2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[coollyboy]

Has anyone heard back from Dartmouth MCB, USC PIBBS and Tufts CMDB?

I've seen some of them said they were arranged for interview on the survey.

Anybody got any feedbacks?

[SL52]

On January 29, 2016 at 0:36 AM, michi1987 said:

Hey! No I didn't ask for clarification, just in general. But she made it seem like its a long process and that they still have a long way to go in terms of reviewing apps and extending interviews, so don't lose hope yet!! I was confused by the rejection I saw in the results section though.

Reassuring to hear, I'm also an international applicant waiting to hear back from Vanderbilt's IGP

[DJ]

13 hours ago, shadenitro said:

Are you talking about the Weill Cornell program or the Cornell BMCB program?

 

I'd applied to the program at Cornell and haven't heard back yet :/

yes... I am talking about weil cornell BCMB program not BMCB... there is a difference between two..

[DJ]

21 hours ago, ForScience! said:

Got my first acceptance just 30 mins ago! Cornell BCMB I am going to be a grad student starting next fall, folks!

Congratulations.. are the invites for cornell BCMB interview already sent? or are they sending in intervals? any idea...

[novicescientist]

Hello all 

 

My 1st interview is next week at Penn State. Can anyone help me ease my nervous. How was the interview process? what type of questions were asked (either in PennState or any other interview). 

 

 

[G]

On 1/28/2016 at 9:40 PM, Ash04 said:

Does anyone know if Vanderbilt IGP has sent all the invitations or if they are still reviewing?

 

Did any international students get invitation from Vanderbilt? I saw one on the survey

Not yet. I'm am international student waiting for a reply. It looks like they are taking pretty long this year. 

[breaker746]

8 hours ago, novicescientist said:

Hello all 

 

My 1st interview is next week at Penn State. Can anyone help me ease my nervous. How was the interview process? what type of questions were asked (either in PennState or any other interview). 

 

 

I had my first interview last weekend and though I didn't think it went amazingly well (one interviewer asked me about stuff I didn't know but probably should've related to my research), it still worked out. To prep just make sure you know your research very well and look up the most recent publications of the interviewers on Pub Med so you can ask them good questions. Main thing is to talk about your research in a way that makes it clear that you know where your works fits in to the bigger picture. They may also ask "why immunology" or why "Penn State". Then they'll talk about their research for a while (or ask them about it if they don't naturally) and then you're supposed to ask intelligent questions about it. At the end they'll ask if you have any questions for them at which point you can ask them what they think is great about the institution, ask about collaboration or ask more about their research. Overall it's extremely relaxed (I had no nervousness) and you may find that the profs are trying to sell the school to you. Good luck!

[aks42]

10 hours ago, novicescientist said:

Hello all 

 

My 1st interview is next week at Penn State. Can anyone help me ease my nervous. How was the interview process? what type of questions were asked (either in PennState or any other interview). 

 

 

I just had my first interview weekend this past weekend. It was a lot more casual than I thought it would be; less formal interview and more conversational. I'm going to parrot some of what breaker746 said, though: make sure you can talk about your research, be able to answer the "why this field/why this school" questions, and ask your interviewers questions either about the program or their research. I understand being nervous, so just do whatever you do to relax and calm your nerves and you'll do fine!

[novicescientist]

hello fellow applicants!!! 

 

I have an interesting idea that I am working on and would like to get your feedback! 

I leave wednesday for my 1st interview and I know I will be asked about my research endeavors. I have co-authored a few publications. In order to make sure I come across intelligent and because I am visual learner, I thought to making a ppt of my work. So, when asked I can pull out my ppt slides and walk through my work. What do yall think?

[adiJ]

52 minutes ago, novicescientist said:

hello fellow applicants!!! 

 

I have an interesting idea that I am working on and would like to get your feedback! 

I leave wednesday for my 1st interview and I know I will be asked about my research endeavors. I have co-authored a few publications. In order to make sure I come across intelligent and because I am visual learner, I thought to making a ppt of my work. So, when asked I can pull out my ppt slides and walk through my work. What do yall think?

my PI vehemently said not to do that, however I know some people who did. You can bring out a pen and paper and maybe illustrate, but these are barely interviews, more like conversations, so everything should be pretty natural

[Hexokinase1]

Did anyone who interviewed at UCSF BMS last weekend hear back about an acceptance? A grad student I spoke with during the invite weekend said in the previous years people would hear back about acceptances a few days after the interview...but I haven't seen anyone mention anything yet. :/ 

Edited February 1, 2016 by Hexokinase1

[123hardasABC]

1 hour ago, novicescientist said:

hello fellow applicants!!! 

 

I have an interesting idea that I am working on and would like to get your feedback! 

I leave wednesday for my 1st interview and I know I will be asked about my research endeavors. I have co-authored a few publications. In order to make sure I come across intelligent and because I am visual learner, I thought to making a ppt of my work. So, when asked I can pull out my ppt slides and walk through my work. What do yall think?

