2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[ms_green_genes]

Earlier today, I was talking with my sister who is a professor (and department head) at an R1 school, but not in the biological sciences. She has served on many adcoms in her career. She said, that at least in her fielled, the school REALLY wants candidates who receive first-round interview invites. She said the interviews are really just to make sure someone isn't a whackadoo who completely lacks interpersonal skills and that they really understand what research entails. She said her discipline will make admission offers to nearly all interviewees, except the rare few who are jerks or who don't live up to their app package.

So congratulations to all who received first-round interview offers. Sounds like the school will be trying to convince you to pick them instead of you convincing them to pick you. You've already been picked!

[peachypie]

1 hour ago, Gram Neutral said:

What is up with schools releasing invites before their due dates? Seems strange to me. Congrats! Btw is it the first weekend in March? Every year they make it over that weekend and I don't understand why. It's the weekend of one of the biggest parties in the country and the population is at least 2x as big as normal. The school also hates it, so I'm surprised they would want to showcase that. 

Some schools do rolling admissions and some review after the deadline.  All depends on the school but they usually note that they are rolling or not.

[levodopa]

4 minutes ago, AmyShelton said:

Earlier today, I was talking with my sister who is a professor (and department head) at an R1 school, but not in the biological sciences. She has served on many adcoms in her career. She said, that at least in her fielled, the school REALLY wants candidates who receive first-round interview invites. She said the interviews are really just to make sure someone isn't a whackadoo who completely lacks interpersonal skills and that they really understand what research entails. She said her discipline will make admission offers to nearly all interviewees, except the rare few who are jerks or who don't live up to their app package.

So congratulations to all who received first-round interview offers. Sounds like the school will be trying to convince you to pick them instead of you convincing them to pick you. You've already been picked!

I can second this. One of the professors I've spoken to that is on a number of biology program adcoms at an Ivy institution said basically the same thing. 

So this is mostly to appease the people with interview offers; things should mostly be okay!

[biosci]

8 minutes ago, levodopa said:

I can second this. One of the professors I've spoken to that is on a number of biology program adcoms at an Ivy institution said basically the same thing. 

So this is mostly to appease the people with interview offers; things should mostly be okay!

I'm really hoping this is true for most programs.  However, I have heard that it definitely isn't true for Cold Spring Harbor - that they invite a lot more people than they extend acceptances to.  Does anyone have any more information on their acceptance to invite ratios, etc.?  Thanks 

[laxgoal100]

53 minutes ago, novicescientist said:

Hi guys!! 

I am a 1st time applicant (like many of you) full of anxiety about the application process. I have applied to 16 schools, below is the list of the schools where I have submitted my PhD candidacy and I have taken the liberty to add my application portfolio. Can you all let me know if you have heard from the schools in my list? thanks!!! 

Sounds expensive! Good luck. You have a strong record, I'm sure you will have a good choice of programs to attend. Didn't apply to any immuno programs myself.

Edited December 23, 2015 by laxgoal100

[ms_green_genes]

15 minutes ago, biosci said:

I'm really hoping this is true for most programs.  However, I have heard that it definitely isn't true for Cold Spring Harbor - that they invite a lot more people than they extend acceptances to.  Does anyone have any more information on their acceptance to invite ratios, etc.?  Thanks 

I've been unable to find any information about the number of invites offered for 7 different schools. For some I've found # of apps, # of offers, and # of admissions, but no info at all about # of invites.

For example, last year for Duke's GMB program, there were 200 total apps, 47 offers, and 18 acceptances. For Vandy's IGP, 1,010 average apps and 74 enrolled. UCLA GPB, 1,000 apps and 70 enrolled. UNC Chapel Hill, 1,000 apps and 90 enrolled.

[ms_green_genes]

22 minutes ago, biosci said:

I'm really hoping this is true for most programs.  However, I have heard that it definitely isn't true for Cold Spring Harbor - that they invite a lot more people than they extend acceptances to.  Does anyone have any more information on their acceptance to invite ratios, etc.?  Thanks 

From Petersons.com for Watson School of Biological Sciences, CSHL, no info for # of invites:

7% of applicants are admitted.

