Figuring out where to apply

[flyinginsect]

I'm planning to apply to molecular biology/biomedical type Ph.D. programs this upcoming fall. I think I have a solid list of programs to apply to, but I'm worried I don't have a good balance of safety, target, and reach schools. Can someone help me figure this out?

So I'm a domestic student, 3.9 GPA from a well-respected college, several years of research (both in undergrad and in my lab tech job post-college), no publications or conferences (yet; I could feasibly get published this year, maybe, if I'm lucky). I feel confident that I can get 3 strong LORs. I'm not taking the GRE (all these programs are GRE-optional)

Here's my (tentative) list:

Harvard BBS, UPenn CAMB, Johns Hopkins BCMB, Cornell GGD, Temple Lewis Katz Biomed, Rutgers Molecular Bioscience, Albert Einstein Med School, Penn State Biomed, and Pitt IBGP

Does this seem too ambitious? Am I playing it too safe? Is this a well-balanced list?

[rainestorm]

In my opinion, you have a pretty well-balanced list based on your stats. I've applied to biomed/neuro PhD programs twice and would say that what matters the most is being able to find potential advisors and labs (is the school a good fit based on your research interests?) School prestige and rankings don't really matter, you could get rejected from all of your "safety" schools and get into an Ivy like Harvard for example, which is why I'm not a big fan of those terms. Just make sure to apply to schools you would want to go to if you were to be accepted and where you'd be a good fit!

[dobzhansky]

1 hour ago, flyinginsect said:

I'm planning to apply to molecular biology/biomedical type Ph.D. programs this upcoming fall. I think I have a solid list of programs to apply to, but I'm worried I don't have a good balance of safety, target, and reach schools. Can someone help me figure this out?

So I'm a domestic student, 3.9 GPA from a well-respected college, several years of research (both in undergrad and in my lab tech job post-college), no publications or conferences (yet; I could feasibly get published this year, maybe, if I'm lucky). I feel confident that I can get 3 strong LORs. I'm not taking the GRE (all these programs are GRE-optional)

Here's my (tentative) list:

Harvard BBS, UPenn CAMB, Johns Hopkins BCMB, Cornell GGD, Temple Lewis Katz Biomed, Rutgers Molecular Bioscience, Albert Einstein Med School, Penn State Biomed, and Pitt IBGP

Does this seem too ambitious? Am I playing it too safe? Is this a well-balanced list?

What about leadership and honors? Do you think you could do well on the GRE? What coursework have you done? How well respected is your college? Top 10, 50, 100? Are your letter writers prominent in your area of interest?

Without knowing more, I would say that this is not too bad of a list, although obviously the first 4 are reaches. Realistically, your GPA and research experience will pass muster, but pretty much every competitive applicant will have similar stats + papers + awards + recs from famous advisors. Your way into those institutions will be to find a really good research match, read all their papers in the last 5 years, and contact them ASAP to start a conversation. 

While @rainestormis right that prestige/ranking is overblown, it still matters. Prestige exists because the school has top tier faculty, resources, and networking opportunities. Remember, one of the main factors that go into grad school rankings is the number and impact of publications coming out of a department. That's something that directly impacts you, as a grad student. 

[rainestorm]

5 minutes ago, dobzhansky said:

Your way into those institutions will be to find a really good research match, read all their papers in the last 5 years, and contact them ASAP to start a conversation. 

I definitely agree with that, having conversations with potential advisors is great. They love to be asked about their research.

6 minutes ago, dobzhansky said:

While @rainestormis right that prestige/ranking is overblown, it still matters. Prestige exists because the school has top tier faculty, resources, and networking opportunities. Remember, one of the main factors that go into grad school rankings is the number and impact of publications coming out of a department. That's something that directly impacts you, as a grad student. 

While I agree that prestige matters in the grand scheme of things, I was trying to emphasize that one shouldn't apply to a school because of how prestigious it is, nor should they gauge their likelihood of being accepted based on that. It's definitely a bonus if you get into a prestigious school!

 

[calizab]

Since you're applying to places with rotations (or at least the programs you're applying to that I'm familiar with), make sure all the schools you apply to have a few professors (preferably at least 3) that you could see yourself working with (I asked sooo many grad students during interviews for advice on picking a school and every single one of them said go wherever there is the highest number of labs doing work that is really interesting to you that you could see yourself doing). It doesn't hurt to reach out and ask a professor if they will be taking on new students next year. You want to go into a department that generally supports and has strengths in the type of research you want to do, and you want to have a few professors you could work with so if the prof you most want to work with can't take you (or you end up not vibing with them during the rotation) you have options. Plus, if your research interest align with the department strengths, you have a much better chance of being accepted.

 

Beyond that, you will want to take account into aspects such as location of schools (the city, weather, what there is to do in the city, how close you are to friends/ family, opportunities for industry if you decide to go in that direction), along with what students in the program generally do afterwards (if that info is available) to see if it aligns with your goals (also look at the career trajectories of students from labs you may want to work in)

 

Given the brief background you provided, I️ think that you have a good shot at those reaches and that your list does seem well balanced (you really do not need a pub to be competitive). Also, make sure every school on your final list is somewhere that you would be 100% happy to attend if you were for some reason rejected everywhere else.

Edited March 16, 2021 by calizab

[Chelsea Rogers]

I haven't even figure out that where i should apply.