/mu/tant runner

Might as well post my profile as I constantly check my email Undergrad Institution: Oregon State UniversityMajor(s): Biochemistry and BiophysicsMinor(s): Computer ScienceGPA in Major: 3.68Overall GPA: 3.75Position in Class: N/AType of Student: Domestic, white maleGRE Scores :Q: 163 (84%)V: 161 (88%)W: 4.5 (93%)Research Experience: ~3 years in computational biology / biophysics lab in research area very related to what I want to study in grad school. 1 submitted publication, a presentation. Honors thesis in progress 1 summer in a cancer research lab at large research hospital doing genomics type work. Asked to continue working remotely after the program had ended. Awards / Honors Departmental scholarships 2/4 years (soph + junior) Research funding awards from biochem department University Honors College Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Biochemistry club volunteer coordinator - not really pertinent. No TAing Special Bonus Points: Professor from 2 schools I applied to seemed enthusiastic when I email-ed them Research experience (almost) directly in the areas I wish study in grad school Letters of Rec From PI in my long-term lab. I was one of the first undergrads in the lab, have made a couple pretty valuable contributions over the years. Thinks I am a good person PI from summer lab. Pretty well-known and was impressed by me this summer Academic advisor who knows me pretty well. Did very well in her biochemistry course.Applying to Where: Yale - BBS - Biochemistry, Quantitative Bio, Structural Biology, and Biophysics track Stanford - Biochemistry Berkeley - Molecular and Cell Bio UCLA - Bioinformatics UW - Genome Science CU Boulder - Biochemistry Watson School of Biological Science Johns Hopkins - CMDB Good luck to everyone!

Hey fellow grad-cafe-ers! I know this is an overdone topic, but I could really use some opinions on whether or not I am on the right track w/r/t grad school applications and all that... I'm finishing my senior year at a large, mid-tier (ranked ~70-80th nationally), state university with a major in Biochemistry & Biophysics and a minor in CS. My overall GPA is 3.74 with 3.65 in my major (I had one really bad term but have been on a roll ever since...I don't know if that helps or hurts). I'm looking to apply to Computational Biology-ish PhD programs and so far have been looking at respective programs at Yale, Harvard , Stanford, Caltech , Berkeley . I have a few other schools in mind but those 5 are my top. GRE Scores: 161 v (88th), 163 q (84th), 4.5 AW (82nd) Research Experience: I've been part of a computational lab for almost 3 years now. I have been able to work pretty independently on projects and formulate my own ideas and approaches to the problems that I've encountered. I have a learned a lot of skills/methods for tackling questions in computational bio as well as general ways of scientific thinking. I'll have anywhere from 0-2 publications in the lab which is pretty frightening with deadlines fast approaching This past summer I had the opportunity to be part of a large, well-known lab at a prominent research hospital for 10 weeks. I was asked to continue working remotely after the internship had ended and am now part of a very cool project that is somewhat related to my overall research interests. As with my other lab I was able to work more-or-less independently on my project and was doing more than just scripting/programming. LOR - I'll have letters from the 2 labs I mentioned above which I think should serve me well, with a 3rd from an professor/advisor who knows me pretty well. SOP - It's a work in progress, but I have pretty defined research interests and goals which I think should help. I also have several potential advisors in mind at all of the schools I mentioned above, some of whom I am planning on contacting as my applications come together. I'm interested in knowing what you all have to say, thanks in advance!