2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[bsharpe269]

On 11/12/2015, 8:46:17, TheKinaser said:

Anyone applying to the following?

 

MIT (Biology)

University of North Carolina (ChemBio/MedChem)

Yale (BBS/MMPP)

University of Michigan (ChemBio)

University of Washington (BPSD)

University of Wisconsin (Molecular & Cellular Pharm.)

 

I interviewed (and got an offer) from UW BPSD last year. I didn't end up there but if you have questions about the interview or anything else then feel free to ask.

 

[ruckaround]

Undergrad Institution: Medium-ish Public University, USNWR puts us at ~50s for biological sciences
Major(s): Neuroscience by way of psychology
Minor(s): N/A
GPA in Major: 3.99
Overall GPA: 3.99
Position in Class: Graduated summa cum laude
Type of Student: Domestic, male, white

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 165/64% (oooof)
V: 163/92%
W: 5.0/93%
B: N/A

Research Experience: 

Two years spread across two unrelated labs during my undergraduate. Good exposure and set me on my current path, but not much to show for it. 1.5 years since graduation full-time tech in cell biology lab. Middle author pub, independent project, lots of skills. I'm very passionate about the work I do now.
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Academic awards within university, nothing of particular note.
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: One semester as a TA?
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Er...
Special Bonus Points: ....sigh
Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I expect my current PI's letter to be glowing, although he is relatively young, he is very well connected within my field of interest. My other two letters should be positive, but not directly related to my work. One from my undergraduate adviser (took an upper level course with), and one from a professor I took an honors course with.

Applying to Where:

Cell & Molecular bio focused programs where applicable:

MIT

UC Berkeley

UCSF

Univ. of Washington

Stanford

UPenn

Brown

John Hopkins

WashU

Univ. of Michigan

---

I just submitted my apps, which is such a relief! I joined the party a little late, starting my apps and studying for the GRE in late September while also working full time. My quant score is a direct result of that, and I have no doubt I could bring it up to at least ~80% with adequate time to prepare. I know I'm aiming high here, but I'd rather not get in anywhere, stay tech-ing for another year and get in, then settle for somewhere that's not a great fit.

Curious, of course, to hear anyone's thoughts.

Solidarity to those still working on their stuff, and congrats to those who are done! ...now if only my letter writer would submit his stuff!

 

 

1

 

[Azia]

1 hour ago, biochemgirl67 said:

All my applications are in and while I'm relieved, I'm... anxious.  I'm having big time regret for applying to the caliber of schools I did and a serious freak out about my lack of back up plan.  What if I get in nowhere?  What if my experience last summer spoiled everything and all I want is Harvard and I can't get in?  Ugh.  Please tell me I'm not alone in feeling a bit like I'm in limbo.

And does anyone know when we can realistically hope to hear back from the admissions committees?  One of mine says late December!  (University of Washington)

Congratulations! I finished mine weeks ago and it was such a huge relief. The down side... Even longer to spend freaking out! I completely agree, it is such a nerve wracking process but you'll do great!

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if we don't hear until early January. I know a few people who heard in December, but it's uncommon. No need to seriously panic until February. 

[adiJ]

41 minutes ago, ruckaround said:

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 165/64% (oooof)
?

 

 

 

Is there a typo there? Did you mean 155? And you shouldn't be worried about it considering your ridiculous GPA

We also have the exact same plan haha, I finished GRE near october and am literally still finishing up my SOPs. Your range of schools is pretty large and prestigious, but I understand that you want that "fit"

[pot8o]

2 hours ago, biochemgirl67 said:

All my applications are in and while I'm relieved, I'm... anxious.  I'm having big time regret for applying to the caliber of schools I did and a serious freak out about my lack of back up plan.  What if I get in nowhere?  What if my experience last summer spoiled everything and all I want is Harvard and I can't get in?  Ugh.  Please tell me I'm not alone in feeling a bit like I'm in limbo.

