2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[MidnightShow]

11 hours ago, Gram Neutral said:

I applied to Northwestern DGP as well. I saw an invite went out in the results, but also a rejection went out. It seems that they send out a few waves. I doubt they would have gone through all their apps. When I emailed them with my semester grades around Christmas they said they hadn't even reviewed my application yet. 

Thanks for the info! I'm really holding out for them and UNC since my chances at Yale and JH were slim. No formal rejections yet though, so I'm trying to remain hopeful. 

Good luck to you! 

For those Tom Petty fans out there, and those of us who are getting very impatient:

[tcmazer]

Just got an interview email from the Van Andel Institute! 

 

Oh and I just called Duke's UPGG, and I can confirm that they've pretty much sent out all their invites, but there's a small chance they might send out more.

[biochemgirl67]

1 hour ago, HopefulPHD14 said:

Sorry but this got me thinking...  How does taking time off for a wedding/honeymoon work in grad school? 

I will likely be getting engaged between now and the start of grad school and married at some point during my 2nd year or so.  I would like to know ahead of time how taking time off in grad school works.  Would we have to split up the wedding and honeymoon?

THIS.  We were talking about getting engaged right between semesters the first year.  However, my partner won't be able to take more than like 2 days off because it will be a new job, so it'll be a small honeymoon.  We were thinking about getting married on like a Friday and being back at work on Tuesday or Wednesday.  From what I've heard, it depends on the lab, but I think you get time off.

EDIT:  This is why I don't do 2 things at once.  My partner and I want to get married between the first two semesters.  Geez why am I so incapable right now.

Edited January 12, 2016 by biochemgirl67

[bdnf_13.1]

1 hour ago, HopefulPHD14 said:

Sorry but this got me thinking...  How does taking time off for a wedding/honeymoon work in grad school? 

I will likely be getting engaged between now and the start of grad school and married at some point during my 2nd year or so.  I would like to know ahead of time how taking time off in grad school works.  Would we have to split up the wedding and honeymoon?

I have a friend (I was her undergrad assistant till she graduated) who found out her father had pancreatic cancer in her fourth year of grad school. Her PI let her take ample time off for mental health and she basically did half days for four or five months because she was at her breaking point anyway with everything else going on in her life. When she got everything under control she came back full time with the exception of the week and a half she took when her father passed away to be with her family. Many people in the lab have gotten married and gone on honeymoons and it seems that there is a specific time of year that it's best to go away as many people do so at the same time and the lab kind of slows down and takes a breather for this particular month... This is something to look for in an advisor- will they be open to letting you take a week or two for personal reasons? Do they believe in their students having a good work/life balance? Even more important, if something goes wrong, will they be supportive and let you do what you need to do for your own health and that of your family, whether it be mental or physical?

I personally am hoping to get engaged within the next couple years (we've been together since high school, mostly long distance since then) and get married two years after that if I go to school close enough to my SO for that to be practical. Things like destination weddings might be a bit more difficult in grad school, but I know I personally would LOVE a New England wedding- and all my schools are in that area anyway. I think that being assertive for yourself in matters like this is a personal skill that everyone needs to develop- unless you're asking for something excessive and unreasonable like a whole month off for a honeymoon or other trip.

The bigger issue, I think, will be finding the money for all those pinterest details we want to have for the wedding on a grad student stipend 

[Gram Neutral]

I called the school I hadn't heard from even though it said not to call with individuals requests and it turns out they forgot to send me the email weeks ago. So... Just adds evidence to the old idea that if you don't know, just call. 

[Gram Neutral]

I called the school I hadn't heard from even though it said not to call with individuals requests and it turns out they forgot to send me the email weeks ago. So... Just adds evidence to the old idea that if you don't know, just call. It's such a relief. That was my favorite school. 

Edited January 12, 2016 by Gram Neutral

[Yav Friendly]

Received email from Weill Cornell's travel agency. At least some email... By the way I am planning to post the 3000th post of this thread. Anyone competing?

[Haiqing]

Received an invitation from MIT microbiology. The interview day will be 2.16 or 2.29. So excited.

