2019 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[fauxmystic]

I assume I have somewhat of an average applicant profile. Applying primarily to molecular/cellular biology programs. Any advice/criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Nebraska at Omaha (for a public, midwestern U, has surprisingly solid reputation for bio research.)
Major(s): Biology, Neuroscience
Minor(s): Philosophy
GPA in Major: 3.6
Overall GPA: 3.4
Position in class: unsure
Supplementary education: applied bioinformatics certificate program through USCD-Extension School (GPA: 3.8)
Type of Student: domestic white male

GRE Scores (revised)
Q: 150
V: 162
W: 5.5
B: N/A
- I'm retaking in two weeks. Practice tests have my Q between 156-160.


Research Experience:
- Summer REU (via NSF) [designed, carried out experiment, implemented new tech/protocols in home lab (below) - presented at UNMC (medical school affiliated with campus) research conference
- 2 years molecular neuro/genetics research (assisting in NIH projects and conducting my own, below) regular presentations at lab meetings
- 6 months of the above experience have been a paid tech position
- 1 grant proposal and award for project started 1/1/2018, manuscript in progress (primary author)
- 1 year computational biology research, paid position, project manager, manuscript in process (tertiary author)
- 6 months molecular ecology research, assisting in ongoing project as volunteer

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:
- University philosophy honors scholarship (1 semester)
- Deans list (3 semesters)
- Nu Rho Psi honors society

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: primarily listed in research experience, but
- Started undergraduate late (2015), began paid research positions mid 2017. Prior to this, held several unrelated jobs, worked full time (see penultimate section)

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:
- Started/direct campus-organization-turned-501(c)3 nonprofit organization for science communication and public engagement. Two faculty on board of directors, hosted several public events 2017/2018 academic year. This year, plan to host micro-conference.

Special Bonus Points:
- Graduate course in ecological genetics
- Three very solid LORs (and additional good LOR if needed)
- Projects I've assisted in are including me as tertiary author, though these won't be published for a couple of years

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
- Not sure if I'll need to mention it, but I have one C+ in a major course (biochemistry)
- Also, I've dealt with financial strain the majority of my education due to going through divorce (finalized late 2017), so I've had to spend more time working unrelated jobs (not many positions in Omaha for lab tech work without a BS degree) and less time studying than I would have enjoyed.

Applying to Where:
Ignore the EEB programs. I'll be applying to cell/molecular biology oriented programs only.

 

[BabyScientist]

23 hours ago, socialinsects4eva said:

I assume I have somewhat of an average applicant profile. Applying primarily to molecular/cellular biology programs. Any advice/criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Nebraska at Omaha (for a public, midwestern U, has surprisingly solid reputation for bio research.)
Major(s): Biology, Neuroscience
Minor(s): Philosophy
GPA in Major: 3.6
Overall GPA: 3.4
Position in class: unsure
Supplementary education: applied bioinformatics certificate program through USCD-Extension School (GPA: 3.8)
Type of Student: domestic white male

GRE Scores (revised)
Q: 150
V: 162
W: 5.5
B: N/A
- I'm retaking in two weeks. Practice tests have my Q between 156-160.


Research Experience:
- Summer REU (via NSF) [designed, carried out experiment, implemented new tech/protocols in home lab (below) - presented at UNMC (medical school affiliated with campus) research conference
- 2 years molecular neuro/genetics research (assisting in NIH projects and conducting my own, below) regular presentations at lab meetings
- 6 months of the above experience have been a paid tech position
- 1 grant proposal and award for project started 1/1/2018, manuscript in progress (primary author)
- 1 year computational biology research, paid position, project manager, manuscript in process (tertiary author)
- 6 months molecular ecology research, assisting in ongoing project as volunteer

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:
- University philosophy honors scholarship (1 semester)
- Deans list (3 semesters)
- Nu Rho Psi honors society

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: primarily listed in research experience, but
- Started undergraduate late (2015), began paid research positions mid 2017. Prior to this, held several unrelated jobs, worked full time (see penultimate section)

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:
- Started/direct campus-organization-turned-501(c)3 nonprofit organization for science communication and public engagement. Two faculty on board of directors, hosted several public events 2017/2018 academic year. This year, plan to host micro-conference.

Special Bonus Points:
- Graduate course in ecological genetics
- Three very solid LORs (and additional good LOR if needed)
- Projects I've assisted in are including me as tertiary author, though these won't be published for a couple of years

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
- Not sure if I'll need to mention it, but I have one C+ in a major course (biochemistry)
- Also, I've dealt with financial strain the majority of my education due to going through divorce (finalized late 2017), so I've had to spend more time working unrelated jobs (not many positions in Omaha for lab tech work without a BS degree) and less time studying than I would have enjoyed.

Applying to Where:
Ignore the EEB programs. I'll be applying to cell/molecular biology oriented programs only.

 

Don't worry about the C+, I had 2 of those in science courses and still got in. Those publications will definitely help, as well as the fact that you had a grant proposal awarded. If the publications haven't been submitted yet, you can still put them on your CV as "manuscript in progress". Pretty solid applicant for most of the schools on your list. Focus on writing a strong SOP that really explains why you want to join these programs, and you may even have a shot at the higher tier schools. 

[StemCellFan]

On 7/28/2018 at 7:54 AM, socialinsects4eva said:

I assume I have somewhat of an average applicant profile. Applying primarily to molecular/cellular biology programs. Any advice/criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Nebraska at Omaha (for a public, midwestern U, has surprisingly solid reputation for bio research.)
Major(s): Biology, Neuroscience
Minor(s): Philosophy
GPA in Major: 3.6
Overall GPA: 3.4
Position in class: unsure
Supplementary education: applied bioinformatics certificate program through USCD-Extension School (GPA: 3.8)
Type of Student: domestic white male

GRE Scores (revised)
Q: 150
V: 162
W: 5.5
B: N/A
- I'm retaking in two weeks. Practice tests have my Q between 156-160.


