Where should I begin?

[picklechicken37]

Hey guys!

I'm new to this forum, but just signed up to learn more and get some advice. Right now I am just trying to figure out where I stand, if I'm on a good track for grad school, and what sort of schools I should begin to set my sights on.

To provide some background, I am an undergrad and will begin my junior year next year at a top 20 university. I am majoring in neuroscience, and would like to attend a neuroscience grad program. I have also been flip-flopping between MD and PhD for a while now, and want to get more information on PhD programs as well as see if I would be a competitive applicant. I know I love research and could never see myself completely stepping away from it, but I'm worried I would burn out if I devoted my entire career to it. I am really interested in psychiatric and neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia and alzheimer's, specifically on the cellular level (I really enjoy tissue culture). 

Right now my GPA is ~3.7, with a 3.5 freshman year and a 3.9 last year (essentially an upward trend). I have not taken the GRE and could not provide any estimate for how I would score, because I really have no idea. I have a decent chuck of research experience (about 1300 hours total), but no publications yet. For my entire senior year of high school I conducted stem cell research at one of the top cancer research centers in the country. At my university I have been working in a neuroscience oriented psych lab since my freshman year, and will be completing a thesis in this lab (my project will be studying stress). Last summer I worked at a top 10 ranked research medical school conducting research on neurodegenerative diseases (it was a lot of tissue culture stuff), and had some pretty significant findings. This summer I am at a top 5 ranked research medical school conducting schizophrenia research in a genetics lab. In this research I am working with stem cells (again) and editing their genome. My PI told me today that if what I do works (and it should), then he really wants to make a paper out of it (ie there is a decent chance this work will get published). There are also no grad students in this lab at the moment, so it is a very independent project. 

On campus I am involved with a good variety of clubs, from the typical pre-med clubs, to club sports, and even an environmental club. I really enjoy each club I am a part of, but I don't really have much leadership experience. I also volunteer at a local community center, but it doesn't relate to science in any way. Additionally, I have some shadowing experience, but no hospital volunteering or anything like that. So my clinical experience is somewhat minimal. 

Anyways, sorry if it seems like I just randomly listed things. I want you guys to get a grasp of where my experience lies so I can get useful feedback. I don't really know too much about applying to graduate programs, so I really have no idea where I stand right now. So how am I doing so far? And how can I improve? What schools/programs should I begin looking into? 

Thanks for the help in advance!

[namarie]

It sounds like you have some great research experience under your belt! And props to you for planning ahead and asking questions.  It sounds like you're on the right path; maybe ask your professors/mentors if they have any suggestions as well? 

I don't know much about your specific field (other than it really helps my field out), but you should probably search which schools are 'the best' for your intended grad program. This really helped me get an idea about what types of schools to look at, and where to go from there. Reading other people's posts on this forum were another good place. Think about what you are passionate about (you are going to be doing this for a living), and what areas of research you would like to focus on (it sounds like you might already have an idea). This will give you a starting point to search for schools or professors who are doing work in your field. You might email them and ask if they will have spaces open in their lab for your application season, or if there is any advice they might be willing to share. 

The GRE is (unfortunately) a big part of the application. I recommend getting the 5lb book of GRE practice problems from Manhattan. Don't ignore your stronger area while focusing on your weaker one. Magoosh is good, and provides a schedule for you to follow depending on how much time you have to prepare. They can be a little pricey, so look to see if they have a sale. 

Google is an invaluable resource. I have spent hours looking up possible universities based solely on a professor who was conducting research in my field. You might also look at the student doc forum and see if any of their people are looking at the same things you are. 

Best of luck to you! 

[picklechicken37]

Thank you very much for your feedback! I really appreciate it. I have been researching at both Johns Hopkins and the University of Washington, so those are two schools I am really looking into. Am I on track for those schools? Or are they out of my reach? And any suggestions for other places to look into?