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I can't answer any q's on apartments near campus since I commute from down south but I can tell you that parking is not as bad as people say. As long as you have purchased a semester pass (currently ~$162/sem) from them, you will always find a spot in at least several parking structures (PS). It's just a lot of people have classes in the West end, so they prefer parking in the PS located there and since they fill up by 9am M-Th, people just assume the parking is 'bad'. But the East end, namely the PS near the dorms, have always got room for parking. Since your classes will be in the afternoon, and if you don't plan on coming to class before 1-2pm, then you'd pretty much find parking anywhere, even on the packed West PS. I'd say the days that parking will be most annoying for you are when we have events such as basketball and concerts. They close the PS nearest to the event pretty early so anyone with a class in the afternoon will have to keep that in mind. Just park in the open PS though, and you'll be good. All in all, parking is fine. Just can be a little inconvenient if you have class on one end of campus but have to park on the other end. The campus isn't that big, so it isn't too bad. Street parking though - now that is bad and not worth the time & effort imo. Hope this was helpful

It was actually a professor I was getting advice from that told me that since my GPA is high and I have no papers, they might think I didn't do much in my research, and thus being 'flat'. But as long as I have good LORs, decent GREs, and discuss my research in SOP, then I am assuming I should be good? Oh wow, those are some schools I honestly thought might not even look at my app. I was interested in Cornell and UPenn at first and they alone felt like a massive reach - so it's nice to hear I can actually take a shot at those places (and even higher). I'm guessing I can look at UCB and Stanford too then (the only CA schools I'd consider)? Thanks so much for the info!! I was extremely worried after talking to the professor so I was beginning to think my chances were slim to none at the places I liked and researched already, which are basically the places you mentioned. Nice to know I have some hope after all! Helllllloooo! Nice to see another State student here! I actually never heard of that class before; I've only known the pre-health 1 unit ones. This course seems awesome. Next sem is my last one so I'll definitely take this class, thanks for the recc! Is Maureen's last name Paolini? So it seems like subject GRE isn't too big of a deal then? I know students that haven't taken it but professors have suggested I do so that's why I thought I'd ask. I don't see myself doing it though because I don't have the time to study for it while preparing for general GRE, nor do I want to pay that extra ~$150. I would hope my grades speak for me in regards to how I do in bio. Some of the schools you mentioned are ones I'd be interested in as well. Glad to hear I have a chance after all!

Hi, I found this forum and thought I'd post just for some advice. Undergrad Institution: San Diego State University Major(s): Biology B.S. (possibly an emphasis on Cellular and Molecular if I can squeeze in a last class requirement before graduating)Minor(s): N/AGPA in Major: --- (will know after this semester; probably like 3.65-3.7 max)Overall GPA: 3.79Position in Class: Based on the honor societies that keep contacting me, I know I'm at least in the top 10% of my year. There's no other way for me to know my exact ranking since my school doesn't do that afaik.Type of Student: Domestic Black femaleResearch Experience: By the time I graduate, I will have had 1.5 years of research experience in a structural biology lab. I don't have any papers published. And so far no conferences nor presentations, but hopefully I can get one or more in before applying. That's my goal for the summer and fall. This might not be counted as your typical research experience per se, but I'll also have experience for a semester in a genomics lab focused on regenerative biology with planarians as the model organism. It is a class (as in I get graded work and stuff) but it is one that is solely working with the professor on his research because he had obtained a grant that required him to have a small class in which students take part in his work and such. So I basically do what students in his lab do as well (I just get graded on assignments relating to it). I'd hope schools don't overlook that it is 'just another class' when we're doing research and publishable work.Awards/Honors/Recognitions: - Dean's List every semester since I came in as a freshman. - Been in an academic honors society since freshman year. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: I have worked part time since the beginning of college (so about 3.5 years now) and have had a lead position (essentially a student manager) for almost 1.5 years. I have been active in several clubs but they're irrelevant for this since they're not research/science (basically health/pre-health clubs)...Special Bonus Points: Like I said above, I'm a Black female. Not sure if it is a bonus point or not, but I'm also Muslim.Applying to Where: Schools I was suggested to check out: Indiana University, U of Oregon, maybe Boston University. Applying to Cell & Molec. Bio programs. Just looking at the info I provided alone (so w/o factoring in GRE since I didn't take it yet), what other schools do you guys suggest I should start looking at? I know there isn't much I gave you guys and it's about fit and all at the end of the day but I just want some recommendations. I don't have interest in applying to UCLA, UCSD, nor UCI since I've been in SD my whole life and would like to go somewhere farther. And UCD and UCSF campuses aren't in places I'd like living, so I'm interested in schools outside of CA. I know I don't have much. Unfortunately I didn't fully decide to drop my pre-health route and do research/PhD till I was already in the middle of my junior year :/ I know my research area is my weak point. I was told that with my GPA and lack of published papers, it might make my time doing research look flat. Also, do you suggest taking the subject exam? I receive mixed opinions on this so I thought I'd get some more input from you guys.