<p>ymmit- i didn’t get an interview invitation, does it mean that i’m already rejected? do they have some kind of wait list?</p>
<p>Caltech does not accept anyone without an interview.
Yes, you are almost 100% rejected.</p>
<p>danielge, unfortunately I have to agree with shnjb- except to be sure, call the office there and ask during their business hours tomorrow. Maybe you’re a special case due to being an overseas (rather than continental) applicant that they didn’t want to fly out? Either way it can’t hurt to call them.</p>
<p>many thanks shnjb and ymmit, i’ll ask the office tmr. yes i’m not continental, i’m from China.</p>
<p>Uh oh, has anybody found a discrepancy between the written offers detailing financial support and the stated offer during the interview? Is anybody aware of what is meant by “10 month pro rated stipend”? Does this mean that they pay you for ten months a year? Or do you extrapolate the monthly salary to twelve months? How about the line about “you will be supported at this level for 5 consecutive years provided that you meet satisfactory performance criteria”? Does this mean they stop paying you at 5 years? This program has an average graduation time of 5.5 or 6 years.</p>
<p>I am wondering after accepting admission offers, can schools still change their mind not to let us enroll to their programs? I’ve just accepted an offer and want to totally chill out and enjoy the summer. Perhaps, I am too paranoid?</p>
<p>virion, I was wondering the same thing- what can actually make the schools not accept you?</p>
<p>I’m guessing…
-going to jail
-not finishing your degree you said you were going to get
-…?</p>
<p>If you wind up without a baccalaureate degree, that would prevent you from matriculating to a graduate program. If it’s found that you falsified application materials, that would stop you too. If you go to jail that would probably stop you too.</p>
<p>In short, just chill and relax. :)</p>
<p>Not true! I knew someone who was finishing their BS while they were in grad school. At the same time, they were the only TA of a class they were enrolled in…</p>
<p>My bad then; I should have realized that there are always exceptions. But I think for most programs the Graduate School requires entering students to hold a baccalaureate degree. This is certainly true of the programs I’ve been accepted to.</p>
<p>
This is generally kind of a weasel way of saying that they’re not going to support you indefinitely, but in practice, you’ll be supported by your PI after some period of time – my program transfers us to our PIs at the end of second year, and I think that’s pretty standard.</p>
<p>So what they’re saying is that if your PI loses his/her funding, the program will make sure you’re supported through your fifth year. In this funding climate, it’s of course not unheard of that your PI would lose funding, but it’s also not a common situation, especially because you can fund yourself with individual fellowships like the NIH NRSA or an NSF.</p>
<p>I’m not sure about the 10-month prorated stipend, but I think they’re saying that they’ll pay you at that level for the first 10 months of grad school, since you’re starting in September. In my program, the calendar runs from July to July, so July is the month stipends are adjusted. First-years are paid 10 months of their salary, but they don’t actually get a full year’s stipend the first year since they start in September and the stipend changes in July. (…am I making sense at all?)</p>
<p>Thanks Mollie, I was trying to explain the same thing in a private message to belevitt, but I think you did a better job. 
I remembered having the 10 month pro rated thing explained to me once, but forgot that things began in July for academic calendars.</p>
<p>Yo my MIT folks, what do you think of the Biology program? I’m pretty sure of going there and I’ll like to hear all the ‘bad’ things just to brace myself for the worst ;)</p>
<p>
Man, I’m glad to hear that. I read it over when I finished writing and thought, “Huh?” :)</p>
<p>
Boston is cold in the winter. That’s what I’ve got. </p>
<p>Seriously, the program is great, and if I hadn’t gone to MIT as an undergrad I would have gone there as a grad student in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>About the only ‘bad’ thing I can think of is the fact that there is construction going on (on the new Koch Institute building) right behind the biology building (you’ve undoubtedly already noticed this). And that isn’t really a bad thing. The profs and admin staff that I have interacted with have been, invariably, really friendly and helpful.</p>
<p>Edit: Oh, yes, Boston’s cold in the winter. But it’s bearable - and this is coming from someone who grew up in a state where it basically never gets cold ever.</p>
<p>While we are talking about MIT, can we also talk about BCS? Thanks so much!!! It is a great research fit for me. What are the “bad things” I should know before decision-making?</p>
<p>My experiences with BCS faculty, students, and facilities have been nothing but stellar. If it’s a great research fit for you I would absolutely recommend coming to MIT. :)</p>
<p>That sounds awesome aceflyer.Thanks so much! May I please PM you? btw if anyone wants to know anything about Columbia neuroscience / psychology, I am happy to try and answer.</p>
<p>Thank you Mollie and Newuser, this does make sense. And a few simple calculations show that the “prorated 10 month salary” is the same as the quoted salary figure I got at the interview and found on websites for other departments at the same institution. I am still going to speak to the director of the graduate program for clarification, but I have never heard of grad students in the biomedical sciences being expected to work for months without being paid. I have also never heard of grad students being furloughed, so I imagine this conversation will go smoothly and there won’t be any hiccups driving me away from what seems like an excellent place.</p>
<p>Sure, feel free to PM me. I will note though that if you have specific questions about BCS, Mollie’s probably better suited to answer them as one of her majors at MIT was actually course 9/BCS.</p>