Research Experience:
- Summer REU (via NSF) [designed, carried out experiment, implemented new tech/protocols in home lab (below) - presented at UNMC (medical school affiliated with campus) research conference
- 2 years molecular neuro/genetics research (assisting in NIH projects and conducting my own, below) regular presentations at lab meetings
- 6 months of the above experience have been a paid tech position
- 1 grant proposal and award for project started 1/1/2018, manuscript in progress (primary author)
- 1 year computational biology research, paid position, project manager, manuscript in process (tertiary author)
- 6 months molecular ecology research, assisting in ongoing project as volunteer

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:
- University philosophy honors scholarship (1 semester)
- Deans list (3 semesters)
- Nu Rho Psi honors society

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: primarily listed in research experience, but
- Started undergraduate late (2015), began paid research positions mid 2017. Prior to this, held several unrelated jobs, worked full time (see penultimate section)

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:
- Started/direct campus-organization-turned-501(c)3 nonprofit organization for science communication and public engagement. Two faculty on board of directors, hosted several public events 2017/2018 academic year. This year, plan to host micro-conference.

Special Bonus Points:
- Graduate course in ecological genetics
- Three very solid LORs (and additional good LOR if needed)
- Projects I've assisted in are including me as tertiary author, though these won't be published for a couple of years

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
- Not sure if I'll need to mention it, but I have one C+ in a major course (biochemistry)
- Also, I've dealt with financial strain the majority of my education due to going through divorce (finalized late 2017), so I've had to spend more time working unrelated jobs (not many positions in Omaha for lab tech work without a BS degree) and less time studying than I would have enjoyed.

Applying to Where:
Ignore the EEB programs. I'll be applying to cell/molecular biology oriented programs only.

 

I second BabyScientist's remarks.  I got C's in both introductory and organic chemistry courses (I wasn't doing great as an overall student at the time...) and still got into a lot of good programs.  I think you have a good spread of schools on your list too.

[CoffeeDuringIncubations]

Undergrad Institution: Top 5 liberal arts
Major(s): Biochemistry

GPA in Major: 3.5+ (not sure but I qualified for an honors thesis because of this cutoff)
Overall GPA: 3.75/4.00. Graduating senior
Position in Class: Not sure % wise, but 3.75 is the cut off for Magna Cum Laude, while 3.9 is summa cum laude. 
Type of Student: Domestic female, white/latinx

GRE Scores (revised/old version): none yet, but I have not been doing so great on practice tests. I was wondering if people could provide feedback on what GRE scores I need to shoot for based on my profile
Q:
V:
W:
B:


Research Experience: 1 year of research at a top lab at an Top 10 R1 university nearby, publication pending (likely to be submitted around grad school apps, I heard submission is sufficient to put on the CV), summers at top research centers, but only 1 year of research during school. 1 national conference poster. Four poster sessions, three talks; one resulting in a public speaking award by the college
 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Amgen Scholar, Goldwater finalist within school (can I put this?)
 

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA one semester
 

Special Bonus Points: Very famous recommendation (lab PI)

Applying to Where:
Research interests: neurogenetics and synbio. Can anyone let me know if there are good labs in neurogenetics in other programs not listed?
Harvard-Systems Bio

Harvard-BBS

MIT-Bio

Stanford-Genetics

UCSF-Tetrad

Columbia-Sys Bio

UNC-MolecularBio/Genetics

Thanks for the help! My main questions are GRE score and neurogenetics recs. 

Edited July 31, 2018 by CoffeeDuringIncubations

[BabyScientist]

1 hour ago, CoffeeDuringIncubations said:

Undergrad Institution: Top 5 liberal arts
Major(s): Biochemistry

GPA in Major: 3.5+ (not sure but I qualified for an honors thesis because of this cutoff)
Overall GPA: 3.75/4.00. Graduating senior
Position in Class: Not sure % wise, but 3.75 is the cut off for Magna Cum Laude, while 3.9 is summa cum laude. 
Type of Student: Domestic female, white/latinx

GRE Scores (revised/old version): none yet, but I have not been doing so great on practice tests. I was wondering if people could provide feedback on what GRE scores I need to shoot for based on my profile
Q:
V:
W:
B:


Research Experience: 1 year of research at a top lab at an Top 10 R1 university nearby, publication pending (likely to be submitted around grad school apps, I heard submission is sufficient to put on the CV), summers at top research centers, but only 1 year of research during school. 1 national conference poster. Four poster sessions, three talks; one resulting in a public speaking award by the college
 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Amgen Scholar, Goldwater finalist within school (can I put this?)
 

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA one semester
 

Special Bonus Points: Very famous recommendation (lab PI)

Applying to Where:
Research interests: neurogenetics and synbio. Can anyone let me know if there are good labs in neurogenetics in other programs not listed?
Harvard-Systems Bio

Harvard-BBS

MIT-Bio

Stanford-Genetics

UCSF-Tetrad

Columbia-Sys Bio

UNC-MolecularBio/Genetics

Thanks for the help! My main questions are GRE score and neurogenetics recs. 

I'd say you're aiming too high. That isn't to say that you don't have a chance at Harvard, MIT, UCSF tier schools, but literally no one has such good odds that they can put most of their eggs in that basket. GRE scores you should aim for are around 160, but that is weighted low relative to other factors of your application.

[lolehmann]

Undergrad Institution: University of Wisconsin Madison
Major(s): Biochemistry, Mathematics
Minor(s): None
GPA in Major: 3.3
Overall GPA: 3.3
Position in Class:  Unknown
Type of Student: Domestic White Female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 163
V: 165
W: 5



Research Experience:

2 years during undergrad at the USDA-Dairy Forage Research Center, involved some field work and a lot of lab work, multiple independent projects but no publications.

Summer internship during undergrad at Promega, again an independent project, kit I designed was passed along to marketing (but has not made it to market yet).

I now work full time in R&D at a small immuno-oncology startup (for 1.25 years, will be 2.25 by the time I *hopefully* enter grad school).  I was promoted within 9 months and I've been highly involved in multiple interdisciplinary projects but unfortunately for IP reasons we won't be publishing any time soon.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: none?

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

I was a math tutor for 2.5 years (Algebra-Calculus).  I was also vice president of Molecular Archaeology Group Student Association (MAGSA) at the UW for 1 year.

