777yeha
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Just came back from the second interview weekend of JHU. Heard that they have about 80 interviewers this year... Why did they invite so many assuming they are cutting down the fundings... Weird.

Wow that's a lot! Last year I want to say it was around 30.

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Wow that's a lot! Last year I want to say it was around 30.

 

At the last visit weekend, a prof said that they expect to accept only ~75% this year (so kinda like Stanford). That will still be way more than 30 last year, but current staff/students also said that JHU class sizes fluctuate apparently. Last year was particularly small and they're expecting this year to be much larger. 

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Any news on sunny San Diego?

 

Got a rejection a few days ago. I'm pretty sure they do interviews, don't they? Even before my official rejection, I assumed it as one since it seemed a bit late for interview invites. :-/ I guess the coordinator's broken arm is what's taking so long to get word.

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