2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[ballwera]

1 hour ago, Tarlax said:

Undergrad Institution:

Massive Big 10 State School in the midwest
Major(s): Neuroscience (no physics)
Minor(s): 
GPA in Major: 3.5
Overall GPA: 3.35
Position in Class: N/A
Type of Student: Domestic

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 155
V: 166
W: 4.5
B: N/A

Research Experience: 

1 summer in a behavioral neuroscience lab

4 months in a neurooncology lab during undergradaute

1.5 year (will be 2 by enrollment) as a research technician at a well-known, Harvard affiliated genetics research center

Awards/Honors/Recognition: Various athletic awards (was a collegiate athlete)

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

Current position as a technician

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

Special Bonus Points: 
Very strong LOR from former research mentor, as well as hopefully strong LOR from my PI who is a "big wig" in our department and the realm of genetics

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

Like I mentioned above, DIvision I athlete for 5 years

Applying to Where:

BU Pharmacology

Tufts Sackler

UMASS Medical

Harvard Immunology

NYU Sackler

SUNY Stony Brook

Einstein College of Medicine

UCLA Molecular Pharmacology (subset of biosciences program)

USC Neuroscience

UC Irvine Neuro

Starting to get freaked that I haven't heard anything back from UMASS Medical yet, as people are already getting interview dates.  Any feedback on my profile/chances?

The only glaring issue that I may see arising is what your research interests are, because the programs you applied to are all over the place (in terms of field). I hope you addressed this well in your SOP. 

[SysEvo]

Skype pre-interview invitation from Gatech QBio

[desmond.bo]

One of my friend just received online interview invitation from Caltech Neuroscience. The schedule is this week.

[DGD4L]

3 minutes ago, SysEvo said:

Skype pre-interview invitation from Gatech QBio

Nice! I still don't understand the concept of a pre-interview skype call... just seems like a lot haha.

[SysEvo]

9 minutes ago, DGD4L said:

Nice! I still don't understand the concept of a pre-interview skype call... just seems like a lot haha.

According to the online info session of Gatech QBio, this is a further screening for on-site interview candidates

[Katyya]

1 hour ago, DGD4L said:

UPenn CAMB group meets today for the "Ph.D. Long Admissions meeting" from 11-4! So we should hear back soon! 

Good luck everyone!

I am so anxious

[DGD4L]

Just now, Katyya said:

I am so anxious

I am too. I've been checking my emails 5 times/hour haha. 

[VoidInColor]

5 minutes ago, DGD4L said:

I am too. I've been checking my emails 5 times/hour haha. 

I'm planning on distracting myself by cleaning. I need to anyway, and it's nice to come back from winter break to a clean apartment.

[DGD4L]

4 minutes ago, VoidInColor said:

I'm planning on distracting myself by cleaning. I need to anyway, and it's nice to come back from winter break to a clean apartment.

I have one more final tomorrow, so I'm trying to study for it but it's not going so well 

[blc073]

As someone who went through last year what you all are going through now, and who just finished his first semester of grad school, I can assure you all that things will work out. The admissions process is exciting, frustrating, and scary, but it's an effective system that will put you all where you need to be to move your careers forward. 

I know this is hard advice to take, but just relax and enjoy the adventure. 

For many of you all, the difficult part will be choosing which graduate program fits your interests best. For some, there will be the difficult choice of deciding how to spend one more year before beginning graduate school. But rest assured, everyone will be on the appropriate path to their future goals. 

[Katyya]

Wait is Cancer bio under CAMB? It's confusing 

Edited December 13, 2016 by Katyya

[Bioenchilada]

9 minutes ago, Katyya said:

Wait is Cancer bio under CAMB? It's confusing 

Yes. 

2 hours ago, DGD4L said:

UPenn CAMB group meets today for the "Ph.D. Long Admissions meeting" from 11-4! So we should hear back soon! 

Good luck everyone!

Meanwhile, I'm in class sick and excited for the Holiday party after that meeting haha

In all honesty, I don't think UPenn CAMB invites will come out today, so don't expect to hear back. I got my invite the 15th. 

