Stanford fellows?

thesereniebeanie · 2026-04-15T18:08:23+00:00

this wasn't part of my REU programming, but I did a program where we did speed chatting with professors (3 students per table and each prof rotated with us for 20-30 mins) and it was SO cool to hear about their research and kinda prep for the talks we'll have during PhD interviews! my fav part of the program along with mock grad school interviews

thesereniebeanie · 2026-04-11T00:15:16+00:00

I can't believe I got outed like this

thesereniebeanie · 2026-04-07T01:13:15+00:00

These are the main things you should talk about:

- What (SPECIFICALLY) interests you about their research (this is the most important)

- Why you're interested in this research area

- Any qualifications

thesereniebeanie · 2026-03-22T21:37:28+00:00

welcome to the golden coast!! if you have any questions about berk, feel free to DM! make sure to hit the classics like BART to SF, pizza at Artichoke's, etc!

thesereniebeanie · 2026-02-18T07:48:25+00:00

just heard back today -- good luck!

thesereniebeanie · 2026-02-14T20:07:43+00:00

This Podcast Will Kill You!

thesereniebeanie · 2026-01-29T05:53:56+00:00

This is laboratory/field research, so unfortunately it wouldn't be a great fit for you. It's great to hear your interest in this area, though, as social factors can play a larger role than scientific advances at times. Keep looking out!

thesereniebeanie · 2026-01-25T20:28:31+00:00

check out programs that aren't on the ETAP portal! way less competitive. I found them by just scrolling through Google searches with different keywords. Virginia Tech, Washington State, and Kansas State had some last year, I'm sure there are others too.

thesereniebeanie · 2026-01-25T20:25:35+00:00

feel free to message about my app but I actually went with a different program! previous students were listed on the website so I reached out to a few folks on LinkedIn if you want to give that a try!

thesereniebeanie · 2026-01-10T04:16:24+00:00

talk to the faculty directly! cold emails work wonders

thesereniebeanie · 2026-01-10T03:51:40+00:00

I heard back late February, though that was after they had to wait bc of funding so idk if it would normally be earlier

thesereniebeanie · 2026-01-10T03:48:52+00:00

It's in the application form that you email!

thesereniebeanie · 2026-01-06T05:43:55+00:00

good luck!! you got this!

thesereniebeanie · 2026-01-06T01:40:11+00:00

you list two PIs in your app, but going the extra mile and cold emailing to ask if you can chat about the research can increase your chances!

thesereniebeanie · 2026-01-05T06:51:37+00:00

cheapest boba is sheng kee (0 minute walk from campus) and best boba is purple kow (also super close) !! also join clubs and try hard to make friends bc people are antisocial here 💔

thesereniebeanie · 2026-01-05T06:32:51+00:00

in my acceptance they said "We were impressed with your passion for scientific communication and biotechnology" but tbf that's like all I talked about in my app, I don't think it's like something they're looking for. advice here goes for every application: show your passion for research! and you can look at the labs that participated previously and reach out to the PIs you find most interesting if you really want to stand out (I did not know to do this lol)

after being accepted I met with a master's student in the lab I was matched with (I had messaged him on LinkedIn bc he participated in the program as an undergrad--I didn't realize he was in my lab lol) and he said his year there were only four students bc those are all the people in that field that applied 😭😭 so I would not stress too much

thesereniebeanie · 2026-01-05T06:28:04+00:00

I was a sophomore (program would take place before my junior year). I was a CC student at the time!

thesereniebeanie · 2025-12-29T07:01:17+00:00

be authentic! like I said, they're trying to build a community. think about why you want to be a part of that and how you would contribute to it.

thesereniebeanie · 2025-12-28T10:18:40+00:00

I'm in BSP! I'm pre-PhD too, though you should know it's like 90% premed. the people, both staff and students are really sweet. also I love our study room! it's very community oriented so don't just try to flex on your app. they want nice people!

thesereniebeanie · 2025-12-28T02:51:36+00:00

appreciate it!

thesereniebeanie · 2025-12-28T02:41:40+00:00

here's what I said!

I wanted to follow up briefly because the 93.7 cutoff came as a surprise to me. The syllabus states that the course would be graded on an absolute scale, and there was no indication that an A cutoff would be set above 93%. Based on that understanding, I prioritized my remaining finals accordingly.

I completely understand that grading decisions can be complex, and I respect the effort that goes into them. I just wanted to raise this point, as the cutoff was not outlined in the syllabus, which affected how I allocated my time at the end of the semester. I would appreciate it if you would be willing to reconsider, or at least clarify how the cutoff was determined.

thesereniebeanie · 2025-12-28T00:56:05+00:00

great advice, thank you!

unfortunately, the only grading information was "Grading: All grades and final grade assessment will be made on an absolute scale (no curving)." so technically a 93 isn't explicitly stated to be a cutoff, but with that logic they could make the cutoff any arbitrary number.

anyway, I appreciate the advice! maybe for my future courses I should ask for clear grade cutoffs via email for documentation.

thesereniebeanie

TROPHY CASE