Anchovie

I'm an international student with NO idea about how the grad admissions system works in the US. Any input will be greatly appreciated! Undergrad Institution: research oriented university in India, not very well knownMajor(s): BiotechnologyMinor(s): English LiteratureGPA in Major: no separate major gpaOverall GPA: 8.66 on a 10 point scale (not sure what it corresponds to on the 4 point scale)Position in Class: 3rd rank so near top I guessType of Student: International, female, indian(minority?)GRE Scores (revised/old version):Q: 163 (84th percentile)V: 167 (98th percentile)W: 4.5B: taking end of octoberTOEFL Total: gave IELTS instead = score 8 (out of 9)Research Experience: 3 years of lab ex. total 1 year at cancer bio lab, 2 years in neuroplasticity and breast cancer research - 3 papers published (1/6th author, 2/4th author, 3/5th author), 2 reviews published (1/2nd author, 2/1st author)Awards/Honors/Recognitions: President - Life Sciences Society. started an undergraduate talk series, and established a biannual departmental newsletter (we published 2 editions during my term) Enrolled for two terms in the Undergrad research program at my uni, received grants both times for my projects.Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Internship - microbiology lab for 2 months (its so unrelated to what i'm pursuing that I might not even mention it in my SOP) Student coordinator - career development centre (involved management and coordination during placement season) Student Council member - elected representative from the biotech department Academic Affairs Committee member - committee within the student council specifically responsible for academic grievances or misconductAny Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: noneSpecial Bonus Points: the Prof I worked with for the last two years is visiting faculty at MIT and has connections at Washington University in St. Louis and Boston University.Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:Applying to Where: Still working on a final list. Any inputs on which places are good for international students in terms of funding with my background is greatly appreciated. I'm looking for phd programs in molecular and cell biology