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:
awarded an operations grant for MAGSA (the student org I helped to run) 
 

Special Bonus Points: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...)

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

I have no publications which really concerns me,  my PI at the USDA isn't great about sharing credit and my post bacc work isn't going to be published for a while for IP reasons.  I have also never presented at a conference, but I have presentation experience from undergrad in both math and biochem and am listed as an author on several posters colleagues have presented at conferences (unsure whether to list this on my CV).  Should have 3 great LORs.

Applying to Where:
I've already sent my GRE scores to: 
UC Irvine - Cell/MoBio

University of Washington - Cell/MoBio

University of Colorado Boulder - Cell/MoBio

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill - BBSP

I'm considering applying to: UC Davis, Yale (I know someone who worked with a POI there), University of Oregon, UT Austin, University of Pennsylvania, ??

I'd love some advice on where to apply, I'm having a hard time figuring out whether I'm a competitive enough applicant for the schools I'm looking at.  I'm particularly interested in doing my graduate work in protein engineering (which is what I do now).  Thanks in advance for any advice you have for me!

 

[BabyScientist]

11 hours ago, Anne09 said:

Hello guys! I was wondering if I could get some advice about my application. I believe that I have strong research experience, but my GRE scores are absolutely awful and my GPA is mediocre. I am struggling to figure out where to apply to graduate school and would appreciate some honest feedback (you can be as brutal as necessary I just need some honesty haha). Please feel free to message me as well! I am more than happy to help in anyway I can. 

Anyways, here we go... 

Undergrad Institution: (Top 5 liberal arts school -  U.S. News and World Report - my school is good academically, but personally I do not think that we are great for science. However, I did cross-register over half of my classes the last two years at a top 5 university - Forbes ranking)
Major(s): Neuroscience 
Minor(s): Music 

Overall GPA: between 3.5 and 3.6 (I know that my GRE is low for top schools)

Note: GPA in major may have been a bit lower at my liberal arts school, but it is much higher at the university I was cross-registered it (I have no idea why...)
Position in Class: really not sure, but probably only okay - we did have grade deflation and my school sends out a letter with our transcript to graduate schools explaining their grade deflation policies
Type of Student: I am a female, non-minority 

Note: also took many business and entrepreneurship courses at two major business schools too (idk if this will make my application interesting or be a negative)

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 151 (51%) I know that this is absolutely awful (am worried that it might be a rejection factor)
V: 161 (86%)
W: 4.5 (82%)

Research Experience: (At your school or elsewhere? What field? How much time? Any publications (Mth author out of N?) or conference talks etc...)

I absolutely LOVE research. 

Sophomore fall: basic research in a lab in my major at my liberal arts school - just gained basic laboratory techniques - nothing special

Sophomore spring: transferred to a lab at a major research school (MIT, Harvard, Stanford etc) - stayed in this lab until my junior spring - research is loosely related to the research I hope to do in graduate school (worked for a year and a half) - positive relationships with everyone there

Junior fall - senior spring: this is probably the first research experience that I will really stress in my application since it was directly related to what I am doing now and hope to do in graduate school - wonderful research experience with wonderful mentors - gained many skills, and was published third author in a major publication (Nature, Science, Cell etc) with a decent amount of press - I am forever grateful for the people who mentored me in this lab (research was also at a school, such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford etc and in the lab of a Nobel Laureate)

Junior summer - did a summer internship abroad in a research lab in Europe- great experience, learned many skills, and in the same field as my major, but the research is not directly relevant to what I hope to do in graduate school - top school in Europe

Currently: I am working as a research technician in another wonderful lab with fantastic and supportive mentors at a school such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford etc, but different than the school I worked in as an undergraduate. (I have been working there for about a year and a half as of now) - two and a half years by the time I (hopefully) am in graduate school - was promoted within a year and published in a good journal (only 5th author) - e.g. Cell, Neuron, PLOS etc 

Note: not sure how much this matters, but this research is also directly related to what I would love to do in graduate school - the PI of the whole lab is also known as the top professor in his field 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

I haven't won so many research awards, but I was a finalist for a major fellowship (Rhodes, Fulbright etc) - was on the waitlist for it, but ultimately did not receive it (It's okay though haha)

Won many national piano competitions when I was younger (performed in Carnegie Hall) - but I would consider this a bit outdated, because I am older now

I have a couple of contests I have won for entrepreneurship projects, but idk how much this counts...  

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: (Such as tutor, TA, SPS officer etc...)

Intern for a medical device startup my senior year 

Note: I also do not know if this is a positive or a negative, but I originally worked on my startup (I was a co-founder) for about 7 months after graduation - project ultimately failed so I started my research job, but I learned a lot and we did make headway) 

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

I am currently working on another entrepreneurship project related to my research on the side for fun, but honestly I haven't made too much progress as of now

I will be presenting a poster and have an abstract published at a major international conference (will present in the fall before application due dates)

Special Bonus Points: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...)

I took graduate-level courses in one of the schools I hope to apply to and received only 1 B the rest As (idk if this will help make up for my GPA at my liberal arts school or not..)

I also have gotten extremely fortunate with my mentors and am forever grateful for them. One of my letters will be written by a very famous professor (Nobel laureate) - I worked and published in his lab. My other two letters will come from my current direct supervisor (he is amazing) and the PI of the whole lab (known as the best professor in his field). All 3 letters will be personal and I would be very surprised if they were not excellent. Overall, I would consider my letters to be the strongest aspect of my application, as all of them know me personally and I have strong relationships with them. 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

I do volunteer work related to women in STEM. 

I also have done some independent contract work for a medical device for a major pharmaceutical - not sure if I should include such things on my application or not...

P.S. Sorry this is long - any feedback is appreciated. Basically I think most of my application is decent, but my GRE schools are simply AWFUL. I am going to re-take the GRE again (first took these back in October - December), but who knows how I will do. Any recommendations as to where to apply would be greatly appreciated - I am a bit stressed right now and would appreciate the input (the harsher and more realistic the better). 

