OCTOBER Fact of the Month

All DBBS applicants must travel to St. Louis for a personal interview. If an applicant is not available to travel to St. Louis for an interview during mid-January to mid-March, their application will not be considered. All interviews are by invitation only. Interviews are not conducted prior to submission and evaluation of an application. Most travel costs within the U.S. will be paid by DBBS. Telephone interviews are not permitted in substitution of a personal interview.

2009 Interview Dates:

Biochemistry - January 23 and February 20

Biophysics - February 6 and February 20

Computational Biology - February 6 and February 27

Developmental Biology - February 6 and February 20

Evolution, Ecology and Population Biology - February 13 and March 6

Genetics and Genomics - January 30, February 13 and February 27

Human and Statistical Genetics - February 13 and February 27

Immunology - February 20 and March 6

Molecular Cell Biology - January 23, February 20 and March 6

Microbiology - January 23, February 6 and February 27

Neurosciences - January 30, February 13, and March 27, 2009: Revisit opportunity for accepted students

Plant Biology - January 30 and February 27

SEPTEMBER Fact of the Month

DBBS Applicants are Required to Submit 2 Essays

Applicants are encouraged to give considerable time and thought to writing the three essays. (Some schools ask for a general “personal statement”, however DBBS requires that the applicant answer the specific essay questions listed.) The Admissions Committee evaluates a number of characteristics in order to assess a candidate’s ability to benefit from and contribute to their selected program. These include academic ability, research experience, leadership, teamwork, communication skills and other personal qualities. The essays are an opportunity to help the Committee relate to the applicant’s distinctive values, motivation, and perspectives and obtain as much information as possible about their previous research experience


The three essay questions are:
Required: Describe the scope and focus of your laboratory research experience(s). Please also indicate when, where, and with whom the work was done. Please do not simply list the research techniques you have mastered.
Required: Describe why you are interested in undertaking a graduate program in biology or biomedical sciences. Also, discuss the types of questions you wish to pursue during graduate study and how you envision your professional career developing.
Optional: Please provide any additional information (exceptional accomplishments as a student, obstacles, or special challenges) which you feel would be useful to the admissions committee in reaching a decision regarding your application.


Applicants may type the essay information directly in the space provided or copy text created in MS Word or a similar type document into the essay section of the application. Applicants will be allotted approximately two (2) pages per essay. Please address each essay question separately. Do not insert a personal statement in lieu of the three essay questions.

AUGUST Fact of the Month

DBBS Applicants are Required to Submit 3 Letters of Recommendation.

Letters from research mentors are most important. If an applicant has had multiple research experiences, it is important to get letters from more than one mentor, including the current mentor. Only under rare circumstances would the committee need to see more than three letters of recommendation.

Occasionally, students begin their latest research experience in August or September before completing an application a few months later. In this instance, the faculty member may not feel he/she has had enough time to assess the student's ability. The student can make note of this on the application form. The admissions committee may request a letter from that mentor in the spring.

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Letters of recommendation should focus on the student's ability to reason scientifically. Examples of initiative, motivation, and determination are helpful to the committee.

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When students ask for letters of recommendation, it is helpful for the student to provide the faculty member with a copy of the student's resume, a transcript, and a description of why the student is interested in pursuing a career in scientific research.

JULY Fact of the Month

Successful DBBS Applicants generally have at least one year of research experience at the time of application.

Working in the lab or field setting helps students gain an understanding of the principles of research as well as the environment in which the research takes place. Students learn the techniques of research while absorbing the cultural environment. They usually know very quickly whether they like or dislike the culture of "bench" science. By starting this process early, students who love research have time to build upon their skills and knowledge. Those who do not like the research setting have time to find another setting or even change majors.

Many schools offer their own funded research programs or participate in programs funded by McNair, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, NIH, or NSF. If your school does not offer research programs, students may want to spend summers in a research program at another school or with a biotechnology company. Several summer research experiences are available at Washington University. These include the Biomedical Sciences Apprenticeship Program (BioMedRap) for underrepresented minority and disadvantaged college students who are interested in careers in biomedical research.

Students often have more than one research experience. It is important for the student to remain in contact with previous research mentors, so they may provide letters of recommendation later.The admissions committee will be looking for research experiences in which a student's level of independence can grow as their scientific skills develop and in which their native curiosity can be expressed. Ideally, the applicant would have research experience related to the area for which the applicant is applying.