And does anyone know when we can realistically hope to hear back from the admissions committees?  One of mine says late December!  (University of Washington)

In the exact same boat. I applied to 6 super reach schools and 2 kinda decent backups. I kind of just told myself  go big or go home. I guess that's just me though xD. My backup is just sticking around my undergrad institution and working as a paid lab assistant, although I'd rather the next year of my life not pan out that way...But yea, if you're in doubt  talk to faculty at your current institution  and see if they have any paid lab positions .  Wether or not you have to resort to them is a completely different story.

 

Also I think only some schools start letting ppl know in December. I believe most wait till January as Azia mentioned above

Edited November 30, 2015 by pot8o

[Edotdl]

Any reason you're using two LORs from professors you took classes with (as opposed to research advisors), since DWIC letters are generally not as helpful/weighted less. Just curious.

[Kinetic Isotope Defect]

On 11/12/2015, 9:46:17, TheKinaser said:

Anyone applying to the following?

 

MIT (Biology)

University of North Carolina (ChemBio/MedChem)

Yale (BBS/MMPP)

University of Michigan (ChemBio)

University of Washington (BPSD)

University of Wisconsin (Molecular & Cellular Pharm.)

I'm a first year PhD student in the ChemBio program at UMich. Feel free to pm me if you have questions about the program or the interview process.

[ruckaround]

8 hours ago, adiJ said:

Is there a typo there? Did you mean 155? And you shouldn't be worried about it considering your ridiculous GPA

We also have the exact same plan haha, I finished GRE near october and am literally still finishing up my SOPs. Your range of schools is pretty large and prestigious, but I understand that you want that "fit"

Yes, totally my bad. I'll go back and edit it, I got a 156. My PI went to one of those prestigious schools and is a big believer in the value of it, he encouraged me to apply to schools of this caliber, and I don't think there are any huge flaws in his reasoning. (Although ask me again if I go 0/9 come spring.)

7 hours ago, pot8o said:

In the exact same boat. I applied to 6 super reach schools and 2 kinda decent backups. I kind of just told myself  go big or go home. I guess that's just me though xD. My backup is just sticking around my undergrad institution and working as a paid lab assistant, although I'd rather the next year of my life not pan out that way...But yea, if you're in doubt  talk to faculty at your current institution  and see if they have any paid lab positions .  Wether or not you have to resort to them is a completely different story.

 

Also I think only some schools start letting ppl know in December. I believe most wait till January as Azia mentioned above

Go big or go home.. exactly, hahaha. However, as someone  who currently holds one of those paid lab positions.. it's not so bad! I'm basically a grad student, except I have no classes, don't have to TA, don't have pressure related to graduating, etc. I also get paid more than they do. While it is a year you spend delaying your thesis research, it's certainly a valuable use of time. If I don't get in anywhere this time around, I'll be spending another year as a tech. Having that option on the back burner, and seeing it as a positive outcome has done a lot to reduce my stress during the application process. :)

7 hours ago, Edotdl said:

Any reason you're using two LORs from professors you took classes with (as opposed to research advisors), since DWIC letters are generally not as helpful/weighted less. Just curious.

Simple answer: I didn't think they'd be good letters. I think they'd effectively be a "DWIL", which feels more damning. My ugrad. adviser is one of the first people who encouraged me to aim for graduate school, he wrote a letter for my current position, and I think he can speak to more than just my performance in class. Similar story with the other professor. Obviously, this is a weak spot in my application, and I'd rather have three glowing letters from HHMI faculty who all say I'm as talented as their best graduate student... but sometimes you have to work with what you've got.

I would be curious regarding other people's thoughts on this, though. Better to go with a ho-hum research-based letter, or a shining academic-based one?

[biochemgirl67]

8 hours ago, pot8o said:

In the exact same boat. I applied to 6 super reach schools and 2 kinda decent backups. I kind of just told myself  go big or go home. I guess that's just me though xD. My backup is just sticking around my undergrad institution and working as a paid lab assistant, although I'd rather the next year of my life not pan out that way...But yea, if you're in doubt  talk to faculty at your current institution  and see if they have any paid lab positions .  Wether or not you have to resort to them is a completely different story.

