My research interest aligned with most of the labs in my program and the full funding during the program is also phenomenal for adjusting the finance during the program.
Course Curriculum :
The courses are wonderfully designed to give the students a thorough understanding of molecular biology inside the cells and the molecular techniques.
Exams :
For the application, I had to submit my CV, SoP, and 3 LoRs. My CV reflects my awards, publications, research experiences, technical knowledge coursework, etc in a very compact manner. SoP is generally a document that reflects the candidate's background, how s/he grew up, and how s/he became interested to pursue the intended career. Keeping that in mind, I built up the story with the projects I have undertaken connecting the intent between each of them. And then I ended the statement with my specific expectation from the program and how that is going to help me with my ultimate career goal. Between the CV and SOP, I followed a wonderful strategy to keep the information in the documents disjoint to one another. I have taken 3 LoRs from two professors I did internships with and one professor who taught me in 3 courses and supervised my undergrad project. For a research program, it's recommended that at least one of the referees has some knowledge about the candidate's classroom performance whereas the other two referees may focus on the research capabilities. Yeah, I had. I would suggest the candidate should work on the personal pitch and that should relate to the content in the SoP. And the following discussions will mostly be towards a deeper understanding of the projects and future research interest.
Placement :
A number of people are placed in senior positions in pharmaceutical and Biotech Companies after they complete their study. Also, a lot of them go for a post-doc fellowship.
Internship :
Caltech, $ 6125, Find a faculty member to work with and get the fund. Then apply to the program.
Events :
I joined this program amidst the pandemic. Due to the Covid19 restrictions, all real-life interactions are stranded currently, but there are virtual events for socializing and listening to eminent people from all areas are being organized by the clubs and societies. Most importantly the campus is in the heart of Los Angeles, next to the Fashion District and Hollywood!
Fees :
My program is fully funded.
Scholarship :
I received the Caltech VURP Scholarship and IIT Kharagpur Foundation Alumni Scholarship for my internship prior to the graduate program. My current program is also fully funded.
Faculty :
faculty to student ratios are somewhere nearly 1:4, and a number of new faculty members had been joining. They are quite friendly and love to encourage ideas by every student.
Hostel :
No. it's possible to get a rental within $1000 within the walking distance to USC.
