[How to Make Application Stronger Next Year]

Thanks for the input. I'm really excited to hear back from some research labs re: volunteering, so we'll see if they get back to me.

[How to Make Application Stronger Next Year]

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:

1. 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.
   
2. 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;
   
3. 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;
   
4. 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;
   
5. 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;
   
6. apply earlier in the process. I applied in January and think applying sooner would've helped;
   
7. 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?