2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[Focus]

1 minute ago, HopefulPHD14 said:

Do you guys think this email was intended for me or a mistake?  They probably are really inviting me for an interview right?  They just copy pasted the email and forgot to change my name? Right?  This isnt some cruel joke right?

Ahh, that's excruciatingly awkward. 

[HopefulPHD14]

Just now, Focus said:

Ahh, that's excruciatingly awkward. 

It's so awkward.... I mean.... I am almost certain whoever sent the email was just copying and pasting the same email and forgot to change the name.  The persons name starts with the same letter as mine even so if they went alphabetically i would likely be next.... but its still so weird.  I want to be excited (and I think I should be) but I am hesitant too!

6 minutes ago, RaganSmash said:

All you can do is email back and ask.

And I did.  I sent back a carefully worded thank you (I think) email haha.  Hopefully I will know for sure soon.

[HopefulPHD14]

It was me! Yay! Haha.  

That was terrifying

[levodopa]

Just now, HopefulPHD14 said:

It was me! Yay! Haha.  

That was terrifying

Congrats!

Sometimes they make mistakes but it was still intended for you!

[mwgskol]

Just now, HopefulPHD14 said:

It was me! Yay! Haha.  

That was terrifying

That was fast  congrats!

[biosci]

9 minutes ago, HopefulPHD14 said:

It was me! Yay! Haha.  

That was terrifying

Congrats!

[peachypie]

7 hours ago, breaker746 said:

Have a question. I realized that I'm probably taking on too many interviews, and it seems like an exhausting and time consuming process. I'll hear back from one of my top choice schools by end of January and all of my interviews come afterwards, so if if things work out I'd be interested in cancelling 2-3 of them. How bad is it to cancel an interview 1) before making travel arrangements 2) after making travel arrangements (e.g. flight)? I would just feel really guilty doing so after the administrators and professors took the time to figure out scheduling, to arrange hotels, etc. but would be really be helpful for my own schedule

It is really bad form to cancel interviews.  Why would you accept if you have already the intent of not attending?  This is a logistical nightmare for schools that arranged travel.  It causes them to have wasted money on you for travel arrangements which they can't simply get more to invite another person.  Also...why would you wait to hear from other schools and do so that late in the game?  Does hearing from one school at the end of january mean that suddenly those 2-3 schools are irrelevant?  You should feel guilty because if you weren't sure or had an idea that you would consider not attending an interview you should have told a school ahead of time and declined the offer. 

 

[peachypie]

6 hours ago, HopefulPHD14 said:

Has anyone else on here heard anything additional from UCSB after that first correspondence?  

Would you call or email?

And what should I say?  "Just checking in, wanted to make sure you still know I exist!"
I don't want to annoy them, but I also feel weird that I haven't heard anything at all in over 2 weeks now.  I know its probably not the case, but I am worried something happened and they forgot about me.

I'd email with the person you were in contact with.  I'd say something like, just wanted to make sure there was nothing more on my side necessary to be done for travel arrangements or something to that extent.  They are really busy so they may have simply forgotten or thought they emailed you back.  If you've been extended an interview I don't see harm in emailing about this because it is certainly important for you and them to make sure everything is set up in a timely manner.

[pot8o]

Just called up Caltech. They said I would not be getting an interview invite. Poop   My fingers are now crossed for MIT, and UCSF tetrad.

[peachypie]

6 hours ago, SL52 said:

Thanks for the info, I haven't checked the results database in a while.. doesn't look like many/any other international applicants have heard yet either . Congrats to your daughter on the interviews!

On another note, I just received my first interview invite! It was in the form of an email from a professor at the University, arranging a skype interview and asking when I'd be available. Any idea of what kind of interview this will be? will I have to read up on his publications etc? It wasn't anyone I mentioned in my SOP, so is it likely just to be a more informal chat kind of deal?
Cheers!

I would assume a general interview where they tell you about the program/university and themselves a bit.  Ask you a few questions.  I would read up on publications maybe the most recent 2-3 at least abstracts to familiarize yourself with their work.  It can't hurt if the research comes up and you can ask an insightful question.  Just because they aren't someone on your SOP doesn't mean they aren't on the admissions committee.  I don't know why you would think because you didn't note them that this is less formal. 

