Harvard BBS vs. MCO program admissions

[strunya]

Hi everyone,

I am an international student with a bachelor's degree from a US university. Harvard has two PhD programs that appeal to me, which appear to be very similar. I am talking about Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) http://www.hms.harvard.edu/dms/bbs/index.html and MOLECULES, CELLS AND ORGANISMS (MCO) http://mco.mcb.harvard.edu/ .
I know I can rotate with faculty from either program. So the ultimate question is: which program would be more likely to accept me?

[Bioenchilada]

7 hours ago, strunya said:

Hi everyone,

I am an international student with a bachelor's degree from a US university. Harvard has two PhD programs that appeal to me, which appear to be very similar. I am talking about Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) http://www.hms.harvard.edu/dms/bbs/index.html and MOLECULES, CELLS AND ORGANISMS (MCO) http://mco.mcb.harvard.edu/ .
I know I can rotate with faculty from either program. So the ultimate question is: which program would be more likely to accept me?

Though they are both incredibly hard to get into, I think BBS has a higher acceptance rate since it is an umbrella program.

(It's also very hard to say without seeing your credentials lol )

[blc073]

If you can get into one program, you will likely be able to get into the other. The real question is which program is right for you. The MCO program caters to basic scientists, and the program is housed  in Cambridge. Your core courses will have a basic science focus and you will encounter more basic scientists on a day-to-day basis. BBS has a biomedical focus, so will be in Longwood near all of the teaching hospitals. If you want to study disease, BBS is the better option. 

It's also important to consider size. MCO is a small program while BBS is large. If you are looking for small classes and a tight community, MCO might be better. That's not to say there aren't small classes and a sense of community in BBS. 

I'm not completely sure, but I believe MCO students are limited to the sixty or so MCO faculty. BBS students can rotate in over 800 labs, including the MCO labs. As far as courses go, anyone at Harvard or MIT can take pretty much any courses at Harvard or MIT. I do know of a few courses in Longwood that are limited to BBS students, but that's rare. 

I would consider what the two programs offer, then apply to the program that matches your interests and goals. 

Good luck!