2016 Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Applicant Stats and Responses

[pali123]

8 minutes ago, hjp932 said:

I heard back from Stanford BioE yesterday, they invited me for an interview. Excited!!

wow! i thought they were closed from the dec 18 - jan 4? 

Also my application says its incomplete not sure why since they received everything :/ 

[Extra Espresso]

3 hours ago, hjp932 said:

I heard back from Stanford BioE yesterday, they invited me for an interview. Excited!!

Congratulations!! How did you find out?

[ExplodingYeti]

5 hours ago, pali123 said:

wow! i thought they were closed from the dec 18 - jan 4? 

Also my application says its incomplete not sure why since they received everything :/ 

According to the Anthro Department:

" The graduate application Checklist is updated by the Department staff from mid-December through mid-January. Keeping in mind that the University is structured on the Quarter system and that there is a University Winter Closure from the third week of December through the first day of classes in January, the checklists may not be completed by staff until mid-January. If the checklist status is ‘incomplete’, it may be that the applicant materials have been received, or not, and the staff have not yet had the opportunity to enter the updated information. Alternately, if certain application materials have not yet been received (i.e. official transcripts, letters of recommendation, and test scores), there should be sufficient time for the applicant to provide these materials during the first part of January. "

TL;DR: if you have everything sent and received, you're good, you'll just have to wait.

PS man waiting sucks.

[pali123]

On 12/25/2015 at 7:33 PM, ExplodingYeti said:

According to the Anthro Department:

" The graduate application Checklist is updated by the Department staff from mid-December through mid-January. Keeping in mind that the University is structured on the Quarter system and that there is a University Winter Closure from the third week of December through the first day of classes in January, the checklists may not be completed by staff until mid-January. If the checklist status is ‘incomplete’, it may be that the applicant materials have been received, or not, and the staff have not yet had the opportunity to enter the updated information. Alternately, if certain application materials have not yet been received (i.e. official transcripts, letters of recommendation, and test scores), there should be sufficient time for the applicant to provide these materials during the first part of January. "

TL;DR: if you have everything sent and received, you're good, you'll just have to wait.

PS man waiting sucks.

Yup it does. Most of my friends from last year heard back for interviews from Stanford and MIT mid-late January :/ 

[lethalallele]

Undergrad Institution: Missouri Western State University 
Major(s):  Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Minor(s): 
GPA in Major: 3.48
Overall GPA: 3.01
Position in Class: 
Type of Student: Female, Non-traditional (27 when I graduate)

GRE Scores (revised/old version): revised
Q: 155
V: 158
W: 4.5

Research Experience: 

1.           Spring 2015 (5 months): Biochemistry undergraduate research - expression, purification, and analysis of GST-fusion proteins from E.coli; no publications or presentations, more of a learning experience

2.           Spring 2015 - Spring 2016 (1 1/2 years): Computational biology/chemistry/drug design - Using artificial neural networks to analyze and test sequences found in a novel exonic splicing enhancers motif recognized by the human serine-arginine rich protein SC35; will be looking at anticoagulants as well as taxol starting this fall; will have minimum one first-author paper in JBS

3.           Summer 2015 (3 months): Internship with NASA at Johnson Space Center in Microbiology lab - The effect of simulated microgravity on the microbial physiology of Ralstonia pickettii isolates from the international space station: studying bacterial response to simulated microgravity environment, development of silver biocide system for Orion spacecraft, immunological imaging, collaborated with engineering team on heat exchanger system for Orion spacecraft

4.           Spring 2016 (5 months): Microbiology research, identification of novel antibacterial compound in marine bacterium

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

 

Presentations

ASBMB 2016 Annual Meeting (April 2016) – accepted for oral presentation

251st ACS National Meeting & Exposition  (March 2016) – upcoming oral presentation

2015 Heartland Undergraduate Biochemistry Forum  (November 2015) – 2 posters, 1 award

ASC Midwest Regional Meeting  (October 2015) - 1 poster, 2 oral presentations

Space Life Sciences Exit Presentations  (August 2015) – oral presentation

Scholarships/Awards

Larry L. Lambing Chemistry Scholarship                                                                                        

Undergraduate Research Poster Competition – 2nd place: 2015 Heartland Undergraduate Biochemistry Forum, University of Kansas-Medical Center    

