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Of course, it doesn't work that way. Have you tried Googling this? http://lmgtfy.com/?q=converting+Indian+CGPA+to+American+GPA A short answer is: Do not attempt a direct conversion, because selection committees are well aware of the differences and will do it themselves.

It's Max Planck, for God's sake.

Same here. I also want to add that my school has multiple workshop series for NSF-GRFP to target both personal statement+research proposal. The director of grants & fellowships stressed many times that its not possible to win with just one good essay.

This fellowship funds the person, not the project. Both essays are equally important.

As a first-year, you need one letter from your graduate school, so your rotation PI would be a no brainer. About the proposal: Write one that connects your past and future research, so that your background is useful. Im sure you can dream up one, with your rotation PI's help.

If you actually have this perfect looking profile, and have done that many research projects, I believe you would know by now what "nice org chem schools" to apply for. Thats what I think.

My group is looking for a postdoc. PM me if you are interested. loginofpscl is right! "top" groups hire very highly specialized people, and that doesnt always transfer to "how many papers I have published". PS: we are not a "top" group. We do what we think are interesting and compelling quantum dynamics problems.

My boss strongly recommended me NOT to do a postdoc abroad because he said it would hurt my chances getting a TT job in the US. He said it's a simple 'out of sight, out of mind' thing.

Can you TA until you find an advisor? In STEM Ph.D. programs, you should never work for free! You follow the money, simple as that!

Why wait? Can you just go talk to the faculty you are interested in working with, and ask if you can write a proposal with them, and if you can start working in their lab early? A large part of your personal statement can be written without an advisor also. You'd put yourself into a disadvantage if you wait til you get your first official rotation.

5, 7 and 8, especially! I abhor those new grad students who act like babies...

muahahaha YoungR3b3I, To be honest, you can never justify cheating. I have never cheated any time in any form during my entire education, and still maintain close to perfect GPA. I'm not saying GPA is the most important, but since it's important to me, I work to earn it. No offense, your English is very weird. I read it 3 times and am still not sure what you meant by "prof oppression".

This is correct. It always means 2 semesters (in a semester system) or 3 quarters (in a quarter system).

Your personal statement, as I was told, should be a genuine story. I think when you finish the first few drafts, you will know what to include, so dont worry about the page limit just yet. When I submitted my application, I had worked with my current advisor for only 5 months. It is expected for first-years to have one rec letter from their current advisors. I would suggest you try to get at least one from either of your undergrad advisors, and the other one from that prof who knows you well. My rec letters priority went like this: (1) Main undergrad research advisor, (2) Current advisor, and (3) Undergrad mentor that knows me and my work well (I took his class, and worked for his research program 2 summers). Hope this helps

Yes. I think that's very important. Write as much as you can, cover all outreach activities and then cut down to fit the length limit. When I had everything on paper, I could really see the points I had to keep, and how to tie them together. Good luck!

Yes, your GRE scores are a bit on the low side, especially Q (according to ets.org, your Q is only 56%). For physical sciences, you should shoot for Q>80%. You have time to retake, why panic?

I lol'ed when I read your post's title. There is no such thing as too much research experience! I got my B.Sc. in Biochemistry, did research in classical molecular dynamics and polymer synthesis and now in grad school, am doing research in quantum dynamics. At prospective student visits, I was not questioned why I had too diverse research experience. They thought it's great! From my experience, learning a lot of different things in undergrad is very beneficial. In your SOP, I would suggest that you (1) show that you learnt many aspects of conducting research in various labs, (2) be able to work well independently/ with others in different environments, (3) realize your passion for [insert the research area you apply for] and how your undergrad research makes you the perfect candidate for it. Of course, what you have done must be related to what you want to do, otherwise it doesnt sound believable. Best of luck!

Your scores are very good. Save your effort (and $$$) for the rest of the app. Good luck!

Regardless of what your advisor meant in that email, those scores are way too low. You cant trust the Kaplan practice test scores. In my experience, the actual test is harder.

I'm not trying to be snarky, but... PhD means doing research and advancing knowledge in a particular field, so why don't you already have a list of schools based on the most important factor, research interests? Do you follow latest developments within your research interests? If you do, you would already know the researchers you want to work for. That would narrow down your list a lot. Also, all of your questions are answered a hundred times (or more) in this forum. If only you look (or do some RESEARCH)!

Probably a 3, even though your writing is not bad. Why? 1. Too short: This is "Analyze an issue" task. For high marks (4.5+), its recommended to write 6 paragraphs (intro + 2 pro paragraphs + 2 cons paragraphs + conclusion). Longer essays just get higher marks in general, so you probably need to practice timed writing. 2. Follow generic "templates" from Princeton Review/ Kaplan. I found it helpful to have a "skeleton" for both tasks in mind. GRE writing is not about being creative or educational. Fill in the prepared skeleton helps addressing all the required points much easier. Good luck.

Why can't you start the chemistry research with the other professor now instead of doing something irrelevant to your research interest?

You need a thesis advisor, not some random strangers on the Internet to tell you how to do your research. smh

That story of yours is incredible. Maybe all you need is better communication with your parents? I don't know if gradcafe peers can help you with that... (no sarcasm)

Both essays need to be longer. To get higher score >= 4.5, write ~5 (short) paragraphs. Needs concrete/detailed examples. Your second essay would be scored very low since it's only one paragraph and has no organization whatsoever. The first essay is better but not enough ideas and your examples are very weak and vague. For practicing, follow the guided template by Kaplan is not a bad idea. Good luck.