jaesango

I didn't apply, but my PI is involved in admissions so I could subtly ask for you

The minute Harvard sees a B on your transcript you're on their donezo list \s all jokes aside, I'm sure fall grades aren't going to make too much of a difference, in the sense that 4-6 classes probably won't change your cumulative GPA that much and adcoms probably understand that we've all been anxious the recent weeks, so a couple B's won't be the end of the world unless. Just no C's

I feel you

Context does matter, and if you are coming from a top undergrad institution it's very likely there are knowledgeable people on the admissions committee from past experience. Moreover, I think your research experience is fabulous and makes you a good fit for top programs. (I'm also from a top undergrad program too with slightly better grades, but my research experience is nowhere near yours) I'm not sure the 25th vs 75th percentile comparison is relevant since private schools are only a fraction the size of public schools. But you're right that there are lots of smart people at state schools, I know several incredible scientists who did their undergrad at UCLA (including a G2 at Harvard MCO!).

You forgot a /s and FeelsBadMan.jpg :^)

Undergrad Institution: Top 3 Big Ivy Major(s): Biochemistry Minor(s): GPA in Major: 3.6 Overall GPA: 3.55 Position in Class: Around average in my major Type of Student: Domestic Asian male GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 170 V: 168 W: 5 B: not taken yet Research Experience: 1 year in high school (started early, was Intel STS semifinalist) 1 summer at immunology center in Japan 3 semesters and 2 summers at Harvard Medical School in 2 different labs Awards/Honors/Recognitions: not stellar in college due to competition at my home institution, a couple of summer research fellowships 1st author poster presentation at national undergraduate research conference Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Tutor/course assistant for general chemistry (1 semester) Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Took challenging computational and quantitative classes in college Special Bonus Points: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...) Letter of recommendation co-signed by famous PI in immunology, but I mostly worked with a post-doc in the lab during my time there so I had limited interactions with my PI. Got a poster presentation from my project here. Working on a senior thesis for honors degree in my current lab, I work directly with my PI and hope to do well for a strong recommendation. Another recommendation from my academic advisor who was also my Cell Biology prof, I took his advanced undergraduate class as a freshman but got a B in it. We meet and discuss interesting papers and topics in biology literature several times each semester, so I think he can comment on my ability to understand graduate level material. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I am a violinist in the school symphony orchestra and am actively involved in chamber music on campus...It's not related to my potential to conduct research well but perhaps I am bringing some diversity? Applying to Where: Harvard Immunology MIT Biology UCSF BMS Yale BBS Stanford Berkeley MCB Sloan-Kettering UPenn NIH OxCam Not sure if I'm shooting too high, given my lack of publications. It's also hard for me to know where I stand because most of my classmates in my major are going to medical school. I am pretty certain on what I want to study in graduate school: immunology, specifically cancer immunology. EDIT: formatting