<p>can I just say, totally off topic, that my flight to my recruitment weekend was canceled due to increment weather, and I am devastated.</p>
<p>Hey everyone! Are there any international candidates here who interviewed (over phone) with UChicago DBS and still haven’t heard back?</p>
<p>ScienceChick, first you mentioned that it seemed strange for Harvard to have a recruitment weekend, because no one would turn them down, then later you mentioned it was hard to get to the heart of what the students really thought of the program, and get past the outward reputation.</p>
<p>My guess is that that is precisely what that recruitment weekend is for, getting past reputation, and seeing for yourself. I have found that students are much more candid in answering questions, and that is part of why most programs throw you together with the current students for dinners and nights out, so you can ask them the questions you are afraid to ask in your formal meetings.</p>
<p>I have heard horror stories about every program I was interested in, and sometimes I think that part of those tales is to scare away the faint of heart. Not everyone was meant to get a PhD and not everyone is tenacious enough to survive in academia. Personally, I say BRING IT. </p>
<p>good news too, they are gonna try to fly me in next week!</p>
<p>@brains
My flight today to an interview weekend was canceled too! I was in a state of mild panic trying to figure out what to do, but luckily the school has a second weekend I am able to attend. Time for the snow to go away.</p>
<p>@nutmeg1284 - I spent the entire week worrying about this. My flight from DC to NYC was cancelled last night. Luckily I was able o book one of the only trains leaving DC today. I am beyond ecstatic that everything worked out. Interviewing at NYU CGSB. Anyone else going to be joining me?</p>
<p>My Friday interview at Maryland just got canceled :(</p>
<p>I saw a few pages back people where asking about the BMBB and the other program at U of MN. I was asked to interview around Dec. 20th, interviewed there the last weekend in January, and was accepted this past Monday. Hope that helps.</p>
<p>I just wanted to chip in what I know as far as the whole “Harvard vs…” debate.</p>
<p>Everything I say is through a filter of the fact that I go to MIT now. Anyway, I just got done with the MIT weekend, and the single biggest takeaway for me is that pretty much all the students are HAPPY. Like, laughing, inside jokes, pleasant…no one seemed stressed or even like they were trying to cover up negativity. It was all happy students AND happy faculty, and the sense of family/community is a really big deal there. Plenty of stories of labs collaborating within the school. </p>
<p>I’ll be going to the Harvard BBS open house this weekend, and I’ve been asking as many people as I can (without harping on it too much) what they think about Harvard. Quite frighteningly, EVERYONE has said some version of “it’s competitive” or “no one’s happy” or “there’s no sense of community”. Of course, I’ll go with an open mind and see the students/faculty for myself, but…it’s unsettling. </p>
<p>I’ve heard this could have to do with the physical closeness of MIT’s labs versus the physical separation of Harvard’s, as well it being relatively easier to get tenure at MIT (therefore less throat-cutting and more general happiness among faculty). </p>
<p>I dunno…I’m naturally an MIT-lover. But I tend to like pre-clinical research, and there’s probably more of this at BBS. I like the style of MIT’s program, with just classes first semester, and then shorter no-pressure rotations. But I’ve heard my resume would be stronger with MIT-Harvard on it than MIT-MIT. But maybe I could post-doc at Harvard later. </p>
<p>I’ll probably report back after this weekend spent with BBS.</p>
<p>Do any of you have a general sense of what you’d do in my position? Any input greatly appreciated, and I know I’m in a really blessed position either way.</p>
<p>does anyone know the post interview acceptance rate @ uchicago?</p>
<p>hey everyone! have any international students heard back from UCI CMB?</p>
<p>
I know what I did in that position. ;)</p>
<p>@ PipetteKid,</p>
<p>A close friend of mine got his PhD at MIT (a geneticist) and I have to say, he spoke a LOT about how competitive his lab mates were… I remember stories about people hijacking others’ research, hoarding supplies, stealing ideas… He was even reticent about talking about his sister’s research in a California lab to me for fear I would tell someone in the lab where I was working in Boston. I’m sure you’ll hear the same kinds of things about Harvard, Yale, Princeton (or any lab for that matter, where the stakes are high). It’s probably something you’ll have to deal with no matter where you end up and it will depend on a particular lab with certain people and with a particular PI. I’d evaluate it from your last statement – I think MIT/Harvard is going to benefit you the most in the long run. Either way, your worst case scenario is pretty terrific so congratulations.</p>
<p>@safetypin</p>