 

Also I think only some schools start letting ppl know in December. I believe most wait till January as Azia mentioned above

See I thought that with my experience that they were not actually unthinkable schools.  Now I'm freaking out that maybe I overestimated myself.  ARGH I WANT IT TO BE JANUARY.

[biochemgirl67]

1 minute ago, ruckaround said:

Yes, totally my bad. I'll go back and edit it, I got a 156. My PI went to one of those prestigious schools and is a big believer in the value of it, he encouraged me to apply to schools of this caliber, and I don't think there are any huge flaws in his reasoning. (Although ask me again if I go 0/9 come spring.)

Go big or go home.. exactly, hahaha. However, as someone  who currently holds one of those paid lab positions.. it's not so bad! I'm basically a grad student, except I have no classes, don't have to TA, don't have pressure related to graduating, etc. I also get paid more than they do. While it is a year you spend delaying your thesis research, it's certainly a valuable use of time. If I don't get in anywhere this time around, I'll be spending another year as a tech. Having that option on the back burner, and seeing it as a positive outcome has done a lot to reduce my stress during the application process. :)

Simple answer: I didn't think they'd be good letters. I think they'd effectively be a "DWIL", which feels more damning. My ugrad. adviser is one of the first people who encouraged me to aim for graduate school, he wrote a letter for my current position, and I think he can speak to more than just my performance in class. Similar story with the other professor. Obviously, this is a weak spot in my application, and I'd rather have three glowing letters from HHMI faculty who all say I'm as talented as their best graduate student... but sometimes you have to work with what you've got.

I would be curious regarding other people's thoughts on this, though. Better to go with a ho-hum research-based letter, or a shining academic-based one?

I think it's too late to get any other letters.  However, I will say that letters are one of the most important parts of the application and it would have really been better to have 3 research letters, although you know your situation best.  Trust the judgement you made because you can't change it.

[biosci]

35 minutes ago, biochemgirl67 said:

I think it's too late to get any other letters.  However, I will say that letters are one of the most important parts of the application and it would have really been better to have 3 research letters, although you know your situation best.  Trust the judgement you made because you can't change it.

Regarding letters of recommendation... Does anyone know how important the prestige of the writer is in comparison to the content?  I come from a small school, so my strongest LOR is from my PI here who I have worked with for a year and half and counting.  It should be a very strong letter, but he isn't well known.  I also have a letter from a very well known PI I worked with over the summer, but, since it was only for a few months, he doesn't know me as well.  Also, since I have only worked in 2 labs, my third LOR is from my academic advisor who I have also had as a professor for 2 courses and a lab.  She knows me very well and her letter should be strong, but I have never done research with her, although she did get to see my lab skills during the upper-division lab I took with her, where we had a lot of control and responsibility for our experiments. Additionally, she has selected me for faculty steering committees and to serve as a representative of the school at recruitment events. I am hoping this will be worth more than a DWIC?  Thanks for all your help.  Starting to seriously freak out and still have a month + to go...

[Neuro PolarBear]

23 minutes ago, biosci said:

Regarding letters of recommendation... Does anyone know how important the prestige of the writer is in comparison to the content?  I come from a small school, so my strongest LOR is from my PI here who I have worked with for a year and half and counting.  It should be a very strong letter, but he isn't well known.  I also have a letter from a very well known PI I worked with over the summer, but, since it was only for a few months, he doesn't know me as well.  Also, since I have only worked in 2 labs, my third LOR is from my academic advisor who I have also had as a professor for 2 courses and a lab.  She knows me very well and her letter should be strong, but I have never done research with her, although she did get to see my lab skills during the upper-division lab I took with her, where we had a lot of control and responsibility for our experiments. Additionally, she has selected me for faculty steering committees and to serve as a representative of the school at recruitment events. I am hoping this will be worth more than a DWIC?  Thanks for all your help.  Starting to seriously freak out and still have a month + to go...

