2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[Eustace122]

Undergrad Institution: small liberal arts college
Major(s): Biology
GPA in Major: 3.35
Overall GPA: 3.24
Grad School GPA: 3.80;   (M.S. Biology; will graduate next spring)
Type of Student: (Domestic/Male)

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 160
V: 165
W:5.0
B: still deciding whether to take the subject exam

Research Experience: summer undergrad research; research tech for 3 years;  currently grad student in microbiology lab; paper pending, 3rd author.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Biology TA for 3 years;  worked as research technician in cancer biology lab for 3 years after undergrad.

Applying to Where: Case Western; Ohio State; WashU; Baylor; University of Washington; Mayo? 

Do I have a shot at any reach schools--> WashU, Baylor, University of Washington, Mayo?  Will my graduate GPA help balance out my lower undergrad GPA?  Thanks for any feedback!

[biochemgirl67]

On 3/14/2016 at 0:53 PM, PlanB said:

Your stats are just not competitive enough for most of the programs you have listed in your post. I would increase substantially diversify your list of programs. Many other so-called "lower ranked programs" are excellent and should not be overlooked.

You're very right.  I don't know why everyone is downvoting your comment, especially since honesty is essential before this guy goes and spends all that money and time on applications.  @Dank you could take the Biology or even better biochemistry/Molecular Biology subject test to put off your GPA issues.  NO LETTERS FROM POST DOCS.  That is not an option.  If you don't have any letters from a faculty member that has overseen your research or a supervisor in industry, you are 100% going to need to diversify a lot. Maybe focus on fit and reach out to potential mentors beforehand to not waste your time. 

[biochemgirl67]

I'm concerned that as a master's student you have a 3rd author paper... At least the ones i knew would have one by the end of their thesis.  But other than that, of course you have a shot at those schools.  Especially since I'm assuming you have a mentor who will vouch well for you currently.  But to be safe, I would definitely expand your applications to more than 4 schools.  And focus on fit more than anything!

[biochemgirl67]

5 hours ago, PlanB said:

biochemgirl67 I am so shocked to hear you say that considering how you felt earlier in the season about this subject.  

I think before the applications are in and options are still open, it's really important to be honest.  After the applications are in and it's a done deal, however, it might cause undue stress on the poor person sitting there thinking oh my god what am I going to do.  Right now, honesty can change something.  After submission, it's kind of just up in the air and not in the applicant's hands to worry about.  Most people will search out other options by the end of January if they haven't heard back if they overshot in all their programs.

Basically it's a timing thing of whether or not I think it's worth it to tell the person their choices don't have a great chance of working out to their best advantage.  And all these people apply to the top 10 programs but honestly don't realize the whole game is a fit search.  I did not like any of the more "prestigious" schools I visited more than or as much as Vanderbilt.  The school you don't consider your top choice (Vanderbilt for me) may actually be your top choice in the end so people might as well diversify their list based on fit.  So yeah, I wouldn't tell some poor anxious applicant he wasn't gonna get in anywhere if he had already submitted.  But now, I would definitely be more blunt about how your record, precluding special circumstances, does indeed affect your acceptance.

Edited March 19, 2016 by biochemgirl67

[immuno91]

In what may be a surprise to nobody, I'm going to disagree with those preaching about GPA. About myself: I graduated from a liberal arts school with a 3.5 GPA and a 3.4 BCMP GPA. Admittedly, I had 2.5 years of full-time research experience by the time I applied. Counterpoint: my undergraduate research experience consisted of a nine month thesis project. My GRE was a 163/163 for those curious about that.

Now, having had the opportunity to work (and have candid conversations) with a faculty member on the Harvard BBS admissions committee, I'll say my piece. GPA and GRE matter in the screening process. But they don't have to be amazing. The general rule that I've heard for screening applicants is a GPA above 3.5 or 160+/160+ on the GRE. One is forgivable, but missing both won't do. Fortunately, one of these can be rectified somewhat easier than the other (GRE scores are easy to move, GPA not so much). Should people with lower GPAs apply more broadly? Yes. But let's stop saying that GPA is a be all, end all here. It's not. Maybe for some of the less lab oriented sciences (stats, biostats, bioinformatics), GPA is much more important. But for lab-based sciences, programs that are ultimately bench focused, there's a reason that you see a reasonable number of people getting into top tier programs with 3.5 GPAs while a lot of people with 3.8 GPAs or whatever are getting rejected pre-interview. That being said, there are likely some programs that value GPA more than others. The best way, in my opinion, to assess this is to see what the program says about GPA on its website. If the program is showcasing high mean/median GPAs for interviewees/accepted students, then they probably care more about GPA than your average program. If the program, however, is just reporting a range (Stanford Biosciences: 2.88-4.00) or doesn't say much (Harvard DMS: "There is no minimum GPA..."), then they're probably looking at other things a little more closely.

