Grad School Requirements (GPA, pubs). International student.

[chag]

Hi everyone. I discovered this forum and I found it quite helpful. However, I'm still doubting whether or not to apply for a Chemistry PhD program on Fall 2014 in the US.

I'm from Argentina and I'm maybe a month away from finishing my undergraduate studies in Chem. I've been going through a lot of PhD programs websites, trying to gather all the information I need. But I'm not certain about how real my chances are. 

GPA: I'm not quite sure how this works. We have a 1 to 10 grading system here in Argentina, and it doesn't matter how many credits correspond to each class (in fact, there isn't any credit system in my country. We have to pass a fixed amount of classes and that's it). Our academic performance is represented by the mean of all our grades. Mine is around 7.9 out of 10 (more like 7.95). Regarding the GPA, does the admissions committee evaluate the general GPA? Or do they pay special attention to field-related grades (If I take out Math and Physics grades, the mean would go up to 8.5 out of 10).

Regarding exams, I feel pretty confident about the General and Subject GRE. I've done several practice tests. TOEFL exam, required for non-English speakers, is expected to be easy (not being cocky, it's just that I've been studying for these exams for a long time now).

I've been involved in a research project for about 2 years. No publications yet, though. We're still working on that and may have something to be published next year, after the application deadline. I might not be the first author.

 

The LORs I'm expecting to have are positive, but no that special.

Finally, I've had a position as a TA for a year.

Taking all this into account, which kind of institution should I aim for? I now my grades are not good, but does anything else compensate that? Also, I'm about to turn 25. Should I postpone the application until I have this paper published? Is there such thing as 'too old to apply' for the admissions committee? 

I apologize for the length of the post. Any help or comment would be much appreciated.
 

[Andean Pat]

Hey there, fellow Argentinean! I'll answer your posts based on my experience (I was accepted to a fully-funded PhD program to start in two weeks).

 

Hi everyone. I discovered this forum and I found it quite helpful. However, I'm still doubting whether or not to apply for a Chemistry PhD program on Fall 2014 in the US. Why? Go for it!

I'm from Argentina and I'm maybe a month away from finishing my undergraduate studies in Chem. UBA? It's the top university here so, go for it!  I've been going through a lot of PhD programs websites, trying to gather all the information I need. But I'm not certain about how real my chances are. You should remember that not everything depends on you and your profile. You don't know who you are competing with. There are several threads on how admissions work, you'll find that there are many variables you can't control.

GPA: I'm not quite sure how this works. We have a 1 to 10 grading system here in Argentina, and it doesn't matter how many credits correspond to each class (in fact, there isn't any credit system in my country. We have to pass a fixed amount of classes and that's it). Our academic performance is represented by the mean of all our grades. Mine is around 7.9 out of 10 (more like 7.95). Regarding the GPA, does the admissions committee evaluate the general GPA? Or do they pay special attention to field-related grades (If I take out Math and Physics grades, the mean would go up to 8.5 out of 10). I never know this, but I applied with a 7.97. According to the conversion, this would be 3.6 GPA (in my case). I think I used this converter.

Regarding exams, I feel pretty confident about the General and Subject GRE. I've done several practice tests. Sorry to tell you this, but these exams are not easy at all. They examine a way of thinking which is not hegemonic in Argentine higher education. I STRONGLY suggest you hire a private teacher or attend a prep course. I have one to recommend, if you are interested PM. TOEFL exam, required for non-English speakers, is expected to be easy (not being cocky, it's just that I've been studying for these exams for a long time now). Me too, but they are quite expensive for us so as to sit for them and do badly. I agree that TOEFL is much easier that GRE, focus on this one, TOEFL should be a piece of cake. 

I've been involved in a research project for about 2 years. No publications yet, though. We're still working on that and may have something to be published next year, after the application deadline. I might not be the first author. 

 

The LORs I'm expecting to have are positive, but no that special. Work on them. They are a VERY important element in your application package. Our professors/employers are not used to writing LORs so once you've selected the programs, tell your LORs about them, explain what they are recommending, why is there view important, etc. 

Finally, I've had a position as a TA for a year. This goes in your CV. Remember not to state in your SOP what you say in your CV (although the chemistry guys may be more accurate with SOP advice)

Taking all this into account, which kind of institution should I aim for? I now my grades are not good, but does anything else compensate that? Also, I'm about to turn 25. Should I postpone the application until I have this paper published? Is there such thing as 'too old to apply' for the admissions committee? Ok, this will be harsh, but I think is really stupid to worry about age. If you want to wait, it should be becasue your research questions are not "mature" enough. Now, if you have interests that you want to plunge into, go for it. GO FOR IT. And if you don't get in, you can apply the following application cycle. I know people that got into Phd programs without publications. From where I see it is not a matter of individual components but the whole application package. Your SOP and LORs are very important.

I apologize for the length of the post. Any help or comment would be much appreciated.
If you need anything else, PM me!

[biochemistry professor]

You should be competitive at mid-tier programs. We don't look at grades that closely with foreign students because they are difficult to compare against US standards. Good LORs and research experience count a lot. Age is not an issue. Write a personal statement tailored to each program describing how your interests fit their faculty.