I think prestige can help, but not having a LoRs from widely known PIs won't be held against you, either. Moreover, a positive letter from a professor that admissions committees are less familiar with is probably more beneficial than a lukewarm or even negative one from someone that they do know. In your case, it seems like you have a nice variety of letter from three faculty who can all speak about different aspects of your experiences and help your application. Additionally, I think people know that PIs don't have as many opportunities to get to know you over a single summer, so I wouldn't be too worried about it. Best of luck!

[Bioenchilada]

43 minutes ago, biosci said:

Regarding letters of recommendation... Does anyone know how important the prestige of the writer is in comparison to the content?  I come from a small school, so my strongest LOR is from my PI here who I have worked with for a year and half and counting.  It should be a very strong letter, but he isn't well known.  I also have a letter from a very well known PI I worked with over the summer, but, since it was only for a few months, he doesn't know me as well.  Also, since I have only worked in 2 labs, my third LOR is from my academic advisor who I have also had as a professor for 2 courses and a lab.  She knows me very well and her letter should be strong, but I have never done research with her, although she did get to see my lab skills during the upper-division lab I took with her, where we had a lot of control and responsibility for our experiments. Additionally, she has selected me for faculty steering committees and to serve as a representative of the school at recruitment events. I am hoping this will be worth more than a DWIC?  Thanks for all your help.  Starting to seriously freak out and still have a month + to go...

I think the letter from the well known professor will help you most in the school he works for, assuming that the research was conducted at an academic institution. Also, I think that your summer PI can get to know you pretty darn well since you're essentially there full time. I interacted with my summer PI a lot, which means that he got to know me more or a personal level than just base his letter on the data I generated solely. 

[ilovelab]

2 hours ago, biosci said:

Regarding letters of recommendation... Does anyone know how important the prestige of the writer is in comparison to the content?  I come from a small school, so my strongest LOR is from my PI here who I have worked with for a year and half and counting.  It should be a very strong letter, but he isn't well known.  I also have a letter from a very well known PI I worked with over the summer, but, since it was only for a few months, he doesn't know me as well.  Also, since I have only worked in 2 labs, my third LOR is from my academic advisor who I have also had as a professor for 2 courses and a lab.  She knows me very well and her letter should be strong, but I have never done research with her, although she did get to see my lab skills during the upper-division lab I took with her, where we had a lot of control and responsibility for our experiments. Additionally, she has selected me for faculty steering committees and to serve as a representative of the school at recruitment events. I am hoping this will be worth more than a DWIC?  Thanks for all your help.  Starting to seriously freak out and still have a month + to go...

It depends on how well the professors on the adcom know your PI. If the PI's on the adcom personally know your PI the letter will have more weight. 

[bicsy]

3 hours ago, biochemgirl67 said:

See I thought that with my experience that they were not actually unthinkable schools.  Now I'm freaking out that maybe I overestimated myself.  ARGH I WANT IT TO BE JANUARY.

You did Amgen right? Well, I did too (this past summer) and feel the EXACT same way as you do. I applied to a bunch of incredible schools and 2 top 30's. After doing research at such a high caliber institution, it's hard to settle for anything less. But applying to all these great schools and seeing everyone else's stats on gradcafe makes me feel... average (despite the fact that the stat distribution on this site is so skewed). 

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck, and I'm looking forward to seeing how our results play out!

[laxgoal100]

5 hours ago, biochemgirl67 said:

I think it's too late to get any other letters.  However, I will say that letters are one of the most important parts of the application and it would have really been better to have 3 research letters, although you know your situation best.  Trust the judgement you made because you can't change it.

I think that you are right, but I also think that adcoms understand that not everyone (such as myself) has experience with 2-3 different PI's. I have conducted research for over a year in the same lab, and will only be receiving one "research-driven" LOR from my PI. That being said, I expect it to be a very strong letter. One of the other letters is from a fairly well known professor who co-authored a popular biochemistry text book and the other is from a professor that I took a very intensive upper-div inquiry driven lab class from. While these letters may not be as strong as the one from my PI, I think that they will still be able to evaluate my potential for graduate study to some degree. Good deal for the people who have all of that diverse experience and multiple PI letters, though.

