Somebody talk some sense into me

[misery]

Hey all,

Yes, this is another chance thread where you smart nerds can talk some sense into me, the miserably confused one.

I'm a senior majoring in bioengineering/biomedical engineering at an ivy. GPA is 3.5/4.0, GRE is 640v 800q 4.0W and have spent all summers working at a

biochem lab and plant pathology lab and this year at a bioengineering lab. Unfortunately, I didn't get to publish anything yet. Thing is I didn't really like research before til I joined my current lab and I got to work on a cool rewarding project that is still ongoing. As for rec letters, I think I can get a great one from current professor, another decent one from a prof whose course I did very well in, and a mediocre/lukewarm one from my faculty advisor (he doesn't know me well)

I'm currently scheming through the faculty profiles/research interests at many schools but honestly I haven't got an idea of where I stand in the pool of brilliant kids.

Do I have any chance at the Top 10 grad schools in the field? What kind of schools could be said to be a "match" for me?

looking forward to some brutally honest comments.

thanks y'all.

[adaptations]

Hi - The information you provided really only provides a very generic outline of who you are and what you do. Certainly people with similar stats as you have gotten into top five programs, so based only on what you provided, yes, you have a shot at a top program. The truth is, the devil is in the details. All the little things from the grades in your most relevant courses to your statement of purpose, and of course the quality and strength of the LORs will make the difference. If those are all great and you fit well with the programs then you've got a shot.

[DrFaustus666]

Well said, "adaptations" !

If you read the posts here, "misery," you'll see that some people with considerably stronger statistics have been rejected from top 5-10 schools, while others with lower numbers have gotten in.

It's exactly as "adaptations" said, the devil is in the details.

[misery]

Point taken. To be more elaborate;

1) I bombed my GPA during sophomore year. But in my junior year when I took many of major related courses, I kept the average GPA above 3.7 and hoping to do the same this semester and hopefully that will look good.

2) I am interested in genetic/metabolic engineering, but trying to broaden my horizon(looking closely at biosensors/microfluidics area). I feel very limited in experience/exposure to a lot of things. Are people generally very knowledgeable/experienced in the specific subfield they apply to? or can a newbie pick things up along the way and do they have chance at getting accepted?

I'm right in the middle of the forest, so I can't see it wholly. I may be missing/forgetful about the most obvious things, so any general comments would be appreciate too.

Thanks a lot guys/have a goooood long weekend.

[anthropologygeek]

No one can tell you if your get in until you apply and get your answer. Everyone based their decision on different criteria. One thing I can tell you is look for the best fit.

[DrFaustus666]

Point taken. To be more elaborate;

1) I bombed my GPA during sophomore year. But in my junior year when I took many of major related courses, I kept the average GPA above 3.7 and hoping to do the same this semester and hopefully that will look good.

2) I am interested in genetic/metabolic engineering, but trying to broaden my horizon(looking closely at biosensors/microfluidics area). I feel very limited in experience/exposure to a lot of things. Are people generally very knowledgeable/experienced in the specific subfield they apply to? or can a newbie pick things up along the way and do they have chance at getting accepted?

I'm right in the middle of the forest, so I can't see it wholly. I may be missing/forgetful about the most obvious things, so any general comments would be appreciate too.

Thanks a lot guys/have a goooood long weekend.

I should have added there's no doubt you'll be accepted by at least a half-dozen top-20 schools if you choose to apply there .... it's the highest echelons that are so hard to predict.

And your question: generalist vs specialist .... is one that dogs professionals in mid-career too. I don't know about biological sciences but I do know that engineers in particular can command top salaries for a few years because of superior expertise in some narrow niche ... then suddenly find themselves unemployed and looking for any job. It's a tough world, and I don't have any good answers. But good luck to you in any event.

[newms]

A few comments:

1) If you have a GPA on the lowish side (which yours would be for a top 5, top 10 school) admission committees like to see improvement over time. So the fact that your GPA has been increasing is good and may be redeeming.

2) Research experience at a lab is good - even if you didn't get to publish a paper. If you have a strong LOR detailing your lab experience and you are able to detail what you did in your SOP that may be good enough (depending, of course, on what you actually did)

3) You don't have to be an "expert" on the subfield you are interested in. (Of course, being an expert in the subfield would be great!) You do however have to have a strong idea of what it is you want to do and why you want to do it. You will have to show how you fit in with the programs you apply to, so it would be good to have a good grasp of what exactly is currently happening in the subfield.

4) The fact that you go to an Ivy won't impress the admissions committee - they'll be more impressed with your research interests, your research experience and the quality of your SOP and LORs.

5) I think you would get into quite a few top 20 schools as DrFaustus666 said. I also think you should apply to a few top 10 schools too, as you may have a good shot there too as well, depending on the details of your application.

I hope this helps!

Edited September 3, 2010 by newms

[Alyanumbers]

4) The fact that you go to an Ivy won't impress the admissions committee - they'll be more impressed with your research interests, your research experience and the quality of your SOP and LORs.

I agree, but I think going to an Ivy may mitigate the lowish GPA problem. Your 3.5 would presumably be worth at least 3.7 at a tier 2 school.

As for the specialisation question, I'd say most undergrads have more breadth than depth, and that's probably not a bad thing. Well, unless the program you're applying to is very specialised in one subfield. According to my dad (he's a university lecturer who did his grad school in mathematics in France), a PhD focus that is too narrow is a bad idea, and the current trend is to widen your horizons a bit before specialising.