EscapingHK

Undergrad Institution: a young uni in Hong Kong quickly gaining reputation Major(s): Biochemistry Minor(s): Mathematics, Information Technology (several CS courses), Chemistry GPA in Major: 4.17/4.30 (3.98/4.00) Overall GPA: 4.08/4.30 (3.95/4.00) Position in Class: near the top Type of Student: international male GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 170 (98%) V: 161 (87%) W: 4.5 (80%) B: waiting for score TOEFL Total: 116 (26 for speaking, 30 for all other sections) Research Experience: I have worked in 3 labs, two in my university and one in an Ivy when I went on an exchange program. I feel very fortunate that my institution creates a lot of research opportunities for undergrads, so I joined a lab as early as the summer following my freshman year. I spent 6 month there and switched to another lab where the PI is a chair professor and has quite high reputation in his field (structural biology). He is also a member of Chinese Academy of Sciences. I started with learning different techniques there, and now I'm working independently on my final year project. Last semester I went on exchange to an Ivy school, and I also grabbed the chance to work in a neuropathology lab. The people there liked me. One on my concern is that I've got no publications and I haven't done posters or formal presentations. The good thing is that all my LORs are from professors I've worked with, and the one from the professor of my current lab will be a very strong one. Awards/Honors/Recognitions: full scholarship for college, dean's list (many people have this), academic excellence awards Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: I guess my exchange experience might help, but I'm trying to hide that transcript since my grades there were not particularly well. I scored the top in Gaokao (the notorious national college entrance examination) in my city/province, but I doubt that would help. Special Bonus Points: nothing I could think of :/ Applying to Where: Here's the long list (15 schools, 16 programs): Harvard: MCO MIT: Biology Stanford: Biology UC Berkeley: MCB Caltech: Biology Yale: BBS Princeton: Molecular Biology (but I selected Biology@Princeton because I also have a interest for QCB) Scripps: Neuroscience/Molecular Biology Cornell: BMCB UC San Diego: Molecular Biology Columbia: Biological Sciences (MCB) UChicago: Biological Sciences (CMB) Northwestern: IBiS CMU: Biological Sciences AND Computational Biology (under CS department) UW-Seattle: MCB As you can see I'm interested in molecular biology the most. Most of my previous research was on the molecular level though I have some experience doing behavioral tests. I've also indicated my interests in quantitative/computational biology where my math and CS backgrounds might help. But it seems that people in that area are mostly from a pure CS or interdisciplinary (e.g. Comp. Bio. major or CS and Bio double major) background, so my chance might not be that high... Any comments on my chance of getting interviews/admissions? Or any other comments are welcome and appreciated!