American Chemical Society Commendable Award: ACS Student Chapter                                                                                  

American Chemical Society National Meeting Travel Grant: ACS Student Chapter                                                                     

American Chemical Society, Honorable Mention Award: ACS Student Chapter   

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Chemistry mentor and lab assistant in lower level chemistry labs; Vice-President of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Club (ASBMB Student Chapter; will be 4 semesters at graduation), chemistry tutor

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: 

 

Print and Media Broadcasts (May 2015 – present): Office of Public Relations and Marketing, Missouri Western State University

“Outstanding student” used in admissions publications, university advertisements, and radio advertising

Special Bonus Points: Great LORs, connections within NASA, Pfizer, ASU

Applying to Where:

The Graduate School at the Stowers Institute: Biology (applied 12/01)

University of Kansas - Medical Center: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (applied 12/01)

MIT: Biological Engineering (applied 12/07)

University of Kansas: Bioengineering (applied 12/07)

University of Nebraska - Lincoln: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (applied 12/10)

Yale University: Biomedical Engineering (applied 12/10)

Brown University: Biomedical Engineering (applied 12/10)

[lethalallele]

Um sorry for all the wide spacing in my submission lol computer wouldn't let me fix it O_o

[Rebel22]

Undergrad Institution: UNLV
Major(s): ME
Minor(s):
GPA in Major: 3.0
Overall GPA: 3.2
Type of Student: Male
GRE Scores (revised/old version): Taking in two days. Predictions (lowballing)
Q: 155
V: 150
W: 4.0

Research Experience: None.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

Internship for 8 months (still currently interning), self run martial arts business

Applying to Where:
MS: Cincinnati, Houston, South Carolina, Denver, Colorado State, UNLV

MEng: Cincinnati, South Carolina

 

[pterosaur]

Northwestern has hunted me down insisting that they need a transcript for the one college class I took in high school to verify my grade for it, which is turning out to be a massive pain since this was over five years ago. But at least that means they didn't toss my application out as incomplete! (Which is now making me paranoid about my other applications...)

[Coefficient49]

Undergrad Institution: JHU

Major(s):  Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Minor(s): Environmental Eng.
GPA in Major: 3.7
Overall GPA: 3.6

Type of Student: International
GRE Scores (revised/old version): revised
Q: 161
V: 161

W: 4


Research Experience: 

1x2nd Author paper, 1xfirst author Manuscript in preparation, 1 x paper submitted, 1x 1st author protocol paper in prep.  and a bunch of other projects with only presentations and posters. 1 US patent. 4 years of research experience in the same lab at JHU. 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:  4 different undergraduate research awards and ~25k USD in undergraduate research funding.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Founded and running 2 start ups with around 50k USD of funding each. Designed a portable air purifying pillow for air travel and travelling in polluted nations. Designed a sustainable solar cell for a number of African nations. Designed a water quality monitoring device for a number of south American nations.

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Past military experience, extensive leadership experience, organized lab duties and lab orderings
 

Special Bonus Points: nothing special

Applying to Where:

all BioE PhD programs.

Rice , MIT, Harvard

 

I want to do tissue engineering, my experience are in cellular mechanics and my papers are studies of mechanosensing, mechanotransduction, cellular rheology and cellular migration.

[aznbeggerap]

7 hours ago, Coefficient49 said:

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Founded and running 2 start ups with around 50k USD of funding each. Designed a portable air purifying pillow for air travel and travelling in polluted nations. Designed a sustainable solar cell for a number of African nations. Designed a water quality monitoring device for a number of south American nations.

I'm really impressed by these achievements. I hope it goes well with your applications!

[pali123]

If anyone has heard back from any schools via email or phone please post! I am terrified and nervous for these upcoming days...

[pterosaur]

I just got an email for an informal interview from a POI at Harvard who I mentioned in my SOP. It's my top choice so I'm super excited (and afraid of screwing it up). 

[hippyscientist]

Hi guys, I just found this thread so thought I'd say hello I've applied predominantly to kinesiology programs, but for biomechanics tracks (that's the way it works in my country and I'm only really realising that BME might have given me a broader choice in schools :/ ). My research interests would definitely fit into orthopaedic biomechanics labs, and looking at surgical techniques and materials that could reduce future injury risk and promote healing time in patients. But equally, it'd be fun to look at the science behind PT and working with athletes to recover from injury. Basically, i like injuries (to study and model).

