How I got into TWO Harvard Ph.D Programs (Application Review)
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- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2018
- Due to popular demand, I'm sharing the stats and stories in my Ph.D application to Harvard (as well as other schools I mention). This application got me into TWO Harvard Ph.D programs in Biology, as well as other top programs. Remember, however, that each application is different and that your application doesn't have to look like mine for you to be successful. Be yourself so you can find a program that fits you best.
TIMESTAMPS
2:40 Basic Stats
4:33 Research Experience
6:22 Academic Communication
7:47 Awards
9:37 Work/Volunteer Experience
10:58 Statement of Purpose
14:13 Application Results
RELEVANT LINKS
► My Ph.D Program: www.hms.harvard.edu/dms/bbs/
► SACNAS: sacnas.org/
► Experimental Biology Conference: experimentalbiology.org/
Goldwater Scholarship: goldwater.scholarsapply.org/
► NSF GRFP: www.nsfgrfp.org/
► Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship: sites.nationalacademies.org/PG...
AUDIO/VIDEO
► Sony a6000
► Tascam DR-05
► Epidemic Sound
![NoCap - Maliboo [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FUV7E0QyniU/mqdefault.jpg)
For those in the thick of applications, I'll add this as someone who did a PhD and got a tenure track professorship: The Statement of Purpose doesn't always have to be about your research. It's much broader in scope. It can really about how you situate yourself in the world and why you want to pursue your path in a life of research. It is the most important differentiating component of your grad school application, especially if you are already applying to a Top 20 program, where everybody has very similar scores and grades. I had three publications in top journals by the time I applied (yes, took two years off in between) and never once mentioned those in my Statement. I did, however, list them in my Publications Section. Schools are really investing in people, not research. Research paths change. And most entering students really don't know how to think about research in ways that are compelling.
Not talking about research experience or publications is a risky thing to do in my case as i haven't been awarded at a conference or nominated for any type of fellowships. I decided to drop some hints in my statement about articles and experience.
I had to state what research I had done in my SoP and how it would tie in with the Professor's work. They wanted to know how it aligns with the school's current research objectives and stated so on their website.
Thisis a very unique experience you had. Iremember to specifically mentioned the research projects i had worked on previously.
I needed to hear this. Thank you
Thank you for this!
I am not a prospective PhD student..I’m actually not even going to college..why is this in my recommendations? But I decided to watch this anyways. 5 mins in and I’m already getting stressed out
I am a student who seeking information on Ph.D. biology, after watching this video I just want to quit
I got stressed from the title 😂😂😂😂
@@sampsonchen5453lmao 😂😂
Finally a biology phD youtube channel!:D As a senior aiming biology phD programs all of your videos are really helpful !
well, youre not looking to get employed then, biology field is over saturated, its like thinking i want to do psychology
Yuriy Dovhan u r very pessimistic! Go away! And stop demotivating!
@@xyzxyzuvwuvw7633 I heard/read the same about Biomeds in the US. The same doesn't apply for Europe though... many of my fellow graduates immediately got jobs. Then again, biotech industry is booming in Belgium :D I made a small video on it (top 5 companies in Belgium). Cheers!
@@shambhavidwivedi5817 unless you get top grades research and a killer MCAT score and get into medical school, the degree is inherently worthless
@@Biomeducated don't take my pessimism the wrong way, your channel looks as if it's trying to sell something, I would personally advice everyone to just get a job programming
I love your videos. I just finished my 1st semester and I was not able to do well. I have 7 more semesters before phd so I think I will be able to do well in those.I need to work really really hard...Your videos are indeed great... interesting and I love watching them.
Thank you so much for your lovely video, Lillian! This is so much valuable for us who dream to study abroad! Greetings from Peru!
As someone who just graduated high school and admittedely underperformed/slacked off a lot, its so reassuring to hear that you managed to form those study skills in college and get in to these top tier universities for grad school regardless
Congratulations to you! Thanks for sharing. Wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors!
Watching you just brought me a great deal of inspiration for a bunch of reasons! Thank you so much!
Hey! Thank you so much for this video, it was very informative and you were so genuine with everything!
Could you maybe please upload your next video about people from non-science programs, and how to go about the research paper and conferences, please?
This was so helpful! Thank you for sharing :)
You’ve given me so much hope with this! I’m just applying to my undergrad degree right now, and I want to major in biology. I was so scared that not getting into a top college for undergrad would leave me completely out of research opportunities like the one’s you had, and for some reason people make it seem like there’s no other way to be successful. I’d love to know more about how you got the spots at those conferences and all! Thank you
I totally understand. During my career I've realized that at the undergrad level it's all about taking advantage of the opportunities you do have and using that to get where you need to be. Most conferences I applied for a travel scholarship, but I'll be making a video on conferences and all later. Stay tuned :)
As a first-gen college student, I wish I knew all these things before I went down the BA route! So, please, if you sumble upon people not knowing what they gonna pursue in college, help them out!
