samman1994

As someone with a 3.00 GPA looking at PhD programs and 50% GRE scores, this gives me ope. Thank you!

One thing that has been really helpful for me, is to actually just ask people in the field you're looking for. Other professors,faculty etc. Chances might be that said individual may have actually met the professor you want to work under. In my case, my PI actually told me to avoid 2 professors I was going to go work under for my PhD because 1 of them, her student had gone to work under and had a terrible time due to his PI and the 2nd one, my PI herself had worked under (small world). So if you have it narrowed down, start asking around in your own school. Chances might have it that you find someone who knows the person and can give you a much more descriptive statement about them than anything online.

As someone looking for a PhD program in a STEM field with a GPA of 3.00 (the bare minimum) and basically 50% GRE score, the thing I've seen on a lot of these admissions is a 3.00 is the minimum, but no cut offs for the GRE, just averages. For my field (Biochemistry) however, background research experience and and LOR are incredibly important, which is where my main strength is. So I'm still looking at top tier schools, I don't know if I'll get it, but the general concensus is, if my LOR and my personal statement is really good, then I have a decent chance given my research background and field I am going into. Point being, it all comes down to networking, and your field. I.e. Say your future PI really likes you and wants you in, lets just say that GPA and GRE could be swung under the rug ;). However each field is different, as is each application.

My condolences, I have seen first hand the difficulties of the death of a PI, both emotionally and mentally regarding the work afterwards. That being said it usually goes one of 2 ways: 1) If you have enough to graduate (which if you've started it sounds like you do), you can probably continue your research within their lab, with the continuation of their grant money (or the schools), until you finish up. 2) If you do not have enough, you start from scratch and join a new lab. That being said this is what happened to someone in our department; The PI had an illness very few people knew that they were not getting treated, and thus, abruptly died to the extent no one even knew until a few days later. It was a surprise to both the department, and the students, and therefore, they were not prepared. Most of the students had to start over with a new lab, but one of the students was basically almost done. So they stayed in the lab and continued their research individually, asking questions and advice from another PI in the department who's research and knowledge most closely matched the PI who had passed away. They continued this for approximately 2 months, using leftover grant money, until they basically finished.

Thanks guys! I was initially concerned my scores would prevent me from applying to a lot of places, but as I'm searching, I'm realizing my research interests are primarily whats stopping me from applying. The only benefit I've seen so far from bigger schools (aside from brand name when you get out), is that they just have more research options than smaller lower tier schools (my criteria is I need to have at least 1 PI who's researcher I'm really interested in, and 2 others who I'd be ok joining if the initially didn't work out). With this new hope and info in mind, I'll probably end up applying to most of the higher tier schools then, and hope my letters and research experience is enough to compensate the lower GPA and GRE. One final question: I've seen that a lot of deadlines for PhD programs are in December. If I send my application earlier, does it mean it will be seen earlier? I've seen in multiple forums people stating some schools have a certain limit of applicants they accept, and it literally just comes to first come first serve. I.e. If they have accepted everyone they can, they won't look at the rest of the applicants, which means the earlier you apply, the better the advantage you'll have at getting in. I should have everything ready to send by probably somewhere near the end of September, early October. Should I send my applications as soon as I have everything ready? I haven't seen anything regarding a time to start applying, only a deadline to stop applying, so I assume it's not only okay, but recommended to send mine a month or 2 earlier?

Its a mix, some schools say requirement, but I think the majority were just a typical score. Although, the way I look at it, a typical score might as well be a cut off (sure I can send my application, but the school won't take it very seriously if I'm below everyone else)

Personally, I break the rules all the time at these conferences, although a bit differently. I.e. I was told only those who are presenting and their PI's/faculty are allowed to come, but I ended up bringing my whole family (I have done this at multiple conferences). Hell my last one, I had my gf (who is not even enrolled in my University), help present with me. I have put names on my posters because my PI wanted the other person to come, even though they had done nothing in regards to contribute to the project (always funny to see them present when this happens). From my experience, conferences and their organizers don't really care, and I've never been called out once (hell I even told the people I was presenting it was my gf and she had no idea what was on the poster). Now, I'm not gonna say you're overreacting or that you should lie, but just telling you how things went for me when I broke the rules at these conferences

