UTGC
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Posts posted by UTGC
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5 hours ago, atx09 said:
this might be a bit premature, but I'm hopeful, on D-day how do you deal with a phone call acceptance form your number 2 school? Its 8am and you haven't heard from your number 1 school, but you don't want to commit to the acceptance without at least getting a rejection from your first choice. How does that conversation even go? 'Hey thanks for the offer, but I'm waiting on another school...brb, call you soon'
Anyone have any etiquette advice on this?
You don't even have to make a mention of waiting for another school. You can just say "Thank you so much, I'm really excited to get that offer. I'm taking some time to think today and I will be in touch when I reach a decision". They're very accustomed to students not immediately accepting an offer, it's the norm.
That said: if you get accepted by your 3rd ranked school and then get an offer from your 2nd ranked school, go ahead and call back school 3 ASAP and tell them you won't be accepting. You don't need to wait until you get in to your top choice to start turning down offers - only a better choice.
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4 hours ago, HSGC2017 said:
Hey guys!
unfortunately it seems I will only be interviewing at Arkansas this round---but I'm still psyched. I am kind of stressed because I know the odds are against me but I still want to use the opportunity to the fullest.
Any tips? Advice? Also can whoever who was emailing the PDF a few pages earlier forward me it: hssayeda@ncsu.edu
any and all help is needed and welcomed, thanks!
Just want to say that two of my classmates only had one interview and it clearly worked out for them!
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35 minutes ago, GCapplicant said:
Hi everyone! New to this forum.
I have 2 interviews and am worried about not getting in to either... seems like most schools only take 15-20% of the people they interview (at least mine do).
Does anyone who's applied before know how much the waitlist moves once results are released?
Also, does anyone know what CSU Stanislaus' cohort size is?
For the waitlists: it's a bit frustrating because there really isn't a good answer to that question. It depends a lot on the schools and random chance. You can't count on it moving - sometimes everyone in the program's top choice list accepts. This is probably more likely for schools that are affordable, in a good location and have been around long enough to be pretty established. When I was interviewing, I was reassured by the observation that most of the people I was interviewing with had several interviews, which I took to mean that they would get multiple offers and have to turn down some. I never waited around on the 2 waitlists I was on so I can't speak to how much they moved.
I don't remember exactly how big CSU was, but I'd say at least 6-8 students per class.
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1 hour ago, NHxx said:
Was wondering, is everyone attending the night-before interview dinners with current students? I'm trying to schedule flights and unfortunately it looks like I won't be making it to some of the dinners because I'll fly into town too late (trying to schedule it around days off work too, so can't really fly in a day early). I know they're "optional" but I'm just hoping this doesn't look bad!
Don't worry about it too much! Everyone involved in the process knows that timing flights is tight. You'll have plenty of opportunities to show your interest in the program during the interview itself that will totally overshadow missing the optional dinner. At most of my interviews, the attendance rate for the dinner was usually in the 50-75% range. You'll miss out on some info from the students but there's often an opportunity at lunch to talk to the students in private, so that may not even be a huge concern for you.
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10 minutes ago, bubusaur said:
Ahh. So the interview was more personal-oriented, getting to know you and your life. I heard from a student last year that Stanford's interview was more a series of questions that made her feel like she's under interrogation. Very impersonal and very business oriented. So what you're describing is definitely better, but it also depends on the school I guess.
How did you prepare for the "why do you want to go that program" question? I did some of my research when writing my personal statement, but the answers seem really shallow. I just read the GC page of each program and commented on how I like when their rotation starts, where they have their rotations, etc. Did you do anything else to prepare for a more personal answer? And likewise, what kind of questions did you ask them?
Sorry for a bunch of bombardment. Nerves talking.
This is tricky to do from just the program websites because they are often very similar. It's tough to say why you gravitated towards one or the other. Do the best you can before you arrive for the interview, but also know that you will have opportunities to talk to current students (usually at dinner the night before or when you are staying with them) about what makes the program unique and the program directors usually give a 30min-1hour talk before interviews start that is much more comprehensive than what is on the website. You can totally use things they highlight during that talk as reasons you are drawn to that program.
Also: it's a totally acceptable answer to mention that the location is convenient for you because of COL, being near family, whatever it may be. Just don't have that be your only reason.
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9 hours ago, r_cooper said:
First time poster here! I'm starting to freak out about interviews a little and I'm looking for some opinions on interview attire. I have a nice skirt and blazer that I'm sure would work but I'd rather wear a cardigan-- I'm just worried it wouldn't look professional enough. Would you all consider this outfit too casual?