Moving on to other parts of your application, the most consistent piece of advice that I've received is that your letters are by far the most important part of the package. This is the reason why it is critical to have faculty members (if the work was done in an academic setting) or senior supervisors (ideally with a doctoral degree in a non-academic setting) write them. The commentary I've heard is that it's the letters that will make or break getting invited to an interview (hence why it's important to have people that know your work write the letters - what does this mean if your PI doesn't know you that well? Maybe see if a post-doc that does know you well can prepare a draft for your PI to edit/sign). Some of the comments in this thread have been focused on getting people to improve their package. Advising people to find the best letter writers (non-postdoc letter writers) is probably some of the best advice that can be given. It's certainly better than the GPA commentary.

Research experience is probably the other most important factor. There are a fair number of programs that place a premium on having post-bacc research experience - and I think every faculty member knows that working full time in a lab for a year is much different than working full time in the summer/part time during the school year. However, I think a lot of people underestimate the importance of your resume/CV in the process. That is your opportunity to convince the admissions committee that 1) you have significant experience, 2) you can articulate it briefly, and (program dependent) 3) that you have other interests besides science (because guess what - these programs want good scientists, but they also want to foster a great community within the program; half of my interviews spent more time discussing my experience as a college athlete than my research experience). I know that my PI edited my CV 3 or 4 times before I was ready to submit it. Also, it's worth tailoring your CV to certain programs. I applied to programs at JHSPH and UW that were based in schools of public health - as such, I put more emphasis on my experience working abroad on public health related projects in the CVs that I sent to those schools.

Of course, all this being said, if you can't remedy the deficiencies in your application by the time to apply (your GRE isn't 160/160, that third letter hasn't really fallen into place), then it may be time to reevaluate your chances at some of the higher ranked programs. And certainly, in the meantime, you should look at other programs that may not be as highly ranked (though I'm curious as to when BU, Sinai, and UMiami became top tier - they're good, but let's not get carried away). But absolutely don't discount higher ranked programs because of GPA. This is probably the most holistic admissions process you'll ever encounter. That is something to be taken advantage of.

[imsocorkyy]

Hi, I found this forum and thought I'd post just for some advice. 

 

Undergrad Institution: San Diego State University 
Major(s): Biology B.S. (possibly an emphasis on Cellular and Molecular if I can squeeze in a last class requirement before graduating)
Minor(s): N/A
GPA in Major: --- (will know after this semester; probably like 3.65-3.7 max)
Overall GPA: 3.79
Position in Class: Based on the honor societies that keep contacting me, I know I'm at least in the top 10% of my year. There's no other way for me to know my exact ranking since my school doesn't do that afaik.
Type of Student: Domestic Black female

Research Experience: 

By the time I graduate, I will have had 1.5 years of research experience in a structural biology lab. I don't have any papers published. And so far no conferences nor presentations, but hopefully I can get one or more in before applying. That's my goal for the summer and fall.

This might not be counted as your typical research experience per se, but I'll also have experience for a semester in a genomics lab focused on regenerative biology with planarians as the model organism. It is a class (as in I get graded work and stuff) but it is one that is solely working with the professor on his research because he had obtained a grant that required him to have a small class in which students take part in his work and such. So I basically do what students in his lab do as well (I just get graded on assignments relating to it). I'd hope schools don't overlook that it is 'just another class' when we're doing research and publishable work.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

- Dean's List every semester since I came in as a freshman.

- Been in an academic honors society since freshman year.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

I have worked part time since the beginning of college (so about 3.5 years now) and have had a lead position (essentially a student manager) for almost 1.5 years.

I have been active in several clubs but they're irrelevant for this since they're not research/science (basically health/pre-health clubs)...

Special Bonus Points: Like I said above, I'm a Black female. Not sure if it is a bonus point or not, but I'm also Muslim.

Applying to Where:

Schools I was suggested to check out: Indiana University, U of Oregon, maybe Boston University. Applying to Cell & Molec. Bio programs. 

Just looking at the info I provided alone (so w/o factoring in GRE since I didn't take it yet), what other schools do you guys suggest I should start looking at? I know there isn't much I gave you guys and it's about fit and all at the end of the day but I just want some recommendations. I don't have interest in applying to UCLA, UCSD, nor UCI since I've been in SD my whole life and would like to go somewhere farther. And UCD and UCSF campuses aren't in places I'd like living, so I'm interested in schools outside of CA. 

I know I don't have much. Unfortunately I didn't fully decide to drop my pre-health route and do research/PhD till I was already in the middle of my junior year :/ I know my research area is my weak point. I was told that with my GPA and lack of published papers, it might make my time doing research look flat. 