There is suuch a huge list of possible questions that this is not possible to post here. However, the ets is a great source for practice problems and practice tests. There is Magoosh, Manhattan, Princeton, etc. They all have free practice tests and practice problems

I've been looking at some schools across the country based off papers I've read that I found interesting (so far looking at University of Minnesota, University of Pittsburg, UC Irvine, and UCSD), and so far they all have certain parameters for MA programs, but havn't really been able to find info on PhD. The general concensus is, above a 3.0 (so I guess I pass technically there), and GRE scores usually above the 160s (I fail hard there). Anyways, it appears with my application, my best bet would be to get the PI interested in me before applying to the school. Like message them directly, show them my interest and try and convince them that I'd be a great fit for their lab (and in the meantime I'd ask if they had any room/funding for me to even join).

Hi srmi, So this happened to a person I know, thought it might help you out: They found their dream program, the PI assured them they had the funding for him, and that he would love to take him into his lab. My friend had acceptance letters from multiple schools, but when he heard the funding was good, he chose that specific school. Fast forward a few month, friend moves over there, gets settled, is going to start in a couple weeks, PI emails him telling him he is sorry but his grant got rejected and he has no place for him in his lab. So my friend ends up basically joining any lab that will take him, and spends a miserable year in that lab. Luckily for him, the lab he wanted got their grant approved the next year and he switched over into their lab and is now happily working toward his degree. Now ideally, for this exact reason, you want to chose a school that has multiple programs you are interested in, so if one or two don't work out, you have other options. But it seems like all the labs in your situation are full. It's not ideal, but you can just waste a year in a lab, gain experience a little, but no progression to your PhD degree (it sucks, but it happens more often then you think for various reasons). The important thing is, avoid choosing a lab you don't like at all costs, because a year is a long time, and you will be miserable. So if there are no other labs you could join that interest you in continuing your thesis work, I would join the retiree's lab for the time being, but make sure the other labs know you have an interest in joining their lab so they hold your spot for you when they do get funding. Best case scenario, they get funding right away, and you can leave the lab you're currently in and go join theirs with only wasting a little time. Worst case scenario, you didn't find a lab by the time your PI retires, and you may have "wasted" a year, but you gained experience and enjoyed the process at the very least. So all it does is boost your resume. But from every PhD student I've ever spoken too, do not go into a lab that you dislike or has a bad PI or lab members (unless you really have absolutely have to). Not only will you hate your first year as a PhD (not a great way to start), but if the PI is an asshole, they can also actually hurt your reputation in the school. In my university, there is a nasty PI who's opposed to anyone leaving his lab for whatever reason, no matter how long you've been in his lab. Knew a girl who spent 3 years in his lab and wanted to switch out to another lab (the lab I was in). Not only did he not recommend her, he went out of his way to tell our PI repeatedly that she was a horrible lab member and it was in our best interest not to take her on. Lucky for the girl, my PI hated said PI, so she took on the girl anyways. Needless to say, the girl was actually incredibly smart and ended up giving my PI 2 publications. My friend I told you above, he considered leaving the program multiple times because of how bad his lab was (the research was boring and going nowhere, the PI was upset by this and was taking it out on all his lab members, the lab members got upset and took out on each other), it was just terrible. Now he's incredibly happy and saying he's having the best time of his life in his current program. So just some food for thought from other people's experiences.

I understand. Question on the side. So I know PhD programs in this field are basically up the PI, but how much power do they hold over the acceptance process? I.e. Lets say I find a lab I am a perfect fit for, it's exactly what I want, and I have the perfect background experience for it. If I can convince the PI the same (almost like a job interview, they see my research history and see I'm a perfect fit for the lab), and they want me in the lab, and have funding for me, is that a guarenteed in? Even if my GPA and GRE scores are below the minimum for the school itself?

