Rockefeller University -- PhD research in Immunology/Virology/Biochemistry

[biochemgirl67]

Hi guys!  I just posted a few days ago concerned about the schools to which I am planning to apply in a few short weeks (!!!).  However, over the weekend I visited New Haven, CT and Yale University and hated it.  I mean, the campus was nice and pretty, but the medical school and research buildings were not the feel that I was looking for.  In addition, New Haven is not somewhere I particularly want to live anymore.  Anyway, I'm currently researching at Boston Children's Hospital through the Harvard Amgen Program and I absolutely love it.  Longwood and Cambridge are both amazing epicenters of research and I've never felt unsafe.  However, I'm not sure applying to only 7 schools would be the best move.  Not living on the East Coast, I had only heard of Rockefeller University in passing and on "Author Information" on journal articles.  But today I looked it up and it seemed spectacular!  I haven't had an interest in applying to schools in NYC, but the research and environment here seems like it could be a top contender.  At this point, I am interested in the cellular signaling of the immune system in the context of disease (cancer/infection) on a molecular level and they seemed to have a strong research presence in that field.

My question is has anyone been to Rockefeller?  Is the research there comparable to more "traditional universities?  Is the location decent?  Is it worth applying to or should I stick to the seven schools?  Would a student with a 3.74 GPA/3.91 science/major GPA, possibly 1 publication, 2 summer reserach experiences and 1.5 years of research in the same lab stand a chance?  I got the distinct impression it was incredibly selective.

 

This would be my list now:

 

Harvard (Immunology)

Rockefeller (David Rockefeller Graduate Program)

Princeton (Molecular Biology)

Stanford (Immunology --> Biosciences)

UCSF (Tetrad)

University of Washington (Immunology)

Vanderbilt (IGP)

University of Tennessee (Microbiology)

 

I would be interested in anyone's experiences or impressions!  Thank you!

Edited July 20, 2015 by biochemgirl67

[ballwera]

I don't know how important it is to you, but Tennessee's Medical School is not on the Knoxville campus. I was a bit disappointed with Knoxville in general when I visited. 

[biochemgirl67]

Actually I didn't want to get blasted on here but I'm not going to attend UTK.  It's the school where one of my recommenders is from and I told him I would apply.  I have no intentions of going there at all and if I get in no where else I'll do a postbacc and then reapply.  Most people give me a bunch of grief but it's only $60 and I'll just do it.  I don't want to bite the hands that feed me.  My other recommender knows there is no chance of my going to my current home institution.

[eeee1923]

Actually I didn't want to get blasted on here but I'm not going to attend UTK.  It's the school where one of my recommenders is from and I told him I would apply.  I have no intentions of going there at all and if I get in no where else I'll do a postbacc and then reapply.  Most people give me a bunch of grief but it's only $60 and I'll just do it.  I don't want to bite the hands that feed me.  My other recommender knows there is no chance of my going to my current home institution.

 

If you don't plan on attending then don't waste the space either. Yea $60 may mean nothing to you, but if you get into the program - you'd be taking up a spot that somebody else would like more than you. Also just because you told one of your recommenders you'd apply does not mean you signed a blood oath to do so. The application cycle will be hectic already without you adding unnecessary complications to your life by applying to a program you have no intention of considering. You would also be wasting the time of potential PI's that may be interested in someone with your training. 

 

Take away message: Don't waste your time or the UTK PI's time by applying if you know you aren't considering the program.

[biochemgirl67]

If you don't plan on attending then don't waste the space either. Yea $60 may mean nothing to you, but if you get into the program - you'd be taking up a spot that somebody else would like more than you. Also just because you told one of your recommenders you'd apply does not mean you signed a blood oath to do so. The application cycle will be hectic already without you adding unnecessary complications to your life by applying to a program you have no intention of considering. You would also be wasting the time of potential PI's that may be interested in someone with your training. 

 

Take away message: Don't waste your time or the UTK PI's time by applying if you know you aren't considering the program.

I know.  I don't look forward to it and honestly I'm 95% sure I'll get in, let alone get an interview.  I don't look forward to going to the interview and wasting an entire weekend.  I guess I've kept it on there because I've been confused by conflicting opinions.  Graduate students from my home institution are on the team of "why wouldn't you apply to UTK because it's a good enough school and you know you'll get in?"  I've also been told by the grad students there that the top schools look for at least 5 publications and a GPA near 4.0, neither of which I have.  I can't decide if they are bitter about ending up at ISU (where the biochem grad program isn't very strong) or if they actually know what they're talking about.   People here at Harvard are on the team of "Well you're an Amgen scholar and you can go anywhere so why would you waste your time at UTK if they don't have a high caliber of research?"  It's two opposite worldviews and with my nervousness over applying to high end schools (which I've never done before), I talk myself down to the point of wondering if I don't get in anywhere else, what will I do?  I say now I'll do a postbacc but what if I want to go to grad school right off?  I simply get scared and then keep it on the list when I consider the possibility of going no where else and then of having my REU PI be insulted.