[peachypie]

6 hours ago, SL52 said:

Thanks for the info mate, definitely best to over-prepare as you say! Best get studying I guess

Would this be most likely a preliminary interview, or the first of multiple interviews, as I assume there would have to be one with multiple interview panel members etc? Bit vague on the details, and I'm not that familiar with how these things generally work in the USA.

my guess is you probably won't have more than this one.

[peachypie]

5 hours ago, GradApplicant2016 said:

Has anyone else applied to UCLA (Cell and Developmental Biology) and received multiple application status emails? I received one about a month ago listing all the components of my application with CV flagged because I guess I did not upload it it. I emailed it to them and they uploaded it right away. Got the same email a week or two later, this time will all components accounted for. Just now I got the same email again, the only difference is the subject which now says "FINAL UPDATE: Status of your UCLA Molecular Biology IDP Application". It just shows that all components have been submitted and says if I'm missing anything then to email it to them and if the "documents come by the middle-end of January, then you should be okay." 

I saw that they already sent out interview invites in December so I assumed a rejection was forthcoming (from the grad survey it doesn't look like they do waves). But receiving the same email for the third time confused me a bit...it's making me paranoid that I'm missing something and they are trying to let me know, but I've read the email a million times and everything is accounted for. Anyone else receive this??

Probably just an automated email. 

[Infinito]

Just a reminder for people to stop spamming and posting in succession. Just edit your previous post and use multiquote. No need to bump up your post count nor add more pages of text for people to read.

[peachypie]

2 hours ago, Earl said:

Question:  if you haven't gotten an interview or rejection yet from one of your top choice schools (but you know invites already went out), is it alright to call the admissions and try to make your case.. ie. say i've gotten invites into other top tier schools such as X, Y, Z, but am really interested more in this program...  or would they just pretty much ignore this?

 

I'd let it go.  You can't convince them by calling an admin and kind of saying you still want to go, well of course...you do.

[peachypie]

1 hour ago, HopefulPHD14 said:

Weird question guys...

I just got an email from a school that addressed me by name, however that name was not my name (Hello X, instead of my name Y)

Do you guys think this email was intended for me or a mistake?  They probably are really inviting me for an interview right?  They just copy pasted the email and forgot to change my name? Right?  This isnt some cruel joke right?

That is weird. Follow up and make sure you are the person they intended to send it too.  It could be as simple copy/paste error but you dont want to get something confused.

[grad2016molbio]

5 hours ago, GradApplicant2016 said:

Has anyone else applied to UCLA (Cell and Developmental Biology) and received multiple application status emails? I received one about a month ago listing all the components of my application with CV flagged because I guess I did not upload it it. I emailed it to them and they uploaded it right away. Got the same email a week or two later, this time will all components accounted for. Just now I got the same email again, the only difference is the subject which now says "FINAL UPDATE: Status of your UCLA Molecular Biology IDP Application". It just shows that all components have been submitted and says if I'm missing anything then to email it to them and if the "documents come by the middle-end of January, then you should be okay." 

I saw that they already sent out interview invites in December so I assumed a rejection was forthcoming (from the grad survey it doesn't look like they do waves). But receiving the same email for the third time confused me a bit...it's making me paranoid that I'm missing something and they are trying to let me know, but I've read the email a million times and everything is accounted for. Anyone else receive this??

I got an interview from them before the holidays and they purchased my flights 2 days ago and I still got this email. I think it's just automated.

[SpartanNerd1021]

For anyone who applied to Northwestern IBiS, I just got an email from the assistant director of the program for Biology and they are still reviewing applications. She said interview invites will continue to be extended through the next two weeks! 

[pot8o]

6 hours ago, GradApplicant2016 said:

Has anyone else applied to UCLA (Cell and Developmental Biology) and received multiple application status emails?

Yes, Its an automated email they send to everyone under biosciences. I got another one today (third one I think),  even after all my criteria are checked off as complete and I have already received an interview a month ago.

