Fall 2018 Cycle

[rwoodward]

16 hours ago, Titanocene said:

Undergrad Institution: Small & Public - you haven't heard of it
Major(s): Chemistry
Minor(s): Chemistry
GPA in major: 4.0
Overall GPA: 3.671828 
Type of Student: Domestick

GRE Scores (revised version):
Q: 162 (81%)
V: 163 (93%)
W: 4.5 (83%)
S: 880 (94%)

Research Experience: Two solid years; two full time summers & a lot of time during the semester (maybe a bit too much time; see overall GPA). 
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: A good amount of departmental awards and some small national and statewide recognition; industry funded summer research at home institution. Was hoping for an REU but go shut out - kudos to those of you who got to do chemistry cross' country 
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Designed curricula and lead recitations for organic chemistry. Work as a lab assistant and got to do some cool things with the available instrumentation. 
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Submitted my NSF GRFP? This was a busy semester and if there is one thing I am proud of, its coming up with an NSF proposal from scratch. I learned a lot and it was great to really dig into something, come up with an idea, and figure out how to pursue it.

Presentations: Three national conferences, five regional. 
Misc. Points: Did very well on ACS standardized exams (>99th percentile). Have a clear focus on what field of research I want to pursue - made that very clear in the SOPs. 
Any Other Info: First author publication in submission (good lord, that was that a lot of work)
Applying to Where: Princeton, Caltech, Wisc. - Mad., UIUC, U Mich., Scripps (If I get in, I'm going) UCI, Columbia (Why did you have to move to Cornell, Lambert!)

Some days, I feel like I have a good shot. Other days, I'm bracing myself for the inevitable mass rejection. Anyone else feel like this? 

I think you have a strong profile if your research experience fits that of the groups at the schools you are applying for!

[tyktkt]

Undergrad Institution: A national institute in India. BS+MS degree.
Major(s):Chemistry
Minor(s):-
GPA in Major:- 
Overall GPA: 3.8
Position in Class: N.A. 
Type of Student: International, male.

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 169 (96%)
V: 161 (88%)
W: 4.0 (60%) LOL!
S: 870 (93%)


Research Experience: 3+ years. ~1 year in organic chemistry, ~1 year in computational/theoretical chemistry in India. ~1 year in computational/theoretical chemistry towards master's thesis project in the US.
 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: National merit-based scholarship for education in sciences. Fellowship to pursue summer research in the US.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Master's thesis involved full-time research.

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Presented a poster in a regional ACS meeting. One publication, nothing exceptional.

Special Bonus Points: Talked to a Prof. in UCI I want to work with. He seemed interested. 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: Solid recommendations from two profs. in theoretical chemistry, one of whom is my master's thesis advisor in the US. Decent recommendation from the third prof.

Applying to Where: Theoretical/Computational Chemistry: Caltech, Stanford, Cornell, MIT, U. Penn, U. Chicago, U. Michigan A.A., U. W. Madison, U.C. Irvine. 

Edited December 7, 2017 by shreyasvm

[ahmed.samy]

NO ONE GIVE ME THEIR THOUGHTS : 

Undergrad Institution: Faculty of Pharmacy class 2016
Major(s): Pharmaceutical Science
Minor(s): Medicinal Chemistry
GPA in Major: 3.8
Overall GPA: 3.8
Position in Class: 40 over 550
Type of Student: international Male
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 164
V: 156
W: 2.5 
S: NA

IELTS : 7


Research Experience: full time summer research student in medicinal Chemistry , 8 Months material science and nanoscience project but didn't punlish yet

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Chemistry department award , National Chemistry Olympics Winner , Participate in International chemistry olympics

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA for 1 year in Chemistry and biomedical sciences.

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

Applying to Where:

Rochester

UMass Amherst

Missouri

Oregon state

Emory 

Michigan state

Utah

South carolina

 

 

[boulderboi]

4 hours ago, ahmed.samy said:

NO ONE GIVE ME THEIR THOUGHTS : 

Undergrad Institution: Faculty of Pharmacy class 2016
Major(s): Pharmaceutical Science
Minor(s): Medicinal Chemistry
GPA in Major: 3.8
Overall GPA: 3.8
Position in Class: 40 over 550
Type of Student: international Male
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 164
V: 156
W: 2.5 
S: NA

IELTS : 7


Research Experience: full time summer research student in medicinal Chemistry , 8 Months material science and nanoscience project but didn't punlish yet

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Chemistry department award , National Chemistry Olympics Winner , Participate in International chemistry olympics

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA for 1 year in Chemistry and biomedical sciences.