• Acceptance Rate
  • Applied276
  • Accepted22
  • Acceptance Rate7
  • Enrolled9

[Effloresce]

1 hour ago, novicescientist said:

Hi guys!! 

I am a 1st time applicant (like many of you) full of anxiety about the application process. I have applied to 16 schools, below is the list of the schools where I have submitted my PhD candidacy and I have taken the liberty to add my application portfolio. Can you all let me know if you have heard from the schools in my list? thanks!!! 

Undergraduate: Unkown small school (Graduated in 2012)

   Study Abroad: Trinity College Dublin (2011)

Cummlative GPA: 3.331

GRE: Q: 160, V: 148, W: 4.0

Publications:  1 - Nature Communications, 1 - Nature Medicine, 1 - Life Science and Molecular Biology, 1 - Immunologic Research (all 2nd authors)

Abstracts: 5

Scientific Awards: 1 - Best abstract award, 1 - Poster of Distinction, 1 - Small seed grant (which I recieved two days ago - it was not in my CV for when I applied) 

Awards: Benjamin Gilman Scholar, DAAD-RISE Germany Scholar, and National Society of Leadership and Success.

Scientific Presentation: Undergraduate senior year project, University of Griefswald Germany, Trinity College Dublin,and Stanford University 

Current employment: Stanford University (2013-present)

Universtities where I have applied and their responses:

    University of Alabama Birmingham - Interview invite Feb 18-20th (PhD Immunology)

    University of Michigan - Rejected on December 22nd (PhD Immunology)

    Duke University - Rejected on December 17th (PhD Immunology)

    UCSD - PhD Immunology

    UC-Davis - PhD Immunology

    Penn State - PhD Immunology

   Thomas Jefferson Universtiy - PhD Immunology

   UPenn - PhD Immunology

   NYU - PhD Immunology

   Stanford University - PhD Immunology

   UCSF - PhD Immunology

   Washington Universtiy - St. Louis - PhD Immunology

   UT-Southwestern - PhD Immunology

   University of Virginia - PhD Immunology 

   Georgia Tech - PhD Biomedical Engineering (Concentration in Immunotherapy) 

   Boston University - PhD Immunology

Did you apply through each program's umbrella programs?

If so, I've heard back from UVA (I'm doing immuno too), and I think people have heard from Penn and WUSTL but not sure if immunology track was included.

[novicescientist]

Just now, Effloresce said:

Did you apply through each program's umbrella programs?

If so, I've heard back from UVA (I'm doing immuno too), and I think people have heard from Penn and WUSTL but not sure if immunology track was included.

I applied through their BMS program, but I have not heard anything from them. I am very nervous.. my friends/family are telling me to not open my email till after I go back to California... But I want to call UVA tomorrow... 

Edited December 23, 2015 by novicescientist
typo

[Effloresce]

1 minute ago, novicescientist said:

I applied through their BMS program, but I have not heard anything from them. I am very nervous.. my friends/family are telling me to not open my email till after I go back to California... But I want to call UVA tomorrow... 

I assume no one is in the office anymore until at least next week, so save your minutes!  

 

[novicescientist]

Just now, laxgoal100 said:

Sounds expensive! Good luck. You have a strong record, I'm sure you will have a good choice of programs to attend. Didn't apply to any immuno programs myself.

It was expensive.. I have been working for the last three years, saving up to apply to graduate schools... 

[novicescientist]

Just now, Effloresce said:

I assume no one is in the office anymore until at least next week, so save your minutes!  

 

Oh that is true, tomorrow is christmas eve!!!! 

[Neuro PolarBear]

I got a call today from a number I didn't recognize and excitedly picked it up, only to be greeted by a telemarketer.

[biosci]

6 minutes ago, Micecroscopy said:

I got a call today from a number I didn't recognize and excitedly picked it up, only to be greeted by a telemarketer.

