Applying to MIT Biology’s PhD program?
The Biology Application Assistance Program (BAAP) is here to help.
We are current PhD students (BioGrads) who want to make sure you submit your best application possible.
Apply to BAAP & More Information
To come to our events, we ask that you complete our program application. Application responses are automatically added to our mailing list, and we use the responses to keep a record of the demographics of students who are participating in BAAP.
We also have limited spots available for longer-term 1:1 mentorship pairings with current students. If you feel like you could use more guidance (e.g., if you’re the first in your family to go to graduate school and/or do not have an advisor to help you navigate the graduate application process), please let us know in your application so that we can set up that pairing!
Our 2023 application opens on August 15th and closes on November 15th.
Information Panels
We will host information sessions on Zoom that include biograds and sometimes faculty members of the admission committee. Come to these panels prepared with questions!
Here are some questions from the 2022 panels.
Office Hours
We think one of the most important parts of our program are the 15-minute office hour timeslots with current students. These are your opportunity to ask about parts of the problem and for advice on admissions materials!
Office Hours will open up by August 31st, 2023.
Here’s the outdated info from 2022:
We’re low-tech and doing office hours signups via this google form.
We’ll be adding office hour slots as current students sign up throughout the year. You’ll see current students’ names, and available timeslots. If there’s a blank in column “E” in a timeslot you want to attend, just put your name and email in the blank! Just like the first example here:
What if none of the times work for you? No worries! We can’t guarantee availability, but navigate to the second tab of the Google Sheet and request a time that works for you. BAAP Admin will email you if we find a current BioGrad who can meet during that time! The further in advance you request a time, the higher the likelihood is that we’ll be able to accommodate your request.
What’s the purpose of the MIT Biology Application Assistance Program (BAAP)?
We are a group of PhD students at MIT Biology.
There are some unwritten expectations involved in Biology PhD admissions. For example, applicants should be able to show that their research interests are a good match for the opportunities available in our department. These expectations can give unfair advantages to certain applicants. For example, students who have research connections to MIT Biology may be better equipped to convey how their research interests are well-aligned with the department’s.
Current MIT PhD students understand that there are many factors, including differences in access to information about the application process, that perpetuate existing inequities. We created BAAP to recruit talented students from from all walks of life and backgrounds by narrowing the information gap among applicants.
How long has BAAP been around? Where can I get more information?
We started BAAP in the 2021-2022 application cycle, joining the ranks of MIT’s Application Assistance Programs.
We welcome feedback of any kind, just shoot us an email at mitbaap@gmail.com. We are not in any way affiliated with department admissions: we keep all BAAP information among student organizers and do not share any information with the admissions committee or program faculty. We do, however, compile and share a report at the end of the application cycle with statistics regarding BAAP applicants at large and feedback on the program.
You can find our annual program reports here:
MIT Biology Application Assistance Program (BAAP)