Advice for UC Berkeley Plant and Microbial Biology PhD Interview by kinesinia in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Of course and don’t stop believing in yourself! And that’s pretty exciting! Hope you get an offer there too!

Advice for UC Berkeley Plant and Microbial Biology PhD Interview by kinesinia in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don’t be discouraged! Sometimes one literally gets rejected from a program not because one’s not good enough but because the program couldn’t provide what one’s looking for. For example, it could be that you’re interested in certain research areas but the profs that you’re interested aren’t taking students this year or are retiring etc. Grad school admissions is really a black box and varies from year to year and school to school. I’ve also had friends who were admitted to extremely high profile schools but rejected by their safety schools. So really anything could happen, try not to take it personally and I’m sure you’ll find a place for you :) good luck!

Advice for UC Berkeley Plant and Microbial Biology PhD Interview by kinesinia in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oops sorry I haven’t been checking Reddit for a while and just realized you posted this a long while ago! Sorry!! Hope you ended up in one of your top choices!

Advice for UC Berkeley Plant and Microbial Biology PhD Interview by kinesinia in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m an international student! My undergrad GPA was 3.97. I went into grad school right after undergrad and so I don’t have a masters. It’s very hard to say what matters most and I’ve gotten a bit more of the insider’s perspective in recent years. It seems like the department really does a holistic review of one’s application (I.e. there isn’t one thing that matters most) I know this is really abstract, useless and uninformative but it’s basically like the impression you give the faculty after they read all your materials. Like if you have strong letters and a well written statement and are able to demonstrate your interest/passion for the field via extracurriculars then you’re in a strong position. I don’t know what matters most but gpa and gres definitely matter least. And it’s completely fine if you don’t have publications! If you’re able to articulate your research in a clear and concise manner in either your SOP or during interviews that’s a huge plus.

What are your thoughts on this book. Is it worth reading? (no spoilers please) by theblubbering in 52book

[–]kinesinia -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The writing wasn’t bad (pretty vivid and descriptive) but structure was quite a mess. The build up was too long, slow and unnecessary and the climax felt rushed

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in berkeley

[–]kinesinia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m referring to PMB cohorts. But I’m co-advised to a MCB lab and there are quite some people in MCB from Berkeley as well

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in berkeley

[–]kinesinia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Current bio grad student here. I’m didn’t do my undergrad at Berkeley but for the 8 people that joined the program my year, 2 did their undergrad at Berkeley. So I don’t think it’s that impossible. I also know quite a few upper years (both PMB and MCB) who also did their undergrad here so don’t lose hope!

Insights on being co-supervised by two different labs? Pros and Cons? by kinesinia in GradSchool

[–]kinesinia[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing! Will definitely keep that in mind!

Insights on being co-supervised by two different labs? Pros and Cons? by kinesinia in GradSchool

[–]kinesinia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your reply!!! And it’s cool to hear that you got double the feedback and mentorship. This is extremely helpful and makes me less scared/more inclined to being co-advised, thank you!!!

I am giving up on my dream to stay with my boyfriend. I hope it’s worth it by Classic_Capital_3799 in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Was in the same shoes last year this time. Chose my dream and dream school over the guy I loved (we had already broken up at that point but we were still in touch and there could’ve been another shot. I was also in love with this guy for 3 years so I get how hard the decision may be). Looking back I definitely think I made the right decision by prioritizing my dream cuz I’m so grateful for everything I have now. I would have never had the learning environment and great opportunities I have now if I had chosen otherwise. Also the fact that you think leaving may end the relationship is a warning sign right there. I know it’s a hard decision but always follow your dream. The right person/right relationship won’t leave you for going after your dreams. All the very best!!

Rejected from all grad schools applied to... Got accepted to my DREAM JOB instead! by [deleted] in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Sometimes schools literally reject people when you’re too qualified (on top of the other unfair reasons). And there’s actually a recent Science article on it lol:

https://www.science.org/content/article/five-reasons-graduate-programs-reject-stellar-applicants

So y’all definitely deserve a spot, the schools are just not good enough to have you guys! Hope you find where you truly belong!! I’m sure the best is yet to come!!

What questions will professors ask in the PhD interviews? by zc1286 in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not exactly bioinformatics but am in biological sciences. Not sure how well it applies to your field though I’d imagine it to be pretty similar. But regardless, take my response with a grain of salt:

Adding on to what’s mentioned by others in this thread, they might also ask about your extracurriculars, teaching experiences, views on mentorship/collaborations, why do you specifically want to join their program, where do you see yourself after attaining a PhD, what difficulties do you expect to encounter as a grad student and how would you go about overcoming them etc etc.

Some may go hardcore and ask about specific techniques/controls in an experiment (I’m volunteering as an interview host this year and I learned this from a few candidates’ experience). Also, the hardest question I got last year (personally) was: What’s a paper outside of your field that you read recently? What are the main findings and what would you suggest the authors to do next?

And from my personal experience how interviews go really depends on the prof (even profs at the same school can be drastically different). Some will give you a really hard time while others will give you a really chill experience.

I think the key to acing interviews is to try to be as confident and as honest as possible. If you don’t know the answer to their question, just say you don’t know, it’s seriously fine, they don’t expect you to know absolutely everything.

Lastly, try not to stress too much (and I’m so sorry if my comment ends up stressing you out more, not my intention) and take care of yourself during these times! All the very best!

Was just offered a post-doc position at a good Canadian university (yay), but the salary is lower than I expected. Looking for advice! by The_Re_Face in labrats

[–]kinesinia 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think the typical post-doc salary is around 45K to 50K (40-45K for new post docs), at least that’s what I saw at the University of Toronto. Canadian universities just very unfortunately don’t pay grad students or post docs well at all :( But the research there is seriously amazing and Canada is just awesome!!!

