<p>I didn’t mean to imply I had gotten that information from any credible source, that was just one of my thoughts. Some programs invite everyone at once and just let them choose which weekend, so I think it must really vary from school to school.</p>
<p>Not sure about MIT Biology in terms of interviews/acceptances. </p>
<p>I did notice that Harvard BBS has added interviews to the application process…</p>
<p>@Biophysical</p>
<p>That makes me feel better about my chances of getting an interview. The only thing I was worried about was my GPA. Good luck with your applications!</p>
<p>@neurogirl85
I am also applying to Neuroscience programs…
Undergrad: community college, then a small university in FL
GPA: 3.95
Major: Neuroscience and Behavior
GRE: V 157 (78%), Q 158 (79%), W 4.5 (72%)
2 yrs research experience, 1 summer research program
Areas of interest for grad school: neurobiology of psychiatric illnesses</p>
<p>Harvard
Columbia
Hopkins
UPenn
Mt Sinai
Weill Cornell
NYU Sackler
Georgetown
Tufts
U Maryland Baltimore
Rutgers-Newark</p>
<p>Good luck to everyone!</p>
<p>Applying to neuroscience as well
Undergrad: state university
GPA: 3.72
Major: Neuroscience/Psychology
GRE: V 610 M 720 W 5
3 years research experience
Areas of interest: aging and neurodegenerative disease</p>
<p>Harvard
Temple
Georgetown
Hopkins
Brown-NIH
Columbia
UPenn
NYU Sackler
Albert Einstein
Drexel
Jefferson</p>
<p>
Some programs do it this way and others don’t. </p>
<p>The year I interviewed, MIT Biology accepted about 2/3 of those interviewed, but I don’t remember how many interview invitations were extended.</p>
<p>As for Harvard BBS, we were told that they’re planning to accept a high percentage of people who interview, so the number of interviewees won’t be too tremendously different from the number who are typically accepted.</p>
<p>Hey guys, just joined… So here are my stats</p>
<p>Current School: Prestigious engineering/science institute in NY. I’m graduating this December (finished both degrees in 9 semesters)</p>
<p>B.S. Major: Biochemistry and Biophysics
Undergrad GPA: 3.1 (circumstances in early fresh/soph years brought me down)
M.S. Major: Biology
Grad GPA: 3.78
Research: 1.5 years of research experience in a Parkinson’s Disease lab (working with C. elegans). Students in the lab have completely independent projects that we design and conduct ourselves. I’m hoping my data will be published to WormBase next month.<br>
GRE: Q-79% and V-51% </p>
<p>Area of interest: Virology (Micro and Immuno) - I want to study ssRNA viruses like hemorrhagic fever viruses</p>
<p>School’s I’m Applying to:
Stanford Biosciences microbiology and immunology
UCLA ACCESS
UC Berkeley infectious disease and immunity
Emory IMP and MMG
Scripps Immunology Track
UCSF Virology
Case Western Virology
Upenn Micro, virology, and parasitology
Georgetown global infectious disease
UC irvine virology graduate training program</p>
<p>I was told I have all stellar LOR. To be honest, I’m unsure of what schools I even have a chance for. My application is pretty unique because of circumstances that brought down my GPA early on but you can see a stark contrast from when that changes. I’m hoping that my research and having my master’s will help counteract the low undergrad gpa and meh gre scores. </p>
<p>What do you guys think?</p>
<p>@Virology101</p>
<p>Your low undergrad GPA is counteracted by an unpward trend and a high grad school GPA. Your GRE scores are not stellar, but that won’t prevent you from getting into schools if your research and LoRs are excellent! I think you stand a good chance, from what I can tell.</p>
<p>Just got my first interview offer from Yale Pharmacology! Didn’t know they gave them out this early, I’m pretty excited. I submitted all my applications just a few days before the deadlines, so I doubt being early improves your chances. Below are my stats.</p>
<p>Undergrad: large, public research university; human biology + philosophy minor (3 years)
3.98 GPA
Grad: doing bs/ms joint program at same university (1 year)
Research: 4 years. Was more of an assistant for first 2 years, have been doing my own projects for the past 2 years. No publications.
GRE: 167 Q, 170 V, 5.5 AW
GRE Biochem: 95 percentile
Great letters from my PI, lab mentor, and philosophy professor. I do not know what I was thinking asking my phil professor for one after reading these forums :(</p>
<p>Applied for pharmacology specialization at:
UCSD, UCSF, UCLA, USC, Yale, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Stanford</p>
<p>Congrats, lost in elysia!</p>
<p>Damn I applied to Yale Pharmacology too 
Did they email the interview invite?
(And I still have the exact same GRE scores as you Elysia, 95th percentile Biochem!)</p>
<p>Thanks virions!
Lol flutterfly, we really are the same person xD! I’m glad to hear you did well on that monster of a test. I’m sure you’ll get the invite soon! I first got a call telling me I’d been invited and then I got an e-mail about it. The call basically said I would get an email about the invitation</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You should’ve been a politician.</p>
<p>BTW I got a flyer from Penn State the other day. LOL YEAH RIGHT. Like I’m gonna go there. “But mommy I don’t WANNA go to Penn State!!!”</p>
<p>Current students got an email today that Harvard BBS recruitment weekends will be quite early – January 26-29 and February 9-12. (Typically BBS has a late February weekend and a post-Stanford-Biosciences March weekend, but I imagine they want to push up the timetable since they are now interviewing rather than accepting prior to the recruitment weekend.)</p>
<p>Does anyone know if there is a typical timescale for interview notifications prior to the interview date? For example, these programs that have their interviews at the end of January–are they going to notify you in the middle of January and expect that you can go in two weeks?</p>
<p>I guess if a place like Harvard expresses that they want to interview you in five days, most people would probably drop everything to go.</p>
<p>Generally, programs will notify you at least two to three weeks in advance, if not earlier. But you should probably prepare for the possibility of traveling every weekend this winter, depending on the number of programs to which you applied.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>HAHA, that would be totally ideal.</p>
<p>@molliebatmit</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I guess it’s never too early to start thinking about what to wear to the interview. I’ve heard everything from “casual” to “business casual” to “interview formal”. Any current biosciences students have tips? I’d definitely prefer to be overdressed than underdressed any day. (I’m female, btw, but I imagine the males on this thread are probably interested in knowing as well.)</p>
<p>Also, any other tips for interviews? Besides the obvious… always be professional, be humble about your opportunity to interview there, ask good questions, etc.</p>
<p>Chances are we’re going to hear everything from casual to business casual to formal once again. Looking through the equivalent thread from previous years, it seems that the most important thing is to be comfortable while still looking professional. For males, at least in the biosciences, it certainly seems like a tie isn’t necessary. But each thread has the person who thinks you’re a bum if you don’t wear one (he is obviously more comfortable in a tie. I am certainly less comfortable in a tie). So, pack a few things if possible.</p>
<p>It sounds like it varies a bit by school. If you don’t know someone in the department you can ask, it seems like people frequently get advice from the admissions contacts. </p>
<p>Entirely clueless when it comes to female dress, but I would imagine that you folks might have more options in the gray area between formal and business casual?</p>