On a side note, I would guess that the population of this forum is skewed towards extremely motivated (and slightly obsessive ) students such as my self. It is probably fair to say that many of us have higher stats than your average applicant, so I think that is important to take into consideration when trying to compare yourself to others on this board. Sometimes I feel like a huge underachiever compared to you all, but I have been repeatedly told that I have solid chances of getting into the programs I am applying to. Just my two cents.

[Nero_Mustbethefeeling]

On 11/18/2015, 9:35:20, GradApplicant2016 said:

You might want to email them... I did today and they said they will add my name "to the spreadsheet" and that all the emails will go out this week. If they have a spreadsheet, sounds like there may be a technical issue. 

Has anyone's recommenders successfully received the letter request forms yet from Weill Cornell? Mine have not, even though I have my application submitted and paid for. I sent them an email about this but still have not heard back.

[parafilm]

24 minutes ago, Nero_Mustbethefeeling said:

Has anyone's recommenders successfully received the letter request forms yet from Weill Cornell? Mine have not, even though I have my application submitted and paid for. I sent them an email about this but still have not heard back.

I sent them an email last week about this and they didn't respond, so I called this morning. They said the requests will be sent out once they're "processed, which can take a few days", and that there's a grace period once they've been sent out. I confirmed that this means they DON'T need to be in by the 1st, just before the grace period given to the rec writers.

So we're safe, even though it's kind of annoying.

[biochemgirl67]

10 hours ago, biosci said:

Regarding letters of recommendation... Does anyone know how important the prestige of the writer is in comparison to the content?  I come from a small school, so my strongest LOR is from my PI here who I have worked with for a year and half and counting.  It should be a very strong letter, but he isn't well known.  I also have a letter from a very well known PI I worked with over the summer, but, since it was only for a few months, he doesn't know me as well.  Also, since I have only worked in 2 labs, my third LOR is from my academic advisor who I have also had as a professor for 2 courses and a lab.  She knows me very well and her letter should be strong, but I have never done research with her, although she did get to see my lab skills during the upper-division lab I took with her, where we had a lot of control and responsibility for our experiments. Additionally, she has selected me for faculty steering committees and to serve as a representative of the school at recruitment events. I am hoping this will be worth more than a DWIC?  Thanks for all your help.  Starting to seriously freak out and still have a month + to go...

Calm yourself!  It isn't a big deal... what IS important is that they know your research capabilities.  A research committee is NOT going to go, "Oh, we don't know their name offhand, NOPE."  And trust me, working for both well known and lesser known people, sometimes the famous people know you least.  Although 2 of my letters are from summer PIs, I tried to make an impression of them.  You should go with as much research as possible, though.

[NeuroMedic]

Hey all,

I was in your exact place this time last year. A few words of advice as applications are due, and you hit that dreaded "Submit" button.

1) Breath. Once the application is in, there is nothing you can do to improve it. Second guessing yourself, asking "What if?" questions constantly, agonizing about how you worded something in your personal statement, it does nothing but increase anxiety, with no good way to end it. 

2) Find something fun to do! Whether alone or with friends, distractions are golden. 

3) If anxiety is catching up with you, find a confidant to disclose to. Internalizing these feeling will just drive you crazy.

4) Look forward to all the exciting places you will (yes, will) be visiting. Interviews, while exhausting, are also exhilarating, and an excellent chance to talk with others who share your passion for science. 

Best of luck all. A grand adventure awaits!

[Edotdl]

2 hours ago, NeuroMedic said:

Hey all,

I was in your exact place this time last year. A few words of advice as applications are due, and you hit that dreaded "Submit" button.

1) Breath. Once the application is in, there is nothing you can do to improve it. Second guessing yourself, asking "What if?" questions constantly, agonizing about how you worded something in your personal statement, it does nothing but increase anxiety, with no good way to end it.