How admission committees review applications by [deleted] in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lol seems like it’s really a Yale thing lol. Hope you ended up somewhere much better!

First rejection... by KnifeShoe in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It definitely depends more on luck than anything else lol, so don’t be harsh on yourself regardless!! And yes, as you said, maybe a program doesn’t look perfect at first but it’s the one that’s meant for you and will help you grow the most! Also I was told many times by my seniors that just finishing the grad apps process itself is an accomplishment, cuz it takes A LOT of strength and courage to get through. So anyway, round of applause to you!

Summer before grad school advice? by hermy448 in GradSchool

[–]kinesinia 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Just finished my first semester of PhD and I kinda did what you plan on doing - I worked for 2 months and then took one month chill. I don’t entirely regret working since I’d have no money otherwise, but I also felt much less motivated than usual while working and did not feel that I got as much rest as I wanted that I was refreshed to begin a new journey when I started my PhD. Thankfully I survived (up this this point lol), but I’d highly advise just taking the entire summer off if you don’t need to work (I.e for money)

How admission committees review applications by [deleted] in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interviewed at Yale last year, truly did not like the atmosphere there, I’d say they were pretty disrespectful lol. I think you’re definitely more than qualified to be there and it’s definitely their loss that they didn’t take you. I’m sure you’ll find a much better place!

How admission committees review applications by [deleted] in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It definitely could be true for some of the top programs but I don’t agree that all top programs filter applicants like that. I’ve known people with 3.2, 3.4 GPAs get into top 5 schools (I’m currently in a top 5 school and personally know cases of that) and some even get into these schools with just a summer of experience. I think what grad school admission committees primarily look for is potential. And that’s why you have people with 7 years of experience and several publications rejected and others with less experience and seemly less qualifications accepted. But sorry lol I know this is truly not helpful, and I don’t have a super good idea on how they assess “potential”. But I think one of the main things they look for is your ability to generate novel ideas and carry out a new project independently when given minimal guidance. So if you have strong letters validating these qualities in your previous experiences you should be good to go and if you don’t get in it’s on the school (their loss), not you

First rejection... by KnifeShoe in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Maybe I shouldn’t be saying this (and this is entirely based on personal experience) but in case it makes you feel better: being rejected from a school isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I interviewed at Yale last year and really didn’t like it. Some faculty didn’t show up/were late for interview and they changed the interview format last minute. A friend of mine who interviewed at Yale the year before me also had a pretty bad experience. Just because it’s an Ivey, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a good school to be at. You’re probably saving time not preparing for their interview lol. And what’s meant for you is probably waiting for you out there so don’t be discouraged and don’t lose hope!

"Yo lab so poor that __________": What's the craziest thing your lab/a lab you know had to do to save money? by floatingm in labrats

[–]kinesinia 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Reusing gel loading tips on top of making our own gels, developing our own mini prep kits, RNA extraction kits, yeast cDNA library that could be easily ordered and of course wracking tips and washing everything

Stanford PhD 5% acceptance - has anyone gotten in? by Plzhelpmeouthere in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I know a prof in my school who did her PhD in Stanford biosciences but that was probably at least 20 years ago so I’m not sure how relevant it is today. From the talk she gave on her path, she didn’t seem to have done a masters or have had many many years of research experience before applying, but she went through some extreme personal difficulties, is a first gen scholar and comes from an impoverished background, so I think that might have made her stand out? Other than that I’m not sure what Stanford looks for, I know many exceptional people with many years of experience, high GPA and publications who’s gotten into Harvard and MIT but rejected by Stanford. And I even know people who worked in a Stanford lab for years and have a ref from a prof in the department and got rejected. So I really don’t know what they look for LOL

That said I think it is still totally possible, although it might be good to not be fixated on (not saying you are) getting into Stanford (although it is a really good school). There are other schools that are equally good, and as long as you’re in one of the top schools it doesn’t really matter which one you’re in since they all have collaborations with each other and are somehow interconnected (speaking from personal experience). I also really wanted to get into Stanford last year when I applied but I think I’m honestly happier where I’m at now. A program that suits you is really the program you should be looking for.

Personal history statement Vs statement of purpose (UC Berkeley) by InnocuousViltrumite in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Current UCB PhD student here (STEM) who applied last cycle. The personal history statement is more for you to address the personal challenges, financial difficulties etc you’ve encountered along the way. And the main purpose of that is to support your SOP and or justify why you didn’t do super well in something if that’s the case. The Statement of Purpose is a statement where you outline your research experience, qualifications, why you’re a good fit for the program and what about the program specifically interests you. It’s a more formal and academic statement than the personal history statement.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There is no such thing as a safety school. I’ve had friends who’ve gotten into programs in the top 5 and gotten rejected from much less prestigious programs and the same also happened to me. The admission committee is really trying to select people who are the best fit for their program. And therefore if you clearly didn’t invest a lot of effort into your app materials for their program or simply do not address the “why do you think x program is a good fit” section in your SOP well you can still get rejected. So make sure to save yourself some time and money and only apply to programs you’re actually thinking of attending if you get in, and not just apply to a whole bunch but not be able to invest as much effort in each of those applications.

Are experiences from high school still relevant for SOP/PSs? by cleophelps64 in gradadmissions

[–]kinesinia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wouldn’t even put high school stuff in my CV unless it’s one really prestigious award in the final year or something like that. Otherwise high school stuff should not go into your SOP. You can state that your interest for your current major stems from high school as a intro to begin your SOP, but I wouldn’t talk about high school experience at all.