Edited July 21, 2015 by biochemgirl67

[Chimeric Phoenix]

On 7/21/2015 at 6:51 AM, biochemgirl67 said:

I know.  I don't look forward to it and honestly I'm 95% sure I'll get in, let alone get an interview.  I don't look forward to going to the interview and wasting an entire weekend.  I guess I've kept it on there because I've been confused by conflicting opinions.  Graduate students from my home institution are on the team of "why wouldn't you apply to UTK because it's a good enough school and you know you'll get in?"  I've also been told by the grad students there that the top schools look for at least 5 publications and a GPA near 4.0, neither of which I have.  I can't decide if they are bitter about ending up at ISU (where the biochem grad program isn't very strong) or if they actually know what they're talking about.   People here at Harvard are on the team of "Well you're an Amgen scholar and you can go anywhere so why would you waste your time at UTK if they don't have a high caliber of research?"  It's two opposite worldviews and with my nervousness over applying to high end schools (which I've never done before), I talk myself down to the point of wondering if I don't get in anywhere else, what will I do?  I say now I'll do a postbacc but what if I want to go to grad school right off?  I simply get scared and then keep it on the list when I consider the possibility of going no where else and then of having my REU PI be insulted.

 

 

Some PIs can get very prickly about not applying to their school. I wouldn't necessarily say you shouldn't apply to a safety school or just apply to appease that PI. However, you don't have to accept the interview and if you get interviews at any of those other schools you should probably decline. Nobody is looking for 5 publications. I interviewed at UDub Immunology a few years back, and most people had 0 publications. I also know people with interviews at Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, and UCSF. Most of them had stats similar to yours.

TL;DR keep the safety school, but decline the interview if you have a bunch of others from schools you like. If you don't have an acceptance offer before UofT interview weekend, it's not rude to still attend and just decline UofT acceptance later. These schools have a wait list for a reason.

[biochemgirl67]

On 7/21/2015 at 9:21 AM, Chimeric Phoenix said:

Some PIs can get very prickly about not applying to their school. I wouldn't necessarily say you shouldn't apply to a safety school or just apply to appease that PI. However, you don't have to accept the interview and if you get interviews at any of those other schools you should probably decline. Nobody is looking for 5 publications. I interviewed at UDub Immunology a few years back, and most people had 0 publications. I also know people with interviews at Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, and UCSF. Most of them had stats similar to yours.

TL;DR keep the safety school, but decline the interview if you have a bunch of others from schools you like. If you don't have an acceptance offer before UofT interview weekend, it's not rude to still attend and just decline UofT acceptance later. These schools have a wait list for a reason.

Okay, at least I don't feel crazy for thinking that it might be best to just apply and see how the interviews pan out at the end of December.  And the publication thing, I feel like students at my home institution have a disconnect with the other, more "prestigious" universities and think them an unobtainable goal.  I actually had a couple of grad students straight out laugh at me when I was saying where I wanted to apply.  They said that although I'll have the Amgen summer experience at Harvard, there's no way someone with a state school education will be acceptable there.  Kinda thinking they're just projecting opinions that aren't actually true.  (HOPEFULLY)  Thank you for your helpful advice!

 

So I guess no one has experience with Rockefeller?

[Ragneo]

Hi guys!  I just posted a few days ago concerned about the schools to which I am planning to apply in a few short weeks (!!!).  However, over the weekend I visited New Haven, CT and Yale University and hated it.  I mean, the campus was nice and pretty, but the medical school and research buildings were not the feel that I was looking for.  In addition, New Haven is not somewhere I particularly want to live anymore.  

 

Why don't you just punch me in the face while you're at it? Haha. 

 

Okay, at least I don't feel crazy for thinking that it might be best to just apply and see how the interviews pan out at the end of December.  And the publication thing, I feel like students at my home institution have a disconnect with the other, more "prestigious" universities and think them an unobtainable goal.  I actually had a couple of grad students straight out laugh at me when I was saying where I wanted to apply.  They said that although I'll have the Amgen summer experience at Harvard, there's no way someone with a state school education will be acceptable there.  Kinda thinking they're just projecting opinions that aren't actually true.  (HOPEFULLY)  Thank you for your helpful advice!