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

Applying to Where:

Rochester

UMass Amherst

Missouri

Oregon state

Emory 

Michigan state

Utah

South carolina

 

 

I don’t know too much about the schools you are applying to because I am mostly applying on the west coast. However, your credentials look pretty strong IMO (aside from the 2.5 on AW, which probably doesn’t matter too much).

One thing that strikes me as a bit odd is your lack of a subject test score. Did you take it? Aren’t those scores pretty heavily weighted for international students?

[quinessloopypun]

21 hours ago, dorkstep said:

On 12/7/2017 at 6:51 AM, Titanocene said:

Some days, I feel like I have a good shot. Other days, I'm bracing myself for the inevitable mass rejection. Anyone else feel like this? 

 

This is the official superposition of the application party, friend. Welcome aboard.

But let me tell you; you have a sick-looking application file and I believe that your eventual eigenstate will be the former; not the latter. Even if you don't have high hopes for yourself, I have them here for you!

Edited December 8, 2017 by quinessloopypun

[ahmed.samy]

5 hours ago, boulderboi said:

I don’t know too much about the schools you are applying to because I am mostly applying on the west coast. However, your credentials look pretty strong IMO (aside from the 2.5 on AW, which probably doesn’t matter too much).

One thing that strikes me as a bit odd is your lack of a subject test score. Did you take it? Aren’t those scores pretty heavily weighted for international students?

Unfortunately, I missed the October reservation of the exam and the next one is on April 2018 which is beyond application timeline. 

[boulderboi]

21 minutes ago, ahmed.samy said:

Unfortunately, I missed the October reservation of the exam and the next one is on April 2018 which is beyond application timeline. 

Darn. Well maybe some international students can weigh in on how much that will effect your chances at those specific schools. I’m domestic so I can’t help much.

[Ilkovic]

3 hours ago, ahmed.samy said:

Unfortunately, I missed the October reservation of the exam and the next one is on April 2018 which is beyond application timeline. 

I have several friends (international applicants) who did not take the subject test but were admitted to their chosen institutions.

Edited December 9, 2017 by Ilkovic

[ahmed.samy]

10 hours ago, Ilkovic said:

I have several friends (international applicants) who did not take the subject test but were admitted to their chosen institutions.

Thanks, i really was worried it would affect my chances. Do you propose any school that i have a good chance to get into ?

[Ilkovic]

1 hour ago, ahmed.samy said:

Thanks, i really was worried it would affect my chances. Do you propose any school that i have a good chance to get into ?

My apologies but I don't think I can properly assess anyone's chance for admission as I am also applying for Fall 2018.

[rwoodward]

I am worried as the online system says Michigan has not received my transcript - anyone else? Don’t know if they just haven’t updated the system or not... I’m wary the deadline is in five days :S

[cater99]

Undergrad Institution: One of the UCs (Not UCB/UCLA)
Major(s): Mathematics (I changed from chemistry to math as I did not like labs, now I apply for coursework Masters to prepare myself for a teaching career :D) 
Minor(s): Chemistry 
GPA in Major: 3.867 (Mathematics), 3.675 (Not official major GPA, I calculated this myself from my upper division chem classes) 
Overall GPA: ~3.67
Position in Class: N/A (as I'm not a chemistry major anymore) 
Type of Student: International Student, Asian/Chinese, Male

GRE Scores (revised): I think GRE might be my only strength  
Q: 170 (97%)
V: 160 (86%)
W: 4.5 (82%)
SUB: None. 

Research Experience: Only in math. 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Provost Honor (Dean's List), A project certificate from local AIChE chapter. 
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Math TA. I don't know how much that helps, maybe shows my English skill as an international student. 

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Served as board members of local ACS chapter, had some volunteering experience at ACS National and Regional conferences. 

Special Bonus Points: 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I apply for coursework masters to prepare my career in teaching. I think knowing "I'm not using the master as a pathway to a PhD" might put Admission Committee on ease? 