<p>I think I need to PM you back! As far as Princeton is concerned, from what I read when I was applying to programs, the neuroscience department there looks incredible (and it sounds like you experienced the same thing for your interview weekend!) From your stats though, I know they would be lucky to have you. I am very excited for you and can’t wait to hear what you decide! </p>
<p>With the whole ‘Harvard vs. blank’ argument, I just think if you are trying to decide between a slew of top tier schools, the atmosphere and geography are going to play a major role. For me, that role is bigger than it may be for others, but then again, I didn’t get an interview at Princeton so it’s hard to say. :):)</p>
<p>Also, my summer at Harvard was probably one of the highlights of the last decade for me so I am very biased.</p>
<p>@brains</p>
<p>Glad they rescheduled your flight! Crossing my fingers for you!</p>
<p>I too am devestated for missing my interview today. My flight was canceled yesterday and I could barely get out of my house today. I called the school yesterday and it appears pretty much none of the other candidates were not able to attend either. However, the school cannot reschedule. It was the second interview week…they said we might have to resort to phone interviews, but I haven’t heard back yet. I was really hoping to visit. Glad I made it to the one this past Monday…almost had to cancel! I’m heading to DC next weekend so it better not snow anymore! I can’t handle anymore blizzards!</p>
<p>@everyone else who was grounded by the storm!</p>
<p>Phew, I feel so much less alone! I had to reschedule an entire two days of clients in order to get there next Tue-Thurs, but as far as I’m concerned this is my #1 Priority, and I know they understand, they are rooting for me too! (Thanks Neurohopes!)</p>
<p>@Phd2010 I was really afraid I would have to do phone interviews! I get so anxious on the phone because I have a really raspy voice, and things I say get lost! Good luck on yours!</p>
<p>I guess this is just more time to look up things in papers that I have never heard of so I have intelligent things to say. ;D</p>
<p>
This is the wrong way to go about thinking about things – you don’t postdoc somewhere, you postdoc with someone. It’s basically irrelevant where your postdoc lab is located, except insofar as your quality of life issues.</p>
<p>Anyway, re: Harvard, I think it’s true that there’s less of a sense of community within BBS because it’s so spread out. But there is certainly community among departments, or centers, or buildings/hospitals – no lab is an island.</p>
<p>Personally, I don’t feel an overly strong connection to BBS, partially because my lab has students from several different programs, and partially because my lab is located across the city at Mass General, so I have to hop on a half-hour shuttle to get to the medical school campus. I am still (literally) an MIT cheerleader, if that says anything about my school loyalties. If you caught me off-guard and asked me where I go to school, I would have to think before I said Harvard.</p>
<p>But I am deliriously happy that I chose to do my PhD in this particular lab, with my experience in BBS, and with my fellow students in the program and in my lab. I have never seen cutthroat behavior from people in my program, in my rotation labs, or in my thesis lab. Although I don’t feel any sort of partisan belief that everybody should come to BBS (rah rah go team), I reject the idea that people here are toxic, noncollaborative, or cutthroat.</p>
<p>"I have never seen cutthroat behavior from people in my program, in my rotation labs, or in my thesis lab. Although I don’t feel any sort of partisan belief that everybody should come to BBS (rah rah go team), I reject the idea that people here are toxic, noncollaborative, or cutthroat. "</p>
<p>I completely agree with Mollie. Thanks (as always 
) for the input. That is exactly what I have realized after spending 1.5 years in a lab here and through my interactions with graduate students here (two of them being very close friends of mine).</p>
<p>got a UNC BBSP acceptance yesterday!! SO exciting i really loved the program and the school!
so far i have acceptances from UNC and Mt. Sinai, two VERY different cities. i guess if i were to add my two cents, i would say that at least for me geography plays a huge part and will play one when at the end i am deciding where to go. btw, i am from manhattan so definitely living/growing up here has skewed my perception of many different, albeit wonderful, cities. </p>
<p>@neurohopes: i definitely understand what you mean about NYU, i didn’t apply but I have a lot of friends there and they all love it.</p>
<p>Congrats on the UNC acceptance!</p>
<p>thanks GCN2!! i am very ecstatic about it myself!</p>
<p>Sorry, I just seem to always hear researchers talking about post-docs in terms of the “where”…like asking “Where did he do his postdoc?” or “He’s coming from doing his postdoc at _____.” I’m probably not far enough along in the field to know. But I DO know that if I went to MIT for grad, I could NOT stay there for postdoc, and if I wanted to stay in Cambridge, I’d most likely try Harvard. There’s so many faculty, it’s almost like I can be sure I’d find someone I’d like…</p>
<p>…eh, I’ll deal with that later.</p>