<p>Hi DragonWagon!</p>
<p>Have you heard back from UIC yet? What did you think of the program?</p>
<p>I heard that everyone I interviewed with was very positive about my application, but they can’t officially notify me of their decision until after the last interview day on March 6th. I assume that date (or at least close to it) is for all the programs under the biomedical umbrella.</p>
<p>I was very impressed by the program and faculty and I hope that I will be accepted. I think I would be very happy there. How about you?</p>
<p>I liked the program a lot. I did my undergrad at UIC too, so I’m not sure if I would want to stay there for another 5 years. I really liked the faculty and students I met though, and the new labs are soooo nice. One of the professors told me that the labs in the medical research building are the nicest he’s ever seen at any University. Where else did you apply?? Sounds like you’re probably in at UIC, but good luck with everything nonetheless!</p>
<p>I also applied to Northwestern and UChicago, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t get into either of them. Good luck to you too and congrats again!</p>
<p>mutation,</p>
<p>Speaking relatively of course… and sort of misusing the word - heterogeneous would have been a better adjective. But I take your point - I used to live in Berkeley, and I wanted to take out a chainsaw in line at the Berkeley Bowl everytime I was surrounded by fussy upper-class liberals who became self-righteously indignant if they saw their gum contained aspartame…</p>
<p>But, like I said, Berkeley’s recruitment weekend was diverse. I met people who came from somewhat disadvantaged backgrounds, and I didn’t really encounter that at my other interviews. Diversity was a priority for Berkeley MCB (they have you write a diversity essay after all), and I appreciated that.</p>
<p>PS - mutation, are you at Berkeley now? I might be Facebook friends with you. :)</p>
<p>…anyone going here better watch out. there was a seriously creepy psychopath at interview weekend.</p>
<p>To roxannecellbio, sahel, htlv111, and anyone else interested.</p>
<p>I’m a current graduate student @ Sinai, and, yes, they do send out wait list notifications and more interview invites at the same time. The deal is thusly: you are more likely to be wait listed if you’re in an early interview cohort than if you’re in a later one. This is because they don’t want to find themselves in a situation where everyone in the last interview group is amazing/astounding/etc. and find they’ve already extended all the offers they have room for. I know of at least 4 people in my class who were accepted off of the wait list, so do not despair! I can’t say how many they’re accepting, cuz I just don’t know. </p>
<p>We will be having a revisit weekend (and at least last year it was for accepted AND waitlisted students) at the end of march (the 26/27th, I think) so if you can, come out for that, cuz it shows you’re still interested. </p>
<p>If you have any questions, I’d be happy to try and answer them!</p>
<p>Has anyone heard from NYU’s A&S Bio dept? Applied to Bio PhD prog.
Boston U also, Arts and Sci Bio, that is.
Tx</p>
<p>Does anyone know how the waitlisting system works… I was waitlisted at Columbia Pharmacology (got an email saying that they really liked my interview, but they can’t offer me admission YET), but am unsure of my chances that others will decline their offers. Do schools send out X invites for X spots in their initial offerings, and then send out additional invites? Or do they send 1.5X or 2X invites for X spots…</p>
<p>Thanks aldo003b!</p>
<p>aradian: Of course it will depend on the school, but I think most send out nX invites for X spots where n=the factor of people they expect to decline. I imagine those schools that actively wait list people have a lower value for n, as they expect to add invites as needed. Otherwise schools can get in trouble for overestimating “n”. Take UNC’s newly formed umbrella program BBSP last year for example. They invited nX number of students hoping for 80 to accept and had over 120 students accept their offer. This year they’re shooting for 60 (and understandably lowering their “n”).</p>
<p>Anyone have any opinions on contacting professors to see if they will accept students- AFTER you’ve received an offer of admission? I’d like to know that it’s at least possible to work with such and such people (5-6 labs) before deciding to go to the school. </p>
<p>Is there any detriment to doing this?</p>
<p>ymmit: A lot of schools will have lists of faculty currently accepting new/rotation students. I see no problem contacting professors to see if they are going to be taking new students next year especially if you have an offer of admission. If you want to possibly save time, you could contact the DGS/secretary to see if they have already compiled a list of faculty who have said they will take students that they can just send you without having to contact 5-6 people at each school. Good luck!</p>
<p>thanks for the advice New_User!</p>
<p>Okay…we’re talking about 5 spots. Do you think they invite more than 5 at a time?</p>
<p>Just heard back with an acceptance from UCSF BMS! Looks like I’ll be heading to SF in the fall…</p>
<p>Hi EvoViro:
When was your UCSF BMS email sent out? Do you know if they sent out in a single batch? Thanks!</p>
<p>Husband got acceptance to UW-Madison (microbiology) today. He is also getting a grant and fellowship which is stackable. So research funding for 5 years…plus the stipend. Keep hoping to hear that the fellowship comes with some great stipend.</p>
<p>Just wondering, which do you think is better: a low(er) stipend with fellowship/grants or high stipend with nothing else offered?</p>
<p>@mripioneer</p>
<p>I PM’ed you!</p>
<p>To anyone else who’s interested: UCSF BMS acceptance email today ~3:00 PST. One from faculty member I interacted with a lot during recruitment, followed by standard email from coordinator. Physical letter to follow.</p>
<p>Committee just met Thursday (according to one of the faculty I interviewed with during last week’s visit), so this is just the first round.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you all!</p>
<p>@ aradian7 - pharmacology admits more than they’d like to take, but not significantly more. i held off until giving my final decision until mid-march, but by then i was getting near-daily emails from all my programs, with frantic directors all spieling the “we hope you liked our school and hope that you come here but we need to know your decision NOW NOW NOW” and i did my best to reply with a polite “i realize your urgency but I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF FINAL EXAMS (quarter system, not semester) AND WOULD LIKE SOME TIME TO REFLECT ON THE REST OF MY LIFE MKAYTHANKS”</p>
<p>what did you think of interview weekend, is it a place you’d like to be? just curious. too bad we didn’t get to meet; i attended the first interview’s dinner but wasn’t feeling so hot on the night you guys were in town. :/</p>