This was incredibly helpful! Thank you!!
Thank you for the video, good luck in your program :)
Just found your channel. This is filling a much needed niche. I'm waiting to hear back on my PhD app!
Good luck!
I think you'll make a great professor one day, keep at it. You really know how to inspire people, I'm subscribing!
I really appreciate that 😭 Comments like these really help make it through the rough days
You easily deserve more subscribers. Hands down.
Thanks :) I'm hoping these videos help science education become accessible to more people!
Thank you, thank you! You’ve given me so much hope!
This video was so helpful! this gives me hope that I am on the right track with my studies. I really like your videos, you are a great speaker you will be an awesome professor one day ^.^
I love the way you expressed about not getting interviews from MIT and when you said you got into other programmes and smiled, I was like yaay she did that.. It's 2022 and you should be now almost close to graduating? Wow.. Somehow you're inspiring
My gpa is 3.1 I am finishing second year in college. 3.9 is great and it is shocking number at the same time(to me at least)😂😂
It's still doable... Harvard doesn't have a minimum GPA for admission lol... but you definitely need to get a stronghold in research experience and other stuff.
She also went to a liberal arts school doing biology, so there’s much more inflation there.
Love the My Hero Academia poster!
You are such an amazing girl!! I have enjoyed your video so much. I love your enthusiasm and charisma.
Thank you very much for this video it was very helpful!!!
You are amazing. I am getting emotional just listening to your videos. Viva Mexico!
Thank you for your video it was so informative !
Love this video. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Your videos are super helpful!
This was so helpful. Thanks 🙂🙂
Great video! keep up the good work 👏
Thank you for this series!! Currently applying to graduate school. Definitely subscribing!
Wow! Thank you! I needed those words!
Thank you SO much for doing it! I have no words to explain how much I needed it. Thank you and God bless you too ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Wishing you the best of luck with your application! Feel free to ask any questions (esp in the video series I'm running right now about applications). If I don't know the answer then someone else might :)
You are amazing👏thanks for video🤗
Feeling grateful to your video and thanks to youtube's recommendation algorithm🤩 😍😍
I want to thank you for this, I am applying for PhD, in programs all over the globe, only programs I really want to be in. Hopefully, I will make it.
Good luck!
you inspired me to try and improve at which level for betterment, thank you for your videos and all information
Thank you for sharing your experience. It was very useful and excellently made.
Glad it was helpful!
Wow thanks for inspiring me 😘🥰 keep on inspiring the youth
Hi Lillian! As a first-gen student going through the PhD application process, I have found your youtube channel and website SUPER helpful, thank you! I did notice in another video, you mentioned that the vibes of the two Harvard programs to be slightly different. What made you initially decide to apply to both programs, and was there anything you had to keep in mind when submitting two applications to the DMS? Thank you so much!
This is extremely helpful. Thank you so much.
Could you please talk about how to get into presenting in relatively high level conferences?
You're awesome-subscribed!!
Loved your channel
Thank you so much for sharing your story.
I am preparing for my Ph.D interview. This is very useful for me!
This is so helpful. Thank you so much. One question though, did you have to travel for the interviews or were they online?
She's so lovely. Glad to have you in STEM
Hi, I'd like to know wether you know how can I apply to a Master or Doctor Degree in Harvard Medical School. Currently I'm studying in a university that is not in USA. Please I'll really aprecciate it if you answer my question
Querida AlphaGenesis: ya decía yo que eras de México, o bien que tenías ascendencia mexicana. Lo comprobé en el video: además del papel maché picado y del sarape, estabas frente a algo que parece un "cubre sillón" con forma de cobija. Bien por ti. Pues bien, yo también quiero matricularme en Harvard para un doctorado. Seguiré viendo tus videos. Muchas gracias por compartirlos.
this was great. thanks for the info. God Bless!
Congrats!
your videos always motivate me to do study one day I will also be doing phd like you
Very informative..Thank you for sharing. I have subscribed
Hey There! Great video and super informative! I am an incoming freshman at Pitzer college and you actually nailed the list of schools that I would want to go to for grad school. If you were me/if you could start again as a freshman at Pitzer, what tips would you give me and what opportunities should I keep an eye out for? Anything will help, thank you for these videos. Go Sagehens!
That's awesome - I hope you enjoy your time at PZ! What I'd say is that what you get out of PZ is what you put into it. I know that's cliche, but in this case it is really meaningful. If you just go through and do your classes and party, that's what you'll get out of it. I think that what got me here, knowing PZ specifically, is looking at all the resources the 5Cs had and taking advantage of them early on (e.g. CLSA, the Writing Center, office hours - the professors are AMAZING).