Thank you!
 

 

 

GRE scores are not heavily weighted on applications. Someone might look at your Quant score and be like ehhhhh but then see your research experience and be like k whatever. If you could retake the GRE and did even a little better in math, that factor would be removed, but it's still not a big deal. What schools are you looking to apply to? 

[BabyScientist]

12 hours ago, lolehmann said:

Undergrad Institution: University of Wisconsin Madison
Major(s): Biochemistry, Mathematics
Minor(s): None
GPA in Major: 3.3
Overall GPA: 3.3
Position in Class:  Unknown
Type of Student: Domestic White Female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 163
V: 165
W: 5



Research Experience:

2 years during undergrad at the USDA-Dairy Forage Research Center, involved some field work and a lot of lab work, multiple independent projects but no publications.

Summer internship during undergrad at Promega, again an independent project, kit I designed was passed along to marketing (but has not made it to market yet).

I now work full time in R&D at a small immuno-oncology startup (for 1.25 years, will be 2.25 by the time I *hopefully* enter grad school).  I was promoted within 9 months and I've been highly involved in multiple interdisciplinary projects but unfortunately for IP reasons we won't be publishing any time soon.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: none?

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

I was a math tutor for 2.5 years (Algebra-Calculus).  I was also vice president of Molecular Archaeology Group Student Association (MAGSA) at the UW for 1 year.

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:
awarded an operations grant for MAGSA (the student org I helped to run) 
 

Special Bonus Points: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...)

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

I have no publications which really concerns me,  my PI at the USDA isn't great about sharing credit and my post bacc work isn't going to be published for a while for IP reasons.  I have also never presented at a conference, but I have presentation experience from undergrad in both math and biochem and am listed as an author on several posters colleagues have presented at conferences (unsure whether to list this on my CV).  Should have 3 great LORs.

Applying to Where:
I've already sent my GRE scores to: 
UC Irvine - Cell/MoBio

University of Washington - Cell/MoBio

University of Colorado Boulder - Cell/MoBio

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill - BBSP

I'm considering applying to: UC Davis, Yale (I know someone who worked with a POI there), University of Oregon, UT Austin, University of Pennsylvania, ??

I'd love some advice on where to apply, I'm having a hard time figuring out whether I'm a competitive enough applicant for the schools I'm looking at.  I'm particularly interested in doing my graduate work in protein engineering (which is what I do now).  Thanks in advance for any advice you have for me!

 

The lack of publications is hard... But I don't think it'll screw you entirely. If I were you I would try to at least get a poster presentation? But the fact that you're working in industry would explain that well.

You should write a killer SOP that really explains why you want to go to grad school. Why the move from industry to academia? Contact POIs in advance and talk to them about your research interests and theirs and maybe ask them how bad the lack of publications is? If they want you badly enough they can lobby for you to get in.

Maybe also consider USC, UCSB, NYU, UPitt, Boston U, Tufts. I know people who got into some of those MCB programs with similar stats to yours. Boston is a great place to be if you're interested in going back to industry. 

[dbrjpp]

Hey, guys! Could you evaluate my profile and tell me whether I am aiming too high? I am interested in applying for a PhD in Cancer Biology or Biomedical Sciences.

Undergrad Institution: Top 10 university in Brazil
Major(s): Pharmacy
GPA: 3.5/4.0
Position in Class:  First Class Honors (2nd best GPA)
Type of Student: International White Female

GRE Scores: Still gotta take it

Toefl Score: 104 (will re-take this month as this one is about to expire)

Research Experience:

2,5 years during undergrad at a cancer research lab (1.5 year during my first undergrad year + 1 year performing my Thesis). Got a publication as a co-author + 2 poster presentations + 1 oral presentation at a regional event

3 Summer internships abroad during undergrad (Amgen in the US, University of Tokyo and University of Oxford) - 2 poster presentations

1 year at a stem cell research lab (current) - 1 poster presentation

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

Graduated with 2nd best GPA in Class

Academic Excellence Certificate for 2 semesters (GPA = 4.0)

1-year Scholarship funded by the Brazilian Government to perform exchange studies at an Ivy Uni

Short-term Scholarship funded by Uni of Tokyo to perform summer internship

1-year Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Competitive Scholarship) funded by the Brazilian Government

Pertinent Activities or Jobs:

TA for a semester during undergrad

6 months as a clinical pharmacy intern

6 months as an organizer at an International Solidarity Project in my home uni

3 months as a tutor (online course)

Summer intern at a pharma company in Brazil

 

Special Bonus Points:

Master's Degree in a Top10 medical university in the world - gGPA: 3.7/4.0

 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

My GPA during my exchange studies abroad (Ivy Uni) was sub-3.0, however the grades are included in my undergrad transcript and don't look that bad when they were converted. I am afraid that they might ask for this Uni's transcript as well? Emailed NYU Admission's Office and they said I don't need to send it - hoping the other ones say the same.

 

Applying to Where:

NYU Sackler (LOR from an alumnum)

Rockefeller (LOR from an alumnum)

Cornell Weill
I'm considering applying to: Harvard BBS (might be too high I know) and UCSF Tetrad

 

It would be great if you could give me some feedback whether my profile is competitive enough for these programs. I am afraid that my GPA during exchange might hurt my application severely. I am also planning at applying to these programs, as most of them don't ask for GRE scores!

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestion/comments that you may have for me!

 

Edited August 1, 2018 by dbrjpp

[StemCellFan]

19 hours ago, CoffeeDuringIncubations said:

Undergrad Institution: Top 5 liberal arts
Major(s): Biochemistry

GPA in Major: 3.5+ (not sure but I qualified for an honors thesis because of this cutoff)
Overall GPA: 3.75/4.00. Graduating senior
Position in Class: Not sure % wise, but 3.75 is the cut off for Magna Cum Laude, while 3.9 is summa cum laude. 
Type of Student: Domestic female, white/latinx

GRE Scores (revised/old version): none yet, but I have not been doing so great on practice tests. I was wondering if people could provide feedback on what GRE scores I need to shoot for based on my profile
Q:
V:
W:
B:


Research Experience: 1 year of research at a top lab at an Top 10 R1 university nearby, publication pending (likely to be submitted around grad school apps, I heard submission is sufficient to put on the CV), summers at top research centers, but only 1 year of research during school. 1 national conference poster. Four poster sessions, three talks; one resulting in a public speaking award by the college
 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Amgen Scholar, Goldwater finalist within school (can I put this?)
 

