Help with Safe/Easy Schools

[gradschoolyay]

Hi,

I am struggling to finish applications (sigh december!)...and seem to have a panic attack in that I don't think I have enough safe schools on my list. Could you guys please help me suggest any "safer"/"easier to get into" schools?

I have a skewed profile in,grades-wise (international student):

overall gpa : 6.72/10.00 ; last two years M.Sc.(biological sciences) : 8.53 ; last two years B.E.(mech. engineering) : 7.56

gre : 780 Q,600V,5

Research experience :

Visiting student (thesis research) at Harvard Medical School (Neuroscience),USA

Summer Internship at Max Planck institute of Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences,Germany

Summer Internship at Advanced Centre for Cancer Research,India

and other projects in biology and engineering in college.

also,1 patent.

Following is my university list:

Neurosciences:

University of California,San Diego : PhD

Rockefeller : PhD

Baylor College of Medicine : PhD

UCSF :PhD

Caltech :PhD

Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering

Tufts University,MS

Harvard-MIT HST: MEMP,PhD

Harvard SEAS,PhD

UT Arlington/Rutgers/UmassBoston/NorthEasternUniversity ,MS (I haven't picked one of these yet)

Johns Hopkins University,MS

Univ of Pittsburgh,MS

University of Southern California,MS

Boston University,MS

Biodesign/Bioentrepreneurship/Bioenterprise :

Johns Hopkins University,MS

University of Pennsylvania,MS

Kecks graduate Institute,MS

I would really really appreciate some help!! Thanks a ton.

[fosgfp]

16 schools is a LOT of schools. Why don't you narrow it down to just neuro or just BME or just bio design? Also, you could move some of your BME schools to be "safety" for neuro; for instance, UPitt and BostonU could be neuro safeties (I use the term safeties loosely). But you really should cut some schools.

[gradschoolyay]

Thanks for the suggestion...I know I am spending a bunch of money but current funding scenrio for international graduate students seems to be quite tough and hence I'd rather apply to more schools than not do grad school atall!

Is UPitt and Boston support international candidates (for Neuro PhD)? Any idea?I'll look into their deadlines if I can still apply.

Also,did schools start giving out interview invitations already?! (your profile mentions a Northwestern Interview,hence asked)

Thanks again!

[fosgfp]

I don't know about Boston but I'm pretty sure that Pitt accepts international students. And I know Carnegie Mellon (CMU's neighbor) does as well.

I got a call from Northwestern on Friday, but I haven't heard anything from anyone else, and none of my friends who have applied to PhD programs have heard anything as well.

[gradschoolyay]

Congratulations on the interview calls, @fosgfp !

Any idea if the invites are sent out in one batch or more? And whether they are sent out later/earlier for international applicants?