What do you guys think my admission chances are...? Thanks.

[Adenine_Monarch]

So...the background on me:

 

uGPA: 3.78 (USC - Biological Sciences)
GRE: 162V/160Q/5AW (89/78/93 percentile) just took it in July.
I'm going to be taking the subject test this Saturday in Biology (prac test indicates that I may get somewhere in the 75-85% range, I hope)
5 papers (4 middle author, one 2nd author), also some abstracts and posters, though I was not the one to go to the conference...

Am expecting LORs from PI and two senior members of my lab (project scientists)

 

I should also add that I've been out of school almost 10 years and I was a tech/researcher in a gene therapy lab for 8 years, so I definitely know what grad students go through and I have a firm knowledge of techniques and lab experience. I took the last year off to decide on grad school, study for the GRE and spend time with my family (the calm before the storm....)

 

....now I wanna go back to school, too.

 

I'm interested in applying to molecular/micro/genetics or immunology type programs such as:

 

Stanford (Biosciences)

Berkeley (CMB)

Cal Tech (Biology)
UW (MCB, GS or Immunology - can't decide)

UT Southwestern

UC Davis (BMCDB)

UC Irvine (CMB)

Univ of Arizona (ABBS)

Rice (BCB)

USC (PIBBS)

Univ of Utah (MCEB)

Univ of Nevada, Reno (CMB)

City of Hope

 

Honestly don't think I'd get into Stanford or Berkeley, but I don't want to sell myself short, either. Might have a hit or miss chance at Cal Tech, UW, UT SW and Davis. The others hopefully aren't that hard. I've tried to come up with a range of easier/harder places.

What do you guys think?!! Did you get into these places? What sort of credentials did you have?

 

Are there any other places/progs you guys would recommend for me?
How much do you think my being out of school for a decade will matter?

Should I mention anything about family/time management in my SOP/PS or keep that sort of stuff out?
Is 13 programs too many? Seems like some people think the more the merrier, others that it just makes you look desperate...

 

Please advise!!! Thank you.

[sunpenguin]

I don't think 13 programs is too many. I'm applying to 14. I have some geographic restrictions, so I'm applying to every program that's a good fit in the cities that are possible for me. I don't think it makes you look desperate, because the programs you're applying to will never know how many others you're also applying to. IMHO your list looks like a good mix of more and less competitive universities.

 

Your credentials look pretty good, I would think. So don't discount the highly competitive programs...but also don't discount the possibility that another program that's not quite as prestigious might turn out to be the best one for you, regardless of whether you get into Stanford or Berkeley.

[Adenine_Monarch]

Yes, the schools wouldn't really know...but your recommenders will! I wonder if that would at all "translate" negatively to their letters....probably not, but I guess you never know. You wouldn't want to annoy your recommenders with too many letters, either....