How early is too early?

[alocus]

Hello!

I'm a fifth year senior at a large state school that, due to some very poor decisions the first half of my undergrad (major hopping, failed courses, irrelevant work experiences, etc), I've decided to take a few years off before applying to graduate programs. 

My stats currently look about like this:

GPA: 2.9

Major GPA (Botany): 3.6

Research: 1 year; 2 labs (one for an independent thesis project, one for an REU that is ongoing)

Interests (broadly): plant ecology, physiological ecology, genetics, and conservation. Alpine and temperate forest systems are most attractive to me. 

I'm hoping that by waiting another year or two, these last two semesters of grades will push me up over the 3.0 hard cutoff for many programs. I am also looking forward to collaborating on some manuscripts for each of the research projects I've been involved in next semester.

So the question becomes now what should I look forward to doing in my time off? I've kept my eyes open for tech jobs, REUs, and other seasonal stuff, but I can't help but get irrationally giddy every time I pull up my grad programs wishlist. I understand that these profs are probably being inundated with actual applicants right now, but is it too early to start reaching out? What does that conversation look like, and what are some of the scenarios that could come out of it? The best way I see it going is being able to work out some type of hourly employment deal. What could also be very beneficial is just getting hard feedback from the PI about what would make me a more attractive addition to their lab when I apply in the next year or so. How realistic is this - would I be jumping the gun?

[rising_star]

You would definitely be jumping the gun. A lot of PIs won't even know what their funding situation will look like a few years from now. For now, I'd stop looking at your grad program list altogether because it's a distraction. You already know that you're going to need to have the highest GPA you can manage plus excellent quantitative GRE scores to be competitive. So, you could start studying for the GRE if you really want to get going on the grad school prep.

I highly recommend that you focus on trying to get relevant research experience by working in a lab or in the field. I don't know what botany job boards are out there but surely there are some you could use to find potential employment. For conservation jobs, check out the TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries Job Board, as well as the Society of Conservation Biology's board. 

[biochemgirl67]

I would say you are over-exciting yourself with dreams of the future.  Even if you were to get a job in one of these labs, it does not mean that much for grad school.  The qualities a PI looks for in a grad student are completely different than the ones for a lab assistant.  And that's what you would be.  Your best shot would be to try and get a real job.  It'll show that you're focused and give you a tangible reason for going back to school.

 

Oh and BTW no REU programs accept graduated seniors.  And most of them too have a strong 3.0 cutoff.  Not to be picky, but if you have an REU experience with the kinds of grades you have and the described fairly limited experience, it just leaves me wondering.  Was it a real REU or something else?  You don't have to answer, but the way you represent yourself in the dialog you have with grad schools eventually will give them a peek into your personality; are you humbly seeking greater education or are you amplifying your past and trying to make excuses?  Again, I'm not trying to be harsh so please do not think so.

[alocus]

12 hours ago, rising_star said:

A lot of PIs won't even know what their funding situation will look like a few years from now

Great point, I had not thought of that!

 

2 hours ago, biochemgirl67 said:

Oh and BTW no REU programs accept graduated seniors

Not necessarily true. Many REU sites (Harvard Forest, Smithsonian ERC) allow recent graduates to apply, though the funding might be sourced differently. Also, I'm not terribly sure what you mean about the representation. I can assure you this was a real REU. And I'm definitely not attempting to describe my past as anything but it is - underwhelming. I only hope to show that since I discovered my interests, I have been motivated and diligent in pursuing them (academic probation to deans list, no experience to having consistent lab and field work during my residency in the department), and will continue to work as hard as I can to prove that I would be an asset to a graduate program. 

[ballwera]

5 hours ago, biochemgirl67 said:

I would say you are over-exciting yourself with dreams of the future.  Even if you were to get a job in one of these labs, it does not mean that much for grad school.  The qualities a PI looks for in a grad student are completely different than the ones for a lab assistant.  And that's what you would be.  Your best shot would be to try and get a real job.

That's a rather broad brush you are painting with. Every lab I've been associated with has treated techs as grad students, because to be honest there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two... 

[biochemgirl67]

1 hour ago, ballwera said:

That's a rather broad brush you are painting with. Every lab I've been associated with has treated techs as grad students, because to be honest there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two... 

And all the labs that I've researched in have treated lab techs as workhorses without the creativity allowance that the grad students enjoy.  I don't know if maybe it is a discipline thing, but lab techs don't design experiments, they perform them.  And that is a trait that PIs expect in the grad students; someone who has the ability and inclination to design experiments and projects rather than someone who keeps animal stocks, does genotyping, makes competent cells, cultures stocks, etc.  I was just making the point of to not get too excited at this stage because any PI the OP contacts will probably wonder why they are being contacted at this point.  The lab tech I worked with in Boston got the job through her graduating university for 2-3 years before med school.  That would really be a place to start with your university's(or any university you have worked at) connections to labs and institutions rather than cold emailing the PIs.  But then, take my advice with a grain of salt; I'm a person that actually doesn't agree with all the emailing of grad students/faculty at prospective programs.  I think it is presumptive and can be annoying.  I lean more conservatively toward emailing the program director if you truly have questions, not just if you want an in, as so many people on this site seem to do.  Your dedication to improvement and accumulated experience will shine through without the emails, believe me.  But again, I'm sure there are people who would disagree and encourage emailing and contacting.  It's really up to you.

[biochemgirl67]

4 hours ago, alocus said:

Great point, I had not thought of that!

 

Not necessarily true. Many REU sites (Harvard Forest, Smithsonian ERC) allow recent graduates to apply, though the funding might be sourced differently. Also, I'm not terribly sure what you mean about the representation. I can assure you this was a real REU. And I'm definitely not attempting to describe my past as anything but it is - underwhelming. I only hope to show that since I discovered my interests, I have been motivated and diligent in pursuing them (academic probation to deans list, no experience to having consistent lab and field work during my residency in the department), and will continue to work as hard as I can to prove that I would be an asset to a graduate program. 

I'm so sorry, I misread it and thought it said, "REU-type thing."  Which is what people say at my university when they are trying to say their summer lab assistant job at their lab was more than it really was.  I literally had some guy freshman year tell me he got an REU as a freshman to stay at the university when all he did was wash dishes.  And the only reason people found out was because he was running around saying the genetics department picked him specially for his wide array of talents.