Applying to Where:
 

Cornell (Top Choice)                                              MS in Chemistry & Chemical Biology (CCB) (Rolling Admission, will catch priority deadline 1/1) 

NYU Main Campus                                                 MS in Chemistry 

NYU Tandon School of Engineering                    MS in Chemistry 

Georgia Tech                                                           MS in Chemistry (caught priority deadline 12/1) 

Tufts                                                                         MS in Chemistry 

U of Virginia                                                            MA in Chemistry 

UC San Diego                                                         MS in Chemistry 

San Diego State U                                                 MA in Chemistry (I feel like I'm revealing something LOL) 

Edited December 11, 2017 by cater99

[scientific]

11 hours ago, cater99 said:

Undergrad Institution: One of the UCs (Not UCB/UCLA)
Major(s): Mathematics (I changed from chemistry to math as I did not like labs, now I apply for coursework Masters to prepare myself for a teaching career :D) 
Minor(s): Chemistry 
GPA in Major: 3.867 (Mathematics), 3.675 (Not official major GPA, I calculated this myself from my upper division chem classes) 
Overall GPA: ~3.67
Position in Class: N/A (as I'm not a chemistry major anymore) 
Type of Student: International Student, Asian/Chinese, Male

GRE Scores (revised): I think GRE might be my only strength  
Q: 170 (97%)
V: 160 (86%)
W: 4.5 (82%)
SUB: None. 

Research Experience: Only in math. 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Provost Honor (Dean's List), A project certificate from local AIChE chapter. 
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Math TA. I don't know how much that helps, maybe shows my English skill as an international student. 

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Served as board members of local ACS chapter, had some volunteering experience at ACS National and Regional conferences. 

Special Bonus Points: 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I apply for coursework masters to prepare my career in teaching. I think knowing "I'm not using the master as a pathway to a PhD" might put Admission Committee on ease? 

Applying to Where:
 

Cornell (Top Choice)                                              MS in Chemistry & Chemical Biology (CCB) (Rolling Admission, will catch priority deadline 1/1) 

NYU Main Campus                                                 MS in Chemistry 

NYU Tandon School of Engineering                    MS in Chemistry 

Georgia Tech                                                           MS in Chemistry (caught priority deadline 12/1) 

Tufts                                                                         MS in Chemistry 

U of Virginia                                                            MA in Chemistry 

UC San Diego                                                         MS in Chemistry 

San Diego State U                                                 MA in Chemistry (I feel like I'm revealing something LOL) 

I am not familiar with all those schools, but I was under the impression that a lot of these didn't have terminal MS's and usually only accepted for PhD route. Can I ask why you're going for a master's instead of a PhD?

 

I actually think your stats are quite good, especially with the  chem classes not too bad. UCs are mostly well known research schools, so I imagine you'll be fine.

Edited December 12, 2017 by scientific

[euronymous_oystein]

Undergrad Institution: International, not really famous
Major(s): Physics
Minor(s): None
GPA in Major: 7.5/10.0
Overall GPA: 
Position in Class: Top 5-10 (for sure) out of 160, top 15% of all time
Type of Student: International, male

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 165
V: 152
W: 4.0
S: N/A

TOEFL: 106 (Reading: 29, Listening: 27, Writing: 26, Speaking: 24)


Research Experience: 1 publication in an undergraduate journal, bachelor's thesis on quantum chemistry, I have been accepted for the spring semester for an internship in a well-known research school (not in the US)

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 3 prizes in National olympiads, participation in undergraduate+master's physicists' competition (team competition, good place)

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: None

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: most credits in my class (220/240) before starting my last year

Special Bonus Points: Participated to a summer school with relevant courses (it had a scholarship included and it was hosted by CECAM), one semester exchange student, helped voluntarily organizing a local conference (totally different field)

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I am a physics undergraduate, but I am applying for Theoretical chemistry. All my SOPs include that I have contacted the professors and they were willing to let me join their group

Applying to Where:
All of them are for theoretical chemistry

MIT

Yale

Duke 

Virginia tech

USC

University at Buffalo

UMinnesota

UWashington

---------------------------------------

What do you think of my application? Do I have any chances?

Edited December 12, 2017 by athan892

[RagDoll]

Undergrad Institution: Ivy League/Art School
Major(s): Chemistry, Furniture Design
GPA in Major: 3.50
Overall GPA: 3.67
Type of Student: Domestic, White/Asian Female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 167
V: 170
W: 4.0
S: wew moving on

Research Experience: 2 years in organometallic lab, summer fellowship doing research at a major cultural institution

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: hopefully on my way to earning honors

Pertinent Activities or Jobs:  on my department's diversity committee, part of student group at museum

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: no pubs but my thesis is on its way to being one

Special Bonus Points: woman in STEM, earned two degrees from two schools simultaneously (BS/BFA)

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: four LORS: 1 phenomenal LOR from my research advisor (I cried, if anybody has good thank you gift ideas lmk), 1 from summer research,  1 from organic professor/academic advisor, 1 from museum group advisor.

