kxiu

Thank you all for your input! I know 5-6 years as a tech is a long time, and maybe unconventional, between schooling. I guess the time was never right for me--I got married, and kept going back and forth on what role I wanted to play in a lab, if it was truly necessary for me to do PhD programs or not, or whether a MS would be sufficient. Once I realized I'd like to run a lab myself someday and have input in the direction I want to go with my research is when I decided I should go the PhD route. I thought about doing an MS in that time, but none of the programs in my area could have guaranteed full funding for me and enough funding to pay for my living expenses without taking out additional student loans, which is something I want to avoid when furthering my education. I agree about the GRE--I have time, and it may not be a bad idea to give it another shot.

Undergrad Institution: Small public universityMajor(s): BiologyGPA in Major: 3.68Overall GPA: 3.67Position in Class: Not sureType of Student: Domestic, FemaleGRE Scores (revised/old version):Q: 48%V: 53%W: 92%B: n/a Note: I know my GRE scores suck. I took these 3 times already and can't seem to get much higher than this. I have crippling anxiety/panic attacks thinking about having to take a standardized test again, so I'm going to go through the application season with these.Research Experience: 3 years undergraduate research resulting in a middle author paper as well as completion of an undergraduate thesis and poster presentation at two national conferences and a regional conference. Worked as a technician in a clinical lab for 1.5 years and then 2.5 years in a research laboratory that resulted in another middle author paper. Now have been working in a 3rd research lab as a technician for 1 year now resulting in a first co-author publication and a regional oral presentation. Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's list in collegePertinent Activities or Jobs: Research Technician for 5 years. Biology tutor, supplemental instructor, and undergrad TA during my undergrad.Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Not sure.Special Bonus Points: Years experience as a technician, maybe? I should have some pretty great letters of rec from my current and former PIs/advisors.Applying to (still finalizing my list...): University of Wisconsin MCB and Pharmacology (2 separate applications) Medical College of Wisconsin University of Minnesota Northwestern DGP University of Illinois Chicago GEMS Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis Prefer to stay in the midwest for family reasons. I'm interested in developmental biology, translational research, stem cell biology, disease modeling, cell signaling. Any recommendations? How does this stack up? Do you think my research experience could make up for my atrocious GRE? I would rather not take this test for a 4th time if I can help it... Thank you all for your help/suggestions!