Biosciences: Application information (old results thread)

Momwaitingfornew · 08-11-2009, 07:59 AM

Edited: This is now a pre-application thread. If you want to post your interview and application results, please see the new thread.

Feel free to post your profile, universities applied to, interviews granted, and admissions results here. This is not a "chance" thread but rather one geared toward results so future applicants can get a good idea of how the system works.

Good luck, everyone!

phDhopeful · 08-11-2009, 04:17 PM

Let's get the show started!

Interest: PhD in Cancer Biology or Genomics (particularly for targeted therapies and epigenetics)
GPA: 3.66/4.0 (class of 2008) from a small liberal arts college with honors
Major: B.S. Biology minor in Jewish studies
GRE: will take them Sept 8 *gulp*
Publications: 8 publications (mostly 1st or 2nd author), 3 abstracts, 1 chapter in a book
Work experience: Currently working at a cancer center doing lung cancer research on EGFR targeted therapy since June 2008
Other work experience: 3 years of undergrad research (2 of which were funded by an internal college grant that I received). TA for 2 years in general biology, human physiology, and evolutionary biology
LORs: 1 from undergrad research mentor, 1 from biology professor whom I took many classes with and TA-ed for, 1 from current boss -- hopefully all will be great
Citizenship: indian

not sure where I'm going to apply. I'm very nervous about my GRE score, especially since schools don't advertise what their average GRE scores are. I have a lot of research to do this weekend about professors that are a good fit :-) anyone else out there in the same boat?

Serric · 08-11-2009, 07:09 PM

Interest: PhD in Neuroscience (particularly interested in neural stem cells, directed differentiation, and the use of viral vectors/Sleeping Beauty).

Major: Will graduate in March with a BS in cell/molecular biology from CSU East Bay

GPA: 3.33/4.0 cumulative, 3.7 major.

GRE: 640V/770Q/4.0 AW (sorta confused on the AW, since I used to be an English major...but oh well.)

Research experience: Six months each in two separate labs. The first deals with genetic mechanisms behind neuronal tiling in C. elegans, and the second deals with the TBX-3 transcription factor and its potential role in breast cancer.

LoR: One from each of my current laboratory advisors, one from a known professor who teaches most of the upper-division cell/molecular biology courses (all have been enthusiastic about me and have worked with me through the application process, so I expect them to be very strong; all three are also alumni from schools I'm applying to).

Schools applying to:

UC Berkeley
UWashington Seattle
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Duke University
Columbia University
SUNY Stony Brook
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
UCincinatti
WUSTL

(Yeah, I know I'm applying to a ton of schools, but--even though I've polished my SoP--I feel like my stats aren't great, and want to get started with grad school. Plus I scoured what feels like every university in the country, and they're all a good fit for me.)

biophdplease · 08-13-2009, 07:38 PM

Field: PhD in Genetics
GPA: 3.5/4.0 from top 20 institution in Biochemistry with a Chemistry and Russian minor
GRE: 790Q/600V
Research Experience: Every summer since I was 16, then a full year with a thesis.
LOR: Three excellent letters from prestigious PIs, one letter from thesis adviser, one letter from professor of upper level bioorganic chemistry course
Schools:
Rockefeller
Columbia
Mount Sinai
Harvard
Yale
UPenn
Johns Hopkins
Cornell
Duke
Princeton

Not sure about my chances, again, as most schools don't post average scores. Any thoughts?

biomed2010 · 08-17-2009, 09:00 PM

Interest: PhD in Biomedical Sciences
Major: Graduated with BS in Biological Sciences from state university
GPA: 3.1/4.0 cumulative

GRE: Taking it in October

Research experience: 3 month study abroad internship in Biochemistry working on isolation and purification of proteins. One year, part time in biochemistry lab working on protein interactions between egg and sperm. Full time research-tech position working on protein quality control. Can you tell I like studying proteins

LoR: One from my current supervisor, one from undergraduate research supervisor and one from former work supervisor. I think my letters will be good. Both research letter will be coming from professors known in their field and the third letter will be coming from former principle who knows me well and can speak to my passion for science and teaching abilities.

Schools applying to:

UC Berkeley
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
JHU
Georgetown
Maryland
GWU
Penn
Columbia
Columbia University

phDhopeful · 08-19-2009, 03:50 PM

Is anyone else freaking out about their gre scores? I'm taking mine in September and I'm REALLY REALLY NERVOUS. This whole verbal thing is killing me!