Except the worst is applications that let you edit after you submit... ><

[Edotdl]

14 hours ago, biosci said:

Regarding letters of recommendation... Does anyone know how important the prestige of the writer is in comparison to the content?  I come from a small school, so my strongest LOR is from my PI here who I have worked with for a year and half and counting.  It should be a very strong letter, but he isn't well known.  I also have a letter from a very well known PI I worked with over the summer, but, since it was only for a few months, he doesn't know me as well.  Also, since I have only worked in 2 labs, my third LOR is from my academic advisor who I have also had as a professor for 2 courses and a lab.  She knows me very well and her letter should be strong, but I have never done research with her, although she did get to see my lab skills during the upper-division lab I took with her, where we had a lot of control and responsibility for our experiments. Additionally, she has selected me for faculty steering committees and to serve as a representative of the school at recruitment events. I am hoping this will be worth more than a DWIC?  Thanks for all your help.  Starting to seriously freak out and still have a month + to go...

Since you only worked in 2 labs, it's impossible to get 3 research recs; you might as well stop worrying about it. The only thing you can do now is find the best third rec and it sounds like your academic advisor fits that bill well. Good luck.

[biochemgirl67]

11 hours ago, bicsy said:

You did Amgen right? Well, I did too (this past summer) and feel the EXACT same way as you do. I applied to a bunch of incredible schools and 2 top 30's. After doing research at such a high caliber institution, it's hard to settle for anything less. But applying to all these great schools and seeing everyone else's stats on gradcafe makes me feel... average (despite the fact that the stat distribution on this site is so skewed). 

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck, and I'm looking forward to seeing how our results play out!

I know, right???  I don't want to settle but I want to get in somewhere.  Amgen was one of the best experiences of my career/life and I feel like maybe it ruined me for everything but the best.  UGH.  There's all these people on here with 3.9 GPAs and I echo your feelings of average.  Good luck to you too!

[Neuro PolarBear]

5 minutes ago, biochemgirl67 said:

I know, right???  I don't want to settle but I want to get in somewhere.  Amgen was one of the best experiences of my career/life and I feel like maybe it ruined me for everything but the best.  UGH.  There's all these people on here with 3.9 GPAs and I echo your feelings of average.  Good luck to you too!

I did Amgen, too, and didn't have that great of an experience with it. But maybe that's because I wasn't at Harvard...

Don't worry about having to settle; I'm sure you'll have a lot of great programs to pick from.

Edited December 1, 2015 by Micecroscopy
added

[biochemgirl67]

9 hours ago, laxgoal100 said:

I think that you are right, but I also think that adcoms understand that not everyone (such as myself) has experience with 2-3 different PI's. I have conducted research for over a year in the same lab, and will only be receiving one "research-driven" LOR from my PI. That being said, I expect it to be a very strong letter. One of the other letters is from a fairly well known professor who co-authored a popular biochemistry text book and the other is from a professor that I took a very intensive upper-div inquiry driven lab class from. While these letters may not be as strong as the one from my PI, I think that they will still be able to evaluate my potential for graduate study to some degree. Good deal for the people who have all of that diverse experience and multiple PI letters, though.

On a side note, I would guess that the population of this forum is skewed towards extremely motivated (and slightly obsessive ) students such as my self. It is probably fair to say that many of us have higher stats than your average applicant, so I think that is important to take into consideration when trying to compare yourself to others on this board. Sometimes I feel like a huge underachiever compared to you all, but I have been repeatedly told that I have solid chances of getting into the programs I am applying to. Just my two cents.

And I think your LORs will be a great match for your application.  If an applicant had a choice to have 3 research LORs, that would be the best case scenario.  I really tried to make an impression through my REU and Amgen so even though I was only there for a bit, they could still talk about my abilities.  FINGERS CROSSED THAT IT WORKED.  But if I didn't, I was going to have a professor that taught my molecular signaling grad course and graded my NIH grant I wrote write my letter.  Like I said, you have to use your best judgement and trust it.

I agree with your side note.  Everybody IRL says I have a great chance at getting into the schools but here, sheesh, I don't have a 3.9!  Ah well, we'll all be biting our fingernails together I guess!