 

Don't. At most bring a notepad and maybe sketch something out **IF** they ask for something specific. Obviously I can't speak for every school but a good part of the interview is to see if you can hold an academic conversation, not to quiz you research minutia. Talk about your research as if you're explaining the abstract. 

Also, watch this NIH lecture on interviewing: http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=9809&bhcp=1 

Edited February 1, 2016 by 123hardasABC
Bolding for emphasis.

[Neuro PolarBear]

50 minutes ago, novicescientist said:

hello fellow applicants!!! 

 

I have an interesting idea that I am working on and would like to get your feedback! 

I leave wednesday for my 1st interview and I know I will be asked about my research endeavors. I have co-authored a few publications. In order to make sure I come across intelligent and because I am visual learner, I thought to making a ppt of my work. So, when asked I can pull out my ppt slides and walk through my work. What do yall think?

I would advise against this. As others have said, the interviews are quite conversational, and I wouldn't worry too much about them. They're mainly looking that you know the larger context of your research, so it's not about knowing the nitty details of individual figures. If it would help you explain, maybe you could ask to draw things out? Some PIs have drawn out things to me, so I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you did for them.

I think you'll find that the interview will go by quickly! They're just as much for you to get a feel for the program, and at most schools getting an interview is the hardest part, so if you get an interview the odds are likely that you'll get in!

[novicescientist]

27 minutes ago, 123hardasABC said:

 

Don't. At most bring a notepad and maybe sketch something out **IF** they ask for something specific. Obviously I can't speak for every school but a good part of the interview is to see if you can hold an academic conversation, not to quiz you research minutia. Talk about your research as if you're explaining the abstract. 

Also, watch this NIH lecture on interviewing: http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=9809&bhcp=1 

Thanks!!

[ForScience!]

On 31/01/2016 at 9:27 PM, DJ said:

Congratulations.. are the invites for cornell BCMB interview already sent? or are they sending in intervals? any idea...

Hey DJ,

 

I am not exactly sure. But since they have another interview weekend, I have an inkling that they might send out a few more in February. Can't be 100% sure though, sorry

[brainsandeggs]

Finally got an acceptance! From Mount Sinai Neuro !

[kokobanana]

57 minutes ago, brainsandeggs said:

Finally got an acceptance! From Mount Sinai Neuro !

Awesome! Congratulations!

[brainsandeggs]

28 minutes ago, kokobanana said:

Awesome! Congratulations!

Thank you so much! (Also congrats to you I saw you got some big acceptances also

[DJ]

17 hours ago, ForScience! said:

Hey DJ,

 

I am not exactly sure. But since they have another interview weekend, I have an inkling that they might send out a few more in February. Can't be 100% sure though, sorry

Thank you very much for your help..  Let see what will happen...

[thorerges]

Anyone know how long it takes for schools to reply post-interviews?

[123hardasABC]

7 minutes ago, thorerges said:

Anyone know how long it takes for schools to reply post-interviews?

Depends on the school. Some schools take weeks, others only a few days.

[mrpoopybutthole]

41 minutes ago, thorerges said:

Anyone know how long it takes for schools to reply post-interviews?

My two interviews had both said 2 weeks and the first one was pretty accurate. They'll tell you if you ask.

[peachypie]

23 hours ago, novicescientist said:

hello fellow applicants!!! 

 

I have an interesting idea that I am working on and would like to get your feedback! 

I leave wednesday for my 1st interview and I know I will be asked about my research endeavors. I have co-authored a few publications. In order to make sure I come across intelligent and because I am visual learner, I thought to making a ppt of my work. So, when asked I can pull out my ppt slides and walk through my work. What do yall think?

pretty unnecessary, if you  need to explain your work you should be able to simplify it down to a general summary with the ability to go deeper if they ask.  Having a ppt is way more than expected and almost would look like you aren't at ease talking about your research in conversation without the help of aids.

[biochemm]

Anyone here been to the first BU PiBS weekend? Thoughts on the weekend?

I'm scheduled for the second session (ie. this friday) but they put me down for meetings with three profs that I didn't specify (I put down three that I'm interested in and another three that are somewhat related to my interests and they scheduled me with an entirely different set of three maybe 25% related to my field). Obviously I'll keep an open mind but I found it kind of weird since the likelihood that I would want to work with these guys is pretty low (ie they work in transcription and cell bio when I'm in metabolism).

I'm assuming that since I was emailed the schedule a week after the first weekend, I get whatever is left in the nutrition appointments but who knows.

[biotechie]

On January 31, 2016 at 5:51 PM, novicescientist said:

hello fellow applicants!!! 

 

I have an interesting idea that I am working on and would like to get your feedback! 

I leave wednesday for my 1st interview and I know I will be asked about my research endeavors. I have co-authored a few publications. In order to make sure I come across intelligent and because I am visual learner, I thought to making a ppt of my work. So, when asked I can pull out my ppt slides and walk through my work. What do yall think?

I did take a printout of a couple of my more complicated figures as I was coming in from a M.S. and expected more rigorous interviewing. While I pulled a single figure out in one interview, it was highly unnecessary. They'll be much more impressed that you have a good grasp on your data when you can draw things out for them or discuss casually and still get your point across.