From what I saw, a cardigan would be on the less dressy end of the spectrum but still within the normal range of attire. (Regarding that outfit in particular, I'd probably chose between bold colors or bold prints, both + a cardigan would probably be too informal). I think a simple blouse and dress pants/skirt with a nice cardigan could definitely work. You just want to be careful about not looking too business casual.
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1 hour ago, GCHopeful said:
I have been seeing a lot of interview clothing advice being passed around lately, but being a guy, heels don't really look that good with the clothes I have ;) That being said, for the men of this forum, what are you thinking of wearing or, for those that have interviewed prior, what did you see other guys wearing? I am planning on wearing a suit, but I don't know if this is too formal or not. Any advice?
A suit and tie is pretty typical for the men I saw interviewing last year. The general dress code is business/professional.
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4 minutes ago, AspiringGC said:
Really discouraged to hear about UTHealth having sent interviews out. That's my top choice and I haven't received anything yet :/
Don't be disappointed yet! They're coming out in waves this week.
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44 minutes ago, GCHopeful said:
Has anyone heard back from Stanford? This is my first time applying and I thought they might be the first to get back to me with an interview or rejection because of how early their deadline was, but it doesn't look like that is the case.
In my experience, the California schools tended to be a bit behind the rest of the country with interview offers!
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2 hours ago, atx09 said:
Hi, it looks like I found this forum a little late, would have been really helpful during applications, but I got an interview for Emory. I'm just hoping someone has some general advice about how the interview will go. I'm also a little thrown off on what the 'writing exercise' is, anyone have any feedback on this?
I did a writing exercise for UT Houston so no guarantees it's the same sort of thing, but I bet it's not terribly different.
I was nervous about it too, but it's really nothing to be worried about - honestly it'll probably feel like a "break" from the actual interviews. At UT, they put us in a room by ourselves and we just answered some simple prompts. It was mostly situational and about interpersonal things (not quizzing you about genetics or anything similar), like "how would you respond if your supervisor told you XYZ?". In my experience, they definitely provided sufficient time to complete the exercise and I didn't feel like there were any difficult or trick questions. They just want to get to know you and this is another way for them to learn about how you think.
Feel free to send me a message if you have any more questions about how interviews are conducted!
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7 hours ago, HC929 said:
Congratulations to everyone on submitting applications! I am also anxiously awaiting responses now, even though I know I won't be hearing from any of the schools I've applied to for quite some time.
If anyone is willing to offer some advice to an anxious girl:
I held onto my University of Michigan applications until the very last day. The application was due January 5th, and i literally submitted it on the morning of January 5th (hindsight 20/20, this was an awful idea but I just couldn't let go of it at the time). They have a portal where you can review your applications and I just found out that everything was submitted/accepted on January 6th! So now I am pretty upset and contemplating what to do. Should I email the director? Should I leave it be and see what happens?
My transcript also hadn't been received by them until January 9th... which is crazy because I submitted it as early as possible and the other school I applied to received it on January 5th.
University of Michigan's website says their deadline for ALL materials was strictly January 5th.. but I'm not sure if it would be out of line to email someone on the admissions committee. Any input on this.. would be so appreciated T_T
I'd recommend emailing someone (whoever seems to be in charge of coordinating applications), I don't think you have much to lose. Just be sure it's phrased in a calm and professional way.
I think there may be some flexibility. One of my letters of rec writers didn't sign the letter she sent in and I had to get a signed version sent to a program after the deadline for receiving materials. It ended up fine and that's where I attend right now. At the end of the day, it's real - often compassionate and understanding - people who make these calls and no deadline is completely without any exceptions.
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2 hours ago, slaybackc said:
Awesome! That helps me out a lot.
And yes, the application states " Please provide a one page personal statement which explains your motivation for seeking a graduate degree in the Biomedical Sciences. This statement should discuss your professional career goals, your interest in science and why you are interested in obtaining your graduate degree at The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston." So, I did include what was asked from that prompt as well. My first post was more in reference to what was listed on the GC website, but thanks for making sure!
I appreciate all the information you've been able to provide
That sounds about right! Good luck with finishing your apps up
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On 12/18/2016 at 11:43 AM, slaybackc said:
With the semester finally over I can spend time finishing up my last few applications.
I have one question @UTGC might be the best one to answer. UTHealth doesn't have much information in regards to the personal statement besides including relevant advocacy and volunteer experience in it/one page. Do you think it's okay for me to submit a single-spaced statement? All my other statements have been double spaced, but I had more pages to work with. UTHealth is currently my top choice so I want to have as much space as possible to dazzle.