Also, do you suggest taking the subject exam? I receive mixed opinions on this so I thought I'd get some more input from you guys.

Edited March 21, 2016 by imsocorkyy

[biochemgirl67]

56 minutes ago, imsocorkyy said:

Hi, I found this forum and thought I'd post just for some advice. 

 

Undergrad Institution: San Diego State University 
Major(s): Biology B.S. (possibly an emphasis on Cellular and Molecular if I can squeeze in a last class requirement before graduating)
Minor(s): N/A
GPA in Major: --- (will know after this semester; probably like 3.65-3.7 max)
Overall GPA: 3.79
Position in Class: Based on the honor societies that keep contacting me, I know I'm at least in the top 10% of my year. There's no other way for me to know my exact ranking since my school doesn't do that afaik.
Type of Student: Domestic Black female

Research Experience: 

By the time I graduate, I will have had 1.5 years of research experience in a structural biology lab. I don't have any papers published. And so far no conferences nor presentations, but hopefully I can get one or more in before applying. That's my goal for the summer and fall.

This might not be counted as your typical research experience per se, but I'll also have experience for a semester in a genomics lab focused on regenerative biology with planarians as the model organism. It is a class (as in I get graded work and stuff) but it is one that is solely working with the professor on his research because he had obtained a grant that required him to have a small class in which students take part in his work and such. So I basically do what students in his lab do as well (I just get graded on assignments relating to it). I'd hope schools don't overlook that it is 'just another class' when we're doing research and publishable work.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

- Dean's List every semester since I came in as a freshman.

- Been in an academic honors society since freshman year.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

I have worked part time since the beginning of college (so about 3.5 years now) and have had a lead position (essentially a student manager) for almost 1.5 years.

I have been active in several clubs but they're irrelevant for this since they're not research/science (basically health/pre-health clubs)...

Special Bonus Points: Like I said above, I'm a Black female. Not sure if it is a bonus point or not, but I'm also Muslim.

Applying to Where:

Schools I was suggested to check out: Indiana University, U of Oregon, maybe Boston University. Applying to Cell & Molec. Bio programs. 

Just looking at the info I provided alone (so w/o factoring in GRE since I didn't take it yet), what other schools do you guys suggest I should start looking at? I know there isn't much I gave you guys and it's about fit and all at the end of the day but I just want some recommendations. I don't have interest in applying to UCLA, UCSD, nor UCI since I've been in SD my whole life and would like to go somewhere farther. And UCD and UCSF campuses aren't in places I'd like living, so I'm interested in schools outside of CA. 

I know I don't have much. Unfortunately I didn't fully decide to drop my pre-health route and do research/PhD till I was already in the middle of my junior year :/ I know my research area is my weak point. I was told that with my GPA and lack of published papers, it might make my time doing research look flat. 

Also, do you suggest taking the subject exam? I receive mixed opinions on this so I thought I'd get some more input from you guys.

Um... you have pretty good research experience.  Actually a pretty good profile overall.  (Who told you your experience was "flat"???  You don't need published papers!  And your GPA is great!)  Depending on if you want to work in medical-focused research (ie with a medical school attached) or in a more basic capacity, you'll begin to choose schools.  The 3 schools you mentioned are a good start, but you can shoot higher if you want to.  Vanderbilt (hey I'm biased), UVA, Emory, Duke, UNC, Princeton (you said structural biology and they're very good at that), University of Washington, Cornell (Weill-Cornell if you're interested in medical stuff), University of Minnesota, Yale, Baylor, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Utah might be a good starting place.  I don't see any reason to limit yourself.  Hell, you could even apply to MIT and Harvard if they suited your fancy.  Just continue working in research over the summer, give a poster presentation, a lab meeting presentation, and do well on the GRE.  If you have good letters of recommendation, at least 1 from someone who's seen you research (and it looks like you might have 2... plant genomics guy and structural biology prof), you will be great. 

I think the person who was being down on your profile might be a tad salty for some unknown reason.  Don't listen to them.  Take it from the girl from a state college with a 3.76 GPA, 3 semesters of long-term research, and 2 summer research positions before she applied.  And got in.  To grad school.

[Aequorea]

2 hours ago, imsocorkyy said:

Hi, I found this forum and thought I'd post just for some advice. 

 

Undergrad Institution: San Diego State University 
Major(s): Biology B.S. (possibly an emphasis on Cellular and Molecular if I can squeeze in a last class requirement before graduating)
Minor(s): N/A
GPA in Major: --- (will know after this semester; probably like 3.65-3.7 max)
Overall GPA: 3.79
Position in Class: Based on the honor societies that keep contacting me, I know I'm at least in the top 10% of my year. There's no other way for me to know my exact ranking since my school doesn't do that afaik.
Type of Student: Domestic Black female

Research Experience: 

By the time I graduate, I will have had 1.5 years of research experience in a structural biology lab. I don't have any papers published. And so far no conferences nor presentations, but hopefully I can get one or more in before applying. That's my goal for the summer and fall.