[Ash04]

Has anyone applied to Duke, Molecular Cancer Biology Program? I don't see many results on the survey page

[Bioexpress]

Hey everyone, I got an email from one of the schools I applied to where they asked for a 4th rec letter from a PI that I worked with. The thing is that this PI lost their tenure, and no longer works as a faculty member at any school at the moment. Besides, I did not have an amicable relationship with this particular PI and would not trust them to write a favorable rec letter. How would I respond to the admissions office regarding their request? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

[peachypie]

3 minutes ago, Bioexpress said:

Hey everyone, I got an email from one of the schools I applied to where they asked for a 4th rec letter from a PI that I worked with. The thing is that this PI lost their tenure, and no longer works as a faculty member at any school at the moment. Besides, I did not have an amicable relationship with this particular PI and would not trust them to write a favorable rec letter. How would I respond to the admissions office regarding their request? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

I dunno.  That is a tough position.  You didn't work for any other PIs that you could ask from.  If you have to I would explain to the school the situation and say that you don't believe that this person may be the best person to recommend you.  Is there anyone at that person's lab that you  may have worked more closely with that can speak more to your abilities?  Be straight with them.  I think they'll understand if you say that this professor no longer is at the university or any university for that matter. 

[missacruzz]

2 hours ago, peachypie said:

It is really bad form to cancel interviews.  Why would you accept if you have already the intent of not attending?  This is a logistical nightmare for schools that arranged travel.  It causes them to have wasted money on you for travel arrangements which they can't simply get more to invite another person.  Also...why would you wait to hear from other schools and do so that late in the game?  Does hearing from one school at the end of january mean that suddenly those 2-3 schools are irrelevant?  You should feel guilty because if you weren't sure or had an idea that you would consider not attending an interview you should have told a school ahead of time and declined the offer. 

 

I would disagree with this. It might be bad form, kindof, but the school can probably get some money back from canceling the flight (or may be able to change the flight to accommodate another student). If said person went, they would not only be wasting the schools time but also their own time. It may be an inconvenience, but if you know you're not going to that school, why waste their time when they could be spending more time with the students that have agreed to go or perhaps with another student? 

If going to an interview is going to cause you to miss more school/work, then this is especially important. You're probably missing a lot of class anyway. I'll be gone for nearly 40% of my quarter, which is going to be really hard. If I knew I wasn't interested in the school, even if it is a little bit of bad form, I would just explain that I can't miss any more school. 

[Focus]

41 minutes ago, Bioexpress said:

Hey everyone, I got an email from one of the schools I applied to where they asked for a 4th rec letter from a PI that I worked with. The thing is that this PI lost their tenure, and no longer works as a faculty member at any school at the moment. Besides, I did not have an amicable relationship with this particular PI and would not trust them to write a favorable rec letter. How would I respond to the admissions office regarding their request? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

I was put in a similar position. However, I still maintain contact with this mentor and he is still employed where I was researching with him.
The program contacted me because I stated I accomplished X and Y with him which they were impressed with, yet I did not include him as a letter writer (because he isn't exactly in my desired field). Only a day after the letter was submitted, I was invited to an interview. In my case, it seemed that the program simply seeking verification that I did do X, Y, and Z for this professor as I worked with him in a fairly limited capacity other than these two things.

I only offer this as a counterargument to peachypie (above). While it may be true that this person may not be the best person to speak of your abilities, it may further suspicion if they (for some reason) are seeking verification of a specific part of your SOP or application. Obviously, this is a very application specific dilemma; I wish you the best of luck!

[peachypie]

1 minute ago, missacruzz said:

I would disagree with this. It might be bad form, kindof, but the school can probably get some money back from canceling the flight (or may be able to change the flight to accommodate another student). If said person went, they would not only be wasting the schools time but also their own time. It may be an inconvenience, but if you know you're not going to that school, why waste their time when they could be spending more time with the students that have agreed to go or perhaps with another student? 

If going to an interview is going to cause you to miss more school/work, then this is especially important. You're probably missing a lot of class anyway. I'll be gone for nearly 40% of my quarter, which is going to be really hard. If I knew I wasn't interested in the school, even if it is a little bit of bad form, I would just explain that I can't miss any more school. 

Most flights are non-transferable.  The lesson is they should never have said yes at this point than to say yes and then a few weeks later decide not anymore.  Its extremely selfish and immature to think that you are the end all and be all of this process.  Why would you have accepted an interview in the first place if you couldn't miss more school or wasn't interested?  Also why would having a top program get back to you by the end of this month mean you would want to cancel 2-3 interviews you said yes to. 

[jordy_protein]

3 hours ago, Immunolog said:

Me too. I called and they said all invites went out

Oh wow. Didn't expect that  Thanks for posting.