 

[Earl]

23 hours ago, Ferroportin said:

 

I'm hoping for an invite from Stanford and UCLA but their dates fall on the March and Feb dates respectively...so I have to either drop TSRI, Stanford, or UCLA. I'll probably just bite the bullet and go for the Feb date and hope I get a Stanford interview in March...

I have the same problem... Just FYI, UCLA is pretty unaccommodating when it comes to alternative interview dates.  Which one would you drop if you had no choice?

[Earl]

TSRI hopefuls:  I know the interview dates for Scripps conflicts with many other top tier schools, like MIT Biology, Stanford Biosciences, etc.

Has anyone tried to ask for alternative interview dates for Scripps successfully?  Also, does anyone know when MIT Biology will send out invites?  I know Stanford's will probably come out after the new year..

Gosh, scheduling is such a nightmare.

[biosci]

Just now, Earl said:

Has anyone tried to ask for alternative interview dates for Scripps successfully?  

I asked.  Haven't heard back...

[Cellfie]

Hi everyone! Long time lurker with a question – has anyone tried asking for an alternate interview date for Cornell Weill? They only offered me Jan 20-22 and I have a conflict. Thanks!! 

[Earl]

17 minutes ago, Cellfie said:

Hi everyone! Long time lurker with a question – has anyone tried asking for an alternate interview date for Cornell Weill? They only offered me Jan 20-22 and I have a conflict. Thanks!! 

I have, but they have not responded yet...

Edited December 24, 2015 by Earl

[Earl]

22 minutes ago, biosci said:

I asked.  Haven't heard back...

i just emailed to ask.  will update if i hear anything!

[biosci]

Just now, Earl said:

i just emailed to ask.  will update if i hear anything!

Thanks!  Hopefully one of us will have luck!

[Earl]

Just now, biosci said:

Thanks!  Hopefully one of us will have luck!

hehe hopefully there are a lot of us asking, and just for the sheer number of people asking, they'll create a new interview date option that doesn't conflict with any other schools and it'll be greatttt lol  one can dream

[miky]

35 minutes ago, Earl said:

TSRI hopefuls:  I know the interview dates for Scripps conflicts with many other top tier schools, like MIT Biology, Stanford Biosciences, etc.

Has anyone tried to ask for alternative interview dates for Scripps successfully?  Also, does anyone know when MIT Biology will send out invites?  I know Stanford's will probably come out after the new year..

Gosh, scheduling is such a nightmare.

From the MIT site:

               All completed applications will be reviewed and invitations to interview will be sent via email mid-January.

I think in the past invitations have gone out a few days before mid-Jan. Rejections seem to follow fairly closely. 

[Cellfie]

4 minutes ago, Earl said:

hehe hopefully there are a lot of us asking, and just for the sheer number of people asking, they'll create a new interview date option that doesn't conflict with any other schools and it'll be greatttt lol  one can dream

That would be the dream! I emailed them this morning and haven't heard back. And someone posted on this thread two pages ago that they emailed a couple days ago and hasn't heard back. Hopefully we'll be able to sort this out soon! 

[biotechie]

4 hours ago, biosci said:

I'm really hoping this is true for most programs.  However, I have heard that it definitely isn't true for Cold Spring Harbor - that they invite a lot more people than they extend acceptances to.  Does anyone have any more information on their acceptance to invite ratios, etc.?  Thanks 

Many schools will tell you some of that info when you interview. However, if they don't tell you, the current students taking you around can probably make a good guess based on how many students they see.  

And yes, it isn't uncommon for you to get invites before the final due date for applications. Schools have to start reviewing applications early or they would never get through all of them. They often do them in 2-3 groups based on when they receive them and invite for interviews from there. One con to this is that many schools also give offers very quickly after interviews; I had offers within 48 hours for both interviews I attended (and a verbal offer for one I was calling to decline the interview for), and they still had additional interviews scheduled within the month. That's one reason it is good to get applications in as early as possible, but people that hold onto their offers forever can really hurt other applicants that get put on the wait list.

Take home message: Pick the earliest interview dates you can if you don't know anything about how the school does applications/interviews/offers.