This might not be counted as your typical research experience per se, but I'll also have experience for a semester in a genomics lab focused on regenerative biology with planarians as the model organism. It is a class (as in I get graded work and stuff) but it is one that is solely working with the professor on his research because he had obtained a grant that required him to have a small class in which students take part in his work and such. So I basically do what students in his lab do as well (I just get graded on assignments relating to it). I'd hope schools don't overlook that it is 'just another class' when we're doing research and publishable work.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

- Dean's List every semester since I came in as a freshman.

- Been in an academic honors society since freshman year.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

I have worked part time since the beginning of college (so about 3.5 years now) and have had a lead position (essentially a student manager) for almost 1.5 years.

I have been active in several clubs but they're irrelevant for this since they're not research/science (basically health/pre-health clubs)...

Special Bonus Points: Like I said above, I'm a Black female. Not sure if it is a bonus point or not, but I'm also Muslim.

Applying to Where:

Schools I was suggested to check out: Indiana University, U of Oregon, maybe Boston University. Applying to Cell & Molec. Bio programs. 

Just looking at the info I provided alone (so w/o factoring in GRE since I didn't take it yet), what other schools do you guys suggest I should start looking at? I know there isn't much I gave you guys and it's about fit and all at the end of the day but I just want some recommendations. I don't have interest in applying to UCLA, UCSD, nor UCI since I've been in SD my whole life and would like to go somewhere farther. And UCD and UCSF campuses aren't in places I'd like living, so I'm interested in schools outside of CA. 

I know I don't have much. Unfortunately I didn't fully decide to drop my pre-health route and do research/PhD till I was already in the middle of my junior year :/ I know my research area is my weak point. I was told that with my GPA and lack of published papers, it might make my time doing research look flat. 

Also, do you suggest taking the subject exam? I receive mixed opinions on this so I thought I'd get some more input from you guys.

Hello fellow Aztec!!

I just wanted to let you know that I agree with @biochemgirl67 that you can shoot higher and that your stats are not bad at all. I had a 3.7 (messed up my first semester with a 3.0) with meh GRE scores 158/158/4.5 and I still got into graduate school. I have about 2.5 years of research experience, but no publications. I actually applied to pretty "top" schools (University of Chicago, Harvard, UT Southwestern, Weill Cornell, etc.) and didn't really choose a "safety school".. really risky but it paid off for me since I did get into a few places. 

I heard from various people that you should take the subject GRE if your GPA is a bit lacking, but I'm not too sure if that actually helps. And as mentioned above, get some good letters from people who have seen your research and get your personal statement checked many many times. (If you're still in school next semester, you should may consider taking Biol 247 with Maureen) Also you should focus on professors' research at different institutions and choose places that have multiple faculty you'd like to work with. All the schools that biochemgirl mentioned are great schools, but ultimately depends on the type of research you'd like to do

 

[imsocorkyy]

19 hours ago, biochemgirl67 said:

Um... you have pretty good research experience.  Actually a pretty good profile overall.  (Who told you your experience was "flat"???  You don't need published papers!  And your GPA is great!)  Depending on if you want to work in medical-focused research (ie with a medical school attached) or in a more basic capacity, you'll begin to choose schools.  The 3 schools you mentioned are a good start, but you can shoot higher if you want to.  Vanderbilt (hey I'm biased), UVA, Emory, Duke, UNC, Princeton (you said structural biology and they're very good at that), University of Washington, Cornell (Weill-Cornell if you're interested in medical stuff), University of Minnesota, Yale, Baylor, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Utah might be a good starting place.  I don't see any reason to limit yourself.  Hell, you could even apply to MIT and Harvard if they suited your fancy.  Just continue working in research over the summer, give a poster presentation, a lab meeting presentation, and do well on the GRE.  If you have good letters of recommendation, at least 1 from someone who's seen you research (and it looks like you might have 2... plant genomics guy and structural biology prof), you will be great. 

I think the person who was being down on your profile might be a tad salty for some unknown reason.  Don't listen to them.  Take it from the girl from a state college with a 3.76 GPA, 3 semesters of long-term research, and 2 summer research positions before she applied.  And got in.  To grad school.

It was actually a professor I was getting advice from that told me that since my GPA is high and I have no papers, they might think I didn't do much in my research, and thus being 'flat'. But as long as I have good LORs, decent GREs, and discuss my research in SOP, then I am assuming I should be good? 

Oh wow, those are some schools I honestly thought might not even look at my app. I was interested in Cornell and UPenn at first and they alone felt like a massive reach - so it's nice to hear I can actually take a shot at those places (and even higher). I'm guessing I can look at UCB and Stanford too then (the only CA schools I'd consider)?

