Washington D.C. – Genomics GTWN woke up early (as usual) to arrive five minutes ahead for our morning lecture. Despite some reporting feeling sleepy, our favourite Integrative Genome Viewer (IGV) lab quickly got everyone alert.
By the way, my name is Aibike. I am from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and I will be our cohort’s blogger today. There is a list of advice for rising seniors from some of our faculty. Make sure to read till the end to find it!
11:37 AM – After our morning labs and lectures, we had half an hour to get ready for a special catered lunch in another hall. The occasion? Long-awaited college and career day!
12:03 PM – Our lunch began, and it was the best one I’ve had since arriving in the US. The menu included veggie spring rolls, stir fries, lemonade, and fortune cookies.
12:41 PM to 3:37 PM – Ms. Courtney Hill gave us a reassuring speech about the application process. Next, a college admissions officer shared some stats about their school. Our favourite TAs then shared personal stories of navigating the admissions process and provided insights about their own schools (Figure 1). Lastly, they thought we’d be too relaxed after lunch and prepared Protobowl and Kahoot trivias :’)
Figure 1. TAs panel discussion about college.
4:38 PM – We had a karaoke break in the common room (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Greatest opera singers in DC.
5:20 PM – Everyone dressed up nicely in suits and dresses for the formal dinner and a photoshoot (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Classiest people in DC.
Figure 4. Classiest people in DC lined up to talk with Dr. Hayes.
8:43 PM – Time to take LinkedIn profile pictures (Figure 5)!
Figure 5. Taking pictures in the Healy Hall.
Congrats! You scrolled down till the end. Here is the list of advice:
Ms. Hill: Next year, you’ll receive both good and bad news. Remember, if a university doesn’t choose you, it’s their loss. They’re missing out on your unique experience.
Ms. McIntosh: Don’t hesitate to approach experts in your field of interest. They can guide you on where to go, whom to meet, and what steps to take.
Elena: Everything will be fine as long as you continue putting in the effort.
Alvin: *loading*
Isabel: Be a person outside of your application and don’t put 100% of your heart into it.
Griffin: It might take some time, but you will find your people no matter the school you choose.
Bonus quote that Dr. Hayes shared with us: “Those who have the privilege to know have the duty to act.” – A. Einstein
