Persephone2012

I'm headed to UT Southwestern. Surprisingly, my gut feeling has me going to TEXAS??!!
Congrats, everyone, on your acceptances.

To future readers:

I don't have much to add by way of advice. But I am a **non-US citizen**. This makes a lot of difference since most schools limit the numbers of international students they can take on (non-US citizens are ineligible for quite a few training grants and such). UT Southwestern, however, takes a bunch! So apply there.

At the same time, I also got interviews from Columbia, U Chicago, UW Seattle, UNC Chapel Hill. (Rejected by Yale, Stanford, UCSD, UCSF). So, you will still get offers despite citizenship. Background info: I went to an Ivy for undergrad, got a good GPA, good GRE scores and good LoRs. After graduation, I'm doing research at another Ivy which has been a rather traumatizing experience. :P Therefore, I requested my 3rd LoR from a PI outside of my current lab.
And it all worked out. Or it will, I hope.

Good luck y'all!

nivucla

Is anyone going to the University of Chicago next year. I'll be going for Microbiology next year.

secondtry99

what is the exact time of the deadline for deciding is is april 14 at 11:59pm or April 15 at 11:59 pm?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!!?!?

secondtry99

please God someone answer that for me!

LeSenateur

I would guess it's on the 15th at 11:59pm. Anyways, the 15th is a Sunday, so they probably wont process anything until Monday morning.

That's my 2 cents.

Inagaki

Please help!

Got accepted into MIT Bio. But recently got a D in a class of Moral in the final test before matriculating for the phD program, would the offer possibly be rescinded?

nrds35

anyone hear from Cornell Weill IMP waiting list? anyone hear about waiting list from anywhere for that matter?

FiveBoro89

I just got off of a waitlist from one school, but I already told another school I will be attending. Is it possible to decline the school I already said yes to and attend the new one?

Bunyabum

Thankfully this is over. The decision was....UCLA ACCESS :-))

nrds35

@FiveBoro99-you can definitely decline, as long as you feel comfortable doing the deed.

wannabeadr

I have submitted a final decision about 10 days ago (Mt. Sinai) , and I have not heard anything back except a quick response from the administrator at that time. Just wondered, is everyone waiting for further admission processes as well????

isobelarcher

I have to agree with whoever said that being "waitlisted" has a lot to do with whether the program thinks you'd enjoy being there, or whether you'd mesh well socially. I got interviews everywhere I applied, and was accepted at all but one school (don't want to name it, but it's in the Pacific Northwest). The impression I had of the program before I visited was drastically different from what I witnessed when I got there -- the website and the reputation of the program didn't synch up at all with the reality. It seemed that one research area within my field was very strongly represented, and others not at all, while the website gave the impression that it was a balanced and diverse program.

More than anything, I think that it was clear early on that I just wouldn't have enjoyed being part of the cohort there. Very nice people, but just not my kind of folks. This surprised me, since I'd considered it a top contender before visiting.

What I didn't anticipate at the beginning of this process was just how much the "wild card" factors like personality, academic/professional ambience, and personal preferences would influence my decision.

Advice to future applicants: listen to the people who tell you that Ivy isn't everything when it comes to grad programs. Visit as many schools as is feasible. Fit is everything, and you can't determine best fit from websites, or rankings, or even from talking to PIs before you visit. Choose the school where you 1) felt the research opportunities were solid, and 2) felt most comfortable and had the best discussions with professors/students (outside of formal interviews).

doomo01

Hello all,

Here is my story:
international student
GPA undergraduate 3.98/ GPA master's 4.00;
research experience: more than 6 years;
one first author publication; 3 posters; 3 oral presentations at international conferences; Marie Curie fellowship
I have not taken the GRE test yet, but do you think that I have any chance to get in a graduate program (I am interested in Immunology) in some of the good US universities??

bionerdd

Just want to get a quick poll of people's opinions...yes it is one of those posts where the someone puts up their stats to gauge admissibility to the top PhD programs in molecular biology.

Here they are:
Carleton College. Biology Major, Biochemistry concentration 3.65 GPA.
GRE: 165Q(92%ile)/165V(95%ile) AW: 5.0(92%ile)
-summer after sophomore year stint in history of medical ethics research (not science but related to genetics)
-Research experience in undergrad lab Junior&Senior year, as well as intervening summer full time, developmental genetics in model organism. 2nd author manuscript in preparation. Presented poster at international meeting.
-Took two years off to work in molecular genomics/epigenetics with the same model organism in the lab of a well known researcher at Cambridge University, UK. Some computational experience.
-Stellar letters of recommendation (perhaps strongest part of application)x4 (three professors in college, 1 from current research mentor).


Worry points:
-never took physics during undergrad. not a requirement, but mentioned by many program websites.
-freshman year GPA (3.3) and a 'B-' in multivariable calculus during first term.
-how valuable will taking the subject GRE be for me? how well will i need to do for it to enhance my application?