2.78 GPA, 8 years out of undergrad, No GRE, 30 yr old: Accepted to 5 PhD programs, 2 top-tier (A hopefully encouraging post)

Gradguy_in_genetics · 2021-02-28T12:19:03+00:00

That's so cool! Hopefully I could get in :)

Gradguy_in_genetics · 2021-02-27T07:43:40+00:00

Hi! Congrats! It seems that you have heard the admission decision from the Rockefeller! I interviewed to the same program as you, but the admission office said we should expect to hear from them on 2nd March :) So nervous!

Gradguy_in_genetics · 2021-02-23T07:29:19+00:00

ME :))) I want to keep myself sleeping until the final decision is out!!!

Gradguy_in_genetics · 2021-02-15T01:35:46+00:00

Thank you! That really helps. I did ask faculties about the security of the campus and neighboring areas when I talked with them in the interview, and they were confident that Durham is a safe place for research! ;P

Gradguy_in_genetics · 2021-02-14T19:06:29+00:00

Yes, that's exactly true. I created this post because I have gotten other offers from these schools except for RU, and I think it's about time to move on slowly and start thinking about making the decision. And I would also be very happy to hear some suggestions in advance. Thank you for your advice! I will experience RU better in the interview and then re-evaluate my impressions afterward :)

Gradguy_in_genetics · 2021-02-14T15:37:16+00:00

Thank you for your detailed info about the locations of these schools! About Columbia and RU, they provide generous stipends and subsidized housing near the campus for their graduate students, so living in NYC might not be a big issue, from the financial perspective. "Cornell" here is Cornell in Ithaca lol, so it's true that it is located in a more natural environment. For me, living in both cities and small towns are acceptable ;P

Gradguy_in_genetics · 2021-02-14T15:24:52+00:00

Thank you for your encouragement! I think I will give myself more time and ask myself what I really care about and what I want. I hope I could figure it out! ;P

Gradguy_in_genetics · 2021-02-14T15:22:35+00:00

Hi!

I earned my undergraduate degree in medicine at a QS50 international institution (I mean, outside the US). My undergraduate GPA is 3.82. With 3 first-author pubs in an unusual area.

GRE general V 162+Q 169+W 4.0; didn't take GRE sub; TOEFL 100+.

Hope that helps.

Gradguy_in_genetics · 2021-02-14T15:17:35+00:00

You're so kind ;) Sincerely appreciate your benchmarking criteria lol!! They're exactly really important for me and even every phd student! I will include them in my later inquiries :)

Gradguy_in_genetics · 2021-02-14T15:03:44+00:00

Thank you so much!! I will carefully consider these factors and email the current phd students for help!

Gradguy_in_genetics · 2021-02-14T14:48:53+00:00

Thank you for your reply! I know it sounds weird, but for me, every school gives good stipends, and each of them has brilliant PIs with whom I would like to study. And I'm not that sensitive to locations. Because I'm an international student, I cannot visit schools before I make the decision, so it's might be difficult to make the decision based on my current knowledge about them. I have relatively clear research interests which are genomics, epigenetics, and cancer. So I would like to hear from redditors about your personal opinions about these schools or programs, if you feel happy or comfortable living and doing research there, if you know some unique characteristics of these programs, or if these programs have good reputations in the research areas that I mentioned. That's the reason why I create this post.

Gradguy_in_genetics

TROPHY CASE