MolSysBio · 08-19-2009, 04:13 PM

Interest: PhD in Systems Bio / Biophysics
Major: Math / Physics from Ivy
GPA: 3.7
GRE: Not yet...

Research experience: 3 yrs in systems biology, specifically biological network theory. 2 publications, both first author in good journals. One conference attended and presented and one in the works in December.

LoR: Should have 3 good LORs from well known advisors and 1 decent one from department head, mainly to be used for fellowship apps.

Schools applying to:

MIT
Harvard
Berkeley
Stanford
Princeton

Serric · 08-19-2009, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phDhopeful

Is anyone else freaking out about their gre scores? I'm taking mine in September and I'm REALLY REALLY NERVOUS. This whole verbal thing is killing me!

I know the feeling, but try not to stress. You'll be surprised (I thought I was bombing the verbal based on my scores, and only scored ~590 or so on the PowerPrep test, but got 640 on the actual test) by what you do if you've practiced enough. Good luck!

sarbruis · 08-19-2009, 05:08 PM

MolSysBio: would you mind mentioning which programs at those schools you're applying to?

MolSysBio · 08-19-2009, 07:58 PM

@serric: is the powerprep generally harder than the actual exam?

@sarbruis:

MIT: CSBi or physics...yet to decide
Harvard: HILS (systems bio + biophysics)
Berkeley: biophysics
Stanford: umbrella biosciences (bioinformatics + biophysics)
Princeton: physics or mol bio (QCB)...yet to decide

i guess i don't really want to be a biologist, in the typical sense...i can pick it up any time just by reading papers. a lot of the people in biology departments resent quantitative work, which is why i don't really want to aim for pure biology departments. my guess is that i'll eventually end up at a systems bio or equally interdisciplinary program.

Serric · 08-20-2009, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Molsysbio

is the powerprep generally harder than the actual exam?

Truth be told, the test is sort of hit-or-miss on the verbal. For what it's worth, I think the PowerPrep is the best barometer in terms of the test. When I took it, I scored 750 and 770 on the two practice quantitative sections (actual score of 770), and I scored 590 and 610 on the two verbal sections (actual score 640).

I'd say that the PowerPrep scores the verbal a bit lower than the actual test, but the verbal is pretty much a crapshoot anyways. You'll do better than you think you will, though; trust me.

MolSysBio · 08-20-2009, 02:21 PM

that's good to hear. only a couple of weeks before i find out, anyway. thanks.

GCN2 · 08-20-2009, 10:22 PM

I found powerprep to be spot on for me as well. I scored a 560 and 580 on verbal for powerprep and then received a 560 on the test. For the math section I scored a 790 twice with powerprep, and then (shockingly

got a 790 on the real test. I'm interested to see how this round of applications goes for everyone.

I'll be applying to some cancer biology programs and some immunology programs (or the relevant umbrella programs). I have an interest in immune response to metastasis, so there is some overlap between the departments.

Undergrad: top 20 private school.
GPA: 3.56 major: 3.7
GRE: V 560 (77%) / Q 790 (92%) / AW 5.0 (81%)
Biochem subject: taking it in October. I don't think I'll send it to many schools though. Prices add up.

Research experience: 1 year in organic chemistry lab and 2 years in molecular biology. I've been lucky to have a project to myself in the molecular biology lab, especially since we don't have any graduate students. Daily discussion with my PI on the project etc. The project should end with my honors thesis and might end up in a pub, but I doubt anything will be ready for applications. Perhaps a conference in Nov.

LOR: Hard to objectively evaluate these. Two solid ones. The third will be from a professor who respects my work and likes me alot, however we haven't had a lot of in class interactions. He said he'll work with me on it, we'll see.

School list: This is where things get tricky. I am trying to coordinate with my long term girlfriend as she applies to medical school so I'll be applying to quite a few programs. We're just looking for some overlap and trying to make things work.
UCSF, UCSD, UCLA, USC, UNC Chapel Hill, Northwestern, U Chicago, Pitt, Penn, JHops, Rockefeller, Sloan Kettering, Cornell, Columbia and Wake Forest.

Whew. I'm alittle worried about my GRE verbal score, but I think I have room to make up for it in a well written SOP. I think my GPA will be fine, a nice upward trend and most of my low grades are in intro classes, whereas I did very well in the upper level stuff.

Good luck everyone!

sarbruis · 08-20-2009, 11:00 PM

When you all are stating "x years in y lab" is that referring to the amount of time spent up to the present or the projected amount of time spent when your undergraduate career has ended?

GCN2 · 08-20-2009, 11:09 PM

I stated how long I have worked in the labs up to present.