<p>After talking around a bit, I get the feeling that biosciences admissions for international applicants are quite different from local applicants (dates, acceptance rates etc). I couldn't find a lot of information about international applicants on this forum. So, I'm starting this thread.</p>
<p>It would be nice to hear from international applicants who have got invites, and also from applicants who haven't heard back so far. I'll start off: </p>
<p>Undergrad in Engineering from a well known international school.
Masters in Engineering from a mid-western univ.
GPA: 3.8 & 4.0 respectively.
GRE: 700V 800Q 5.0W
Publications: One information theory related publication during masters.</p>
<p>Research:
1)A semester of research with a AI/Computational neuroscience lab.
2) 1.5 yrs of biophysics/comp-neuro research with a computational neuroscientist in Israel.</p>
<p>Applied to:
Harvard<br>
Columbia
MIT
UPenn
Brown
Stanford
Princeton
Yale
NYU</p>
<p>It’s good to have an international applicants thread. My stats:</p>
<p>International Applicant, went to a national research university in my country
Undergrad. Major: Biological Sciences
Undergrad GPA: 3.54 with honors
Graduate (Masters) Major: Genetics/Molecular Biology
Graduate GPA: 3.7
Years of Research Experience: 5+ years. Genetics/Virology departments. Went to a summer program in structural biology. 1 paper published and 1 first author paper in preparation. Two poster presentations at important international conferences.
2 yeard of TA as undergrad: Molecular Genetics and Cytogenetics
GRE Scores: 490V, 730Q, 3.5A
Toefl score: 100
3 good/strong letters of recommendation
Graduate Program: Microbiology, Immunology, Virology and Immune Response
Prospective Graduate Schools:</p>
<p>UCSF
MIT
Rockefeller University
Washington University in St. Louis
Mt. Sinai School of Medicine
Yale University
UMD, College Park
Emory University
University of Washington </p>
<p>I got rejection letters/emails from BMS/UCSF and DBBS/WashU-Saint Louis. No word from other schools so far.</p>
<p>Alright, I’ll stop lurking. Could we just make this an international biosciences thread rather than just neuroscience?
I would expect a fairly large proportion of applicants to many of these programs would be internationals. Are we treated that differently?</p>
<p>International applicant: Major university in the UK.
Undergrad. Major: Physics (Biophysics/Theoretical Physics)
Undergrad degree result: First
My undergrad was a funny Masters-Bachelor combo (Mphys)
Research Experience: ~1.5 years. Master’s project: theory/simulation of biosystems. Internship at AMOLF (the Netherlands): biochemical network theory/modelling. Research student at the University of Tokyo: experimental work with DNA systems. No publications yet, 2 in preparation.
GRE Scores (new system): 164V (94%), 169Q (98%), 4.0AW (48%)
Graduate Program: Biophysics/Systems biology
Prospective Graduate Schools:
Harvard
MIT
Stanford
Berkeley
Caltech</p>
<p>Granted, the prospective schools are fairly ambitious, but these are the schools that I would choose over doing a PhD in Europe.</p>
<p>Yes, it is that different for international applicants. It’s tough for American applicants and almost insane for internationals (with some differences depending on field, I suppose).</p>
<p>Yes, it’s a totally different game. We cost more money, and we don’t get funded through the same channels as domestic students. Hence, it’s insanely more competitive. However, if you manage to secure your own funding through a fellowship from your own country, you can probably get into most schools if you have good grades/research experience. </p>
<p>When people post their invites, can you specify the program within the school? That would help a lot.</p>
<p>So far I have three invites:</p>
<p>Cornell - BBS
Columbia - Coordinated programs in the medical school
Northwestern - IGP</p>
<p>Are you guys all in the USA during this application process or are you abroad? I’m an international applicant too, and in the US during the application process because of research…</p>
<p>International applicant: University in the Netherlands
Undergrad. Major: Biology
GPA: 3.2 (?)
Currently Masters student Medical Biology (GPA 3.7 ?)
Research Experience: ~1.5 years.
One at the University of the Balearic Islands (Spain), now about 1,5 years at the Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH). No publications yet, 2 submitted. One review paper 1st author, one research paper some mid-author.
GRE Scores (new system): 151V (51%), 159Q (81%), 4.0AW (48%)
Graduate Program: Biomedical Sciences / Neuroscience</p>
<p>So far interview invites:
Columbia University - Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine
Albert Einstein - Biomedical Sciences</p>
<p>Rejection: Mount Sinai (Neuro).
Applied to other schools in NYC and Boston. </p>
<p>I also wonder about the acceptance rates for international applicants after the interviews…</p>
<p>I am currently not in the US (currently in Japan), so coming for interviews would be difficult, or at least very expensive. I hope this isn’t an issue.
I guess we could reason that since most internationals would find it hard to go to interviews, the probability of getting an interview (/skype/phone interview) is low, but if they give you anything they’ve most likely decided to take you on. Would anyone know if this is the case? </p>
<p>It also seems everyone wants to know these admissions stats. It doesn’t seem that schools officially publish any grad admissions stats, let alone breakdowns for international and pre/post interview data. I highly doubt we’ll see anything like this…</p>
<p>They normally invite 3-4 internationals for interviews depending on size of the program. I am not sure if there is any further filtering in that pool! Did your invitation emails mention any stats?</p>
<p>I suppose the best person to ask would be an international student who has been through the process.</p>
<p>I don’t want to freak you guys out or anything along those lines but based on my own experience the invitation/interview period is the same for internationals than for Americans (granted some schools a exceptions) so at this point you should be starting to hear back from all the schools. Even though getting into grad school being international is significantly harder that if you were American, it is achievable. Stay strong, you are almost there!
PS as a side note it’s significantly harder for foreigners to get into public universities than private institutions</p>
<p>Superstressed International here
Hey guys
So, stats
Undergrad: Biology: GPA 3.0-3.2 (Haven’t found a convincing converter)
Research Experience: 1.5 years, medical school, cell-cycle/stem cell oriented lab
No publications
GRE General: V154(64%) Q156(74%) AW5.0(87%)
Subject test, Biology: 870 (96%)
TOEFL 117
2/3 Letters of Rec are glowing other one is very good</p>
<p>Schools I’ve applied to:
UW - MCB (rejected)
and still waiting to hear from all the others :-S
Columbia - CMBS
GSK
NYU - Stem Cell Biology
Albert Einstein
Rockefeller
Duke - CMB</p>
<p>International applicant to neuroscience programs in the US. Recently discovered this grad school forum. Posting a list of schools and notification dates to help others that may be waiting:</p>
<p>Harvard Neuro - Interview via email on 12/16/2011
UCSF Neuro - Interview via email on 12/18/2011
Weill Cornell Neuro - Interview via email on 12/22/2011
NYU Sackler Neuro - Interview via email on 12/22/2011
Princeton Neuro - Interview via email on 12/22/2011
Columbia Neuro - Interview via email on 12/23/2011
Rockefeller Neuro - Accepted via email on 12/23/2011
Yale Neuro - Interview via email on 1/8/2012</p>
<p>If you’re currently in the US as an international student, can we give up the hope for getting invited for interviews around this time? </p>
<p>I’ve heard from 3 schools, 2 interviews and 1 rejection. 7 others did not email me anything yet… Is it time to assume that I won’t be invited for anything anymore, and that these are rejections? (like NYU Sackler, Sloan Kettering, Weill Cornell, Tufts, BU, Rockefeller)</p>