How to fill the next year

[floatingmolecule]

Wow.  Just over a month ago, I was so peppy.  I am just a shadow of that now. 

Since then, I got a TA position and completed online classes, informed the schools left of what I've been up to.

And heard nothing (of course).

Edited April 14, 2015 by floatingmolecule

[motrax]

Work, pick up an internship/volunteership, coursera/other online things to keep stuff fresh.

[WhitH]

 I'm not an international student, so I could be wrong on this, but from what I understand the GRE is probably the least important part of your application. It seems to work like this-- a very low score could keep you out of a school, but a great score will not get you in alone. So while it is important to retake the GRE and show some improvement, I think that putting all of your energy into making it "perfect" may be less worthy of your time then securing a tech position. You need to show the admissions committees that you've tried to address all weaknesses in your application to the best of your ability, but outside of showing effort and some improvement I'm not sure that the GRE will be that important. Definitely get yourself a tech position, preferably in a decent lab where you can get LORs from people who carry weight if possible. While getting tech jobs are tough straight out of uni, you seem to have a decent resume that most PIs would gravitate towards. At the end of the day all they want is a good technician, so I think that as long as there aren't too many hoops to jump through they would be ok with your international status. HOWEVER, I would strongly suggest considering taking two years off instead of applying for the next season. PIs strongly prefer a candidate that will guarantee 2 years, and based on what I've seen from the hiring process of technicians this is a deal breaker. Also, the best way to overcome low GREs and no publications is by getting some solid full time research experience, so taking the two years will work very much to your advantage. It will also show commitment to the admissions committees. I would also work on strengthening your personal statement and think about the people you've asked to submit LORs for you. If you think any of them may be a bit weak, try to swap it out for a better one next season.

[sfrie]

As a contrast to everyone else, I don't know that your GRE scores are all that important. While of course they can be improved, and it can't hurt to retake, I had very similar scores (165V; 155Q; 4W) and got into every school I applied to. I think research experience and showing that you can follow through on projects (either with a publication or presentation/award at a conference) is by far what matters most. Also, it really helps to reach out beforehand to potential PIs and get them to pull for you with admissions (though this definitely depends on the types of programs you're applying for). 

 

Sounds like you're off to a great start for your next year's applications. Good luck!