Chances for BME PhD at top 20

[jblue322]

Considering applying to about 10-15 programs ranked in the top 20. GPA is low and no publications yet, is that going to hurt me too much to get in anywhere?

Undergrad: Yale University

GPA: 3.5

GRE: 168 - math, 162 - verbal

Research: 2 selective summer REU programs, a couple fellowships (HHMI), about 1.5 years worth at school lab which should be publishable by Spring

EC: entrepreneurship - did 2 startups, won several business competitions, applying to grad school with an "innovator" angle

List so far:

Stanford

MIT

HST

Penn

Columbia

Harvard

Berkeley

Cornell

Michigan

WashU

Rice

[intirb]

Your GPA isn't low, and while having publications would definitely give you an edge, you still have plenty of research experience. Most incoming students don't have publications.

You're applying to PhD programs? Are there really labs at every one of those universities that you would find interesting? Ideally there should be multiple labs at your target schools where you have relevant research experience and are interested in the subject matter.

Also, just as a tip: just working for a startup or winning a business plan competition isn't the same as innovation. Make sure you present the innovative ideas you actually contributed to whatever projects you were working on, and tie in the skills required to design/invent to whatever your future research interests might be.

Good luck!

[ChemPhysMatSci]

Apply to a few 10 to 20s, and maybe one 30+. 2 REUs and research at Yale during the semester should mitigate not having publications.

[jblue322]

Also my gpa is actually 3.48, not quite 3.5... and I have put down 3.48 on my apps. This might be an absurd question, but I know 3.5 is sort of the target minimum gpa for competitive programs so is that going to be an issue?

[jblue322]

Can anyone comment on that? I know it doesn't matter at this point but I'm just curious.