I will be applying to my first PhD program soon!!
Woohoo! Best of luck!
Hello! I thought you looked so familiar, and now I think it's because I may have seen you around Keck! I also went to the Claremont Colleges (Scripps, class of 2019). Based on you mentioning that you did research at UC Merced, I'm guessing you're from the central valley (if so, me too :) ). You have a great channel!
Awesome! I miss being at Keck. Congrats on graduating :) I'm not from the CV, but I LOVED my time there and considered it one of the greatest experiences I've had in my life thus far.
Gyal if you didn't do so well in high school how'd you get into pitzer?!
What were the interviews like? Were they from the professor or an administrative person? I wasn't aware that most schools do interviews before they accept you, but it makes sense. Thanks for the help!
Actually not all fields have interviews! I would look into whether yours does or not. In my case, they fly you out to the school and you interview with professors and the heads of the program.
@@lillianinequilibrium what they ask in interview ?
We would love an update on how the program has been going!
Thanks for the helpful video! Did you email professors before the application deadlines and if so do you think that helped?
I did email some professors when I was trying to choose schools that I'd be interested in - it was important that there were at least three faculty who I was interested in who could foresee taking graduate students. I don't think it helped me get in directly (like contacting professors in my field doesn't increase your chances) but it helped me make an informed decision as to where I was applying and whether the schools were the right fit for me. Hope that helped!
Hello Miss, Did you mention your name? Congrats on getting into Harvard. I was wondering if you could talk more about the science conference that you were promoting and spoke at? Was it called SACNAS? Anyway, not sure if that is the correct spelling of the acronym. Thanks Albert.
Thank you for your video
Can you make a video or atleast give me the details on how to get into UCLA for an economics PhD telling bout the requirements/criteria. I am a foreign student from India and I've done my UG and PG form a reputed university here. I will be forever thankful.
You really inspired me
When I have a master degree, will this enhance my research experience part at the application?
Of course :) Any research experience is better than none
Hello,
Could you please let me know how did you apply for Goldwater scholarship and what are the requirements for it and when did you start the preparation for GRE ? I am a freshmen student majoring in biology and want to apply for PhD right after my undergrad.I really like your video. Appreciate your the information. Ty:)
I’m thinking about applying to a philosophy PhD program, but I have no “research experience.” I’d like to think that research would be less important for non-science majors so should I still apply even if I don’t have any research experience?
Hmm I’m not too sure about how philosophy as a field works so I’d definitely ask philosophy professors or the admissions office of a program you’re interested in for more insight.
Dude also how do you juggle all of this??? I’m a full time student with a 25hr/week job and it’s hard just doing those two things.
Could you share your presentations so we could get a feel for the quality of work expected?
I'm currently in chemical engineering as an undergrad and physics is KILLING ME oh my gosh
Awesome video it was really helpful, but girl no offense how did you get into Pitzer College for undergrad if you did so bad in high school?
Your face is so relaxing its crazy
Thanks for this video. I finished my BBS application this past fall and am waiting for the results. It's a great program! Hope you are enjoying it.
I needed this as I start my Prerequisite classes and then want to start my MS in Genetics Counseling. But want to ultimately do Research with a certain doctor there/Professor. She is also one of my Doctor's and I hope to someday get to do Presentations with her at Conferences and Clinic and Lab. The "personal statement" asks for research interests...and I want to state that I want to do research on Kabuki with her specifically and should I include her name in the Personal Statement/essay? And I might want to do Genetics PhD program at Hopkins which is why I am really wanting to get experience with Research. And I have ZERO Lab experience and have spoken on Young Adult Panels for my Genetic Syndrome through a Kabuki International Conference and I hope to someday be able to present Conferences and I am SUPER passionate about Genetics Counseling and am super passonate about sharing my story.
Hi there, thank you so much for uploading this video which is very informative for applicants to the PhD program. If I have four different research experiences (all from different areas; Neurobiology, microbiology and with one in Cancer therapy) and I intend to apply to the Cancer Biology program in Harvard, do you think it would seem that my research experiences are too diverse and not focused? I'm trying to write my statement of purpose in such a way that all these past research experiences would be in my favor but it's rather difficult to come up with a story which flows.
I wouldn't say my research experiences were focused either. Sometimes that diversity is important because you can vouch that you've tried other things and you know the field you're applying to is the one for you. I'd just try to explain why you tried each one or find something in common in each and craft your story for there.
@@lillianinequilibrium I see. Thank you very much for taking the time to reply! :D Have a great day ahead and Merry Christmas!
Thatz cools to hear❤
I applied this fall :') to biomedical informatics...
Lets see what happens!
Fingers crossed!