I did a single-spaced statement for UT too. The more space the better! Double-spaced would be a real challenge for that one.
Also, things may have changed in the past year, but I think the prompt I wrote about for UT was a bit more detailed than what you mention. They have a simple one on the website somewhere and a more detailed one after you make an application account (though it also doesn't explain the spacing). There's also a short essay to write about research experience and an optional one (I think it was about personal hardship or something like that). You may just be condensing it in your post but thought I'd check in case you started writing based on the website before starting the official app
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On 12/14/2016 at 1:30 PM, TK1616 said:
Hi! I'm applying for the Fall 2017 cycle and was wondering if anyone had any tips on whether or not I should explain the few poor grades that I have on my transcript in my personal statement? Not sure if explaining the grades will just highlight my poor performance negatively or will help in terms of how those poor grades made me work harder and get my grades up?
Any advice would be so helpful, thanks!
I don't really have an answer for you, but from what I remember, some of the prompts were pretty specific about what they wanted you to include while some were more loose (just: "here's some ideas but write whatever"). I'd say in general, you should probably stick to what they're asking for if it's the more specific type of prompt. Many of those essays had super short page limits, I don't know if you could really do the topic of grades justice without hurting your ability to talk about the things they want you to include. It's a zero sum game for the 1 or 2 page essays. However, if you can mention it in a way that addresses the prompt, consider it. Honestly, some of the prompts I've seen are such that you probably could reference it easily. If you choose to do this, I wouldn't worry about if you're highlighting poor performance - they've seen your transcript, they know. But if you can't fit it in smoothly, I'd personally be inclined to not break the flow of your personal statement or cut out other important info by forcing it in.
Some exceptions: if it was caused by anything unusual, like the death of someone close to you or serious mental health problems that weren't addressed at the time or any other kind of one-time freak accident or difficulty, I'd recommend finding some way to bring that to their attention. Or if you got a D or an F in a relevant class, you don't really have anything to lose by trying to explain that as I imagine it's a serious concern for them. If it was something more typical, like difficulties adjusting to college, making more commitments than you could handle, or a professor that didn't teach to your learning style, I don't think there's much to be accomplished by talking about it before the interview stage. They already know the most common reasons why people do poorly in a class or two, those sorts of things are probably their baseline assumption until told otherwise.
If your GPA is still pretty good, you don't need to be worried too terribly much unless they were prerequisite classes for the program (and even then, hardly a death blow). Things happen. I know people with a C or 2 that still got in somewhere. They understand that you're human and that you probably learned from your mistakes and care about doing well in the future.
That's just my gut instinct but I'd encourage you to also seek advice from anyone that you know in the world of academia who may have more experience with how admissions work.
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14 hours ago, adragonisnoslave said:
Hi all. Freaking out. Wanted to do this since I was about 17 and got away from it due to a bad chem prof freshman year. Six years later...
Undergrad: Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology, 3.81/4.0. Taking prereqs at local university while working and it's dropped my GPA to a 3.72. Thought about getting a second bachelor's so took quite a few science courses, including genetics, genetics lab + immunobiology.
GRE: 161 / 161 / 5. (79% quant, 88% verbal, 93% analytical)
Extracurriculars: Genetic counselors don't allow shadowing in my city but I did meet with two. I did 200 hours of community service in college and have volunteered since April 2015 as a clinic escort. No research - by far this is the weakest part of my app.
Applying to Ohio State, Oklahoma, Indiana and UT-Houston. Good luck all!
Hope to see you at UT Interviews!
Some words of encouragement: Your GPA is still very good and your GRE scores are on point, don't stress about that. And it sounds like you've definitely got all of your ducks in a row with regard to prereqs. Volunteering as a clinic escort is also super awesome and definitely relevant. With research, I'd say it's not too terribly important (compared to volunteering and academic performance). I had some pretty mild research experience - just assisting in a lab for ~7 months, not taking on any projects or anything. Things still worked out. Perhaps do some thinking about what sorts of areas of research in the genetic counseling field would interest you (you can get ideas from reading what's been published in the Journal of Genetic Counseling for a sense of scope/scale) so that you can at least talk about the subject of research in an interview, if it comes up.