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA one semester
 

Special Bonus Points: Very famous recommendation (lab PI)

Applying to Where:
Research interests: neurogenetics and synbio. Can anyone let me know if there are good labs in neurogenetics in other programs not listed?
Harvard-Systems Bio

Harvard-BBS

MIT-Bio

Stanford-Genetics

UCSF-Tetrad

Columbia-Sys Bio

UNC-MolecularBio/Genetics

Thanks for the help! My main questions are GRE score and neurogenetics recs. 

Unless you cannot find other programs with faculty you are interested in working with, I would suggest putting a couple schools in the mid-tier on there (maybe look at well-regarded flagship state schools).  This is a pretty top heavy list.

Also, some of these programs may be waiving their GRE requirements.  I would certainly take the GRE because you might need it, but I would aim for 75%+ in quant and verbal for these top schools.

[sbaringer]

Undergrad Institution: small-mid sized private university in Connecticut
Major(s): Psychology
Minor(s): biology
GPA in Major: 3.8
Overall GPA: 3.7
Position in Class: no idea
Type of Student: domestic female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 66th
V: 76th
W:  93rd

Research Experience: year long honors thesis at Yale (nearby school) on familial Alzheimer's disease and interneurons; 2 year post bac at NIH working on DNA repair and neurodegeneration

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: various academic scholarships, dean's list every semester, magna cum laude, multiple honor societies 

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: post bac fellowship

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Will present thesis from Yale at SfN this year in San Diego and have presented current project at NIA multiple times. 

Special Bonus Points: Vilhelm Bohr recommender (Neils Bohr's grandson) and two other very strong letters

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: no completed publications, but a handful of pending ones

Applying to Where: (Any idea of the acceptance rates?)

• Johns Hopkins University-  Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular biology
• Vanderbilt University-Interdisciplinary Graduate Program
• Columbia University -Neurobiology
• University of Pennsylvania- Neuroscience-Biomedical Graduate Studies 
• Boston University -Program in Biomedical Sciences  
• University of Chicago -Neurobiology
• Washington University in St. Louis -Molecular and Cellular Biology
• University of Maryland -Neuroscience 
• Penn State University -Biomedical Sciences
• New York University -Biomedical Sciences

[StemCellFan]

14 hours ago, Anne09 said:

Hello guys! I was wondering if I could get some advice about my application. I believe that I have strong research experience, but my GRE scores are absolutely awful and my GPA is mediocre. I am struggling to figure out where to apply to graduate school and would appreciate some honest feedback (you can be as brutal as necessary I just need some honesty haha). Please feel free to message me as well! I am more than happy to help in anyway I can. 

Anyways, here we go... 

Undergrad Institution: (Top 5 liberal arts school -  U.S. News and World Report - my school is good academically, but personally I do not think that we are great for science. However, I did cross-register over half of my classes the last two years at a top 5 university - Forbes ranking)
Major(s): Neuroscience 
Minor(s): Music 

Overall GPA: between 3.5 and 3.6 (I know that my GRE is low for top schools)

Note: GPA in major may have been a bit lower at my liberal arts school, but it is much higher at the university I was cross-registered it (I have no idea why...)
Position in Class: really not sure, but probably only okay - we did have grade deflation and my school sends out a letter with our transcript to graduate schools explaining their grade deflation policies
Type of Student: I am a female, non-minority 

Note: also took many business and entrepreneurship courses at two major business schools too (idk if this will make my application interesting or be a negative)

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 151 (51%) I know that this is absolutely awful (am worried that it might be a rejection factor)
V: 161 (86%)
W: 4.5 (82%)

Research Experience: (At your school or elsewhere? What field? How much time? Any publications (Mth author out of N?) or conference talks etc...)

I absolutely LOVE research. 

Sophomore fall: basic research in a lab in my major at my liberal arts school - just gained basic laboratory techniques - nothing special

Sophomore spring: transferred to a lab at a major research school (MIT, Harvard, Stanford etc) - stayed in this lab until my junior spring - research is loosely related to the research I hope to do in graduate school (worked for a year and a half) - positive relationships with everyone there

Junior fall - senior spring: this is probably the first research experience that I will really stress in my application since it was directly related to what I am doing now and hope to do in graduate school - wonderful research experience with wonderful mentors - gained many skills, and was published third author in a major publication (Nature, Science, Cell etc) with a decent amount of press - I am forever grateful for the people who mentored me in this lab (research was also at a school, such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford etc and in the lab of a Nobel Laureate)

Junior summer - did a summer internship abroad in a research lab in Europe- great experience, learned many skills, and in the same field as my major, but the research is not directly relevant to what I hope to do in graduate school - top school in Europe

Currently: I am working as a research technician in another wonderful lab with fantastic and supportive mentors at a school such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford etc, but different than the school I worked in as an undergraduate. (I have been working there for about a year and a half as of now) - two and a half years by the time I (hopefully) am in graduate school - was promoted within a year and published in a good journal (only 5th author) - e.g. Cell, Neuron, PLOS etc 

Note: not sure how much this matters, but this research is also directly related to what I would love to do in graduate school - the PI of the whole lab is also known as the top professor in his field 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

I haven't won so many research awards, but I was a finalist for a major fellowship (Rhodes, Fulbright etc) - was on the waitlist for it, but ultimately did not receive it (It's okay though haha)

Won many national piano competitions when I was younger (performed in Carnegie Hall) - but I would consider this a bit outdated, because I am older now

I have a couple of contests I have won for entrepreneurship projects, but idk how much this counts...  

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: (Such as tutor, TA, SPS officer etc...)

