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Am I eligible for top tier schools?


TLNCP

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Hi all. I am starting to look into programs to apply to that start Fall 2018. Based on my stats, do you think I have a chance at programs such as UCSF Tetrad, Stanford Biosciences, Vanderbilt, etc? I just want to know now before I waste time/money if my chances aren't great. Thanks! I also plan on applying to the NSF Research Grant this fall as an undergraduate. Any pointers for this?

Undergrad Institution: Top state school in California 
Major(s): Biochemistry
Minor(s): NA
GPA in Major: 3.93
Overall GPA: 3.94
Position in Class: top 5%
Type of Student: domestic, white male
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
I am taking a GRE prep course this summer and will take the GRE at the end of the summer. 
 

Research Experience: 

Amgen Scholar at UCLA for the summer in cancer biology and metabolism. Several poster presentations.

Two years at my home institution in natural products chemistry. No publications, but I did a couple poster presentations and won a research award. 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

Undergraduate Research Award - American Society of Pharmacognosy

Outstanding First Year Biochemistry Student and Award in Computational Chemistry (home institution) 

Chemistry Faculty Scholarship at my home institution

Dean's List all three years.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

RA for two years.

TA for general chemistry (multiple quarters)

Grader for biochemistry 

Special Bonus Points:  I'm trilingual. 
 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
Letter of rec from UCLA mentor in Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology

Two letters of rec from home institution (one of them is my research advisor; she did her Postdoc at Stanford if that means anything)

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A lot of how competitive you are will come from how well you describe your research in your essays and whether or not your letters support what you say. Based on what you have posted, I am sure you will be in the running for top tier schools, but I am not convinced you will be a shoo-in. Definitely apply to top programs, but include middle tier and safety schools on your list. 

Also, what are you interested in studying? You are a biochemistry major with experience in pharmacognosy, cancer biology, and metabolism. How are you going to describe those (seemingly random) experiences in a way that is cohesive? 

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My research interests are cancer metabolism and oncogene regulation. My summer experience at UCLA looks at transcriptional regulation of important genes in the glycolytic cycle in metastasizing cells. My background in natural products chemistry introduced me to many tools in molecular biology; CRISPR, Gibson assembly, biobricks, etc. as well has LCMS techniques. Though these experiences seem random at first glance, I think they have definitely prepared me for an interdisciplinary approach when studying cancer biology. 

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