Thanks so much for the info!! I was extremely worried after talking to the professor so I was beginning to think my chances were slim to none at the places I liked and researched already, which are basically the places you mentioned. Nice to know I have some hope after all!

 

17 hours ago, Aequorea said:

Hello fellow Aztec!!

I just wanted to let you know that I agree with @biochemgirl67 that you can shoot higher and that your stats are not bad at all. I had a 3.7 (messed up my first semester with a 3.0) with meh GRE scores 158/158/4.5 and I still got into graduate school. I have about 2.5 years of research experience, but no publications. I actually applied to pretty "top" schools (University of Chicago, Harvard, UT Southwestern, Weill Cornell, etc.) and didn't really choose a "safety school".. really risky but it paid off for me since I did get into a few places. 

I heard from various people that you should take the subject GRE if your GPA is a bit lacking, but I'm not too sure if that actually helps. And as mentioned above, get some good letters from people who have seen your research and get your personal statement checked many many times. (If you're still in school next semester, you should may consider taking Biol 247 with Maureen) Also you should focus on professors' research at different institutions and choose places that have multiple faculty you'd like to work with. All the schools that biochemgirl mentioned are great schools, but ultimately depends on the type of research you'd like to do

 

Helllllloooo! Nice to see another State student here!  I actually never heard of that class before; I've only known the pre-health 1 unit ones. This course seems awesome. Next sem is my last one so I'll definitely take this class, thanks for the recc! Is Maureen's last name Paolini? 

So it seems like subject GRE isn't too big of a deal then? I know students that haven't taken it but professors have suggested I do so that's why I thought I'd ask. I don't see myself doing it though because I don't have the time to study for it while preparing for general GRE, nor do I want to pay that extra ~$150. I would hope my grades speak for me in regards to how I do in bio. 

Some of the schools you mentioned are ones I'd be interested in as well. Glad to hear I have a chance after all!

Edited March 22, 2016 by imsocorkyy

[Aequorea]

@imsocorkyy Yes, Maureen's last name is Paolini! Her class basically helps you build a strong personal statement and Maureen is very helpful with choosing graduate programs as well. She's a great resource on graduate schools!

I personally didn't take the subject GRE mainly because of the $$$.. and it didn't seem to hurt me (as far as I know) 

[biochemgirl67]

2 hours ago, imsocorkyy said:

It was actually a professor I was getting advice from that told me that since my GPA is high and I have no papers, they might think I didn't do much in my research, and thus being 'flat'. But as long as I have good LORs, decent GREs, and discuss my research in SOP, then I am assuming I should be good? 

Oh wow, those are some schools I honestly thought might not even look at my app. I was interested in Cornell and UPenn at first and they alone felt like a massive reach - so it's nice to hear I can actually take a shot at those places (and even higher). I'm guessing I can look at UCB and Stanford too then (the only CA schools I'd consider)?

Thanks so much for the info!! I was extremely worried after talking to the professor so I was beginning to think my chances were slim to none at the places I liked and researched already, which are basically the places you mentioned. Nice to know I have some hope after all!

 

Helllllloooo! Nice to see another State student here!  I actually never heard of that class before; I've only known the pre-health 1 unit ones. This course seems awesome. Next sem is my last one so I'll definitely take this class, thanks for the recc! Is Maureen's last name Paolini? 

So it seems like subject GRE isn't too big of a deal then? I know students that haven't taken it but professors have suggested I do so that's why I thought I'd ask. I don't see myself doing it though because I don't have the time to study for it while preparing for general GRE, nor do I want to pay that extra ~$150. I would hope my grades speak for me in regards to how I do in bio. 

Some of the schools you mentioned are ones I'd be interested in as well. Glad to hear I have a chance after all!

You can definitely look at all those schools.  Stanford is a reach for everybody but that's just life.  And your high GPA plus research looks like you can actually handle the load of academics and research.  And your GPA is high enough that you don't need the subject test unless you really want to take it. And yes, to answer your question, you WILL be good. Apply to about 8-10 schools you feel fit you and you should have some great options in about a year.  Don't think you're a sure thing anywhere but definitely know that some of those schools will invite you to interview.

[mlc19]

Undergrad Institution: big state
Major(s): Microbiology
Minor(s): Interdisciplinary Engineering and Science
GPA in Major: 3.3
Overall GPA: 3.45
Position in Class: pretty average
Type of Student: (Domestic/International, male/female, minority?) domestic, female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 152
V: 154
W: 5.0
B: haven't taken

Do I need to retake the GRE?

