2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[StrongTackleBacarySagna]

Congratulations. When was their deadline?

[Azia]

3 minutes ago, StrongTackleBacarySagna said:

Congratulations. When was their deadline?

Yesterday, but I submitted mine 3-4 weeks ago. I guess they pre-screened some.

[biochemgirl67]

Fingers crossed in the next few days for Vanderbilt!  I saw they released their first round last year at this time. 

[CancerImmune]

Good luck everyone. I know it is stressful waiting for interview invitations. Don't stress too much about interviews though, they're mostly a lot of fun. I'm a first year in MIT bio and interviewed at a decent amount of immunology programs last year. If you have any questions, feel free to message me.

[Gram Neutral]

Hey for those that applied to Vanderbilt, has your application status changed at all to like under review? Mine still just says submitted. 

[bicsy]

Another application status question:

For those who applied to Scripps, is your application still showing up as incomplete because of missing GRE scores or recommendations? All my rec letters have been sent and I'm 95% sure Scripps has received my scores, since all of my other schools have indicated that they have.

[biosci]

18 minutes ago, bicsy said:

Another application status question:

For those who applied to Scripps, is your application still showing up as incomplete because of missing GRE scores or recommendations? All my rec letters have been sent and I'm 95% sure Scripps has received my scores, since all of my other schools have indicated that they have.

Mine shows complete, but I sent my GRE scores about a month ago...

[biochemgirl67]

1 hour ago, Gram Neutral said:

Hey for those that applied to Vanderbilt, has your application status changed at all to like under review? Mine still just says submitted. 

Mine still says submitted.  I think they would email the invites out before they update the website.  But I promise if I hear ANYTHING I'm gonna be posting on here.  :P

[bicsy]

42 minutes ago, biosci said:

Mine shows complete, but I sent my GRE scores about a month ago...

Ah, thanks. I emailed them earlier this week but haven't gotten a response. They're probably inundated with initial reviews for application completeness, so I'll give it till next week before I bother them again.

[parafilm]

1 minute ago, bicsy said:

Ah, thanks. I emailed them earlier this week but haven't gotten a response. They're probably inundated with initial reviews for application completeness, so I'll give it till next week before I bother them again.

Yeah, I sent my scores to scripps on 10/28 and I'm still incomplete due to "missing" GRE scores. My guess is it just takes a few days to get everything matched up in the system. I'm also holding off until next week to contact them. 

[bicsy]

Ha, my scores were sent just a couple weeks ago. I should be more patient, but it's so difficult!

Edit: In other news, I just got an email from Berkeley MCB saying my application has been sent to the committee for review, and that they will send interview invites between Jan 4-8.

Edited December 3, 2015 by bicsy

[nu1116]

1 hour ago, bicsy said:

Ha, my scores were sent just a couple weeks ago. I should be more patient, but it's so difficult!

Edit: In other news, I just got an email from Berkeley MCB saying my application has been sent to the committee for review, and that they will send interview invites between Jan 4-8.

I got that UCB email on Tuesday. Application submitted 11/23.

I like that a lot as I know when to expect.

[ruckaround]

1 hour ago, bicsy said:

Edit: In other news, I just got an email from Berkeley MCB saying my application has been sent to the committee for review, and that they will send interview invites between Jan 4-8.

I got the same email! Thank goodness for the smallest of steps towards good news.

[fucun]

2 hours ago, Gram Neutral said:

Hey for those that applied to Vanderbilt, has your application status changed at all to like under review? Mine still just says submitted. 

Hey,

I received Vandy IGP interview request on Nov. 18, and I just checked that the status still says submitted. Hope this helps.

[Gram Neutral]

4 minutes ago, fucun said:

Hey,

I received Vandy IGP interview request on Nov. 18, and I just checked that the status still says submitted. Hope this helps.

Wait you got an interview offer 3 weeks ago? I didn't know they did rolling invites. I thought they only met first on Dec 1.

[fucun]

1 minute ago, Gram Neutral said:

Wait you got an interview offer 3 weeks ago? I didn't know they did rolling invites. I thought they only met first on Dec 1.

I was really surprised/excited too! I submitted in mid-October and got an email invite in November from the coordinator asking me to call and confirm the interview. 

[Gram Neutral]

11 minutes ago, fucun said:

I was really surprised/excited too! I submitted in mid-October and got an email invite in November from the coordinator asking me to call and confirm the interview. 

Wow congrats Haha. I submitted Nov 10th but my last recommendation letter didn't get submitted until Nov 29th.

[fucun]

1 minute ago, Gram Neutral said:

Wow congrats Haha. I submitted Nov 10th but my last recommendation letter didn't get submitted until Nov 29th.

Thanks! I hope you'll hear from them soon :)

[Ferroportin]

5 hours ago, bicsy said:

Another application status question:

For those who applied to Scripps, is your application still showing up as incomplete because of missing GRE scores or recommendations? All my rec letters have been sent and I'm 95% sure Scripps has received my scores, since all of my other schools have indicated that they have.

Mine shows as incomplete for my transcript, but my GRE scores were confirmed about a week after I had sent them. 

[AtomDance]

I just got an interview invite from University of Maryland's Epidemiology & Human Genetics program! At least one other person just posted notification of interview invite for Maryland on the results site as well. 