Edited January 12, 2016 by Haiqing

[peachypie]

3 hours ago, biochemgirl67 said:

THIS.  We were talking about getting engaged right between semesters the first year.  However, my partner won't be able to take more than like 2 days off because it will be a new job, so it'll be a small honeymoon.  We were thinking about getting married on like a Friday and being back at work on Tuesday or Wednesday.  From what I've heard, it depends on the lab, but I think you get time off.

EDIT:  This is why I don't do 2 things at once.  My partner and I want to get married between the first two semesters.  Geez why am I so incapable right now.

Depends on your program a lot but a lot of times your first year includes rotations which means you automatically get time off between the semester break.  That would be an ideal time.  I know people who got married between semesters of the first year and also people who got married during the first semester and honeymooned later. 

[peachypie]

2 hours ago, Gram Neutral said:

I called the school I hadn't heard from even though it said not to call with individuals requests and it turns out they forgot to send me the email weeks ago. So... Just adds evidence to the old idea that if you don't know, just call. 

for an invite or rejection?

[Gram Neutral]

3 minutes ago, peachypie said:

for an invite or rejection?

Neither. To confirm that my application was completed and they had it. I had never gotten a completion or an incomplete email so I was in limbo. Their application was only due Jan 1, and the email she sent said decisions would be sent out in late January aka the next 2 weeks. 

Edited January 12, 2016 by Gram Neutral

[YouCantBcereus]

5 hours ago, HopefulPHD14 said:

Sorry but this got me thinking...  How does taking time off for a wedding/honeymoon work in grad school? 

I will likely be getting engaged between now and the start of grad school and married at some point during my 2nd year or so.  I would like to know ahead of time how taking time off in grad school works.  Would we have to split up the wedding and honeymoon?

I think all schools have a set number of days allowed off for grad students, and then hopefully just discuss it and work it out with the professors and department at some point. My best friend is getting married next summer and I'm her MoH so I know I'll have to take some time off for her wedding, I'm hoping it'll all go well.

[biochemgirl67]

54 minutes ago, peachypie said:

Depends on your program a lot but a lot of times your first year includes rotations which means you automatically get time off between the semester break.  That would be an ideal time.  I know people who got married between semesters of the first year and also people who got married during the first semester and honeymooned later. 

Oh, I didn't know that the break would even be a possibility!  I'll have to check wherever I go.  Thank you!

[pcc2129]

5 hours ago, swiftninja said:

Did anyone apply to UC Berkeley IDI, USC Pharmaceutical & Translational Sciences, or UW Pharmaceutics? I don't know if this would be the wrong place to ask this.

I received an interview invite from Berkeley IDI yesterday.

[SpartanNerd1021]

Boston College Bio interview invite! SO excited. Boston is where I want to end up living  

I would love some advice as how to handle this situation for the interview weekend. In the email I received from BC, it says to let them know if I require any travel transportation or hotels while in Boston. My sister currently lives in the city, so would it be okay to let them know I am staying with her rather than a hotel? I still would need transportation there. I live close enough where I can take an Amtrak train. The interview is Thursday and Friday, but I'd like to stay the whole weekend. Should I ask for a one way train ticket or just pay for my own ticket? I feel like it doesn't look good for me to ask for a round trip train ticket when I'm staying an extra two days. 

[biotechie]

7 hours ago, HopefulPHD14 said:

Sorry but this got me thinking...  How does taking time off for a wedding/honeymoon work in grad school? 

I will likely be getting engaged between now and the start of grad school and married at some point during my 2nd year or so.  I would like to know ahead of time how taking time off in grad school works.  Would we have to split up the wedding and honeymoon?

We've been engaged for well over a year, now, and we haven't planned anything as we're waiting for him to move here. However, I also don't have time to plan a wedding more than 10 hours away! We're planning on doing a wedding when it gets closer to time for me to write my dissertation when my lab work slows down a little bit, a sort of last hurrah before the insanity begins. We'll either take a short honeymoon then or do a big one (like to Europe or Australia) after I graduate.

