<p>autocell, any idea who you would work with at UW-MCB? You and I have similar interests, and I worry that with that gigantic list to peruse, I may have overlooked someone.</p>
<p>@sydneya - I couldnt find her either , but if masta<em>ace also got a letter from her, then....Btw, did you decide if you are coming to UMass?
@masta</em>ace - No I dint interview at UTSW, but I got a .pdf letter from Micheal Roth, like you said. May be they dont interview international applicants, eh?</p>
<p>silverlil: i remember them saying that too. That means that they would reject only 10 of the 100 people that they interviewed, and I find it hard to believe that 3 of them post on this site. That must have been a complete lie. And on top of that, we were the last interview weekend, which means that they had already sent out a ton of acceptances. Maybe they realized that they gave out too many earlier in the month and had to cut back after the last round of interviews?</p>
<p>wow i'm surprised theres 3 people just on this site that got rejected by upenn after being interviewed. they did accept many last year so they are telling you the truth- what's odd (well maybe not that surprising) is that you've heard from the rejection letter that they're not accepting that many due to funding issues. </p>
<p>i think what's going on is that they're trying to compete with other schools on how much stipend they give- i got an email earlier last month saying they have increased our stipends effective next academic year. so i guess the acceptance rate will inevitably fall starting this year.</p>
<p>i heard from my pi that the admissions committee actually flew a guy out of china for an interview, which surprised me b/c they never flew me out even from california. i think they're making a lot of changes lately.</p>
<p>Hi everyone. I was wondering if anyone could give me advice. I find myself having to choose between attending a PhD Neuroscience program at Baylor College of Medicine (in Houston) or at Tulane. What do you all think? Which is the better program? I guess I should add that I live near New Orleans and am attending Tulane as an undergraduate.</p>
<p>Biological Sciences (Ph.D.)
Ranked in 2007*</p>
<p>Rank/School Average assessment
score (5.0 = highest)
1. Stanford University (CA) 4.9
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 4.8
University of California--Berkeley 4.8
4. California Institute of Technology 4.7
Harvard University (MA) 4.7
6. Johns Hopkins University (MD) 4.6
7. Rockefeller University (NY) 4.5
Scripps Research Institute (CA) 4.5
University of California--San Francisco 4.5
Washington University in St. Louis 4.5
Yale University (CT) 4.5
12. Cornell University (NY) 4.4
Duke University (NC) 4.4
Princeton University (NJ) 4.4
15. Columbia University (NY) 4.3
University of Michigan--Ann Arbor 4.3
University of Wisconsin--Madison 4.3
18. University of California--San Diego 4.2
University of Chicago 4.2
University of Washington 4.2
21. University of Pennsylvania 4.1
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center--Dallas 4.1
23. University of California--Davis 4.0
University of California--Los Angeles 4.0
University of Texas--Austin 4.0
26. Baylor College of Medicine (TX) 3.9
Cornell University (Weill) (NY) 3.9
University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill 3.9
29. Indiana University--Bloomington 3.8
Mayo Medical School (MN) 3.8
Northwestern University (IL) 3.8
University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign 3.8
33. University of Colorado--Boulder 3.7
34. Brown University (RI) 3.6
Carnegie Mellon University (PA) 3.6
Dartmouth College (NH) 3.6
Emory University (GA) 3.6
Michigan State University 3.6
University of California--Irvine 3.6
University of Minnesota--Twin Cities 3.6
Vanderbilt University (TN) 3.6
42. Case Western Reserve University (OH) 3.5
Ohio State University 3.5
Pennsylvania State University--University Park 3.5
Purdue University--West Lafayette (IN) 3.5
University of Arizona 3.5
University of Virginia 3.5
48. Brandeis University (MA) 3.4
Rice University (TX) 3.4
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey--New Brunswick 3.4
SUNY--Stony Brook 3.4
University of Colorado--Denver and Health Sciences Center 3.4
University of Florida 3.4
University of Iowa 3.4
University of Maryland--College Park 3.4
University of Oregon 3.4
Yeshiva University (Einstein) (NY) 3.4
58. Arizona State University 3.3
Mount Sinai School of Medicine (NY) 3.3
