Grad school admission for an international student?

[tethar]

Hi guys!

I am an international student from Asia currently studying pharmacology in a big research university in Canada. I am thinking of applying to grad programs in the US next year cycle, and am wondering where I stand in terms of admission. Since many of the people have just gone through (or still going through) the admission, I thought if you could give me some advice!

GPA: mid 3.5

Research Experience: 4 years (3 wet labs & 1 year internship in clinical lab)

Papers: 4 co-author but all in clinical

Other factors: two business & finance internship, International student

I am thinking of applying to; Columbia, Michigan, Johns Hopkins, UCSD (and some other good school that you recommend?

 

I know the "what is my chance" question is not very practical, but since I am making a big career change (I was intending to work in business) I would like to know my situations well before I make the move.

 

Thank you so much guys! and Congrats & Good Luck to everyone!

[MackF]

I'd say that your credentials are really solid.  However, those are all top tier programs.  I'd highly consider applying to some middle tier programs as well (Vanderbilt, Purdue, Rochester, Florida, etc).  Not saying that you won't get in to the ones you're looking at, but those are some of the most competitive schools in the field.  

[byt2104]

I'm Canadian, and so I'm treated like any other international applicant, though the fact that I went to school here might make a difference.  I have similar numbers to you, but less research and no publications.  As you can see from my sig, I got interviewed at 4 good programs, and have already been accepted to Sloan-Kettering.  Just make sure you have good LOR and a strong personal statement and you should be OK.  Also, some state/public schools are mandated to accept more Americans, so keep that in mind.

[tethar]

Thank you very much for your reply MackF and byt2104! Your comments made me feel much more confident, and it means a lot to me!

 

My current situation is actually a little unique (in a bad way?) and I am wondering if you guys could please give me some advice?

 

I am graduating this June, and was planning on working in completely different field big financial firm. However, I have been thinking a lot and am realizing that my passion lies in Scientific research. Since, I did not intend to go to grad school initially, I missed application cycle.. so here are my options now:

 

1. Work as a lab assistant one year and apply next year - but the problem is I cannot guarantee a placement and I will lose one year

 

2. Enrol in my current lab in my university in Canada (not pharmacology but related field) as a masters student - the supervisor proposed me some interesting and hopeful project that I may be able to complete in 2-3 years. Maybe I can try to go for phD in US after getting my masters here

 

3. Work in finance for 1-2 year and try to come back to science - This may help me determine what I really want to do and build up some money for grad school, without taking a risk of resiging the contract. The downside is offcourse that I will not be doing science and it is hard for me to come back (Is it?)

 

I am also not Canadian, but am studying in Canada as an international student from Asia.

 

Thanks so much again for your help! Hope you guys have a great weekend!

[TakeruK]

I think you have some good credentials and have a good shot at top programs. But I think what the "right" advice for you is will really depend on what your longer term career goals are. So maybe that is the most important first step--decide for sure what you want the next year(s)!

 

Also, depending on your goals, it might not be necessary to apply to mid-tier programs. If you want to be in grad school no matter what, then you should definitely apply to a good range of programs including top and middle tiers. If you have other goals as well and only seek top programs, then I think it makes sense for international students to be more selective and only apply to the top programs. There may be little reward to go through all the hassle of being a grad student in a foreign country when you have other goals/options you can pursue. In my application year, I had only applied to top programs and had alternate non-academic plans if I didn't get in anywhere.

 

To respond to your specific questions/options:

 

1. Work as a lab assistant one year and apply next year - but the problem is I cannot guarantee a placement and I will lose one year

 

2. Enrol in my current lab in my university in Canada (not pharmacology but related field) as a masters student - the supervisor proposed me some interesting and hopeful project that I may be able to complete in 2-3 years. Maybe I can try to go for phD in US after getting my masters here

 

3. Work in finance for 1-2 year and try to come back to science - This may help me determine what I really want to do and build up some money for grad school, without taking a risk of resiging the contract. The downside is offcourse that I will not be doing science and it is hard for me to come back (Is it?)

 

I think if you want to pursue science/academia and if you can start in Fall 2014, your best option is to do the Masters (#2). Canadian Masters programs are generally fully funded in STEM and basically is the same as the first 2 years of a US PhD program. Doing this will prepare you very well for graduate school, give you access to academics at your program (LORs), and give you a lot of research experience. Having a Canadian MSc will also set you up for a Canadian PhD program if you choose that route afterwards (i.e. more places you can apply to PhD programs).

 

If you are not able to start a Masters this fall, then you might want to consider Option #1 if you feel that you can do really good work in a specific lab and if you really want to start a PhD ASAP (although I don't really think a few years is a big difference). I think that if your goal is academia, then you would be best served in an academic program.

 

Option #3 is a fine idea too, but I don't think you need to worry about "saving money for grad school" since most PhD programs in the sciences are fully funded (although some are better funded than others). You can still come back to science after 1-2 years away (I know plenty of profs and grad students who have done something else between undergrad and grad school). It's harder of course, but if you are not 100% sure your ultimate goal is academia, I think Option #3 is a pretty cool opportunity you should take up. Like you said, it will be a good way to determine if you are still interested in that career or not! Also, a lot of people who tried other things before grad school said they were glad that they did because while grad school can suck at some points, they at least took comfort in knowing that they tried something else and didn't like it as much. It prevents "grass is greener on the other side" type thoughts. 

 

So I think Options 2 or 3 are the best for you, depending on how sure you are about your future goals! Good luck!

[bsharpe269]

If you are funded or can afford the masters then I would go that route. I am doing a masters now and have gained so much knowledge, confidence, and maturity that I think it will help me a ton in phd applications. If the masters isnt funded and you would go into significant debt then I would do #1. I wouldnt worry about losing a year... its really not a race to the end. If you enjoy research then you will probably enjoy the year of lab work and it wont be a waste at all!

[tethar]

Thank you so much guys for your kind responses! All of your comments are really helpful for me.
I think I will try to start my masters in my university from this fall if possible!
Thanks again, and good luck to you guys too!