<p>hi guys... im not sure if anyone is facing the same situation as me. i interviewed at two places, both of which told me that they would take everybody (unless sth outrageously wrong happens). and they said they'll let me know in 1 week. </p>
<p>i felt that my interviews went very well and I could not sense anything wrong. but it's been 4 weeks+ for the first school and 2 weeks for the second. i have no idea what is happening, and am intending on contacting them.</p>
<p>i feel that the admissions people just dont understand how anxious they are making the applicants feel... at least they should give us some time frame to let us feel easier...</p>
<p>yeah some schools just take a long time.... what schools are these? I know Columbia takes a long time... I think JHU can take some time as well.</p>
<p>ok so i just got back from work and checked my phone. 6 calls in 4 hours from one number. I googled the number and it turns out to be Albert Einstein Medical College. I mean, if they are going to admit me or something, then that's great, but 6 calls w/o leaving a message is a little crazy don't you think?</p>
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My reasoning is that although JHU is prestigious and has lots of famous researchers, there are so many post-docs and the labs are so competitive that I fear that the lowly grad students ends up in the least desireable lab with the projects nobody else wants. Plus these famous labs can be super huge and you'll barely know your PI - you may end up doing very poorly in terms of training and publications. On the other hand, going to a less famous place, you may not have the name, but you do have people who care about your progress and one-on-one time with your PI.
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I'm in a postdoc-heavy lab, and I love it -- it's like having a whole bunch of PIs. Even in a lab with several postdocs, graduate students aren't necessarily the low man on the totem pole.</p>
<p>You can find people who care about you and your training anywhere. Even in big labs with lots of postdocs.</p>
<p>I have received an official acceptance letter from Weill Cornell yesterday. It was just a single letter and a little response card that I am supposed to sign and send back. I am talking about the BCMB program.</p>
<p>So for those who have interviewed on Feb 20-23, you should get a decision very soon.</p>
<p>Beautiful Campus, redwoods, ocean view, new facilities, cool research (nano pore) and the chemistry dept. was impressive. Only one grad student impressed me. We chatted about principal component analysis but some of the other grad students were real strange. One of the guys at the end of the bar crawl started ranting about how we should be very careful about who we love in life. Apparently knocked some girl up. I was the only one with slacks and a tie so I was labeled the conservative from Kansas. The one reason really for coming here was to work with Mark Akeson on the nano pore and he told me to call him before I made any decisions...cost of living is crazy and you have to TA for 3 quarters but I found out most people TA for 6 quarters. Wizack considering at Wake Forest you don't TA at all.</p>
<p>I did a summer internship at Hopkins, so maybe I can provide you with some input. While Hopkins is definitely has many post-docs and is a "big name" intent on producing quality research, the PI's (especially the ones I interacted with) are very focused on training graduate students. Also, the BCMB graduate students are among the "happiest" (in terms of graduate studies) I have met among all my interview visits. This is especially true, I feel, because many accepted students tend to not pick Hopkins due to safety issues in Baltimore, and everyone at Hopkins understands this fact. Therefore, I got the feeling that Hopkins faculty tends to try harder to make students satisfied with their graduate studies. So, I suggest you to not make your decision thinking that you will not get enough attention as a graduate student there, because I'm sure you will.</p>
<p>Again, Hopkins has been ranked #1 in safety. Although Baltimore does have its problems, Hopkins and the areas around it, are perfectly fine. Also, there are many safe areas in Baltimore. Let's not get carried away with the safety issue as it relates to Hopkins. In terms of safety, a school can't do better than being #1.</p>
<p>I send a mail to UT Southwestern a few weeks earlier to ask my admit status and they promptly send me a reject. Less than a week ago, I get another mail from them saying I hv been admitted. What is going on?</p>
<p>i second mollie. im currently in the scripps research institute, and my lab (30+ people) is almost exclusively postdoc (im the only grad student). so yes, i work more closely with postdocs than my PI. but it is not necessarily bad because a lot of postdocs are PI quality and the only reason they are not out there is because the funding environment is terrible right now. it is true that there are a lot of grumpy postdocs anywhere, not all postdocs are the same. as for the project, i think one can always get a good project if one fights hard for it.</p>