Research Experience: one semester as volunteer in human nutrition lab studying diabetes; a year and a half in a chemistry lab working on my own project involving synthesis of antimicrobial compounds (poster presentation)

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's list for 5 semesters at current university (transferred after my freshman year)

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Summer internship at biotechnology company in the R&D department, included independent project and presentation; I now continue to work at the company and have been for almost a year - I am planning on continuing to work in the R&D department until matriculation in the Fall of 2017. I'm graduating in May 2016 (long-story I wasn't ready to apply for Fall 2016) Therefore, I will have another year of full-time work with the company under my belt.

Special Bonus Points: female

Applying to Where:
I'm not looking at the TOP programs, more average programs with research interests that mirror my own. Since it's so early I'm really hoping for some suggestions. I am looking into biochemistry programs

Programs I've looked at: WVU, ECU, Virginia Tech, U of Maryland, UNC

I appreciate any and all advice!

[Bioenchilada]

10 minutes ago, mlc19 said:

Undergrad Institution: big state
Major(s): Microbiology
Minor(s): Interdisciplinary Engineering and Science
GPA in Major: 3.3
Overall GPA: 3.45
Position in Class: pretty average
Type of Student: (Domestic/International, male/female, minority?) domestic, female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 152
V: 154
W: 5.0
B: haven't taken

Do I need to retake the GRE?

Research Experience: one semester as volunteer in human nutrition lab studying diabetes; a year and a half in a chemistry lab working on my own project involving synthesis of antimicrobial compounds (poster presentation)

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's list for 5 semesters at current university (transferred after my freshman year)

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Summer internship at biotechnology company in the R&D department, included independent project and presentation; I now continue to work at the company and have been for almost a year - I am planning on continuing to work in the R&D department until matriculation in the Fall of 2017. I'm graduating in May 2016 (long-story I wasn't ready to apply for Fall 2016) Therefore, I will have another year of full-time work with the company under my belt.

Special Bonus Points: female

Applying to Where:
I'm not looking at the TOP programs, more average programs with research interests that mirror my own. Since it's so early I'm really hoping for some suggestions. I am looking into biochemistry programs

Programs I've looked at: WVU, ECU, Virginia Tech, U of Maryland, UNC

I appreciate any and all advice!

Why are you not looking into top programs?

[mlc19]

1 hour ago, Bioenchilada said:

Why are you not looking into top programs?

I'm not trying to reach for programs that I am not qualified for to be honest. 

[Effloresce]

44 minutes ago, mlc19 said:

I'm not trying to reach for programs that I am not qualified for to be honest. 

honestly, from this application cycle, i've realized that while GPA/GRE scores are very important, research experience and glowing LORs seem to be seen as just as or even more important. in your case, you have a lot of experience and assuming you've been an awesome researcher at these places, you'll get great LORs. you may feel that you aren't qualified, but you most likely are!

Edited March 23, 2016 by Effloresce

[mlc19]

4 hours ago, Effloresce said:

honestly, from this application cycle, i've realized that while GPA/GRE scores are very important, research experience and glowing LORs seem to be seen as just as or even more important. in your case, you have a lot of experience and assuming you've been an awesome researcher at these places, you'll get great LORs. you may feel that you aren't qualified, but you most likely are!

I appreciate your input. Maybe I'm being a little hard on myself. I think I'll have some great recommendation letters, honestly. My work I feel is one of the strongest parts of my application. 

[CreamyDog69]

On 3/15/2016 at 11:30 AM, Dank said:

Thanks for the honesty, the thing is I am having a hard time identifying which schools could be classified as "lower ranked programs". Any suggestions?

@Dank A great way to get an idea of where you'd be competitive is to ask a professor/senior researcher you've worked with where they think you should apply. You can get a decent idea of schools where you're competitive for that way.

[biochemgirl67]

20 hours ago, mlc19 said:

I'm not trying to reach for programs that I am not qualified for to be honest. 

You can reach higher than you currently are.  I'm not saying to go and apply to Harvard, MIT, and Stanford alone.  But what about Boston University, Washington University in SL, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Minnesota, UCSD, University of Oregon, University of Utah, University of Virginia, and Cornell as a starting point?  Yes, your GPA isn't stellar.  But your experience working and research have a good chance of mixing to counteract that issue.  Look broadly and apply based on fit.  Don't limit yourself at this point, you don't need to.  A 3.3/3.45 is a good solid GPA.  Don't beat yourself up but definitely apply to a variety of schools.

[ballwera]

22 hours ago, mlc19 said:

I'm not trying to reach for programs that I am not qualified for to be honest. 

