Do I have a chance at Stanford grad school?

[WayneDH]

Hello. I am currently a third year undergrad at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville and looking at PhD programs in the field of genomics. This search is proving quite stressful as I believe I’m right on the edge of having a chance at some top tier schools and would, therefore, very much appreciate some other opinions. My GPA sits at 3.91 right now. I believe it’s reasonable to assume I will have roughly a 3.8 by the time I graduate. I will graduate with honors, four years of research experience in a molecular plant pathology lab (I started just before my freshman year), at least three scientific publications (one of which being a first author paper), and two international internships. Additionally, I’ve received a research grant through my university and have presented my work at scientific conferences. The only major variable I see is my GRE score - I have no idea what I will make. The last real standardized test I took was the ACT in high school which I made a 29 on and I know that isn’t great. I’m mostly interested in Stanford but I’ve also thought seriously about trying for MIT and Harvard as well. Also, I was wanting to go directly into a PhD but I would be willing to do a Masters first if necessary. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

[blc073]

First off, your stats are great! Your GPA is more than adequate and you have plenty of research experience. Just keep up the good work, and you will definitely be competitive for many top schools. 

In my opinion, the most important thing for a strong application is three to four outstanding LORs. If you have just one bad LOR, that will tank your entire application. Make sure you are building good relationships with your PIs at every stage. You will need your current PI and the PIs from your two internships to write strong LORs for you. I would also have a professor with whom you took more than one course write one. If you do this, then theoretically you are solid. 

Now for the hard part: top tier schools are random. You can never be sure where you will get in. You might have the best application, but the person reading your application is in a bad mood, so you get a rejection from Stanford. This happens often. Because of this, apply widely. Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and Yale are good top tier choices, but also do mid-tier schools and a safety school. What you do not want is to be empty handed in April. 

Finally, do not do a Masters. This is a waste of time and money, in my opinion. If you do not get into a good enough school the first time, take a gap year, work in biotech, retake the GRE if necessary, then go at it again. If your GPA is around a 3.5 and you have as much research experience as you have, you only need around a 310 combined GRE to be okay. 

Relax. You will be fine. Keep up the good work and stay interested in your research. 

Good luck! 

Edited May 25, 2016 by blc073