It's kind of a huge relief to have some positive response after spending so much time and effort on applications.

[laxgoal100]

32 minutes ago, AtomDance said:

I just got an interview invite from University of Maryland's Epidemiology & Human Genetics program! At least one other person just posted notification of interview invite for Maryland on the results site as well. 

It's kind of a huge relief to have some positive response after spending so much time and effort on applications.

Congrats, I'm jealous of people getting invites already!! ah.

[ruckaround]

1 hour ago, AtomDance said:

I just got an interview invite from University of Maryland's Epidemiology & Human Genetics program! At least one other person just posted notification of interview invite for Maryland on the results site as well. 

It's kind of a huge relief to have some positive response after spending so much time and effort on applications.

Hot damn!

[ms.cdc]

Undergrad Institution: Small liberal arts school, ranked high regionally but not nationally
Major(s): Biology and Chemistry
Minor(s): Physics
GPA in Major: 3.93
Overall GPA: 3.95
Position in Class: N/A
Type of Student: White female, First-gen college student, Low-economic status.

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 156
V: 160
W: 4
B: Haven't taken


Research Experience: I've done research at my school for 2 years and helped establish the first cell culture line at my school. Our work has been presented at a national conference and I will be presenting at a national conference in March. I've done two REU's in microbiology, and did presentations at both. My last PI is pretty well known in the virology world. I have also started an independent honor's project and received a grant that I wrote for funding the project. I know that at least 2 of the three LOR are very strong and I think the third is as well.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's list every semester. Outstanding Research Student, Outstanding student in general physics, Beta Beta Beta Inductee, Honor's Program.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Organic Chemistry and General Biology Tutor, and Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry TA and Lab prep. This semester I am also getting paid by my PI at my university for doing research.

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

Special Bonus Points: I'm the president of Tri-Beta, the treasurer for the local American Chemical Society chapter, and the secretary for the Honor's Student Association that I helped to found. I have already received a grant that I have applied for during undergrad and I have applied for the NSF grant for grad school.

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

Applying to Where:

Scripps Research Institute- Microbiology

University of Washington- Micro

WashU- Umbrella BBS program

UC, Berkeley- Micro

UW, Madison- Micro, Biochem, CMB

UT, Southwestern- Micro

Yale University- General BBS

UPenn- CMB

 

 

I'm a little worried about the applications that I have submitted because my GRE scores are kind of low and I go to a small liberal arts school that most people haven't heard of if they aren't from the midwest.

Edited December 4, 2015 by ms.cdc

[biochemgirl67]

5 hours ago, ms.cdc said:

Undergrad Institution: Small liberal arts school, ranked high regionally but not nationally
Major(s): Biology and Chemistry
Minor(s): Physics
GPA in Major: 3.93
Overall GPA: 3.95
Position in Class: N/A
Type of Student: White female, First-gen college student, Low-economic status.

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 156
V: 160
W: 4
B: Haven't taken


Research Experience: I've done research at my school for 2 years and helped establish the first cell culture line at my school. Our work has been presented at a national conference and I will be presenting at a national conference in March. I've done two REU's in microbiology, and did presentations at both. My last PI is pretty well known in the virology world. I have also started an independent honor's project and received a grant that I wrote for funding the project. I know that at least 2 of the three LOR are very strong and I think the third is as well.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's list every semester. Outstanding Research Student, Outstanding student in general physics, Beta Beta Beta Inductee, Honor's Program.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Organic Chemistry and General Biology Tutor, and Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry TA and Lab prep. This semester I am also getting paid by my PI at my university for doing research.

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

Special Bonus Points: I'm the president of Tri-Beta, the treasurer for the local American Chemical Society chapter, and the secretary for the Honor's Student Association that I helped to found. I have already received a grant that I have applied for during undergrad and I have applied for the NSF grant for grad school.

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

Applying to Where:

Scripps Research Institute- Microbiology

University of Washington- Micro

WashU- Umbrella BBS program

UC, Berkeley- Micro

UW, Madison- Micro, Biochem, CMB

UT, Southwestern- Micro

Yale University- General BBS

UPenn- CMB

 

 

I'm a little worried about the applications that I have submitted because my GRE scores are kind of low and I go to a small liberal arts school that most people haven't heard of if they aren't from the midwest.

I don't think prestige matters as much as you think it does. You sound like you go to something like Wartburg or Luther, which are good schools.  However.  I would say that maybe it would be worth choosing ~2 additional schools that aren't of the level of the others if you want to have some variety in choice.  If you notice on this website, people usually do that.  I'm not saying a safety, but really somewhere where you stand a great chance of getting in.  Because you've chosen all the tippy top programs in the nation and if you haven't had an experience at a school of that caliber, it might be a good thing.  Your GRE scores are low for your GPA and the long term research you mentioned (the cell line) isn't something you would be doing in grad schools or have done vin undergrad research at the schools you've chosen.  But your profile is highly competitive.  Don't get me wrong.  If you want to have >4 options, maybe choose University of Tennessee, University of Oregon, university of Iowa, or something similar.

 

I guess now that I'm reading it again, UTSW is apart from the rest.  Still.  I would choose another.  But it's totally up to you.

[Sarahjc]

I got an interview at Duke. I got a call from a PI I had mentioned in my personal statement and then he emailed to confirm.

Edited December 4, 2015 by Sarahjc