Intern for a medical device startup my senior year 

Note: I also do not know if this is a positive or a negative, but I originally worked on my startup (I was a co-founder) for about 7 months after graduation - project ultimately failed so I started my research job, but I learned a lot and we did make headway) 

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

I am currently working on another entrepreneurship project related to my research on the side for fun, but honestly I haven't made too much progress as of now

I will be presenting a poster and have an abstract published at a major international conference (will present in the fall before application due dates)

Special Bonus Points: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...)

I took graduate-level courses in one of the schools I hope to apply to and received only 1 B the rest As (idk if this will help make up for my GPA at my liberal arts school or not..)

I also have gotten extremely fortunate with my mentors and am forever grateful for them. One of my letters will be written by a very famous professor (Nobel laureate) - I worked and published in his lab. My other two letters will come from my current direct supervisor (he is amazing) and the PI of the whole lab (known as the best professor in his field). All 3 letters will be personal and I would be very surprised if they were not excellent. Overall, I would consider my letters to be the strongest aspect of my application, as all of them know me personally and I have strong relationships with them. 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

I do volunteer work related to women in STEM. 

I also have done some independent contract work for a medical device for a major pharmaceutical - not sure if I should include such things on my application or not...

P.S. Sorry this is long - any feedback is appreciated. Basically I think most of my application is decent, but my GRE schools are simply AWFUL. I am going to re-take the GRE again (first took these back in October - December), but who knows how I will do. Any recommendations as to where to apply would be greatly appreciated - I am a bit stressed right now and would appreciate the input (the harsher and more realistic the better). 

Thank you!
 

 

 

What schools are you looking at?

Your verbal is great and your quant is still hovering at 50%.  I think with your research experience, the quant score won't hinder you too much if you can write a great SOP and get great letters of rec.  I would definitely apply to a range of schools if you can.  I would look into well-regarded flagship state schools, a couple top tiers like Harvard, Stanford or UCSF, and see if you can find a couple schools in the mid-tier.  This will depend on what your research interests and career goals are, of course.  I got into Wisconsin, which I consider a solid mid/high-tier choice, with a 48%/55% quant/verbal score and a lot of solid research experience.

Also, there are a few programs in biomedical sciences waiving the GRE requirement, so I would take a look at some of their admissions requirements.

Edited August 1, 2018 by StemCellFan

[neuranxiety]

Undergrad Institution: Prestigious Canadian University
Major(s): Neuroscience
Minor(s): Math
GPA in Major: ? Probably around 3.75
Overall GPA: 3.79
Position in Class: Probably top 25% or higher
Type of Student: Internatoinal

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 170
V: 158
W: 5.5
^ might rewrite to increase verbal scores.


Research Experience:

• 1.5 years of research at plasticity lab (neurobiology)
• Thesis project at a computational neuroscience lab
• 2nd thesis project at molecular neuroscience lab
• Summer Research Program at a large, very well known university in Europe

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

• First place at neurotechnology competition (2 years in a row)
• Second place at Brain Tumour related competition

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: (Such as tutor, TA, SPS officer etc...)

• Medium writer for a neurotech organization
• Lab technician at a developmental biology lab for 1 year

Courses:

• Last 2 years mostly graduate level courses
• Taking a phd level course this upcoming year

Applying to Where: (Not in particular order)
 

• UCSF - Neurobiology - Graeme Davis, Loren Frank, Anatol Kreitzer
• UCSD - Neurobiology - Byungkook Lim, Takaki Komiyama 
• UCB - Neurobiology - Dan Feldman
• MIT -  Neurobiology - Mark Bear, Kwanghun Chung
• Duke - Neurobiology - Nicole Calakos, Nicolas Brunel, Henry Yin
• Johns Hopkins
• UPitt
• WashU
• Boston

 

A bit worried that I'm aiming too high for an international student. Any suggestions / insights would be recommended thanks!

[BabyScientist]

Don't bother retaking your GRE just for verbal your scores are good and the GRE is becoming less and less important.

I don't know if the names listed next to the schools are your POIs, but generally good advice is don't apply anywhere where you only have 1 or 2 POIs. Your list is top heavy, so try adding a few more mid tier schools.

[BabyScientist]

4 hours ago, sbaringer said:

Undergrad Institution: small-mid sized private university in Connecticut
Major(s): Psychology
Minor(s): biology
GPA in Major: 3.8
Overall GPA: 3.7
Position in Class: no idea
Type of Student: domestic female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 66th
V: 76th
W:  93rd

Research Experience: year long honors thesis at Yale (nearby school) on familial Alzheimer's disease and interneurons; 2 year post bac at NIH working on DNA repair and neurodegeneration

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: various academic scholarships, dean's list every semester, magna cum laude, multiple honor societies 

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: post bac fellowship

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Will present thesis from Yale at SfN this year in San Diego and have presented current project at NIA multiple times. 

Special Bonus Points: Vilhelm Bohr recommender (Neils Bohr's grandson) and two other very strong letters

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: no completed publications, but a handful of pending ones

Applying to Where: (Any idea of the acceptance rates?)

• Johns Hopkins University-  Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular biology
• Vanderbilt University-Interdisciplinary Graduate Program
• Columbia University -Neurobiology
• University of Pennsylvania- Neuroscience-Biomedical Graduate Studies 
• Boston University -Program in Biomedical Sciences  
• University of Chicago -Neurobiology
• University of Washington -Molecular and Cellular Biology
• University of Maryland -Neuroscience 
• Penn State University -Biomedical Sciences
• New York University -Biomedical Sciences

This is a pretty solid list. The lack of publications makes it tough for me to gage odds, but presentations, a strong SOP, and LORs could make up for that. 

[BabyScientist]

5 hours ago, dbrjpp said:

Hey, guys! Could you evaluate my profile and tell me whether I am aiming too high? I am interested in applying for a PhD in Cancer Biology or Biomedical Sciences.

