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College moves to boost applications by Dick Peterson Public Relations The College of Graduate Studies is looking for a few more applicants with special qualifications—prospective students with “the F.I.B. factor,” said Dean Perry Halushka, M.D., Ph.D. That's F.I.B. for “fire in the belly for research and the more the better.” In fact, the college's Graduate Council took steps in its monthly meeting Nov. 8 to reverse its flagging flow of applications. “We were able to waive the fee for applicants to Ph.D. programs,” Halushka said. The College of Graduate Studies reimburses the Office of Enrollment Services so that the fee can be waived. Halushka hopes to recover a part of the outlay from the departments and programs offering Ph.D. training. Members of the Graduate Council and the college's Admission Committee expect that students applying to a number of schools would be more likely to include the MUSC College of Graduate Studies if the fee were not a factor. And to give those applicants a good look at MUSC's campus, the college is setting aside two days over a weekend to host a visit for the applicants. “This will introduce them to our faculty and students, get their questions answered and let them enjoy an evening in Charleston,” Halushka said. Although it's too early to tell, the waiver of the application fee may be having a positive effect on applications, which are up from last year for the same period. He added that applications for the College of Graduate Studies must be in by March 1 to be considered for a stipend. Applications can be accepted after that date, but it is unlikely that a stipend will be offered, Halushka said. A set of criteria has been established by the Admissions Committee to evaluate student applications. In addition to considering the applicant's Graduate Record Exam score and grade point average, evaluation is also based on letters of recommendation, the student’s apparent commitment to a career in science, and that “fire in the belly” enthusiasm for research. Got any ideas? Halushka said the college is open to innovative ways to enhance recruitment, and Carol Eisenberg, co-chair of the Admissions Committee would welcome suggestions.