Scholastic performance:
Most competitive applicants have an overall undergraduate GPA of ~3.5. Average undergraduate GPA of last year’s incoming class was a 3.67. Students enter our program with all sorts of different majors in the molecular biological sciences. These majors include but are not limited to: Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, Microbiology, Genetics, Cell and Developmental Biology, Bioinformatics, and Neuroscience. For applicants who have a GPA lower than a 3.5, other aspects of their application including lab experience, could help bolster their application and make them competitive for admission.
Statements:
Academic Statement of Purpose This statement is written about an applicant’s prior and current research experience. The applicant should explain the broader scientific context, the scientific question(s) asked, the experiments used to answer the questions, the results obtained and how the applicant interprets the results. This is an important document because it shows how the applicant thinks and writes about their current and previous research experiences.
Personal Statement Experiences that have shaped who you are and how MCDB fits into your short and long-term career objectives. It is helpful to explain the area(s) of research you are interested in pursuing and list a few MCDB faculty you would like to work with. The admissions committee will use this statement to help determine “fit” within our department.
The statements are very important. It gives the admissions committee a strong sense for how an applicant thinks about science and if the applicant is able to clearly articulate the importance of their research and how they accomplished their goals. If the research goal was “unsuccessful” then explain what challenges occurred, how you tried to work through those challenges, and explain the next logical step(s) in the progression of the research.
Letters of recommendation:
Applicants will need three letters prepared by their research advisor(s), supervisors, and faculty who taught them in class and know the applicant well. Letter writers should speak to several qualities including but not limited to the applicant’s potential for success in research, commitment, intellectual curiosity, drive towards accomplishing goals, work ethic, independence, and ability to work and communicate with others.
Research Experience:
A competitive applicant should have at least 1 year of independent research experience at the undergraduate or post undergraduate level. Independent research experience reflects experience in an academic or industry lab on a scientific question pursued by the lab. Experimental experience in a lab associated with a lecture course does not count as independent research. An applicant should have a strong understanding of the research they were involved in both intellectually and from an experimental perspective.
Application Review Process:
Each application is reviewed by at least three admissions committee members. Applicants are scored with the top scoring group invited for interviews. Students in the US are interviewed in person; students outside the US are interviewed over Zoom.
MCDB provides a holistic review process. All aspects of an application: Scholastic Performance (GPA), Research Experience, Academic Statement, Personal Statement, and Letters of Recommendation are evaluated and balanced during review. Therefore, the strengths and weaknesses of any given application are evaluated. For example, strong research experience and strong letters of recommendation could compensate for a GPA below our typical incoming class average.