Advice for having a weak spot with shadowing: be aware that interviewers will expect you to have a pretty solid understanding of what the field is, especially when it comes to ethical issues and general job responsibilities. Consider doing some reading to shore up that weakness. I recommend Ethical Dilemmas in Genetics and Genetic Counseling by Berliner and Facilitating the Genetic Counseling Process by McCarthy Veach. They're not too long and contain more detail than you'll be expected to know, but they can help you feel more confident when talking about the genetic counseling field and give you information that other interviewees will have picked up through observation. Another option is to read the Journal of Genetic Counseling but focus on ethical/psychosocial papers. You can expect to get questions like "how would you handle X ethical dilemma" and "tell me about a time when you observed Y in an appointment". Reading those books will allow you to pivot by saying you haven't experienced it firsthand but you can still offer some good insight into the issue and say how you think it would best be handled.
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Hey guys,
Just wanted to share this awesome and comprehensive spreadsheet with info about every program for those of you still trying to decide where to apply! (I didn't make this)
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15 hours ago, ChloeB323 said:
I have so many questions, though. For one, I'm not exactly sure what I need to include in my personal statement.
-Do I need to talk about specific professors/research that they have done?
-How personal can I get? For example, I have tons of experience with counseling/psychiatry because of my health history. I've thought about including that perspective, but I'm wondering if it's too personal/too much of a sob-story.
The advice to talk about specific professors and their research is usually given to PhD candidates because they have to eventually join a specific professor's lab and spend a lot of time working with one individual. This is not really the case for GC master's students, so don't worry about that. Just let the prompts guide you - they are usually aimed at your personality, background and interests. Don't worry, they aren't going to expect you to have included something that they aren't asking for in the prompt.
Not sure if I have very good advice for your second question. Perhaps a safe route would be to mention that you have had exposure to counseling and then focus on what that taught you about the role of a counselor and the impact a counselor can have on someone going through a difficult experience, rather than making the reasons you needed counseling the star. I think there's a way to talk about it without getting too personal, certainly.
Best of luck!
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9 hours ago, KT123 said:
I am really trying to decide if I should apply for this year. I am a senior majoring in Health Promotion with an emphasis in health services. I have a 3.68 GPA right now, but my GRE scores are lacking (150 V; 154 Q). Ive taken the GRE three times, so I don't see my scores going up anymore. I don't know if my scores can be compensated with my GPA or extracurriculars.
Genetic Counseling Experience: Summer internship at Northwestern and shadowing 2 genetic counselors
Advocacy: Im an education ambassador for Bright Pink which is an organization that strives to save womens lives from breast and ovarian cancer. I am also a counselor at Camp Kesem which is a non-profit organization that puts on a free summer camp for kids who have a parent with cancer. I also went to Africa this past summer for a medical-service learning trip where I got to do community health screenings in the community and perform clinical rotations in the hospitals, where I got to do rotations in family planning, labor and delivery, NICU, nutrition rehabilitation, physical therapy, general surgery, obstetric surgery, and lab. I am also going to be a Meals on Wheels intern next semester.
Undergraduate Research: I have been a research assistant for a Professor that studies nutritional genetics for two years
You sound like you're ready to apply! I'd only recommend waiting if you are very selective about wanting to get into a specific program and want to be as competitive as you possibly can be, really just want a gap year to work, or if you are concerned about spending money on applications/interviews when you're not 100% confident in your application. Seems like you feel that the GRE scores are your weakest point, but it also seems like you don't plan to retake the test. Why not apply this year?
You may feel like it's a bit late in the cycle to make a bunch of applications from scratch (especially because you're in college right now), but maybe you can just pick a few programs you're really interested in and gain some experience by sending in those applications and attending a few interviews. If it doesn't work out, you'll really know what you're doing next cycle. But I think you have decent chances, especially with all that GC/advocacy exposure.
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On 10/3/2016 at 10:59 PM, GCHopeful said:
My list of schools to apply to so far is: Stanford (reach), Denver, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Brandeis, and South Carolina. Any thoughts or suggestions regarding where I stand would be fantastic! Any tips on school selections would be great as well. A lot of my friends are applying to medical school and the rankings for those are easily available, but not so much for genetic counseling programs. I am excited to get this process underway and, hopefully by this time next year, start the journey of becoming a genetic counselor with the rest of you!
Cheers.