Hi Tigla, Well a PhD is the primary goal, and from 1st hand experience, a PhD along with a second job (outside of school jobs), rarely go together. I will still look into what kind of financial programs they have. I don't really have a preferance (US or Europe), at the end of the day, research is what matters most to me. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!

I hadn't actually thought about going based off papers, that's a good idea, thank you! I'm curious, given my application, do you think I should still attempt to send applications to higher tier schools? Or should I save my money and time and go straight for lower tier schools with interesting research?

This is a personal problem I had about a week ago, that I feel like many might be able to relate, and thought they might find useful. So you've been studying (or not studying, and think you know it) for the GRE all week (or month), and are ready to take it. You go in, you get jitters, mind farts, hard sections, regardless, things don't go as planned. You get your score, and they're (or its) bad. Not oh I wanted a 163 I got a 160 bad, but moreso: "I wanted a 160 and I got a 148 bad". Now in my scenario, I also had a relatively weak GPA too. So a bunch of things start running through your mind, am I screwed? Am I an idiot? Maybe I'm not ready for a PhD or MA program? Maybe this is evidence higher education programs aren't for me? Maybe I should lower my standards? There goes top schools in the country, here comes State University of Alabama (not bashing on State Universities or Alabama, SU Alabama might actually be a very good school). Point being, crippling depression and grief come upon you as you start to question your future, your capabilities, and your intellect. I wanted to create this post, as a feels good, life isn't over section. I've done a couple of research the past week, and have come to a few conclusions, that I feel may help people out. 1) There are many schools that have amazing programs that are outside of the "famous" top schools in the country. Just because you can't go to Harvard or Yale doesn't mean its all over. You might be surprised to find a lot of lesser known schools that are more lenient (at least in regards to the GRE), but still have great programs. 2) The GRE is not a representation of your academic ability, intellect, or how well you will do in a PhD program. Just because you did bad on the test, does not mean you're an idiot, or you're going to do bad in whatever program you plan to pursue in the future. 3) You aren't alone. If there is one thing I have learned the week, it's a lot of people don't do amazing their first time. Nor are your feelings for doing bad, I think its safe to say, getting a low score on the GRE brings down everyones self confidence, in themselves, and their application. Anyways, I'm sure there are a lot more, but these are the things that helped me the most. I was hoping we could get a feels good thread going, statements to help people feel better or get out of that immediate, " I failed the GRE, I'm a failure" spiral. Hope this helps anyone else taking their GRE in the next couple of weeks/months!

Your application actually looks really good. The GPA isn't bad, and GRE is fine. Your main strongpoint is your publications (although depends on 1st author or 2nd, you state you are 2nd in one of them, so I assume you are 1st in the other 2), and a good amount of background experience. I think, on paper, you have a very good chance at getting into your schools however, there is on important thing to keep note of. I have seen this before, many people have joined multiple research labs, but have not contributed much to the labs themselves, and this becomes very evident in the rec letters themselves. So if you have contributed a lot to the research labs you've been a part of, and that is shown in the rec letters, then your application is good to go!

Thank you for the reply. My main issue is primarily with money. In America, you get a stipend for your PhD program, so no need for loans or scholarships (I do not know how PhD programs work in Germany). Usually this involves some TAing in the school as well as your program. Masters programs don't have this, so you have to pay for your own tuition and housing, etc. Now I believe in Germany, both programs (tuition wise) are free, so that shouldn't matter; however, living, food, and transportation are not. So I wouldn't be able to afford a Masters there, or here. That being said, the inability to have a combined (MA and PhD) program does pose a serious issue in this case. There is no way I could finish a PhD in 3 years with no MA degree, which may be a reason why they would reject me outright. By the way, I have not really been able to find resources for PhD programs for international programs. Do you have any resources that I could look at, that you yourself may have used?

Thanks for the reply, I am looking at Biochemistry in a biomedical sciences field. My goal is to work in big pharma working on protein research (antibodies, structural work, computational work, anything goes for now). Out of curiosity, how did you find schools with good biochemistry programs? I don't have anyone to really ask, so this forum board is my only option. Do you just google schools in the country and look at the research programs they have available? With so many schools in the country, its a little overwhelming trying to look at all of them and find which one catches your interest. Did you also look out of the US or just in US?

