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I am planning on writing GRE biology test October 19th and I am curious if anyone has any good tips for how to go about preparing for the test. I have taken classes in molecular/cellular/organismal biology, and have no background in ecology/evolution. My main question is how in depth I should go into the topics that ETS lists on their website. Any general tips are welcome, thanks in advance!

Thanks TakeruK, you are always very helpful. I actually planned on writing at McMaster, I only live about 45 minutes away so it was pretty ideal. I ended up looking for centres in the US (which I didn't think of right away) as I live fairly close to the border and I found a seat at U Rochester which is about 2 hours away. This isn't as ideal as Mac and I'll probably have to go the night before, but it seems better to at least have a date secured than to try for standby. If a seat opens up at Mac it costs the same to switch centres as it does to do the standby registration. I just wish I would have registered two days ago when I checked and there were spots open at Mac!

I have been waiting to register for the GRE Biology subject test because funds were kind of tight, but I went to register today and there are no seats available at any testing centres that are even remotely close to me. The only dates that are available are in April 2014 which will not do me any good as I plan to apply this fall. I checked out the Biochemistry subject test availability because I would feel comfortable writing that one as well but it is all booked. Do I have any options here? Or is my only course to check every day and hope a spot opens up at the testing centre... Any input would be really appreciated, I'm kind of freaking out.

Thank you so much TakeruK for all this info! Your answers have been very helpful, I will definitely message you if I have any questions about NSERC and the grad app in general.

Thanks TakeruK, I look forward to your response!

Thanks for the responses! I was pretty sure it wasn't a good idea, I guess I just needed to hear it from other people! Is it a non-issue that the third prof will be from a different subject (albeit still in the sciences)? I will try to get in contact with him soon.

Thanks a lot for the info! So not getting external funding isn't a deal breaker when applying? That puts my mind at ease a bit. To TakeruK: I am currently doing an undergrad in Canada, I got that info NSERC website, specifically this line for the PGS-D requirements: "if you were admitted into a doctoral program directly from your bachelor’s program (you were never registered in a master’s program), you must have completed, as of December 31 of the year of application, between four and 36 months of studies (full-time equivalent) in the doctoral program for which you are requesting funding" But if the way to go is a PGS-M first I will definitely do that! Since it seems like you have some knowledge about NSERC funding do you mind if I ask you a few questions? Specifically: The info for how to apply to the funding is a little confusing to me, as a current Canadian undergrad would I apply through the university I am currently enrolled at? If so, I am assuming there should be someone to contact at my university for help with the process... Were the programs you applied to rotation based? All of the programs I am applying to our, so I won't have a potential supervisor until after I get accepted. This makes the research proposal section of the application slightly intimidating, any tips on writing it? Did you have NSERC entering your first year, or did you get it later on? Would it be worth mentioning in the applications that I am applying for it? Any tips on applying for NSERC funding in general? Sorry for all the questions! I haven't talked to anybody from who has gone through the process of applying to American schools as a Canadian, so I might bug you about some other stuff!

I am planning on applying to some American and Canadian graduate molecular/cell/developmental programs this fall. I am a canadian student, and I have been having difficulties finding funding that I could apply for and (hopefully) get for studying in america. I have found a few sources. The Fulbright awards which seem fairly unattainable. CIHR DFSA, which can only be received if you study in a health related field. Some of the research/labs I am interested in could qualify, but in other areas the link is tenuous. The only attainable funding I have found are the NSERC PGS M/D, though I would have to initially get the Masters funding due to their stipulations for holding the funding at a foreign university. Could anyone here point me in any directions for funding opportunities? Any help is greatly appreciated.

I am planning to apply to molecular/cell/development grad programs this fall, and I have two very strong LORs. One from the lab head of a research driven industry lab I worked in last summer. The second from a prof I am currently working for this summer, and will be doing my fourth year thesis with. However, I am not sure who to ask for my third LOR. I have three options that I see: 1) The graduate student who I am working closely with this summer. The positives, She would definitely know me the best of any of these three options, and probably more so than my other two LORs. Also, she would definitely be able to speak to my potential for doing research. The negatives, She is finishing up her PhD this year, but won't be finished by the time I am applying, and I don't know if it is appropriate to have a grad student write a letter. Another negative, this would be two LORs from the same lab, which doesn't seem very appropriate. The justification for doing this being that she can speak to how well I actually work in the lab, and the PI (who isn't in the lab very often) can speak to my academic capabilities. 2) An organic chemistry professor from third year who I took two classes with. I did very well in my classes with him, finishing at the top of one and very close to the top of the other. The problem here is that he does not know me very well. I participated in class and he knew me by name, but our interactions outside of class were limited and very brief. He did try to get me to work in his lab for the summer, but I had already made arrangements with the prof I am currently working with that I didn't want to go back on. Another issue is that organic chemistry has little to do with the programs I will be applying for. I also don't know how willing he would be to write LORs for me, but I will have to figure that out. 3) My least favourite option, and definitely the worst option: get to know a prof from 1 of my 3 classes I have first semester. All my courses in first semester are small seminar based courses, so it would not be difficult to get to know them, but the time frame is very small. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I hope this is written clearly!