You have to remember that these adcoms look at everything. It's a very holistic process which I didn't completely realize til I was interviewing. I had a terrible gpa and was asked about it at every interview. However, adcoms look at trends and noticed that while I had a terrible gpa to begin my college career (sub 3 for the first 2 years), I had a 3.7+ gpa over the last few years. I'm just saying don't sell yourself short over the grades. I did and I regret it to some extent, yea got into most of the schools I applied to, but I didn't apply to any reach schools for me outside of Vandy. Don't get me wrong, I love the school I am at, love the program and am more than happy with my PI, but still wonder what could have been. You don't want to look back later and wonder what if. Moral of story, applying to grad. school is a crap shoot so apply where ever makes you happy. 

[BioLogic19]

Hey, everyone! I just finished applying and interviewing this cycle, and I wanted to post my profile for anyone who is worried about GPA or other weaknesses in their applications:

Undergrad Institution: Top public university
Major(s): Biochemistry
GPA in Major: 3.64
Overall GPA: 3.72
Position in Class: Top 15-20%
Type of Student: Domestic, Female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 170 (98%)
V: 164 (94%)
W: 5.5 (98%)
B: n/a


Research Experience: Two years in a biochemistry lab at my undergraduate institution (resulted in two mid-author papers and a third manuscript currently in preparation) and ~8 months as a technician in a biophysics lab at another R1 institution after graduation.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's list for 4 semesters, two summer research fellowships, and a senior research award, all at my undergraduate institution

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Chemistry tutor; taught science to elementary school students through a club on campus

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: I've given several poster presentations and talks at my undergraduate institution, as well as at the university in which I am currently working and at a national biophysics conference.

Special Bonus Points: I took several graduate classes in undergrad, and two of my recommenders (both of my research advisors) are fairly well-connected.

Applied to/Interviewed Where: 

• Stanford Biosciences (interviewed and accepted)
• Harvard MCO (interviewed and accepted)
• UCSF Tetrad (interviewed and accepted)
• UCSD Biomedical Sciences (interviewed and accepted)
• Yale BBS (interviewed and accepted)
• MIT Biology (interviewed and accepted)

Coming into the application process, I was really worried that my GPA would be too low for top graduate programs, but research experience matters so much more than grades and test scores! I had a 3.4 GPA coming out of my second year of undergrad, with several low grades in science courses, but no one asked me about my grades at all during interviews. My advice to future applicants is to focus on boosting your research experience and on demonstrating why you want to go to grad school in your application. It will pay off!

[Bioenchilada]

13 minutes ago, BioLogic19 said:

Hey, everyone! I just finished applying and interviewing this cycle, and I wanted to post my profile for anyone who is worried about GPA or other weaknesses in their applications:

Undergrad Institution: Top public university
Major(s): Biochemistry
GPA in Major: 3.64
Overall GPA: 3.72
Position in Class: Top 15-20%
Type of Student: Domestic, Female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 170 (98%)
V: 164 (94%)
W: 5.5 (98%)
B: n/a


Research Experience: Two years in a biochemistry lab at my undergraduate institution (resulted in two mid-author papers and a third manuscript currently in preparation) and ~8 months as a technician in a biophysics lab at another R1 institution after graduation.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's list for 4 semesters, two summer research fellowships, and a senior research award, all at my undergraduate institution

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Chemistry tutor; taught science to elementary school students through a club on campus

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: I've given several poster presentations and talks at my undergraduate institution, as well as at the university in which I am currently working and at a national biophysics conference.

Special Bonus Points: I took several graduate classes in undergrad, and two of my recommenders (both of my research advisors) are fairly well-connected.

Applied to/Interviewed Where: 

• Stanford Biosciences (interviewed and accepted)
• Harvard MCO (interviewed and accepted)
• UCSF Tetrad (interviewed and accepted)
• UCSD Biomedical Sciences (interviewed and accepted)
• Yale BBS (interviewed and accepted)
• MIT Biology (interviewed and accepted)

Coming into the application process, I was really worried that my GPA would be too low for top graduate programs, but research experience matters so much more than grades and test scores! I had a 3.4 GPA coming out of my second year of undergrad, with several low grades in science courses, but no one asked me about my grades at all during interviews. My advice to future applicants is to focus on boosting your research experience and on demonstrating why you want to go to grad school in your application. It will pay off!

I definitely agree with what you said, though your GPA and GREs put you well above the average, even for top programs haha 

Which school will you be attending? 

[mlc19]

16 hours ago, biochemgirl67 said:

You can reach higher than you currently are.  I'm not saying to go and apply to Harvard, MIT, and Stanford alone.  But what about Boston University, Washington University in SL, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Minnesota, UCSD, University of Oregon, University of Utah, University of Virginia, and Cornell as a starting point?  Yes, your GPA isn't stellar.  But your experience working and research have a good chance of mixing to counteract that issue.  Look broadly and apply based on fit.  Don't limit yourself at this point, you don't need to.  A 3.3/3.45 is a good solid GPA.  Don't beat yourself up but definitely apply to a variety of schools.