I don't exactly know if you can book 2 exam dates, but you definitely will have to pay for both if you do. However, I wouldn't necisarily do that, your first exam might be high enough, in which case you just lost 100 bucks if you cancel the second.

Hello everyone, My story is similar to most, I came here as well recently looking for direction towards applying to PhD programs, and to help give myself some hope after a pitiful GRE performance. I recently graduated with a BS in Chemistry and plan to apply to any school who's research sounds interesting in protein Biochemistry (preferably something NMR or computationally related). Was hoping to aim for the top schools (Caltech, Berkley, etc.), but from the general concensus on here, it appears my chances are slim. I'd appreciate anybody with any advice on other schools with good Research programs in Biochemistry aside from the usual (Any UC, Caltech, or Berkley). My knowledge in schools is a little limited outside the west coast. Also would be willing to go outside US (Canada, UK), and even non-english speaking Universities (Japan, Korea, Europe). However my knowledge for that PhD process is even less than the US PhD process. So any help would be appreciated.

Keep in mind if you don't do well on your first test, it will take 3 weeks till your second test. Best bet is to get a feel about what score you want to aim for, and go for that asap. If you want an average score (around 155ish), then you probably don't need to much study time. Take the practice tests and get a feel about your general knowledge. If your practice tests are good, then just brush up on the material and take the real test. If you need to score higher (say 160ish), and your practice tests aren't all that amazing (low 150s), then take the time to study, but keep in mind the 21 days you need to wait to retake it (if you have to). Finally, keep in mind, GRE isn't the most important factor, its just one factor out of many. Your previous GPA and work experience matter much more than the GRE, so even if you score a little below what you need its fine. There is no rush of course, you'd preferably want to hit your goal on the first try, but these are just some general tips and general info to help you decide.

Undergrad Institution: Cal State Northridge Major(s): ChemistryMinor(s): N/AGPA in Major: 3.00Overall GPA: 3.00Position in Class: Failure first 2 years, did great the final 2 (top of my class my final year)Type of Student: AverageGRE Scores (revised) Do Plan to retake and get a better score (hopefully):Q: 149V: 154W: Not yet gradedB:Research Experience: 3 years with one Biochemistry lab (no publications yet)Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Presented at 3 conferences, only author (aside from PI). All posters. Won first place in all of them.Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Private tutor in Chemistry and Math for 3 years (mostly high school level, but have taught a little bit at college level too)Special Bonus Points: My letters are rec are from Biochemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Synthetic Chemistry (so wide range). One letter of rec is from my PI (Biochemist), the other is from someone I did a collaboration with (P. Chemist), and the final one is a professor I took a class with (Synthetic Chemist). Both the professor and collaborator told me they wanted to write my rec letter. So I assume I have strong rec letters across a good spectrum. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:Applying to Where:I have yet to look at any specific program in detail (specific research done at said schools in detail), but these are schools that at surface level have interesting programs i'm interested in Caltech, Berkley, UCLA, UCSB, UCSD, UCI, UCR, University of Toronto NOTE: I know my GPA and GRE aren't all that amazing for these schools. I have been looking at some lesser known schools as back ups, but havn't been able to find any with good protein biochemistry programs. Any help to shoutouts at other schools with good protein Biochem programs would be appreciated! (Or if you think I have a chance at actually getting accepted to the schools above).