Undergrad Institution: Top 10 university in Brazil
Major(s): Pharmacy
GPA: 3.5/4.0
Position in Class:  First Class Honors (2nd best GPA)
Type of Student: International White Female

GRE Scores: Still gotta take it

Toefl Score: 104 (will re-take this month as this one is about to expire)

Research Experience:

2,5 years during undergrad at a cancer research lab (1.5 year during my first undergrad year + 1 year performing my Thesis). Got a publication as a co-author + 2 poster presentations + 1 oral presentation at a regional event

3 Summer internships abroad during undergrad (Amgen in the US, University of Tokyo and University of Oxford) - 2 poster presentations

1 year at a stem cell research lab (current) - 1 poster presentation

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

Graduated with 2nd best GPA in Class

Academic Excellence Certificate for 2 semesters (GPA = 4.0)

1-year Scholarship funded by the Brazilian Government to perform exchange studies at an Ivy Uni

Short-term Scholarship funded by Uni of Tokyo to perform summer internship

1-year Undergraduate Research Fellowship (Competitive Scholarship) funded by the Brazilian Government

Pertinent Activities or Jobs:

TA for a semester during undergrad

6 months as a clinical pharmacy intern

6 months as an organizer at an International Solidarity Project in my home uni

3 months as a tutor (online course)

Summer intern at a pharma company in Brazil

 

Special Bonus Points:

Master's Degree in a Top10 medical university in the world - gGPA: 3.7/4.0

 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

My GPA during my exchange studies abroad (Ivy Uni) was sub-3.0, however the grades are included in my undergrad transcript and don't look that bad when they were converted. I am afraid that they might ask for this Uni's transcript as well? Emailed NYU Admission's Office and they said I don't need to send it - hoping the other ones say the same.

 

Applying to Where:

NYU Sackler (LOR from an alumnum)

Rockefeller (LOR from an alumnum)

Cornell Weill
I'm considering applying to: Harvard BBS (might be too high I know) and UCSF Tetrad

 

It would be great if you could give me some feedback whether my profile is competitive enough for these programs. I am afraid that my GPA during exchange might hurt my application severely. I am also planning at applying to these programs, as most of them don't ask for GRE scores!

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestion/comments that you may have for me!

 

Generally they don't request study abroad transcripts, especially if they're already reflected on your undergrad transcripts.

I don't know how being an international student will play in, but I think you should add some mid-tier schools. Rockefeller, NYU, and Cornell are good options, but very highly regarded (though not quite Harvard/UCSF level). Consider BostonU, UWisconsin Madison, MD Anderson, etc. All well regarded schools that are high mid-tier.

[lmb123]

On 7/31/2018 at 2:54 PM, CoffeeDuringIncubations said:

Undergrad Institution: Top 5 liberal arts
Major(s): Biochemistry

GPA in Major: 3.5+ (not sure but I qualified for an honors thesis because of this cutoff)
Overall GPA: 3.75/4.00. Graduating senior
Position in Class: Not sure % wise, but 3.75 is the cut off for Magna Cum Laude, while 3.9 is summa cum laude. 
Type of Student: Domestic female, white/latinx

GRE Scores (revised/old version): none yet, but I have not been doing so great on practice tests. I was wondering if people could provide feedback on what GRE scores I need to shoot for based on my profile
Q:
V:
W:
B:


Research Experience: 1 year of research at a top lab at an Top 10 R1 university nearby, publication pending (likely to be submitted around grad school apps, I heard submission is sufficient to put on the CV), summers at top research centers, but only 1 year of research during school. 1 national conference poster. Four poster sessions, three talks; one resulting in a public speaking award by the college
 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Amgen Scholar, Goldwater finalist within school (can I put this?)
 

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA one semester
 

Special Bonus Points: Very famous recommendation (lab PI)

Applying to Where:
Research interests: neurogenetics and synbio. Can anyone let me know if there are good labs in neurogenetics in other programs not listed?
Harvard-Systems Bio

Harvard-BBS

MIT-Bio

Stanford-Genetics

UCSF-Tetrad

Columbia-Sys Bio

UNC-MolecularBio/Genetics

Thanks for the help! My main questions are GRE score and neurogenetics recs. 

I think if you break 160+, you will have a shot at the schools listed, but I would also add some schools that are slightly less competitive. 

[neuranxiety]

2 hours ago, BabyScientist said:

Don't bother retaking your GRE just for verbal your scores are good and the GRE is becoming less and less important.

I don't know if the names listed next to the schools are your POIs, but generally good advice is don't apply anywhere where you only have 1 or 2 POIs. Your list is top heavy, so try adding a few more mid tier schools.

Thank you for your recommendation!

Yes, I am definitely going to add and remove some schools from the list, but I'm still in the process of doing so. I also don't have any publications but I'm quite positive that my LORs are very very strong. 

Are publications really important for graduate schools? I heard that a lot of people that are accepted to these programs don't have any but I'm not quite so sure anymore

[BabyScientist]

1 hour ago, neuranxiety said:

Thank you for your recommendation!

Yes, I am definitely going to add and remove some schools from the list, but I'm still in the process of doing so. I also don't have any publications but I'm quite positive that my LORs are very very strong. 

Are publications really important for graduate schools? I heard that a lot of people that are accepted to these programs don't have any but I'm not quite so sure anymore

From my experience, publications were important. They are evidence of valuable contribution to research. As in an indication that you did more than just "bitch work" for the lab. But I may have also had that impression because I did have publications. You'd have to make up for it somehow - strong LORs will definitely help if the PI highlights your scientific contributions. Poster presentations could help too if you have that opportunity. Really just make sure to write an SOP that adequately illustrates that you have a solid understanding of what it is to do research.

Let me know if you have more questions or want help narrowing down your list! 

[StemCellFan]

16 hours ago, neuranxiety said:

Are publications really important for graduate schools? I heard that a lot of people that are accepted to these programs don't have any but I'm not quite so sure anymore

I think it depends somewhat.  I do not think undergrads who are applying are expected to have publications, but should have at least presented their research at a conference or completed a thesis if that's an option at their school.  I went to a small state school that was focused on teaching more than research and I didn't get my first middle-authorship from my undergrad lab until after I worked as a tech for a year.  Students publishing as an undergrad was uncommon at my school, but many of them presented their work at undergraduate or regional/national conferences.  Maybe it's different if you go to a bigger school where PIs publish multiple papers a year?

