BCB at ISU - Frequently Asked Questions about Admissions

Frequently Asked Questions About the

BCB Graduate Program
at Iowa State University

Main Prospective Student Page

Why Apply at Iowa State?
Leader in BCB Research	Iowa State University (ISU) in Ames is one of the oldest and largest Computational Biology graduate programs in the U.S. We house internationally-recognized plant, animal, and microbial genome research projects. ISU is the national center for agricultural bioinformatics and the Coordinator for this center is located here. View faculty research here: http://www.bcb.iastate.edu/faculty/research.html
Interdisciplinary Research Opportunities	Students in our program develop an independent approach to their studies through an interdisciplinary curriculum with faculty members from nearly 20 different departments. This broad range allows us to accommodate many areas of research interest in both computational and biological studies as well as mathematics and statistics. Graduates from our program go on to academic, phamaceutical and other industrial opportunities: http://www.bcb.iastate.edu/students/BCB-Alums.html
Curriculum	Classes focus on the study of algorithms, sequence modeling, phylogenetic trees, applications of sequence models, structural genomics of DNA and RNA structures, three-dimensional structural motifs, computational functional genomics, transcriptional regulatory modules and networks, etc. A description of our curriculum is located here: http://www.bcb.iastate.edu/courses/index.html
Computational Resources	Iowa State has one of the nation’s fastest super-computers, capable of 5.7 trillion calculations per second. Many outstanding computational and biological research facilities support collaborative research groups in the life sciences, bioinformatics and computational biology, computer and information sciences, engineering, and complex adaptive systems.
Financial support	Recently, NSF renewed a multi-million-dollar, multi-year grant to ISU in recognition of our outstanding graduate training opportunities in this area. This IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training) award offers many exciting fellowship and research opportunities for students entering ISU's BCB Graduate Program in Fall, 2008 and on. IGERT Fellows receive $30,000/year stipends. All applicants admitted without special fellowships to our Graduate Program receive Graduate Assistantships with a yearly stipend of $22,000. All admitted students also receive complete tuition remission and paid health care benefits.
How to Apply to the BCB Program
Application Deadline	January 15 is the deadline for application to the BCB Graduate Program at Iowa State University. All application materials are also due by this date. Waivers of this deadline may be possible.
PhD Degree Program	We strongly prefer to admit students directly into the Ph.D. program. Applications for the M.S. degree program usually come from those who are at ISU and already have a PhD in place.
Fall Admission	Spring admission is permitted only in unusual circumstances. Fall semester is the recommended starting point for applicants to the Graduate Program. The coursework builds from the fall semester on. The program offers an extensive orientation program in the Fall semester only.
Application fee waiver available	To receive a fee waiver, send all materials directly to the BCB office. If you send materials to Iowa State University's Graduate Admissions office, then you will need to pay the application fee before those materials are forwarded to the BCB office.
Application Materials Needed
How do I apply?	Apply on-line OR by downloading the Word application.
What materials should I send in addition to the application?	3 Recommendation letters with a Confidential Report form; (download this form as a Word or PDF file.) Photocopies of Transcripts (in English); Photocopy of GRE scores and TOEFL scores; Statement of professional goals; Resume; Statement of previous research experience and publications
What is the mailing address for submission of application materials?	All materials requested in the BCB application should be sent directly to: Bioinformatics and Computational Biology 2014 Molecular Biology Building Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011
Application Specifics and Admission Decision Criteria
May I send copies of the TOEFL and GRE score results, rather than originals?	For BCB's application review process, you may send copies. If you are made an offer of admission, and you plan to attend ISU, we must receive official reports of your TOEFL and GRE from ETS. Have ETS send those to Iowa State University's Graduate Admission Office.
What are the TOEFL and GRE Codes for your University and Program?	Institution Code = 6306 (for both GRE and TOEFL) GRE Program Code = 5101 TOEFL Program Code = 99
Do you require a GRE subject Test?	We recommend subject tests, but do not require them. We require that applicants take the General Graduate Record Examination.
Is the TSE required?	No. The TOEFL and the General Graduate Record Examination are required.
What does the statement of professional goals include?	What do you intend to do with a PhD in BCB? Why are you interested in our particular graduate program? Whose research in the BCB Program interests you? These are the kinds of questions one might like to address in this statement.
What criteria are looked at for admission to the BCB Graduate Program?	Previous academic training (courses taken, grades earned) Academic performance (cumulative GPA 3.3/4.0 or at least a "B+" average and rank in top quartile of your graduating class) Quality of schools attended Statement of professional goals Research experience and publications Letters of recommendation GRE Scores. The raw GRE scores of PhD applicants admitted typically have averaged 780 for the Quantitative portion, 580 for the Verbal portion and 5.0 in the Analytical Writing portion; TOEFL scores for admitted international applicants have averaged approximately 620 for the paper based and 260 for the computer based. GRE scores are reportable for 5 years until September 15 following the fifth anniversary of the test date. TOEFL scores (admitted applicants average over 620 paper-based or over 265 computer-based. Applicants who take the Internet TOEFL need to achieve a score of 79 or higher.) The TOEFL requirement is waived only for international students who have earned a degree at a U.S. college or university. It is important to be concise and precise in your admission materials to best represent your research abilities and interests. If you have published the results of your research in a scientific journal, be sure to highlight that information in your application materials.
Background Preparation
What academic background best prepares one for a graduate program in BCB at Iowa State University?	Successful applicants typically have an undergraduate degree in computer science, molecular biology, mathematics, statistics, physics or a closely related discipline. *Strong computational, mathematical or statistical training is highly desirable.* However, all exceptionally well-qualified applicants who present strong evidence of research potential will be considered for admission.
What specific courses help prepare students for the BCB program at Iowa State University?	Information on background preparation and course requirements for the PhD program in BCB at Iowa State University is located here.
No Admission Restrictions
Are there any restrictions on admission to your graduate program based on nationality?	No. The Graduate Program in BCB and Iowa State University admit qualified applicants to our programs regardless of nationality.
How many students are currently enrolled in your graduate program?	In Fall, 2007, there are 52 students in our graduate program, with 25 from the U.S., 19 from China, and 8 from other countries.