Hi everybody. This is my first post, but I have been following the forum for a while. This year I applied to a few Genetics programs. I got rejected by two and one school is making decisions this week. Something tells me they will reject me as they are not replying to my emails.
At any rate, I am ready to move on and regroup for next year's applications. I was wondering what I could do to make my application stronger next year. I've been out of school for a few years so it's hard to make connections now.
These are some things that I have come up with, please add your input if you have ideas: applied to a non-paid internship at Emory's Genetics department; I bet they're gonna wonder what this old hen is doing applying for a volunteer internship, but that's okay. looked into individual online courses that I could take over the summer - it's so hard to find anything in genetics or higher level Biology and it gets expensive very quickly - please share if you have any ideas; asked a graduate coordinator at a rejected school if I could change to non-degree seeking status in hopes that I will catch their eye for application season next year; inquired about two other programs - I really don't want to do them as one is way out there in the country (long drive) and the other one is a general interdisciplinary degree that will vaguely allow me to do Genetics research - definitely a back-up plan and I hope it doesn't get to this; continue my current job in a lab - although it's not related to genetics, in this economy, I'm blessed to have it and hopefully it will help me with my application; apply earlier in the process. I applied in January and think applying sooner would've helped; read more of faculty's research and contact them - I was definitely shy about this this year.
Well, let me know if you have any suggestions on what I could do to improve my chances. I am stuck with applying to state schools because I have a sick mother I can't move away from. My GRE was pretty high, so I think I need to work on the other aspects. Basically, it boils down to How do I convince them that Genetics is what I really want to do within the next seven months? Suggestions please?