<p>souravrc - are the letters from the same office?</p>
<p>News update from me, even though I had doubts about the quality of my interviews at Weill-Cornell, they still accepted me. It is going to be a really tough decision.</p>
<p>nickalternate - I'm with layne here. The faculty and students I met at Hopkins all seemed very happy and into science. My interviewers also seemed to have really good relationships with their students. I personally am not worried of being used as just an extra pair of hands there.</p>
<p>I've read a lot of responses regarding the pros to JHU, but I am actually interested in University of Maryland at College Park for a few reasons not mentioned:</p>
<p>It is a more teaching-oriented university, meaning that the PIs are hired first and foremost as people with great personal and explanatory skills. Also, if you're interested in staying pursuing a future as a professor, you'll have plenty of opportunities here to teach.</p>
<p>It is a growing program (CBMG), a new mulit-million dollar life sciences building was just built last year, and the program is looking to expand it faculty, adding 10-30 new members within the next few years.</p>
<p>The location, DC area, is fabulous! There's so much to do, great culture/music/diverse scene.</p>
<p>Also, many UMCP faculty have strong collaboraters as well as adjuct faculty to allow grad students to rotate/work in a lab at the NIH, USDA and NCI.</p>
<p>I just wanted to stand up for the "underdog" in this battle of JHU vs UMCP, so I hope it helps make a more conclusive decision.</p>
<p>I'm currently deciding between UC Irvine and University of Maryland College Park, any furhter insight into either of these programs?</p>
<p>Can anyone help me decide on this one. I have got acceptance from WashU, Columbia, Duke, UPenn and Baylor. Still waiting on JHU and Scripps. All these programs are either Pharm or something human translational related. I eventually want to work for a pharm industry. Assuming, I liked the area and everything else equally for all, which one would be best suited and would you have gone to if given a choice and why? Please help me as I am very very confused.</p>
<p>Also, would it be stupid to ask the professors at these schools to help decide. I know that all would say their school is the best, but I am hoping that I can atleast find one useful faculty.</p>
<p>I assume that you visited all the schools. I think you have to think about the visits and determine which places you liked the best. That should cut the list down to 2-3 schools.
I know that you said not to consider the area but I think that those schools are in such a diverse areas of the US that you should choose the one you like the best.
Also if going to the industry is a top priority for you, contact the professors you like and ask where their students go after they graduate.</p>
<p>all the schools you mentioned are in the same tier; any one of them will seem the same to someone outside your field. The only person who can make any sort of decision is you. It is a difficult decision, but it is the most important one you'll make at this stage in your life, so you need to be prepared to do your homework. Do all the things that maco0708 mentioned. Call the professors, but instead of asking them to make your decision for you, ask them whether they're taking students in your year, what kind of projects they have, etc. Yes, it's a lot of schools to go through, and a lot of profs, but you have to do it if you want to make the right decision that you won't regret.</p>
<p>And a word of advice from a faculty member who interviewed me...whatever decision you make in the end, it will be the right decision. Take your time to make it, but once you do, DO NOT look back no matter what.</p>
<p>i would not assume that UCSD has rejected you yet. sometimes they take more time in sending out invites to some candidates depending on the response from other candidates. however, umass med has a deadline before which you have to inform them about your acceptance of the offer so make sure you dont miss that deadline.</p>
<p>Did anyone get waitlisted for the Stanford Biosciences admissions after the interviews? Did any of the accepted folks get notified of being nominated to the Stanford Graduate Fellowship? Appreciate a quick response!</p>
I actually don't think a professor would automatically plug his or her own program if he or she truly felt another program would be a better fit for your interests. Faculty members have an interest in attracting graduate students who will be happy and productive, and they won't put some rah-rah feeling about their program before the happiness and productivity of a graduate student.</p>