PotatoChip

Undergrad Institution: Large university in AsiaMajor(s): Biological Sciences, PhysicsMinor(s): -GPA in Major: -Overall GPA: 4.90/5.00 (will graduate from 4-year bachelor's degree this July)Type of Student: International maleGRE Scores (revised version):Q: 169V: 164W: 5.0B: -TOEFL Total: -Research Experience: ~3 years in my home institution during semester and summers; 8 months in a European institution (bachelor's thesis). I didn't have clear-cut research interests in the first 1.5 years of university; hence I initially explored and 'rotated' through 4 different labs for about 4-5 months each. I eventually settled in the last one, which I thought had the best fit concerning research interests and lab environment. Still doing research in this lab until the summer to take a break before graduate schoolAwards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's List in the first two years; Awarded scholarship to pursue undergraduate education (waived tuition fees and offered allowance/stipend); Enrolled in the university's research-intensive program to pursue fully-funded research stints locally and internationallyPertinent Activities or Jobs: Designed materials and instructor for introductory biology, chemistry and physics classes during the summer for incoming freshmen in the university's research-intensive program; Peer tutor for a semester; Assistant mentor for a small class teaching how to write and defend a mock grant proposal; Mentor for a thesis student and intern in current labAny Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: 2 manuscripts in preparation upon submission (2nd and Nth author; recommenders wrote about this)Special Bonus Points: Graduate classes: current topics in immunology, and quantum mechanicsAny Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: -Applying to Where: Harvard University - Biological and Biomedical Sciences - Rejected (Mar 7) Washington University in St. Louis - Biology and Biomedical Sciences: Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis - Rejected (Jan 7) University of Wisconsin-Madison - Cellular and Molecular Biology - Rejected (Dec 20) University of Pennsylvania - Cell and Molecular Biology: Microbiology, Virology and Parasitology - Rejected (Jan 31) University of Washington - Microbiology - Rejected (Dec 20) Rockefeller University - Biosciences - Rejected (Jan 9) Baylor College of Medicine - Microbiology and Immunology - Rejected (Jan 11) Tufts University - Molecular Microbiology - Rejected (Mar 9) Duke University - Molecular Genetics and Microbiology - Interviewed (e-invite: Jan 10; Skype: Jan 14) - Rejected (Feb 19) Purdue University - Purdue Interdisciplinary Life Sciences (PULSe): Microbiology and Immunology - Interviewed (e-invite: Jan 30; Skype: Feb 4) - Accepted (Feb 28) with initial 3-year fellowship University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Biophysics and Quantitative Biology - Interviewed (e-invite: Feb 29; Skype: Mar 3) - Accepted (Mar 3) with graduate award I also applied to a school in Asia (in-person interview and accepted; Biology PhD) and another institution in Europe (Skype interview and rejected; Medical Science PhD). This application cycle has been a rollercoaster journey. I'm fortunate to have three offers; what helped me choose was to consider research interests and approaches, faculty and students, teaching opportunities, what I expect to learn during the PhD, and career options. I'm matriculating in a rotation-based program that appears different but there are POIs that use biological and quantitative tools to investigate a broad range topics in cell biology I am really curious about. I know I've been incredibly fortunate to be admitted right out of undergrad. There's so many supportive people I am grateful for - past and current PIs, mentors, lab members, classmates, students, family, friends outside of school, people here at GradCafe and Reddit gradadmissions, etc. I've already been reaching out to POIs and students via email/Skype to find out more about their research, rotation possibilities, student life, etc. Even though I never visited the campus before, I felt that they're very approachable, genuinely concerned about student welfare and whether I'd fit well into the environment.