2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[aichan93]

@Ecogirl5 Stanford Biology is under the 14 home programs of biosciences. If you indicated other departments you were interested in, they might have sent your app to be reviewed by the other departments. You were asked to pick up to 3 additional home programs you were interested in, I think. 

[HopefulPHD14]

12 hours ago, katpillow said:

From personal experience, you'd be all the more ready to kick ass and take names if you end up working in a research role after UG, if nothing else. Not getting in right now is not failing by any means. You will succeed!

Taking time off was the best thing I did!  I was unsure about grad school a few years ago so I got a job in industry as a research assistant.  Now I know that without a doubt grad school is where I am supposed to be and I am so excited.  Gap year(s) are not a bad thing at all!  I actually would recommend them to anyone who is on the fence about grad school even a little bit.  Plus, I got to save a bit of money which will be super nice to have in grad school in case of an emergency. 

[brainsandeggs]

18 hours ago, ultravioletblack said:

Just curious, why didn't you ask for hotel accommodations? I live about an hour away (subway commute) from one of my interview schools and I asked for a room the night before the interview just because I thought it would be more convenient. Since the interview day starts around 8am - 9am, I didn't want to feel rushed or have to wear my nice clothes on dirty, smelly public transportation. I get that it might seem greedy to ask for lodging when I live in state, but I figure the school probably prepared for the cost and they still end up saving on travel expenses for me, anyway.

...Was that a bad idea? 

I don't think so - I'm i the same situation, but I chose not to do the hotel just so I can get ready and everything in my own house - but I don't think the school will care either way IMO. 

[pm666]

4 hours ago, levodopa said:

Got an interview offer from Baylor!

Unfortunately it conflicts with another interview so sads

OOOh congrats! Im still waiting! Which program??

Good luck:)

[pm666]

On January 14, 2016 at 0:22 PM, YouCantBcereus said:

So I emailed both UNC and Emory yesterday ( I know, I know.. I'm impatient ) and I got replies this morning,

UNC is about 3/4 of the way done with reviewing apps. There are still interview offers to be sent and they will most likely be done no later than the end of next week. They don't have a final decision for me yet so fingers crossed!!

Emory's MMG sent out several rejections yesterday and I was told I wasn't among them. About an hour later I got an email that I was waitlisted. I'm not surprised, and I'm glad I know now.

 

Good luck to everyone leaving for interviews today, you'll do great!!

 

 

I emailed UNC BBSP and they said the same thing, that she doesn't see a decision on my file! This waiting game is crazy  But, what worries me is I dont see a wave of UNC rejections on the survey..

 

Edited January 15, 2016 by pm666
spelling

[Gram Neutral]

I'm so relieved. I finally got my first interview at Saint Louis University. There was a mix up with my grades and scores and a few hours after sending them those, they offered it. I'm beyond relieved. 

[Infinito]

Rockefeller rejection finally came in. Yay. Moving on. 
So not looking forward to finally getting the other rejections at the end of the game, just to have them open up a wound. 

[ForScience!]

Rejected from Rockefeller.
Oh well, better now than getting a random email in March 

On an off note, got an interview from Boston University.

[levodopa]

49 minutes ago, pm666 said:

OOOh congrats! Im still waiting! Which program??

Good luck:)

Thank you! From Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 

But, I'll most likely be declining the offer since I can't attend the date they gave me.

[levodopa]

27 minutes ago, ForScience! said:

Rejected from Rockefeller.
Oh well, better now than getting a random email in March 

On an off note, got an interview from Boston University.

Congrats on the interview from BU!

[YouCantBcereus]

46 minutes ago, pm666 said:

I emailed UNC BBSP and they said the same thing, that she doesn't see a decision on my file! This waiting game is crazy  But, what worries me is I dont see a wave of UNC rejections on the survey..

 

I submitted my application on the deadline so i figured it would be a while before I heard back. Maybe they'll just release everything at once at this point? They're the last school I'm waiting to hear back from, waiting is so hard. I hope (if I get an interview) that their weekends are towards the end of February, I'm all booked up til then. 

[ForScience!]

21 minutes ago, levodopa said:

Congrats on the interview from BU!

Thank you!  

[SpartanNerd1021]

1 hour ago, ForScience! said:

Rejected from Rockefeller.
Oh well, better now than getting a random email in March 

On an off note, got an interview from Boston University.

I applied to BU Bio as well. Did you get a phone call or an email?

[ForScience!]

9 minutes ago, SpartanNerd1021 said:

I applied to BU Bio as well. Did you get a phone call or an email?

