All Things Bioinformatics

[Wishful Thinker]

Hi guys ! Who is applying for a degree in bioinformatics/computational biology this fall? Lets discuss universities, experiences in the application process etc. Last year's applicants , do share your experiences too. Who knows , maybe we can all learn something from each other & next year applicants might get a few tips.

[kewz]

I had really wonderful visits at Penn and UCSD. Loved the Reading Terminal Market in Philly and the sunshine and the beaches in La Jolla. I didn't like at all however applications that use ApplyWeb. It was so annoying that one can't jump in between pages directly. I also didn't quite like it when schools just send you a very impersonal, totally automated email from the application portal asking you to check your decision online. My applications went more smoothly than I expected. I think if I were asked to give any advice it would be to keep an open mind during the interview stage. I felt that I clicked with one interviewer at my very first interview that was super early in January, and I seriously thought that I would totally go there and was hoping that I didn't have to go for the rest of my interviews (tickets for which had been bought). But oh man I was wrong. During my second visit a faculty member gave an awesome talk and it made me rethink the approaches I would want to take for future research. Since then I found my research interests have evolved quite a bit compared to when I started the application season, even though I thought I was very sure about what I wanted to do back then. Long story short in the end I now find myself leaning towards going somewhere I thought I would least want to go. So I'd definitely recommend going for as many interviews/visits as one's time and energy can afford. You'd be amazed at what you might learn during those visits. Just my two cents.

Edited March 16, 2015 by kewz

[tanaxurato]

I had planned to study something in the range of bioinformatics/computational biology/systems biology. At this stage, my favorite offers are from UCSD (Bioinformatics & Systems Biology program), the Weill Cornell (PBSB, Systems Biology), and Rockefeller (umbrella program). To sum up:

 

-I enjoyed my time at Weill Cornell and liked the research they do there generally. Location in NYC is a plus.

-I really enjoyed my time at Rockefeller. The enclosed campus and location is appealing, the opportunities provided are exceptional, and the scientists I talked to were all brilliant. The only problem is that it doesn't seem like they focus on computational biology at all. So at this program I may have to compromise and focus more on experimental work, or work hard to find somewhere that I can fit in and do computational biology within a lab that focuses more on the experimental side.

-I could not take my flight to San Diego due to weather and had to conduct interviews by phone! So I have only a very small sense of the program and environment overall. Moving to the west coast, and especially out of NYC would be a big change for me. Also, the stipend is about 30% smaller than at either of the NYC programs. But, the research and training seem stellar for computational biology and the beach is appealing.

 

So, I am weighing my options. I plan to try to talk with additional faculty over this month before the decision is due, but I haven't made a move yet due to class work taking up most of my time.

Edited March 17, 2015 by tanaxurato

[Wishful Thinker]

Being an international student , I took my time getting to know the admission process, life in usa from friends or friends-of-friends who are in usa. I think initial research regarding university search & program etc was fun.

I definitely agree that ApplyWeb applications were difficult to navigate & took a lot of time. Other than this my process went smoothly. (Though there was a lot of anxiety since my documents weren't ready & I wanted to meet the deadline..happened for my first uni, rest were smooth). I would say get all the materials required ready well in advance , sop, lor, transcripts etc

Right now I have offers from Georgia Tech, Northeastern U & SUNY at Buffalo.

My undergrad being in bioinformatics , I discovered that I liked many areas & cant wait to further explore the field through masters.

[mariposa2]

Hoping to bring this topic back as the application season approaches! 

I'm applying to both computer science and computational biology PhD programs. My interests are in genomics, algorithms, and bioinformatics software development. I'm generally interested in the following programs: Johns Hopkins CS, Stanford CS, University of Washington Genome Sciences (maybe CS), WashU/WUSTL CB, USC CB, Princeton QCB (maybe CS), UC Berkeley CB.

For perspective: I'm getting a 4-year BS + MS in Computational Biology at a private university well-known in CS and CB. Ugrad GPA 3.7, solid GRE, TA experience, 2 years comp bio research at my home institution plus conference poster, and a highly regarded biology summer REU.

What programs are you all looking at?