But, if someone worked as a research tech for a couple years in an academic lab, or did a post-bacc somewhere, I think there are expectations to at least have middle-authorship if not first or second authorship on papers that are at least in preparation or submitted.  If someone is working in a non-academic research area like industry, I wouldn't expect them to have published.

I think the most important thing is to be able to demonstrate that you are passionate about research and that you are able to describe your projects.  Why is the research you did important?  What broader impact does it have?  What controls or methods did you use to get your results?  What do your results mean?  I think being able to demonstrate this is more important than a certain number of publications.

I was told by multiple PIs that publications aren't expected but they are nice to have.  They can make up for lackluster GRE or GPA, but they won't make or break your application.  It's like icing on an already really good cake.

Edited August 2, 2018 by StemCellFan

[placeinspace]

On 7/13/2018 at 9:08 AM, BabyScientist said:

I would be very careful about having a LOR you're not sure about. I know someone personally who requested her 3rd letter of recc from a professor she hadn't seen in 5 years but had a great relationship with when she was in his class - he told her he would write it but warned that his memory is going bad, she figured it was fine. It wasn't. Turned an easily amazing applicant into someone who barely got 2/15 interviews.

Yikes, now I'm terrified. I'd been told I'd be fine after having been out of school for 4 years, but after seeing this, guess I'm not fine at all! ?

[BabyScientist]

48 minutes ago, kgras13 said:

Yikes, now I'm terrified. I'd been told I'd be fine after having been out of school for 4 years, but after seeing this, guess I'm not fine at all! ?

Well you just have to gage the person's reactions when you ask. If they're hesitant, don't do it. 

[BabyScientist]

1 hour ago, StemCellFan said:

I think it depends somewhat.  I do not think undergrads who are applying are expected to have publications, but should have at least presented their research at a conference or completed a thesis if that's an option at their school.  I went to a small state school that was focused on teaching more than research and I didn't get my first middle-authorship from my undergrad lab until after I worked as a tech for a year.  Students publishing as an undergrad was uncommon at my school, but many of them presented their work at undergraduate or regional/national conferences.  Maybe it's different if you go to a bigger school where PIs publish multiple papers a year?

But, if someone worked as a research tech for a couple years in an academic lab, or did a post-bacc somewhere, I think there are expectations to at least have middle-authorship if not first or second authorship on papers that are at least in preparation or submitted.  If someone is working in a non-academic research area like industry, I wouldn't expect them to have published.

I think the most important thing is to be able to demonstrate that you are passionate about research and that you are able to describe your projects.  Why is the research you did important?  What broader impact does it have?  What controls or methods did you use to get your results?  What do your results mean?  I think being able to demonstrate this is more important than a certain number of publications.

I was told by multiple PIs that publications aren't expected but they are nice to have.  They can make up for lackluster GRE or GPA, but they won't make or break your application.  It's like icing on an already really good cake.

I agree with this entirely. 

[natd]

Undergrad Institution: Top Canadian University
Major(s): Psychology
Minor(s): German
GPA in Major: Unsure
Overall GPA: 3.3-3.4
Position in Class: unsure

Postgrad (master`s) Institution: Top 4 international Neuro program
MSc Neuroscience
Overall GPA: Grade classification - distinction (1:1 honors) - equivalent to a 4.0 GPA
Position in Class: unsure

Type of Student: Domestic (Canadian/US dual)

GRE Scores (revised/old version): not taken yet
Q:
V: 
W:



Research Experience:

• 2 summers international neuro clinic experience in Germany 
• 2 undergraduate neuropsych theses
• 1 year as a volunteer research assistant at a hospital
• Master`s research project with data that will be submitted for publication soon
• 1 year as a paid research assistant in neuro

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

• International internship award (funding by school for research in Germany)
• Won a neuro case competition (local)

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

• Past math tutor
• Research assistant 

Courses:

• Undergrad neuropsych courses
• Completed MSc in neuro

Applying to Where: Neuro programs
 

• Harvard
• Stanford
• Johns Hopkins
• UCSF
• UCSD
• Columbia 
• UPenn

 

I know undergrad GPA is relatively low, but my estimated GRE scores are in the 320-330 range and I am hoping my masters and research experience speak to my capabilities. Thanks!

Edited August 3, 2018 by natd

[Telepathy]

Hello guys! Could you please give me some advice on my list?

Undergrad Institution: Top University in China
Major(s): Biomedical Engineering
Minor(s): 
GPA in Major: ~3.6 (not sure)
Overall GPA: 3.60 (upward trend, last 60 credits: 3.87 using WES calculator)
Position in Class: top 20%

Type of Student: International/Asian, Male

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 170 (97%)
V: 157 (76%)
W: 3.0 (18%)
B: To take on Sep.15 

Going to retake on Aug. 23, hopefully may get my Writing higher

TOEFL Total: 105 (R29 L29 S22 W25)  To retake on Sep.8 mainly to improve the speaking part

 

Research Experience:

• 1 summer research (~3 months) in neurobiology at Harvard Medical School (should get a good LOR)
• 6 months undergraduate research related to neuroscience at my home institute
• 1 year undergrad research in mitochondria in the same lab at home institute

Have 2 review articles (one 3rd/6 author published, one 4th/6 accepted) although the journal is not so good.

If lucky enough, may be on a Science paper (surely not first author lol) prior to application submission.

 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

• 3 university-level awards
• 2 university-level scholarships
• Biomedical Engineering Capstone Design 3rd prize

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

• Physics tutor
• Research assistant

Courses:

• Undergrad biology (neurobiology, molecular cell biology, biophysics, etc.), chemistry, psychology
• a LOT of math & physics

Applying to Where: Neuroscience programs, maybe also some cell biology and cancer programs

• UCSD
• UCLA
• UPenn
• Columbia
• Duke
• U of Washington
• Weill Cornell
• NYU Sackler
• UChicago
• UMich
• Brown
• UTsouthwestern

I know the competition in neuroscience could be very intense, especially for international students. I just skip the top schools like Harvard. Do you guys think I am still aiming too high?  Any advice as to where to apply would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!