Applying to Where: Harvard, Columbia, Northwestern, UPenn, UCLA, Emory, CUNY, Portland State

I'm interested in conservation science, which means I'm looking at analytical or materials for the most part. Some of the higher ranked schools may be out of my reach but my advisors have told me not to count myself out for anything yet. I had a pretty unique undergrad experience and I've got no clue if or how that'll factor into decisions :X

[Ashok@513]

Graduate Institution: Texas A&M University- Kingsville, Master's 
Major(s): Chemistry
Minor(s): Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bachelors, India
GPA in Major: 3.75
Overall GPA: 3.5
Position in Class: 2
Type of Student: International/Male

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 154
V: 141
W: 2.5
S: 

TOEFL Score: 97/120

Research Experience: Working as Research chemist in Monsanto, United States from 2 years, 2 years of research experience while Master's program with three publications as first author in organic chemistry in Elsevier, Journal of Polymer Science, Royal Society of Chemistry. 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:  Graduate Merit Scholarship, Robert A. Welch Foundation Chemistry Graduate Scholarship.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Graduate Teaching Assistant- Organic Chemistry II- 2 years.

Letter of Recommendations: Three good letters from professors from my graduate college. 

Applying to Where: 

Purdue University-Indiana- PhD- Chemistry

Ohio State University- PhD- Chemistry

University of Florida- PhD- Chemistry

University of Houston- PhD- Chemistry

Northwestern University- PhD- chemistry

University of Texas Austin- PhD- Chemistry

I already submitted my applications to all universities but little bit worried now. Any suggestions Is there any chance that I can get admit to one of the university listed above. 

[sky157]

Just found out that I got into Cornell!! This is my first acceptance, and I think I'm still in shock.

[boulderboi]

1 hour ago, sky157 said:

Just found out that I got into Cornell!! This is my first acceptance, and I think I'm still in shock.

Congrats!

Crazy that people are already receiving acceptances.

 

[Zinniak]

1 hour ago, boulderboi said:

Congrats!

Crazy that people are already receiving acceptances.

 

From the offer page I saw people are already  receiving offers from UIUC and UCB! 

[boulderboi]

Probably snagging the super students early... Us plebs have to wait a while

[jstop28]

Undergrad Institution: Small liberal arts college
Major(s): Chemistry
Minor(s): Math/Applied Physics
GPA in Major: 3.98
Overall GPA: 3.94
Position in Class: 
Type of Student: Domestic

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 160
V: 167
W: 4.5
S: 53%


Research Experience: One experience at my home institution, one ORISE Fellowship and 1 REU 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: (Within your school or outside?)

A few ACS awards, one Freshman Chemistry Award

Special Bonus Points: 

One research mentor is on the admissions board for one of the schools I'm applying to.


Applying to Where:

MIT, UChicago, UC Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford, GA Tech, Ohio State, NYU, Boston U, UT Austin, UC Davis

[verse34k]

Hey all, just got accepted to University of Washington, one of my top picks!

my stats

Undergrad Institution: University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Major(s): Chemistry BS
Minor(s): n/a:
GPA in Major: 3.8
Overall GPA: 3.7
Position in Class: unknown
Type of Student: Domestic Male
GRE Scores 
Q: 151 woops 
V: 158
W: 4 
S: NA

Research Experience: 

1.5 yrs in an analytical lab, summer in a biochemistry lab. One publication being drafted for submission (first author), presenting at an international conference in February. 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: (Within your school or outside?)

several departmental awards

Special Bonus Points: 

none i can thin of
Applying to Where:

Washington, Indiana Bloomington, Michigan, NC Chapel Hill, Toronto

 

 

 

[sky157]

18 minutes ago, verse34k said:

Hey all, just got accepted to University of Washington, one of my top picks!

Congrats!! I just got into Washington as well!

[euronymous_oystein]

Which fields did you apply for? I am asking the ones that got admitted to uwashington 

[verse34k]

18 minutes ago, athan892 said:

Which fields did you apply for? I am asking the ones that got admitted to uwashington 

I applied for analytical.