Disclaimer: We (current biograds) are the ones writing these answers.

With that said, being invited to this Open House generally means that the Biology admissions committee (made up of faculty members) thought that your application was really impressive. The Open House is not a formality: the committee reviewed 1,476 applications this cycle and invited 108 people to interview. Each class of biograds usually has 30-40 students. The department usually accepts many more than 30-40 students (closer to 80), since some accepted students go to other programs. Acceptances happen in waves--not everyone gets accepted at the same time. Some students hear back within a week of their interview, while others won’t hear back until a week or two after the second interview period.

The common advice is not to worry too much about admissions at this point. You should focus on whether the program seems like a good fit for you (we--students and faculty--are trying to impress you and give you a sense of what the program is like). Know that, given that you’ve gotten this far, chances are very good that you’ll end up getting into a PhD program that is a good fit for your interests.

Each interview is a conversation between you and a faculty interviewer. The exact format and details will vary with each interview. However, you can expect to talk about your own research experience and interests. You should also take advantage of this time to ask faculty any questions you have about their research, the department, the graduate program, or anything else you are curious about. Interviews are just as much about you finding a program that’s a good fit for you as it is about the department evaluating your fit for the program. The department will make an effort to pair you with at least one (often more) faculty you’re interested in. However, in the case that they are not available, you may be paired with other faculty members, and there is no expectation to have an in-depth knowledge of their research.

The best way to prepare for your interviews is to make sure you feel comfortable discussing your research experience and interests, including your specific contributions to any past or current research projects. If you know what field of biology research or types of projects you might like to pursue for your graduate research, be prepared to discuss those as well. However, the MIT Biology program is designed to cover many areas of biology in both coursework and faculty research, and it’s expected that many people will come in undecided or change their minds; as such, don’t worry if you’re not certain about your research interests yet.

The goal of all of the social activities and tours we have planned is to give you every opportunity to learn about the department and its people. We hope you’ll take advantage of this time to ask current grad students about their experiences, interact with the other recruits, and learn about life in Cambridge/Boston. None of the social events are mandatory.

Current biograds will have the option to submit feedback about candidates to the graduate committee (the faculty members who make admission decisions). This feedback is casual and will only have an influence on decisions if someone seems to be an especially good or bad fit. For the most part, we are here as a resource for you as you decide between graduate programs. 

This year, the stipend is $1,995 twice a month, or $47,893 per year. The stipend generally increases modestly (around 3%) each year.

Stipends and tuition are guaranteed for every PhD student as long as you are meeting program expectations. Logistically, this money can come from the department (especially in the first few years), from fellowships (like the NSF GFRP), or from your PI’s lab funds. Regardless of fellowships or funding source, the amount you will receive as a stipend will be the same for all Biology graduate students.

Students are also guaranteed MIT tuition and health insurance paid for by the program. Dental insurance is not included, but is subsidized and available for around $120 ($598 before subsidization) for the year; you can also pay it monthly. To find the most up-to-date information regarding the MIT graduate student dental plan, you can visit this website here. Vision plan is available for around $4.5 per month; you can find more information here.

Also note that the stipend amount is pre-tax. In your first year, MIT Biology will not withhold taxes from your stipend, so you will need to set aside a portion of your stipend (10-20% depending on your individual situation) to pay U.S. federal and Massachusetts state taxes. Depending on your funding source, taxes may or may not be withheld from your stipend in your second year and beyond.

If you applied to multiple biology-related PhD programs at MIT, you may be curious how these programs differ from each other and which is right for you. This is a great line of questioning to bring up in your interviews, since each person’s situation is unique. The differences between the Biology PhD program and other programs mostly have to do with (1) required classes, (2) how easy it is to work in different labs, (3) rotation structure and timing, and (4) TAing requirements. Here is some general information, and then we’ll address more specific programs below.

Required classes: MIT Biology requires that you take 7 semester-long courses (not including rotations, which count as one course). It is somewhat unique in that first-year students do not do any lab work their first semester--everyone takes three core courses plus an elective.

Working in different labs: MIT Biology allows you to work with any MIT lab, with some caveats. The department makes it the most straightforward for you to work with Biology faculty. See the “Which labs can I work in?” question below.

Rotation structure and timing: We rotate in the spring of our first year. Rotations are short (1 month). Three rotations are required, but more can be easily accommodated.

TAing requirements: All MIT Biology students are required to TA for two semester: once in the 2nd year and once in the 4th year. MD/PhD students also complete two TA assignments, but their timeline may be slightly earlier.

For more information about the Biology program, see Requirements, Rotations, and the MIT Biology graduate website.

Departmental vs. interdepartmental programs

CSB and Microbiology are interdepartmental programs - unlike Biology, these programs don’t have a single departmental “home,” but their curriculum and faculty are housed in a number of different departments. Generally, if you’re interested in working with a lot of labs outside of the Biology department, an interdepartmental program like CSB or Microbiology might be a better fit.

Computational and Systems Biology (CSB)

CSB is an interdepartmental program with around 8-10 people per entry class (whereas Biology has over 30). CSB students start rotations earlier than us, in the middle of fall of their first year.

Generally, CSB is a more flexible program. It is easy and expected that people in CSB will work with labs in EECS, BE, and Biology. You can work with any of these labs in Biology as well, it’s just not as common. 

Microbiology

Microbiology is an interdisciplinary program requiring a core of 4 courses, plus 3 electives. Rotations start in the fall, and students typically decide on their thesis lab by March. Only one semester of TAing is required, instead of two. Cohorts are also typically small (<10 people).

Biological Engineering (BE)

BE is a departmental program that consists of 20-25 students per entry class. BE students rotate in the fall, instead of during spring semester, and typically choose their lab in January at the latest. BE students are also allowed to rotate with some Harvard faculty in addition to MIT labs. As such, BE students also often spread their coursework out over three semesters instead of two since they are simultaneously taking classes while working in a lab. Only one semester of TAing is required, instead of two.

Brain and Cognitive Sciences

BCS is a departmental program that enrolls 15-20 new students each year. Students do a minimum of 3 rotations (4-8 weeks each) beginning in the fall. They are expected to complete 6 courses and TA for two courses. The Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (MCN) program is a joint effort between the Biology and BCS departments. A number of the faculty who give rotation talks during IAP are affiliated with MCN.

BCS is also the home of the Computationally-Enabled Integrative Neuroscience (CEIN) program. Students must be first admitted to BCS and are then identified as candidates for CEIN in their first two years.

MIT Biology allows you to work with any MIT lab, with some caveats. Students must have a research advisor who has a MIT faculty appointment. Note that not all investigators at the Broad, Ragon, or Whitehead Institutes are MIT faculty members. In rare circumstances, there are some students co-advised by an MIT and non-MIT faculty member.

Two out of your first three rotations must be in a lab in the Biology department. Additional rotations can be with any lab at MIT that is open to taking Biology students.

When forming your thesis committee (the group of faculty members who you will meet periodically and who decide when you’re ready to graduate), a certain number of people on your committee must be from the Biology department.

Lastly, there are some minor funding details. Your stipend, health insurance, etc. are guaranteed no matter what lab you join. However, where that money comes from may vary. For Biology labs, PIs receive money from the department to support you for your first three years. After that, the money comes from their grants, fellowships (if you have them), etc. For labs in other departments, Biology does not provide that money. Usually, this is no big deal and is handled completely by the PI, but it can make a difference for labs that are tighter on funding.

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Please email mitbiograds[at]gmail.com if you run into any issues or need any help during recruitment. You can also reach out to your student host at any time or direct message any biograds that you meet during recruitment through the recruitment Slack workspace.

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