How to Make Application Stronger Next Year

[ab2003]

Hi everybody. This is my first post, but I have been following the forum for a while. This year I applied to a few Genetics programs. I got rejected by two and one school is making decisions this week. Something tells me they will reject me as they are not replying to my emails.

At any rate, I am ready to move on and regroup for next year's applications. I was wondering what I could do to make my application stronger next year. I've been out of school for a few years so it's hard to make connections now.

These are some things that I have come up with, please add your input if you have ideas:

1. applied to a non-paid internship at Emory's Genetics department; I bet they're gonna wonder what this old hen is doing applying for a volunteer internship, but that's okay.
   
2. looked into individual online courses that I could take over the summer - it's so hard to find anything in genetics or higher level Biology and it gets expensive very quickly - please share if you have any ideas;
   
3. asked a graduate coordinator at a rejected school if I could change to non-degree seeking status in hopes that I will catch their eye for application season next year;
   
4. inquired about two other programs - I really don't want to do them as one is way out there in the country (long drive) and the other one is a general interdisciplinary degree that will vaguely allow me to do Genetics research - definitely a back-up plan and I hope it doesn't get to this;
   
5. continue my current job in a lab - although it's not related to genetics, in this economy, I'm blessed to have it and hopefully it will help me with my application;
   
6. apply earlier in the process. I applied in January and think applying sooner would've helped;
   
7. read more of faculty's research and contact them - I was definitely shy about this this year.
   

Well, let me know if you have any suggestions on what I could do to improve my chances. I am stuck with applying to state schools because I have a sick mother I can't move away from. My GRE was pretty high, so I think I need to work on the other aspects. Basically, it boils down to How do I convince them that Genetics is what I really want to do within the next seven months? Suggestions please?

Edited April 10, 2012 by ab2003

[Jimbo2]

If you're willing to do volunteer work, it would be a good idea to look to volunteer in a genetics lab at a university in your area. This would allow you to get more research experience (maybe a publication?), build a reputation with someone that can write you a letter of recommendation, and make a convincing argument that you've been involved with work that has focused on genetics for a significant period of time and would like to pursue this area in graduate school.

Although I study ecology in graduate school, my application process indicated that potential PIs care more about your research experience and reputation than grades or GRE scores, so I would be hesitant to pay money for more genetics courses, unless you think that you need to become more knowledgeable in that area.

I was rejected my first round of applications and spent the next year getting as much research experience as possible, and that strategy worked for me when I applied the following year.

Good luck!

[ab2003]

Thanks for the input. I'm really excited to hear back from some research labs re: volunteering, so we'll see if they get back to me.

[aberrant]

1. applied to a non-paid internship at Emory's Genetics department; I bet they're gonna wonder what this old hen is doing applying for a volunteer internship, but that's okay.

5. continue my current job in a lab - although it's not related to genetics, in this economy, I'm blessed to have it and hopefully it will help me with my application;

I don't know if this is a cultural differences but many of the students at my school work in a research lab without getting paid. The point is to get the experience, not the money. So if money is really important to you that you may be hesitate to volunteer in a lab / work without getting paid -- this perspective may hold you back from going to a genetic program (since you can't really show them how bad you are into studying genetics other than through your SOP/PS.)

2. looked into individual online courses that I could take over the summer - it's so hard to find anything in genetics or higher level Biology and it gets expensive very quickly - please share if you have any ideas;

3. asked a graduate coordinator at a rejected school if I could change to non-degree seeking status in hopes that I will catch their eye for application season next year

Not sure if you are still in school or out of school for awhile, but I would never take online courses for programs that I'm interested in (simply because I do not know how the adcom would look at it). If you are in school still--take a few graduate level courses; if you aren't take graduate level courses at school(s) that near you. General concensus is that graduate level courseworks are less organized / structured, but you will be prepared through a classroom setting like this. I don't think #3 will help much unless you get to know a few faculty members in that school that are extremely interested in recuiting you to that school.

4. inquired about two other programs - I really don't want to do them as one is way out there in the country (long drive) and the other one is a general interdisciplinary degree that will vaguely allow me to do Genetics research - definitely a back-up plan and I hope it doesn't get to this;

If you are limiting yourself to certain locations (e.g. in-state) then certainly you will limit your options (as a lot of students are willing to relocate for grad school.) Also, some umbrella/intedisciplinary programs also consist of genetics-related research meaning that there are lot more opportunities out there. In your case, you'll just have to get more research experience, writer a "even better" SOP/PS, and get 3 stronger LORs to get into the in-state schools.

6. apply earlier in the process. I applied in January and think applying sooner would've helped;

7. read more of faculty's research and contact them - I was definitely shy about this this year.

Not sure if apply early helps. I think it is school-dependent, besides citizenship-dependent. But you definitely want to contact POI early and keep in touch with them. From what I observed in this forum, it helps to some degree.