 

 

They're projecting opinions that aren't true, personal experience. And 90% (okay I made that up, but I bet it's close) of everyone else I talked to at these interviews didn't go to prestigious universities, and they got interviews at many of the places you mentioned.

[biochemgirl67]

Why don't you just punch me in the face while you're at it? Haha. 

 

 

They're projecting opinions that aren't true, personal experience. And 90% (okay I made that up, but I bet it's close) of everyone else I talked to at these interviews didn't go to prestigious universities, and they got interviews at many of the places you mentioned.

Yale was just not for me.  Everybody else in our group was all aflutter about how amazing it was, and it was pretty cool, but I couldn't see myself there.  Although the Cushing Center was amazing.  (we told them we were Harvard students there for a visit and could we please see the brain and tumor registry )  And I bought an obligatory Yale sweater

 

Oh thank goodness.  Sometimes I would get the distinct impression they were a bit bitter but still... when it comes time to actually apply your brain can play fear games with you.

 

I did some digging on this site and someone said you had to have above a 3.8 to get an interview at Rockefeller.  Or that they didn't know anyone who hadn't had that get one there.  Is this true?  My cumulative is 3.74 but my major GPA (and minors) is a 3.91 (biochem, micro, and genetics but includes basically all my other science classes too).  Does anyone know anything at all about this dang school?

 

EDIT:  The only reason I'm concerned is that other institutions have said/implied that as long as you have stellar grades, your research/research passion is what matters.  And boy, do I have passion.  1 AM coming home from a night in the lab 5 days a week to get data to drive my pilot project forward in the middle of February in the Midwest (read: -40 degrees Fahrenheit) type passion.  I just don't want to bother applying if a couple of GPA points is going to immediately disqualify me.

Edited July 21, 2015 by biochemgirl67

[eeee1923]

You should be fine. As long as you have 3.7+ you're considered a solid applicant. Just make sure you do well on your GRE (80th+ percentile), write a strong SoP (that's where your passion will show) and get strong LoRs. 

[biochemgirl67]

Thank you for your advice!  I really appreciate it.  Living in the Midwest has somehow cut me off in some ways from knowing about things like Rockefeller.

[biochemgirl67]

Has anyone applied or interviewed at Rockefeller???

[stygldbby]

i don't think any school will expect applicants to have 5 publications, especially if you're applying right out of undergrad. i had really similar stats to yours and got interviews/acceptances to several top tier places, and i think that my experience was pretty standard compared to other applicants i met interviewing. honestly, one thing i learned from the whole process is that your SoP/ability to talk about your research experience and interests really goes a long way. 

 

as for rockefeller, i can't speak much on their graduate program specifically, but the school definitely has a reputation for really great research. also location-wise, it's fantastic! the campus itself is really nice and though the upper east side is kinda quiet, that can be nice in a city as hectic as nyc. plus, you're right next to weill cornell and sloan-kettering, so the whole area just has a really cool intellectual/research-oriented vibe imo haha. sorry i can't give a more concrete picture of the program itself! i'd say def go for it, if you think your research interests align well with the program and wouldn't mind living in a big city!

Edited July 27, 2015 by stygldbby

[zinde]

Although I wouldn't put much stock in rankings, Rockefeller is consistently ranked as one of the top graduate programs in the U.S. Although the program itself is on the smaller side and not as well-known to the lay public as other schools that have undergraduates, the faculty are top-notch, the funding/amenities/facilities are spectacular, and you really can't beat the location (if you like living in a city). On the "cons" side, the institution has a (somewhat well-earned) reputation as a pressure-cooker, and the relatively small faculty means you might not be able to sample as broadly across different fields. It is also, as you pointed out, extremely selective - in my application cycle I saw several people who ended up at Harvard, MIT, Stanford, UCSF, etc. get rejected. I got an interview/offer in part as a result of my time there as a Research Assistant, so I know the place pretty well and would be happy to answer questions. Generally speaking I highly recommend applying, although, as with many top schools, acceptance/rejection can sometimes just come down to chance, even among top tier applicants.

[SF370]

Hey!