New York University 3.3
University of Alabama--Birmingham 3.3
University of California--Santa Barbara 3.3
University of Georgia 3.3
University of Kansas 3.3
University of Massachusetts Medical Center--Worcester 3.3
University of Pittsburgh 3.3
University of Utah 3.3
68. Georgia Institute of Technology 3.2
Iowa State University 3.2
Oregon State University 3.2
Texas A&M University--College Station 3.2
Tufts University (MA) 3.2
University of California--Riverside 3.2
University of California--Santa Cruz 3.2
University of Massachusetts--Amherst 3.2
University of Texas Medical Branch--Galveston 3.2
77. Baylor University (TX) 3.1
Colorado State University 3.1
Georgetown University (DC) 3.1
North Carolina State University 3.1
OGI School of Sci. & Engineering--Oregon Health & Sci. U. 3.1
University of Connecticut 3.1
University of Illinois--Chicago 3.1
University of Missouri--Columbia 3.1
University of Rochester (NY) 3.1
University of Texas Health Science Center--Houston 3.1
Virginia Tech 3.1
Washington State University 3.1
89. Boston University 3.0
Florida State University 3.0
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) 3.0
Syracuse University (NY) 3.0
UMDNJ--New Jersey Medical School 3.0
University of Southern California 3.0
95. CUNY Graduate School and University Center 2.9
George Washington University (DC) 2.9
Kansas State University 2.9
Ohio University 2.9
Thomas Jefferson University (PA) 2.9
University of Delaware 2.9
University of Maryland--Baltimore 2.9
University of Notre Dame (IN) 2.9
University of Tennessee--Knoxville 2.9
Wake Forest University (NC) 2.9
105. Auburn University (AL) 2.8
Claremont Graduate University (CA) 2.8
Louisiana State University--Baton Rouge 2.8
Medical College of Wisconsin 2.8
Oklahoma State University 2.8
San Diego State University 2.8
St. Louis University 2.8
Temple University (PA) 2.8
Tulane University 2.8
University at Buffalo--SUNY 2.8
University of Kentucky 2.8
University of Miami (FL) 2.8
University of Nebraska--Lincoln 2.8
University of New Mexico 2.8
University of Oklahoma 2.8
University of Texas Health Science Center--San Antonio 2.8
University of Texas--San Antonio 2.8
122. Boston College 2.7
Brigham Young University (UT) 2.7
College of William and Mary (VA) 2.7
Drexel University (PA) 2.7
Northeastern University (MA) 2.7
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry 2.7
SUNY--Albany 2.7
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (MD) 2.7
University of Alaska--Fairbanks 2.7
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences 2.7
University of Missouri--St. Louis 2.7
University of Nebraska Medical Center 2.7
University of Tennessee Health Science Center 2.7
University of Vermont 2.7
136. Clemson University (SC) 2.6
Drexel University (College of Medicine) (PA) 2.6
Loyola University Chicago 2.6
Marquette University (WI) 2.6
Medical University of South Carolina 2.6
Miami University--Oxford (OH) 2.6
Northern Arizona University 2.6
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey--Newark 2.6
SUNY--Upstate Medical Center 2.6
University of Cincinnati 2.6
University of New Hampshire 2.6
University of Rhode Island 2.6
University of Texas--Dallas 2.6
Utah State University 2.6
Wayne State University (MI) 2.6
West Virginia University 2.6
152. George Mason University (VA) 2.5
Indiana State University 2.5
New York Medical College 2.5
SUNY--Binghamton 2.5
Southern Methodist University (TX) 2.5
Teachers College, Columbia University (NY) 2.5
University of Arkansas--Fayetteville 2.5
University of Hawaii--Manoa 2.5
University of Maryland--Baltimore County 2.5
University of Montana 2.5
University of South Carolina 2.5
University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee 2.5
Virginia Commonwealth University 2.5
Wesleyan University (CT) 2.5</p>
<p>Seirene,</p>
<p>The above are rankings of biological programs. According to those rankings, Baylor is lot better than Tulane. If you don't have a preference for location, I would say that Baylor is a better school.</p>
<p>Not only is Baylor a "better" school, but as has been mentioned many times before, since you are going to Tulane for undergrad it is advisable to leave and go anywhere else for your PhD. "Inbreeding" is mostly looked down upon. But of course, it all really boils down to who is doing the research you would most like to do? Go to the place you would be happiest working.</p>
<p>Another reject. This time its UCSD. Funny, I thought my interviews went off really good. Oh well.