All your stats sound so impressive! Congratulations everyone who has received interviews, and we all gotta breathe (in...out...in...out) for the next couple of months until all this drama is over and we're accepted to awesome programs! 

[lethalallele]

36 minutes ago, pterosaur said:

I just got an email for an informal interview from a POI at Harvard who I mentioned in my SOP. It's my top choice so I'm super excited (and afraid of screwing it up). 

I have an informal interview with a POI at UNL tomorrow and Brown next week. I'm also excited/terrified lol 

[Extra Espresso]

@pterosaur Congrats- that's so exciting!! What research area are you hoping to go into?

[pterosaur]

My interest is the intersection between biology and robotics, from a control perspective. So basically cyborgs and robot neuroscience. 

[Extra Espresso]

4 hours ago, pterosaur said:

My interest is the intersection between biology and robotics, from a control perspective. So basically cyborgs and robot neuroscience. 

That sounds really cool!! Definitely different from my field of interest, but I can imagine all of the possibilities!

[microbiologynerd]

Have all the MIT BE interviews been sent out, or are they being sent out over the course of a few days? Last year I got my interview on Jan. 8th, but I know some people got them earlier than I did by ~1-2 days. I'm asking on behalf of some friends. Thanks!

[Extra Espresso]

17 hours ago, microbiologynerd said:

Have all the MIT BE interviews been sent out, or are they being sent out over the course of a few days? Last year I got my interview on Jan. 8th, but I know some people got them earlier than I did by ~1-2 days. I'm asking on behalf of some friends. Thanks!

I got an MIT BE invite two days ago (BEYOND EXCITED), so I can confirm that they have at least begun sending invites. 

Last year, I had a friend get an invite towards the end of January. I'm not sure what that means about this year's invites, though!

Edited January 8, 2016 by Extra Espresso

[pali123]

6 hours ago, Extra Espresso said:

I got an MIT BE invite two days ago (BEYOND EXCITED), so I can confirm that they have at least begun sending invites. 

Last year, I had a friend get an invite towards the end of January. I'm not sure what that means about this year's invites, though!

Congrats!!! Please keep us informed if you get any new responses from any other schools!  

[Edotdl]

For those who don't know, there is another thread for BME/BioE applicants in the Engineering forum:

http://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/71701-phd-biomedicalbioengineeringee-fall-2016-profiles/

Maybe it would be nice to move over to that one, just so everything is in one place.

[Extra Espresso]

25 minutes ago, Edotdl said:

For those who don't know, there is another thread for BME/BioE applicants in the Engineering forum:

http://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/71701-phd-biomedicalbioengineeringee-fall-2016-profiles/

Maybe it would be nice to move over to that one, just so everything is in one place.

I'm out of reputation for the day, but I agree! Consolidating would make it easier for us all to communicate.

[tuckbro]

On December 18, 2015 at 3:50 PM, Extra Espresso said:

Other BME/BioE applicants, how screwed am I if I accidentally messed up program names in my SOP? I have all of the University XXX and YYYs straight, but I put BioE for some BME programs and vice versa, and I wasn't always consistent throughout the SOP. I just noticed that there are a few where I would get the program right the first time I mentioned it but wrong the second time and vice versa. Thoughts?

I think they are more focused on your experience and qualifications than a mistake, and a pretty common one at that!  Don't worry you will have great options!

[Extra Espresso]

3 hours ago, tuckbro said:

I think they are more focused on your experience and qualifications than a mistake, and a pretty common one at that!  Don't worry you will have great options!

Thank you!! I luckily was able to switch out the worst offenders, and I am hoping that the minor mistakes fly under the radar. It now only affects three of my applications, so I am very relieved. 

[pterosaur]

On 12/18/2015 at 8:50 PM, Extra Espresso said:

Other BME/BioE applicants, how screwed am I if I accidentally messed up program names in my SOP? I have all of the University XXX and YYYs straight, but I put BioE for some BME programs and vice versa, and I wasn't always consistent throughout the SOP. I just noticed that there are a few where I would get the program right the first time I mentioned it but wrong the second time and vice versa. Thoughts?

Aaaaaagh. Just submitted my last application and screwed up the BioE/BME thing. It's where I did my undergrad, it's sort of my backup, and I'm pretty sure I'll get in. Do you think it's worth doing anything about?