This may be frustrating, but there isn't a genetic counseling program ranking at all. The undergrad and med school ranking is pretty irrelevant, as the GC programs usually operate relatively independently. Therefore, you don't really need to consider Stanford more of a reach school than the other programs you've listed. It's Ivy League, sure, but when it comes to the GC program, I'm pretty sure they receive a similar number of applications as other desirable, established programs do (note: the number of applicants displayed on some program websites may be several years out of date, do not put too much stock into reported admission rates - they change quickly). And do remember: every accredited program gives the same degree and they all prepare you to do well on boards or they wouldn't be accredited. The closest thing you'll get to a ranking is perhaps to compare the pass rate for boards, but most were pretty high.
My tips for picking schools when the time comes is to focus on these elements (in no particular order):
- Location/cost of living/tuition: Is this a city you see yourself enjoying? Can you afford this program in this location? How do you feel about the access to clinics for rotations - are you in a big medical center or do you have to commute a few hours to some of the sites?
- Rotation schedule: Are you the type of person that wants to jump into rotations in your second semester and learn by experience? Or do you prefer to wait for the summer when you might feel more confident and knowledgeable before seeing a patient? Pay attention to when rotations start as this is a pretty significant element of any program.
- Class structure: Are all of the classes GC only? Or do you take most of your classes alongside students in other programs, like a med school? Who teaches the classes - genetic counselors or doctors?
- Gut instinct: How did you feel about the program after your interview? Could you see yourself at this school? Did you like the program director and other staff?
There are other things that are important, like the class schedule and way that research projects are handled, but it's difficult to make decisions based off of that when you're in the applicant stage, so don't worry about it if you're not sure what your ideal program would be in those areas.
Oh - and I think you're a very strong applicant. Good luck!
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44 minutes ago, Ultrapeaches said:
Hi team,
This is my first year applying to GC programs and since making this decision I've swung wildly between hopeful and despondent. In my life, I've never been so sure of something being right for me; I'll be wrecked if I don't get in anywhere.
I'm applying to 8 programs - Stanford, Emory, Cincinnati, Michigan, Denver, CSU Stanislaus, UC Irvine and Northwestern - proscribed by where my husband is willing to live for 2 years. I'm almost 30 and am having a hard time evaluating if I'm a competitive applicant, or not even in the ballpark, as my resume is so different from the standard 22 year old college graduate.
GRE: 170V, 163Q, 4.5AWA - This is an area of strength for me.
GPA: Technically 3.82 BUT my academic history is a tire fire. All told, it took me 10 years to complete my undergraduate degree. I started at a university close to home, then transfered to a small liberal arts school and did poorly - I dropped out at 19. I came home, took a break from college, got my mental health together, met Mr. Right, got married, and re-enrolled. Then I got pregnant. I had two children with whom I stayed home, and I completed my degree in the edges of the day. I failed an entire semester during my first pregnancy (I retook those courses to replace the grade in my GPA calculation), and haven't taken a full time course load since. My worst grades that I wasn't able to replace are all in science courses - a C in Cellular/Molecular biology, Bs in intro genetics, physiology and two chemistry labs. I took all the upper level courses with the word "genetics" in the title, but human genetics was not offered, so I haven't take it.
Advocacy experience: I'm a trained birth doula and have taken doula clients for 3 years. I have no idea if admissions officers will consider this appropriate, if they even bother to learn what a doula does.
Research: One year in a molecular bio lab. Loved the experience and learned a lot, but didn't publish anything.
I am interning with a local genetic counselor who isn't worried about my prospects for admission, but she graduated 5 years ago and I'm afraid she may be out of touch with how competitive the field currently is. Those of you who applied in previous cycles, would you soberly appraise my likelihood of getting an interview?
Best of luck with your application! I think your experience as a doula will be *incredibly* relevant. I know my program - and I'm sure the same is true for many others - really wants their graduates to have a deep understanding of the pregnancy and birthing process, as this is very important for prenatal counseling. They definitely will know what a doula is and understand the role you've played in many women's pregnancies. Many of the skills you had to use as a doula will be very relevant to a career in genetic counseling, as well.
As far as I know, most programs are very accepting of people who don't follow the typical path for GC applicants (that being: major in bio or psych and head to grad school either fresh out of college or after a year or two). However, there are some in particular that I feel were especially open to older or otherwise nontraditional students. If your husband wouldn't mind living in Boston, I'd recommend checking out Brandeis. They had the fewest number of "fresh out of college" students that I saw and I got the impression they strongly preferred applicants with some work experience between college and grad school.
Interning with a GC is HUGE, you will probably have some of the highest number of exposure/shadowing hours. That combined with your doula experience will really convince the program directors that you really understand the field.