That said, it is going to depend on your progress as a graduate student, what your PI allows, and your program. Most programs don't give you actual vacation time as graduate students are paid at 50% time and are not full-time employees. My PI makes sure I get about 2 weeks off each year and the occasional random day, but I also work most weekends. I don't have to sign up for the time I take off unless I'm taking an unpaid leave of absence, which I don't recommend unless something is really wrong. That goes on your record. Your boss is also paying for your stipend out of grant money, so if you're gone for a while and there's no progress on your project, that's a problem. Are you in a project that has not given you good data in 6 months? You probably shouldn't take time off. Your PI might not be okay with you taking a whole month off to finish wedding prep, get married, and go on a honeymoon under normal circumstances, but especially if you've not published. It also looks really bad to others if you're gone all the time. People who finish their PhDs in the normal 5.5 years are most often the people who are around and working.

I highly recommend against scheduling a wedding before you're done with classes or your qualifying exam. For most of you, that's 2.5 years into grad school. This is because your lab time is limited until then, so taking time off to leave and get married really takes away from getting things done and could make your PI less than happy with your progress. If you do get married in grad school, go home for a week or so to get married, and then go on your honeymoon some other time, that way you're not gone too much. You don't HAVE to split them up, but it is a good idea. If you're not wanting to split them up, consider making up the time on weekends you normally wouldn't work. I think the best times are right after your qual, when you're sortof expected to take a tiny break, and right before you start writing your dissertation. A lot of engaged women try to get married right after their qual, and then aim for baby #1 around the time they're writing their dissertation as most schools offer the bare minimum maternity leave. I don't want kids, but I definitely couldn't imagine having one in graduate school.

The best thing you can do is be honest with your PI. When you get engaged, tell them. They'll most likely be happy for you, and they may bring up the topic of your wedding and honeymoon right then and there. Find out what their expectations are of you and what they'll be okay with ahead of time, before you start planning your wedding.

[aichan93]

Does anyone know if MD Anderson(UTHouston) has sent out their invites? I'm an international. Also waiting for Rockefeller ~

[ctenophora]

On January 11, 2016 at 1:47 PM, cephnerd said:

Just saw that the application deadline for Duke's PhD program in biology has been extended...by a month and a half... Not enough decent applicants by the original Dec. 1 deadline, or am I reading too far into this?

Weird.  Did you apply, too?  Do you think this means we should be anticipating later notifications?

[immuno91]

3 hours ago, SpartanNerd1021 said:

Boston College Bio interview invite! SO excited. Boston is where I want to end up living  

I would love some advice as how to handle this situation for the interview weekend. In the email I received from BC, it says to let them know if I require any travel transportation or hotels while in Boston. My sister currently lives in the city, so would it be okay to let them know I am staying with her rather than a hotel? I still would need transportation there. I live close enough where I can take an Amtrak train. The interview is Thursday and Friday, but I'd like to stay the whole weekend. Should I ask for a one way train ticket or just pay for my own ticket? I feel like it doesn't look good for me to ask for a round trip train ticket when I'm staying an extra two days. 

I think if you were to contact them and say that you wanted to spend a little extra time in the city it might actually look good because it shows how interested you are in moving to Boston.

[Ferroportin]

Do y'all think its okay to bring a backpack to interviews for carrying padfolios and other misc items? I was thinking just a plain black computer bag of some sort. 

[aichan93]

3 hours ago, Ferroportin said:

Do y'all think its okay to bring a backpack to interviews for carrying padfolios and other misc items? I was thinking just a plain black computer bag of some sort. 

I just brought my backpack with extra copies of my cv. I don't think it's such a big deal what bag you bring. 

[Earl]

For Weill Cornell folks, have any of you received interview schedules yet?

 

[Yav Friendly]

29 minutes ago, Earl said:

For Weill Cornell folks, have any of you received interview schedules yet?

 

PBSB. And yes. But I am rescheduled to Feb 10th-12th. What do you mean by schedules? I received email from Travel agency. I am still waiting on who I am gonna meet on my interview date.

[Earl]

Just now, Yav Friendly said:

PBSB. And yes. But I am rescheduled to Feb 10th-12th. What do you mean by schedules? I received email from Travel agency. I am still waiting on who I am gonna meet on my interview date.

Yeah re interview schedules, I was talking about the list of the faculty who will be interviewing with you.  I hope they share this info early...  

[Yav Friendly]

7 minutes ago, Earl said:

Yeah re interview schedules, I was talking about the list of the faculty who will be interviewing with you.  I hope they share this info early...  

Are you Jan or Feb?