Grad School Chances

[aralat]

Hi there,

 

I am an Iranian Chemistry student at SUT, the top university in Iran. I have 18.80 ot of 20 GPA, my toefi iBT is 105 and I've got 93% in GRE Chemistry. I am going to take GRE general on October. I have 13 months of research experience with one publication in submission stage. I have also been TA for the previous semester.

 

I am wondering about my chances to be accepted at top ranked universities like MIT, Princeton, Harvard and etc. What is it about my resume that is lacking?

 

Thanks in advance

[GeoDUDE!]

Credentials, like the ones you have, only go so far. You are obviously a very smart person, because you have excellent grades and have a Very strong subject GRE. 

 

I assume that you want to go for a PhD, which is great, with the exception that your credentials only give you a stage in which you can speak from and not an acceptance. Your SOP and the supporting LOR are infinitely more important than the rest of your application. Generally, people with strong Statement of Purposes(SOP) have strong grades, there is a correlation, but you must make an argument to the admissions committee that your vision of the future, in terms of addressing problems that need to be solved in your field is one that will benefit the department and the field symbiotically. 

 

If you can do that, and the research fit is great, then I have no doubt that you will be accepted into almost every university you apply to.  Someone who has less research experience, worse GPA, and a lower GRE score can EASILY surpass a student like yourself if their Statement is controlled, precise vision that goes in line with the department and their LOR are connected and strong. Doing this is the hardest thing about graduate applications, because getting an A a class is hardwork, but its mechanical. A statement of purpose lets the department know how creative you are.

[aralat]

Thank you so much GeoDUDE! for your kind remarks.

 

As you have illustrated the problem lies in writing SOP. What do you think I should include? In other words, How do you think I should propose my application to such departments?

[Usmivka]

Thank you so much GeoDUDE! for your kind remarks.

 

As you have illustrated the problem lies in writing SOP. What do you think I should include? In other words, How do you think I should propose my application to such departments?

Answer the questions they pose and address the issues they highlight in the prompt. Getting off topic and trying to extoll your virtues when only tangentially related to the format an adcom is expecting does not help your chances. For specifics on how to frame your SOP and what you should (and shouldn't) include, I strongly encourage you to look in the Applications section of the forum, where there is an entire subforum devoted to this question.