Question from a Canadian student "dreaming" of going to a top ranking graduate school

[scientist410]

Hello everyone,

Before I start my question I just want to clarify the title. When I say I'm " 'dreaming' of wanting to go to a top ranking graduate school" what I really mean is that it's a nice thought to hypothetically explore but practicality/ reality would dictate it to be seriously unlikely for me. So really it's just a thought experiment and can even be a guiding motivator for myself.

Anyways on to the point - the field that I want to do graduate school for is Immunology & Infectious Disease. The two websites that I've used to gather what the best schools in the USA are: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/infectious-disease-rankings,  and http://www.phds.org/rankings/immunology.

I used the phds.org for a Top 10 List because I couldn't find one (I don't even fully understand their ranking  to be honest). As for my stats I currently have a cumulative GPA of 3.27, going into my third year of university and no laboratory experience yet. If you're reading this and thinking "yikes", trust me I know, I already have my work cut out for me to try and get into a Canadian grad school. Regardless I thought it would be nice to explore the question: what could I do to turn myself around for my last two undergraduate years to potentially make myself competitive to be a graduate student at these schools? I was hoping some of you may be able to help me answer that. 

If you've read this and are thinking "yeah he's basically got not chance anyhow" go ahead and put it anyways because that's how I really see it anyways. In all seriousness though I know how important this is to other people and I don't want this post to sound like an entire joke, it was just meant to help my pondering about how such a pipe dream can be achieved.

Thanks!

Edit: I just realized that my question was geared towards getting in straight out of undergrad but for the sake of argument the idea that I've done a Master's degree in Canada can also be considered as a possible launch point for getting in.

Edited August 24, 2015 by scientist410

[TakeruK]

For graduate schools, your GPA in the last two years of undergrad (and MSc if you do one) would be more important than the first two years. So, although your current GPA isn't competitive for top US schools, I would say that all the grades that are yet to come will count for a lot more than what you have so far. You should work on improving that GPA over the next two years, for both top US and top Canadian schools.

Another thing you can do (another thing you should do) is get research experience. There are three main ways to do so:

1. Find a lab that is willing to let you volunteer or pay you to do some work. Talk to the professors in the classes and/or just ask to meet with people in your department that do work which interests you. Let them know that you are interested in research work with them!

2. Get work experience as part of a co-op work program, if your school has that. I was able to get 16 months of full time work experience in this way through UBC, and that helped a lot for applications (and publications!)

3. Win a summer research grant. The problems with 1 & 2 above is that a professor might be interested in you but have no money to pay you. There are programs from NSERC and CIHR (depending on where your research interests lie) that you should be applying to. Look for additional opportunities as well. 

Finally, in your last year of undergrad, apply to both Canadian MSc program and "dream" US schools. If you don't get into a dream US school, you can certainly get a Canadian MSc first and then decide what you want to do afterwards (maybe you can then apply to a dream US school, or maybe you decide you don't want a PhD, or maybe you find another PhD program in Canada). Good luck!

[scientist410]

Yup, GPA was always a clear goal to fix although I wasn't aware the "last two years rule" could also apply to schools in the United States, I thought it was just cumulative GPA. This may sound slightly redundant but do school research courses count as research experience? Also at UofC doesn't officially support any Co-op/ Internships for my field so looking outwards I found a bunch of things in the States I'm not eligible for (because not a citizen) or international ones where I don't have much competitiveness, any further ideas that may help broaden the search?

Edit: also take the GRE right? 

Edited August 25, 2015 by scientist410

[TakeruK]

US schools will ask for your cumulative GPA. But they also want to see your transcript. They will also consider trends in GPA and will also (sensibly) weigh upper level classes more than lower level classes.

Also, the GRE is required for almost all US schools! Doing well on it can help offset a GPA too.

Can you talk to professors about working for them (even if there is no official U of C system)? Also ask them if you can apply for NSERC USRA or CIHR undergrad research awards through them?

[scientist410]

Yeah talking to professors is how its done. If I was unclear, Internships/Co-ops are meant for fields that can have direct industry jobs out of university to say (ie. Ecology, Computer Science, Applied Chemistry). 

[TakeruK]

Yeah talking to professors is how its done. If I was unclear, Internships/Co-ops are meant for fields that can have direct industry jobs out of university to say (ie. Ecology, Computer Science, Applied Chemistry). 

Ah okay. The majority of co-ops at UBC are industry jobs (in fact, almost every job in the Co-op website's job database, and thus almost every job that they help you find) are industry. However, you can just set up your own arrangement with the professor and it will still count as a co-op placement (that is, you don't have to use the co-op center if you don't want to). The downside is that you pay co-op fees (fees are still much less than the earned income though) but the positive side is that without officially enrolling in a co-op program, I would have not been able to get a honours BSc degree because I would not be taking courses during co-op terms and I get to keep full time student status, helpful for things like tax status, benefits, etc.