I got an email from them:

Thank you for your interest in the PhD program in the Department of Biology at Boston University.  The Admissions Committee was very impressed with your record. Based on their overwhelmingly positive evaluation I am pleased to invite you to attend our Recruitment Weekend for potential graduate students, which will be:
 
Sunday, February 28 and Monday, February 29, 2016
 

I haven't confirmed with them yet whether I am going or not, since Rockefeller was on the same date. But now that I have been rejected from Rockefeller, I suppose I will send them an email tonight/Monday

[SpartanNerd1021]

21 minutes ago, ForScience! said:

I got an email from them:

Thank you for your interest in the PhD program in the Department of Biology at Boston University.  The Admissions Committee was very impressed with your record. Based on their overwhelmingly positive evaluation I am pleased to invite you to attend our Recruitment Weekend for potential graduate students, which will be:
 
Sunday, February 28 and Monday, February 29, 2016
 

I haven't confirmed with them yet whether I am going or not, since Rockefeller was on the same date. But now that I have been rejected from Rockefeller, I suppose I will send them an email tonight/Monday

congrats!

I didn't receive anything so I am assuming I didn't get an interview.

[MoBio16]

I HATE this waiting period!  Anyone hear from UCLA or USC for Molecular Bio??

[pm666]

1 hour ago, YouCantBcereus said:

I submitted my application on the deadline so i figured it would be a while before I heard back. Maybe they'll just release everything at once at this point? They're the last school I'm waiting to hear back from, waiting is so hard. I hope (if I get an interview) that their weekends are towards the end of February, I'm all booked up til then. 

Yeah maybe! I haven't gotten a single interview, so I am banking on this one  I did submit second week of Nov and Im just trying to stay positive. I was so ecstatic when I saw the email about no decision on my file .hahaha. Good luck with your other interviews, You'll crush them

[ForScience!]

36 minutes ago, SpartanNerd1021 said:

congrats!

I didn't receive anything so I am assuming I didn't get an interview.

I think they are sending them out in batches, because I saw in the results page that someone received an invite before Christmas, and I only just got one yesterday.

34 minutes ago, MoBio16 said:

I HATE this waiting period!  Anyone hear from UCLA or USC for Molecular Bio??

UCLA sent out a number of invites before Christmas, but someone posted on this forum yesterday that they got an invite, so I am guessing they are also sending out in batches. I am also waiting on UCLA's interview  

[pm666]

On December 21, 2015 at 11:12 AM, AtomDance said:

I did get an email from BCM last week from Molecular & Human Genetics (IMBS was my 2nd choice program, incidentally). I wouldn't lose hope on BCM just yet...  I had my application in by the priority deadline (December 1st) instead of waiting for the final January 1st deadline, which may be why I heard from the relatively early? And IMBS may have a later review schedule than M&HG anyway. Have you checked the BCM application portal? They tell you if your application is currently active in your 1st or 2nd choice program. If yours still says IMBS as your "active" program, they're probably still working on it!

Thanks for your reply..:) I got my application in on Nov 22nd.  The administrator just told me that reviews are still not complete for IMBS and the final review day is January 29th. So I am trying to stay positive. In the application status check, IMBS is still the active program. Keeping fingers crossed. 

[swiftninja]

Is anyone still waiting to hear back from UCSD? Or should I assume rejection at this point? 

[HopefulPHD14]

5 minutes ago, swiftninja said:

Is anyone still waiting to hear back from UCSD? Or should I assume rejection at this point? 

I am still hopeful and waiting (however I am expecting a rejection at this point).

[MEISFFSNLE]

22 hours ago, lncRNAdude said:

3 rejections, 0 interviews. This has been the most worrisome few weeks of my undergraduate career. 

I know how you feel. It sucks. Stay positive nonetheless.

[mwgskol]

Hey everyone, I would like some fashion advice! 

Do you think that I can wear something like this for my interview? Some school specified dress code as business casual and the others didn't say.

 

[Neist]

3 minutes ago, mwgskol said:

Hey everyone, I would like some fashion advice! 

Do you think that I can wear something like this for my interview? Some school specified dress code as business casual and the others didn't say.

I know nothing of biology graduate programs, but I've worked in a law school full-time for the last decade. As such, i see a lot of potential applicants passing through, and, at least for law school standards, which are fairly high, I think you'd be fine wearing that. I wouldn't wear that interviews for an MBA program, but I bet it's fine for bio.

But someone else might want to chime in. Like I said, I know nothing about standards in biology departments.

[mwgskol]

Just now, Neist said:

I know nothing of biology graduate programs, but I've worked in a law school full-time for the last decade. As such, i see a lot of potential applicants passing through, and, at least for law school standards, which are fairly high, I think you'd be fine wearing that. I wouldn't wear that interviews for an MBA program, but I bet it's fine for bio.

But someone else might want to chime in. Like I said, I know nothing about standards in biology departments.

Do you think I should just go for a standard suit then? I feel like I'll be very uncomfortable wearing those but if that's what it takes to fit in.... then I guess I could do that