I really appreciate your encouragement. Since, I've got the time I'm definitely going to look into a broader range of programs, including the ones you've listed above. I think I have been really hard on myself. 

[kimmibeans]

On 2/16/2016 at 11:56 AM, Dank said:

Here's mine: 

I am having trouble pinpointing where I should apply and how to figure out which schools may be safe for me to apply to and which ones are completely out of reach. I hope to get some insight from those of you on here who are hearing back from your applications in the 2016 cycle, or from previous cycles. I would greatly appreciate any advice!

Undergrad Institution: ~60th ranked private liberal arts college
Major(s):  Biology
Minor(s):  none
GPA in Major:  unsure, but probably around 3.5, definitely higher than overall
Overall GPA:  3.35
Position in Class: no ranking
Type of Student: Domestic, LGBT white male

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 154
V:  158
W:  4.0
B:  Not going to take 

-I am going to retake the GRE, I am a terrible standardized test taker, so hopefully I can do a lot better. 

Research Experience:

Worked in a Biomechanics lab for half junior year and all of senior year at undergrad. I presented a poster of our research at a conference.

I'm currently working as a tech in an immunology lab studying HCV infection and HIV/HCV coinfection at a Harvard affiliated hospital and getting experience with flow cytometry, qpcr, allospot and other lab techniques. I hope to have my name on at least one paper by the end of my 2nd year here or slightly thereafter (working here from 2015-2017). 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

University Dean's List for 4 semesters 

Member of beta beta beta biological honors society senior year of college

Pertinent Activities or Jobs

RA during senior year or college

Special Bonus Points: 

I should be able to get some really strong letters of recommendation from current employer and professor I worked for during undergrad who know me well and want to see me succeed. I should also be able to get a letter from one of the post docs here in the lab who I am working closely with on a project and can attest to my abilities.
Applying to Where: 

• BU
  •  Biomedical Sciences
• Rockefeller,  either
  • Medical Sciences, Systems Physiology and Human Genetics
  • immunology virology and microbiology
• NYU Sackler
  • Biomedical sciences
• Mt Sinai
  • Biomedical sciences
• Weill Cornell
  • Immunology & Microbiology pathogenesis
• Einstein
• UCSF 
  • Tetrad
• UCSD 
  • Biomed
• University of Miami
  • Cancer Bio
• Scripps (Florida)
• Baylor college of medicine
• UVM

I'll appreciate any feedback I can get.

Thanks!

HI Dank,

Your stats are good for most of the schools on your list, though they are definitely low for Rockefeller, Cornell, and UCSF. I'm glad to see you are retaking the GREs, that would help a lot. Also, you may want to consider the subject test to combat your GPA. However, your research experience looks good and if you can get published by the time you apply that would be awesome! I agree with everyone else that you should look at more middle and lower tier schools, as there is some fantastic research going on at some of them and shouldn't be discounted.

[mlc19]

20 hours ago, PlanB said:

Do not be too hard on yourself. The difficult part about applying to graduate programs is that there are so many qualified people(just look at the stats of most people on this site). However, you are right, that your GPA/GRE scores might hurt you in the process. If i were you, I would retake the GRE and if you feel that a program is a good fit for you, and matches your research interest, then you should apply. 

Thank you! I appreciate the honesty. With graduating this May and applying next application cycle, I will have a little more time to focus and prep for the GRE. I had essentially no prep for the first go around. If I take the time I probably can improve my GRE scores a bit. 

[Gram Neutral]

On 3/18/2016 at 10:21 AM, Eustace122 said:

Undergrad Institution: small liberal arts college
Major(s): Biology
GPA in Major: 3.35
Overall GPA: 3.24
Grad School GPA: 3.80;   (M.S. Biology; will graduate next spring)
Type of Student: (Domestic/Male)

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 160
V: 165
W:5.0
B: still deciding whether to take the subject exam

Research Experience: summer undergrad research; research tech for 3 years;  currently grad student in microbiology lab; paper pending, 3rd author.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Biology TA for 3 years;  worked as research technician in cancer biology lab for 3 years after undergrad.

Applying to Where: Case Western; Vanderbilt IGP; Ohio State; Notre Dame; Baylor? 

Do I have a shot at any reach schools--> Vandy, Baylor, University of Washington, Mayo?  Will my graduate GPA help balance out my lower undergrad GPA?  Thanks for any feedback!

Hey, 

We have moderately similar stats, but your undergrad GPA  is better and your verbal is 5 points better.  I didn't finish my masters and elected to just start my PhD, but have been working full time as a researcher. I have to say my research experience was really my strong point, and I think schools really liked that.  

I didn't get an interview to Vanderbilt, but I did to Notre Dame and that is where I'm attending. I say go for Vandy and some reach schools. Your master's GPA and research puts you at a bigger advantage than I think you're realizing.