@Seirene - I completely second (third?) maco0708 and New_User. Baylor is definitely a better place to go to, and no I aint basing it on the crap US News rankings. Even on a very cursory look at the faculty interests, you can see a very pronounced medical tilt to their research. I think that trend is very healthy.</p>
<p>souravrc - I probably will not be attending UMass. And about UCSD.. hey, I didn't even get an interview ;) </p>
<p>I don't know anything about Baylor vs Tulane, but Seirene, you might also want to look into how happy the students are at each school. I remember reading a lot of complaints about "Baylor", but not sure if its the same one you're talking about (is there another campus besides Houston?) And I will agree with others in that doing undergrad and grad at the same school is a little less than ideal.</p>
<p>MIT or Berkeley for biochemistry/structural bio??? I am obsessing over the decision of where to go and trying to take a census of every science person I can find.</p>
<p>The programs are pretty comparable and there is amazing research going on at both!</p>
<p>bioangele, when it comes down to MIT vs. Berkeley, they are both amazing places where you will definitely receive the best training. I guess it really comes down to which city you like best.</p>
<p>Seirene, I agree with everyone that Baylor College of Medicine is tons better than Tulane; they are not even on the same level in my opinion. Sydneya, I think those negative comments you referred to about Baylor was off some other forum. A student there posted his opinions about Baylor (how he felt students were basically slave-workers for their PIs, etc.), which I think is just one persons opinion in one particular lab. Now I'm not saying only one lab may be like that at Baylor, but I feel you will find plenty of bad environment labs anywhere you go. I interviewed for their MCB program and I personally felt that a lot of the students there were pretty happy about their choices (and I talked to plenty of them too). That was just for MCB; I don't know too much about their neuroscience program.</p>
<p>Right now, I'm really struggling on whether I should go with UT Southwestern or Weill Cornell / SKI. I'm interested in stem cell work and cancer research. Since UTSW is a public institution, there isn't much human ES cell work going on there (the only lab working on it there is moving this summer for this reason). Clearly, Cornell / SKI is the best choice for me... but there is just so much in Dallas that is hard to leave (all my family, friends, and girlfriend of 5+ years who won't be able to come with me). But then again, I know NYC will be an absolute blast and maybe even a once-in-a-lifetime-chance type deal to live there with cheap housing and to be able to study something that will be a major breakthrough in the next few years. Toughest decision of my life so far? You bet...</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for their advice! I have taken it all to heart, and I think you all are right. Also, any additional advice from anyone is still appreciated.
:)</p>
<p>PhD 2008 Admit
Hello everybody,</p>
<p>I have got an offer from Biomedical Program, Univerity of Florida for fall 2008,but i am awaitig few other results.I am suppose to make an acceptance ASAP..(the deadline being 15th April)..CAn anyone advice me about the formalities/complications involve if i accept the offer now..and decline later if somethiing better comes along.Does the aforesaid university permits this?</p>
<p>Also,it wuold be nice to get a feedback on the department profile.
A prompt reply would be highly appreciated.</p>
<p>Has anyone got an offer from Molecular and Cell biology program of Dartmouth College yet??.
I was interviewed couple of weeks back..but haven't heard anything yet..</p>
<p>Hey mini-m, </p>
<p>They say ASAP but that is more a courtesy in cases where you make up your mind early. Basically, it allows them to give someone else your spot if you decide to decline. If you think you may be accepting but want to wait, just wait. You have until April 15th, that is a pretty set deadline by all schools, which also means you should hear back from all schools pretty well before then. I would think waiting would be a lot better than prematurely accepting and declining later.</p>
<p>Just got accepted @ Mount Sinai. Question, though: in the email they say you have to take a tox screen before matriculating.. any other schools mention this? Grad students @ Weill Cornell confirmed they didn't have to, I'm just curious what their reasoning is, and how prevalent it is.</p>
<p>mini-m, I agree with N_U. It is better to wait and give a final decision than to accept and later decline. </p>
<p>aldo, congrats, never heard of schools doing a tox screen. Although JHU is the only school I have seen to explicitly state that all students will undergo a criminal background check. Maybe it's a local thing. =)</p>
<p>Hi guys, when it comes down to Vanderbilt and Indiana University-Purdue University (IUPUI)'s biomedical programs, which one is a better choice?</p>
<p>As I am sure others will say as well, it really depends on what your research interests are, and the strengths of the schools in those areas. I am a bit biased here because I will be beginning the IU School of Medicine's IBMG program (at IUPUI) in the fall, but I was accepted elsewhere as well and it came down to the fact that IU Med had many options in my areas of research interest and thus, better supporting my overall career goals. I am not 100% sure what Vandy's strengths are, or your interests, but for me it was IUPUI that best suited me in the end. It is a great school and I feel that I will have the support, facilities, and develop the skills I need there.</p>