I am 30 and have six years of research experience not in psychology but in sociology. I always get scared because I only did like four courses of psych in community college before I transferred to UCLA. Do you think my chances are strong?
hey alpha thanks for this video,my question is that can u study in two majors at once ? and if yes how can i apply for both ?
You can in undergrad and there are interdisciplinary programs for doing this in grad school.
Hi, I studied for 5.5 years at my university doing a double bachelor's degree. I really want to do a PHD but I'm being told I need to do another 2 years to complete my master First before starting a PHD. Does this sound right? I'm honestly completely heart broken that my second bachelor l, doesn't seem to count for anything.
If you do not have enough research background then maybe you should do a masters. However, if you feel as if you know exactly that you what a PhD and what you will utilize it for... apply
I am from India, I have done M.sc Zoology this year, I have passed it to me, I want to take admission in Oxford University, for PHD in biology what should I do for that, tell the full process And what I have to do to take admission there please reply.............🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Hi,
I am a prospective PhD student. I have done M.phil in microbiology (gold medalist) 3.80 cgpa. Now I am looking for PhD positions in Canada. Can you tell me which universities in US are good for PhD in in microbiology and how can I convince the potential supervisor the main requirement of the application?
Thanks
OMG you have a boku no hero poster framed on your wall and you are a Harvard student 0-0
Do you have a job or do you live off of your stipend? Could you make a video on this?
! I thought you looked familiar! I'm going to graduate from Scripps in the spring, and have been admitted and am also considering going to Harvard for my PhD (not biology though).
How to do PhD statistics ....what is the procedure.
Always great to have a fellow 5C student at Harvard :) Best of luck!
Hello! Thank you for this wonderful video I love it!! I have a question, next I'll be finishing my BS in Medical laboratory sciences and I want to apply for PhD in immunology at Harvard. But my GPA isn't that good (3.4-3.5)but I have 2 years of research experience, and 4 publications (second author) will that help to compensate my average GPA?
Hi Mariam, thank you for your question! I can't guarantee you an answer since I have only applied and have never been on admissions committee. But my impression is that your GPA isn't out of range for top programs. This really depends on the program though. Best of luck!
GPA isn't even what they're looking at majorly, I know people with 3.2 GPA who got in, but had loads of research experience and promising attitude towards research, I think that creates a better statistics for you to get accepted, from what I've heard so far.
@@lillianinequilibrium Thank youu!!!
@@lillianinequilibrium Thank youu 😊
Hi! I have applied to a few universities for a PhD program in Pharmacy and am waiting for their response. Can you pl tell me what they ask in the interview? That'll be really helpful!
Releasing a video on that next week :) Stay tuned
Could you please expand a bit more on how to do research in different colleges while not being a student there, like when you were a student of Pitzer College, but did research in Harvard? I didn't even know that it was possible.
Yes! There are summer research programs (called REUs) that take place at different institutions. They let you do research at other schools for a summer and are honestly so fun.
@@lillianinequilibrium Thank you very much for your reply!!! REU, seems like they are only for undergraduates. Would you happen to know if there is anything similar for Master's students?
If we have 3 publications in peer international journals , is that enough when it came to research publication works?
What abt the phd fee in mit and Harvard. And how much scholarship provided by these universities.
what research were you doing at the second lab/in your phd program? :)
what is the provision for leave in harvard? how long leave one can take as I want to prepare for competitive exam alongside? please reply❤
How many international students are accepted into BBS program at Harvard university each year?
Will you pls help me and give me some of your valuable suggestion s . How to write a Research proposal.
Ayyee you applied in to my school :) UC Merced
Yesss! Such an amazing school. Hope it is going well.
Can you apply to a PhD program with an undergraduate degree at Harvard?
Is PhD course available in Harvard University from music.... ?
How did you take classes or do research at other colleges??
How do you go about doing summer research like you did with Harvard prior to being accepted?
Some people have connections to get in! I didn't really, so I applied to summer research programs. If your university has research opportunities you can also do summer research on your own campus.
I have only one semester of research 😑 no phd program for me haha jk. I'm going to try to go further I got my bachelor's and not doing anything with it but I loved going to school
It's definitely not too late. There are many opportunities to get research experience and publications after graduation. More info here: ruclips.net/video/oqwTj1GUsmw/видео.html You can also as me more questions at twitter.com/peter_washing - from a current Stanford PhD student
Hello maam can you pls help me to get details of phd in economics from Harvard
Thank you. Very instructive video. Please can you help review my Statement of purpose for PhD Health service research and PhD Epidemiology? I am submitting my applications before 30th November 2020
Hey can you tell me whether it will be similar for MS research?
M from India nd want to peruse phd in biology have done masters in microbiology can u guide me what different test or thing I have to do to get in phd plz
What if master is non thesis based?