Hello everyone, I recently graduated with a BS in Chemistry, but want to pursue my PhD in Biochemistry. My application as it stands: GPA: 3.0 (my major GPA is 3.0 as well) GRE: 303 (149Q/154V) Research Experience: 3 years with one lab (no publications) Letters of Rec: 3 Few pointers: 1) I do plan to retake my GRE and hopefully obtain a higher Q score 2) I know my GPA isn't all that amazing, alongside my GRE as well, but my main strength is in my letters. To give a quick backstory: One of my letters of rec is from my PI, the other is from someone I decided to collaborate with, and they were so impressed with my performance and work ethic within the 2 months I was in their lab they told me they wanted to write me my rec letter. My 3rd one is from a professor who taught an upper division grad course that I took (it was a very heavy research based class). He was also so impressed with the work ethic and performance he told me he wanted to write me a rec letter. I have rec letters from a Synthetic Chemist, Biochemist, and a Physical Chemist, so across the spectrum. 3) I have won a variety of awards at a variety of conferences I've presented my research at (I don't know if this goes into the application or not, but I feel it is important to mention). I say all this because I am not the best academic student, but from what I have been told, I am a great researcher. My concerns: 1) My GPA is not amazing, nor is my GRE, and letters can only take you so far. 2) I am going from Chemistry to Biochemistry, so its not the biggest jump, but I do lack a large amount of bio background compared to my competition. 3) I was sorta hoping I could apply to the theoretical great research schools (Caltech, Berkly, UCSD,UCSB, UCLA, etc.). Question: So what do you think my chances are? I know chances are very slim to get into one of the top research schools I stated earlier, but what about other lesser known schools around the country? I am also looking at international schools too (Toronto has some good research schools, Japan has great Biochem programs, etc.). Thank you ahead of time for your answers!

No an expert in your field, but I don't think the grade matters as much. What's important are who are your references for your applications? If you are using Professors at your school as references, then your grade may have left a negative impact on them, and that may influence how useful they can be as a reference. Otherwise, I've only seen companies ask for GPA's at the most, not letter specific grades.

Hello everyone, Quick backstory: I am an undergraduate with 3 years of research in a protein Biochemistry lab. I have some experience with cellular and molecular bio, and even some programming from this lab. However, I have a degree in Chemistry, not Biochemistry, so no cell, genetic, or molecular background. Everything i know about genes, proteins, and cells is all from the lab and self taught. Situation: I have been looking for a R&D job that is basically in the biochemistry field in the pharma industry (only in vitro, don't want to work with animals). I have looked at everything from just molecular bio focused, to computational biology, to even analytical chemistry regarding proteins (purification only). As stated above, I have at least 3+ years of experience (academia not industry) and a BS in Chemistry. I have also applied to lab technicians at various universities. Yet despite all this, I have gotten very little job interviews after 2 months of looking and some 40+ applications sent. Now I know my application isn't all that amazing (I don't have any industry experience, and I am going into a field that is somewhat unrelated to my degree), but I fit almost all required and preffered descriptions of the jobs I apply to. Why am I not getting any response? Troubleshoot: I have had my CV looked at, and have been told its good by multiple professors. One might assume my references might be poor, but no one has even called any of them yet. Again, I've had some interviews, just no emails back. I know it is difficult for an undergrad with no research experience to get a job in R&D, but I thought it was at least possible with enough time (considering most undergrads have very little lab experience anyways). My only explanation can be that I'm just being beaten by Master or PhD students. Question: Is it even possible for a BS graduate to get a R&D job with my background? Should I sell my soul and settle for less (QA/QC)? Should I continue to fight the odds and hope I get lucky? Again, I've gotten interviews for some positions, so the companies at least think I have a chance. Any help would be appreciated. At this point, I'm seriously contemplating just fuck it and get a QA/QC job until I go back to school to get a degree that can get me a job into R&D.

Hello, I just took my GRE as well, so can't say I'm a professional on the matter, but I have been doing some research into it the past couple of days. Your Verbal and AW scores are good, but the Q is a bit low (however that is generally peaking). That being said, it really depends on where you want to apply, and what scores they are looking for, and the program you're going into. The general concensus is, if your GRE is above the requirements your schools want, and your GPA is really good (which it appears to be), you have good letters and a good Personal statement, and good background experience, then you don't need a great GRE, just one that passes the bar the school sets. You should be able to find out what your school wants by looking online. I.e. As someone going into a Biochemistry program, they really don't care about my Verbal or AW scores, but they do care about my Quant score since its a math heavy field. For someone going into say English, they really won't care much for your Quant score, but will care about your Verbal and AW scores.