myhairtiebroke

I should clarify: I applied 2013, 2015, and reapplying now. It wasn't two years in a row, and my 2013 was admittedly shoddy compared to 2015. I had a lower GRE score, and aside from my undergrad PI's LOR I had two professors I only knew as instructors, so those letters likely weren't that great. I also didn't have a first author publication at the time (project was ongoing during 2013 grad apps.) Point taken on the GRFP. I will be more rigorous in getting feedback on my applications this year. I will also try expanding my list of schools. My strategy (last year) for picking schools was finding professors I liked, seeing which schools they were at, and then evaluating whether programs were a good fit (mostly whether or not there were other professors in the same program I wouldn't mind working with.) Is that ok to do? I get that they're old letters of rec, but I'm pretty sure my LOR writers aren't going to drastically change the letters for this cycle.

Yeah, starting from scratch for the SOP sounds like a good idea. Thanks.

My NIH PI, my undergrad PI, and another PI at the NIH (worked across the hall, involved in group meetings so he knows my research experience) wrote my letters. I got feedback from: undergrad advisors (who had been on admissions), other professors I knew in undergrad, grad students (who were on admissions committees, not the ones I was applying to), NIH PI and NIH advisors (they have specific group of advisors for grad school apps.) Overall, I felt like I was receiving good advice, since these people had experience with admissions.

Hey everyone. So I've applied to grad school twice before this season. Once as a senior in undergrad (when I was unprepared for applications), and last year (when I felt somewhat competitive.) After meeting complete rejection the last two years, I felt discouraged but I'm trying again. Undergrad Institution: UC Davis (graduated summer 2014) Major(s): Microbiology Minor(s): Entomology, Studio Art GPA in Major: 3.6 Overall GPA: 3.6 Position in Class: I'm not sure. Above average? Type of Student: Domestic, male, Vietnamese GRE Scores: Q: 161 V: 162 W: 5 Research Experience: 3 years undergrad (one coauthor, one first author, two undergrad conferences, one professional conference, one undergrad research grant) 2 years NIH postbac (one coauthor paper (in review)) Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Undergrad grant (mentioned), and a senior award recognizing my research experience.Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Tutored for microbio labs as an undergrad. Volunteered at museum (arthropod exhibits) 2015-2016.Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: No.Special Bonus Points: No. Applying to Where: UW Madison - Microbiology Cornell - Microbiology UC Berkeley - Microbiology WashU - Microbiology UCSF - TETRAD (?) I'm mostly interested in applying for microbio programs, and I chose those programs because they have professors focusing on projects I'm interested in (host-microbe stuff.) I've reached out to professors at UW and Cornell in the past (and have talked over phone, email, Skype, etc.). I did email them again this year, to let them know that I'm reapplying, but I have yet to hear back. Last year I applied to Madison, Cornell, UCB, UCSF, and UO, and was rejected from all 5. I did make it on the waitlist at Cornell. To be honest, I thought I was a competitive applicant. My GPA wasn't fantastic, but I had a lot of research experience. I was told that my SOP was good, and I'm sure my LORs were great too. I was told that I likely faced rejection because my application pool was too small, but the rejection still feels bad. Unfortunately, my application doesn't look much different than last year's. Outside of an extra year at the NIH, and a new paper (where I'm only a coauthor) nothing has changed. Additionally, I'm unemployed (NIH postbac had 2 year limit.) I would love to get suggestions on how to make my application more competitive for this year's cycle. Maybe retake the GRE, but it seems late to start studying, and I don't think the $$$ investment would be worth the (what I'm told is negligible) boost. I was considering the NSF GRFP, but the professors I reached out to haven't gotten back to me, so I feel like I won't have a strong research proposal.