I've been working at Rockefeller as a Research Assistant for the past 5 years, and I'd strongly recommend you to apply here. It's definitely a smaller school compared to the others, but the level of research that is done here is top-notch. The facilities, and the easy access to faculty members are certainly big pluses. Not to mention the great perks that graduate students receive such as subsidized housing in the Upper East Side, fair stipend, travel grants, and some others. And something else to keep in mind is that grad students here mostly take seminars, not regular classes. I've seen that becoming a problem for a lot students, especially when giving lab meetings. As far as admissions go, they have a very random system... I applied last cycle, and got rejected. I have great research experience, had great LOR's including one from the Head of a major lab here which I'm part of, etc and still didn't even make it to interviews. I know several grad students here who got accepted with ZERO research experience, others who had low GPA's and GRE scores, so it's very random.... Feel free to contact me should you have any questions!

[pavitraviswanath]

Hey Guys! I am applying to GSBS in UT Hosuton.. My Profile is as follows:

Undergrad Institute: BMS College of Engineering, bangalore, India

GPA: 8.4/10 (upto 6th semester).. will increase to atleast 8.7 in the next two semesters

GRE 307 (V 152 Q155 AWA 4)

TOEFL 107

I have worked on creating a targeted drug delivery system using DNA Origami for Prostate Cancer. We presented this in Biomod 2014, a biomolecular design competition organised by the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and we won silver award for our research. We have filed for a patent and our project is nearly complete.

I have interned in a Microbiology laboratory at Columbia Asia Referral Hospital for 2 months during my summer break.

I am currently working on biomarker identification for different cancers. I have identified more than 10 potential molecules for triple negative breast cancer and lung squamous carcinoma. I will be validating this in patient samples at an mRNA and protein level.

Any chance I have a shot? 

I am also planning to apply to:

University of Minnesota Twin Cities (MICAB)

Baylor College of Medicine

University of Chicago

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

New York Medical College

Upstate Medical University (safe choice)

Do you'll think I have a shot at Rockefeller or Scripps for my profile?

I would be grateful if you guys can let me know what you'll think! :)

[AD]

On 11/14/2015 at 6:54 PM, pavitraviswanath said:

Hey Guys! I am applying to GSBS in UT Hosuton.. My Profile is as follows:

Undergrad Institute: BMS College of Engineering, bangalore, India

GPA: 8.4/10 (upto 6th semester).. will increase to atleast 8.7 in the next two semesters

GRE 307 (V 152 Q155 AWA 4)

TOEFL 107

I have worked on creating a targeted drug delivery system using DNA Origami for Prostate Cancer. We presented this in Biomod 2014, a biomolecular design competition organised by the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and we won silver award for our research. We have filed for a patent and our project is nearly complete.

I have interned in a Microbiology laboratory at Columbia Asia Referral Hospital for 2 months during my summer break.

I am currently working on biomarker identification for different cancers. I have identified more than 10 potential molecules for triple negative breast cancer and lung squamous carcinoma. I will be validating this in patient samples at an mRNA and protein level.

Any chance I have a shot? 

I am also planning to apply to:

University of Minnesota Twin Cities (MICAB)

Baylor College of Medicine

University of Chicago

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

New York Medical College

Upstate Medical University (safe choice)

Do you'll think I have a shot at Rockefeller or Scripps for my profile?

I would be grateful if you guys can let me know what you'll think!

Redo the GRE get 320+ ull get to some top 10 schools !! best of luck

[biochemgirl67]

Dang this thread is old.  I think that anyone posting on here with their profile to get their chances should focus on having a good application overall.  What I'm trying to say is that you aren't guaranteed anything with certain scores.  Not that they aren't important, but just that at the top schools, it can seem a bit like a crap shoot.  I got interviews at Rockefeller, Princeton, university of Washington, and Vanderbilt with the same profile that got rejected from Harvard, UCSF, and Stanford.

[kshrestha]

On 2/1/2016 at 10:52 AM, biochemgirl67 said:

Dang this thread is old.  I think that anyone posting on here with their profile to get their chances should focus on having a good application overall.  What I'm trying to say is that you aren't guaranteed anything with certain scores.  Not that they aren't important, but just that at the top schools, it can seem a bit like a crap shoot.  I got interviews at Rockefeller, Princeton, university of Washington, and Vanderbilt with the same profile that got rejected from Harvard, UCSF, and Stanford.

Congrats on your interviews! I am starting my application this summer and I have somewhat similar stats but haven't taken my GREs yet, do you mind disclosing your GRE percentile range ? So far, I've read higher GRE really helps with getting fellowships and other financial benefits. But I just want to compare everything along with the test scores so I know where I stand and what I need (at min) to get for an admission or interview.