[Bioenchilada]

I just signed up to volunteer for the first interview weekend at UPenn, hopefully I meet some of you there  

Edited December 13, 2016 by Bioenchilada

[Katyya]

7 minutes ago, Bioenchilada said:

Yes. 

Meanwhile, I'm in class sick and excited for the Holiday party after that meeting haha

In all honesty, I don't think UPenn CAMB invites will come out today, so don't expect to hear back. I got my invite the 15th. 

How do they select people for the first interview weekend versus the second and third?

Is it same as in med schools and MSTPs like better applicants get first interview weekend? Or do they just give you an interview and you pick a weekend

[Bioenchilada]

6 minutes ago, Katyya said:

How do they select people for the first interview weekend versus the second and third?

Is it same as in med schools and MSTPs like better applicants get first interview weekend? Or do they just give you an interview and you pick a weekend

I believe every weekend has the same acceptance rate, so it doesn't really matter when you interview. I think they might try to place you in a weekend when more people from your program, or more faculty are available. 

[lmb123]

34 minutes ago, Bioenchilada said:

I just signed up to volunteer for the first interview weekend at UPenn, hopefully I meet some of you there  

Do you (or anyone else) know what the interview weeks will be?  I can't find them anywhere on Penn's website

[KR Marksmen]

2 minutes ago, lmb123 said:

Do you (or anyone else) know what the interview weeks will be?  I can't find them anywhere on Penn's website

There is a pdf showing all interview weekends for upenn

[pepmochaa]

Has anyone heard from Vandy IGP? I saw one name on the survey list for IGP, but in the previous years during their second wave a lot of people reported hearing about interviews, not just one.  

Congratulations to everyone who is already hearing back! I'm jealous haha. 

[Bioenchilada]

7 minutes ago, lmb123 said:

Do you (or anyone else) know what the interview weeks will be?  I can't find them anywhere on Penn's website

If I remember correctly they're one or two weeks apart. The first one is the 19th-21st, the second one is the weekend of the 4th. 

[Katyya]

16 minutes ago, pepmochaa said:

Has anyone heard from Vandy IGP? I saw one name on the survey list for IGP, but in the previous years during their second wave a lot of people reported hearing about interviews, not just one.  

Congratulations to everyone who is already hearing back! I'm jealous haha. 

I'm also waiting to hear back. I really like the program vibe from the website and application. They seem more chill than most east coast schools so I'm not as freaked out. 

[cmykrgb]

26 minutes ago, pepmochaa said:

Has anyone heard from Vandy IGP? I saw one name on the survey list for IGP, but in the previous years during their second wave a lot of people reported hearing about interviews, not just one.  

Congratulations to everyone who is already hearing back! I'm jealous haha. 

also waiting to hear from them. From what I know the committee meets every monday so only review in smaller batches and send out invitation on rolling basis (from their website). I am thinking that ppl have got interviews submitted apps early. When did you all submitted? I did mine on 11/28.

[asdfghjkl1]

I got an interview from vandy yesterday

[desmond.bo]

2 hours ago, blc073 said:

As someone who went through last year what you all are going through now, and who just finished his first semester of grad school, I can assure you all that things will work out. The admissions process is exciting, frustrating, and scary, but it's an effective system that will put you all where you need to be to move your careers forward. 

I know this is hard advice to take, but just relax and enjoy the adventure. 

For many of you all, the difficult part will be choosing which graduate program fits your interests best. For some, there will be the difficult choice of deciding how to spend one more year before beginning graduate school. But rest assured, everyone will be on the appropriate path to their future goals. 

 

Thank you for saying those! Good luck with your grad school life.

[DGD4L]

2 hours ago, Bioenchilada said:

I just signed up to volunteer for the first interview weekend at UPenn, hopefully I meet some of you there  

Awesome! Hope if I get an interview that it is that weekend! I figured the invites wouldn't come out today because I saw the holiday party scheduled after hahaha 

[cmykrgb]

2 minutes ago, asdfghjkl1 said:

I got an interview from vandy yesterday

do you mind telling me when you submit? I am just trying to get a sense of how they are processing apps, like random or in chronological order.