The DBBS PhD Admission season is winding down. We received over 900 applications for 80 positions in our entering class. We interviewed over 215 applicants during the 7 week interview season. We are very excited about the outstanding individuals who have been offered admission and hope many will decide to become part of the Wash U- DBBS family.

This is a very exciting time in the next stage of your life. You are finishing your undergraduate work and perhaps taking that last spring break trip. The interviews are over and you are now making a decision of where to spend the next 5-7 years of your life. Many of you have received several offers of admission. If you Google “how to choose a graduate school”, you will find many sources of information. In the end, you will need to make the decision that is best for you based on the factors that are the most important to you. April 15th is the deadline for informing all schools if you are accepting or declining an offer of admission. If you have any questions about DBBS as your make your decision, please contact me at rineyr@wustl.edu.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Riney
Director of PhD Admissions and Student Affairs

The PhD deadline is quickly approaching. DBBS is seeing an increase in the number of applications this year. I encourage you to submit your application and all supporting documents as early as possible.

Check the status screen to see which items have been received and which are missing. Please follow up on any missing items with ETS, your Institutions and recommenders. If you think your recommenders need a reminder, you can re-send the recommendation e-mail to them from the status screen.

If you submitted the application and did not list the GRE scores (and TOEFL scores if applicable), please e-mail your scores to your admissions contact person. TOEFL score reports do not come directly to our office. It can take several weeks for the scores to reach us. However, as long as the TOEFL scores are listed on your application, we will begin the review of your application with these self reported scores.

Our office will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 27th and 28th for observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. If you encounter any problem or have questions, the Admissions staff will be back in the office on Monday, December 1st and will assist you at that time. December 1st is also the deadline day. We will answer your questions and give you plenty of time to complete your application. If you start the application by December 1st, you will have a few days to complete and submit the application.

The Admissions Committee will begin making interview decisions in December and will continue until the beginning of January. Do not be concerned if you do not receive an invitation to interview but a friend does receive an invitation. The various Admissions Committees are on different review schedules and do not meet at the same time. I anticipate that the majority of the applications will be reviewed by the end of January and interview decisions will be made by the beginning of February. If you have not heard from us by the end of February, please contact us at that time.

Signs of Fall 86 Orientation Packets!

It's that time of year again! Orientation begins on Monday, August 18 and we're ready for the Class of 2009 to arrive. This year, DBBS is welcoming 86 bright, enthusiastic future PhDs.

Orientation Activities Include:

Monday, August 18

- Administrative session, luncheon, Medical School campus
- Afternoon session, Danforth campus

Throughout the week:

Program presentation and advising session for the program in which the student is enrolled

Environmental Health & Safety session

Biology Department Welcome BBQ

Library on-line systems orientation

Faculty Poster Session

Welcome to all of the new DBBS Students!!!

Online Chat a SUCCESS!
DBBS hosted its first on-line chat for incoming students on Thursday, June 12th. Martha Turner with the International Office was on hand to answer any questions that our incoming international students may have had about visas, passports, moving to St. Louis, etc. Thank you Martha for your time!!!

DBBS will be hosting a few more chat sessions for incoming students before the August Orientation. Keep an eye on the DBBS Homepage for upcoming chats!