Your academic history isn't as bad as you think - that's a great GPA and the time it took you to finish seems to be based in very valid difficulties that you have since overcome. If you're confident that you can now handle a full course load, I'm sure you won't have too much trouble convincing them.
Honestly, I think you're quite competitive. I'd be very surprised if you didn't get most of those interviews, if not all. It is a competitive field, that's definitely true, but it looks to me like you have everything you need on paper. I'd work in some crisis counseling volunteering if you can spare the time (maybe you can work on a hotline from home), but you might also be able to cover that requirement with your doula work for that if you've worked with difficult pregnancies.
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On 7/24/2016 at 10:04 PM, KT123 said:
At what point is a GRE score considered very low?
[Disclaimer: I am obviously not on an admissions panel, this is just what I've gathered from the speculation of others]
I'd say you should definitely consider retaking the GRE if you are getting scores below 50%, just to see if you can do better. If you're stuck with low scores despite multiple retakes, this may just not be a test that works well with you. You'll have to accept that and work on other areas of your application.
For 50-70%, it's probably a judgement call. Do you have all the time you need to get the rest of your application in great order and then some? Sure, go ahead and put some more time into studying and retaking it. Would studying for a second exam take time away from volunteering/classes/personal statement/shadowing/filling out applications? Unless you're really sure you can bring it up, that may not be the best use of your time.
For 70+%, there's probably a pretty low chance that retaking the GRE would have an effect on which grad programs you get an offer from.
Another thing to consider (I didn't personally do this, so don't feel obligated to) for anyone who just can't bring their score up is to take a GRE subject test in a relevant subject (bio, psych, chem, biochem) that you're confident in. This obviously won't replace your GRE score, but it has the potential to show standardized academic competency if you do well. These tests might be more in-line with your strengths than the standard GRE, so it's possible you'll do better on a subject test and that might mitigate the damage of a low GRE score a bit. Again though, just speculation.
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1 hour ago, HC929 said:
@UTGC Oh, thanks!! I was worried because I had check a website that said I was ~69th percentile, and I wasn't sure if that was good enough or not. And yeah, I really regret not working harder my first couple years! Thanks for some reassurance though
If your GPA the last two years is higher than the first two years, that's a good thing! The last years are usually given more consideration than the first if there is a big change. Especially if you can be reflective and show that you learned how to be a good student etc.
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41 minutes ago, HC929 said:
That's awesome, @weilongli1! You guys are so nice.
I was wondering if I could get some advice, I got my score for the GRE and I got a 155V/158Q, and I'm still waiting for my essay scores. My GPA is a 3.32/4.0 right now. Do you guys think these stats are good enough to be considered? I'm contemplating taking the GRE again to improve my score, but the vocab portion is just torture...
I'd say those GRE scores are perfectly fine (I imagine you're in the 80-90 percentile?). I haven't heard anything specific to genetic counseling, but I know that most graduate programs just want to see that you get at least a decent score. Chasing a slightly higher GRE score probably isn't the best use of your time, it will very minimally impact the success of your applications, especially since you already have good scores. Instead, work on your personal statements or volunteering or shadowing. A few more hours into those areas can help your application a lot more than studying more for the GRE, I imagine.
Your GPA is okay, probably a bit lower than the average accepted student, but don't worry too much. It's a very holistic process. Just be sure that you are really solid with your volunteering and shadowing and I imagine you should be just fine
You will absolutely be considered.
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Not that I know of, no. Most programs are going to have their own online application that they're going to want you to fill out. It's tedious.
However, there are things like interfolio.com that allow you to have your recommenders submit their recommendation to the site and you can use that site to upload the letters to the online apps or email them to the program for a small fee without having to pester your recommenders over and over. I think programs would prefer you just do it the traditional way, but they'll usually allow services like that.
Genetic Counseling Fall 2017 Applicants
in Biology
Posted
When do you have to have a decision in by?
It's important to consider that your dream school is not necessarily harder to get into than any other school on your list because everyone has wildly different rankings of schools. If you feel like a school is a great fit for you, they are probably more inclined to feel the same way than a school you aren't as interested in. Also consider that it's hard to know what your ranking of programs is before you've finished the whole interviewing process and get a good sense of the program. It's not uncommon for people to completely reverse their feelings about a program after doing an interview there. I understand this is a school that has been significant to you for many years, but who can say if the GC program in particular at that place is truly the best one for you?
I think it's more reliable to make your decision based on whether or not you want to take a gap and work this really cool job. Put aside the thoughts about the program you'd go to after working being "better" than the one that you'd go to if you matriculated this cycle and turned down the job.