<p>Let’s get this back on track. I just got my subject scores. They are ok, but damnit I thought I did a lot better. So here is the whole package and the list of schools to which I’m applying.</p>
<p>Programs: Biomedical Sciences, or Cell and Molecular Biology
Focus: Cancer Biology - Signal Transduction and Immunotherapy
Major: Molecular Cellular Biology - top 20 private school (domestic applicant)
Overall GPA: 3.56 Major GPA: 3.68
GRE: Q: 790 (92%), V 560 (77%), W 5.0 (81%)
GRE Subject: Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology 640 (86%) (Comments?)</p>
<p>Research Experience: By the time I graduate in May, I will have three and a half years of research experience. 1 year in an Organic chemistry lab listening to a grad student and purifying reaction products. The remainder of my time has been spent in my current lab. I am currently working on an honors thesis. We don’t have any graduate students in the lab. So I communicate with the PI about everything. I have been working on the same project since I came to the lab and my progress has been pretty good. I expect most if not all of my experiments will end up in a publication after I graduate, or right around April and May. I am just looking for the final details to complete the story, so to speak. No conferences, no papers, no abstracts. ( 
) </p>
<p>LORs: One from the PI I listed above. He is the chair of the Bio department if that means anything. I know he thinks highly of me, so that should be good. One from a professor who has taught two of my Genetics courses. I regularly communicate with her about my research and she said not to worry about giving her a CV or any cover letter, she knew exactly what she wanted to write (I’m assuming good! haha). She seemed very positive about my chances. The third letter is from a professor whom taught a genetics course of mine, and I also TA one of his classes. He’s kind of hard to read, but I know he thinks highly of me. This might be my weakest letter. But I’m not really stressed over it.</p>
<p>Work experience: Not sure if it matters, but I have been a TA for this semester and next. I have also been a resident adviser for what will be 3 years upon graduation.</p>
<p>Statement of Purpose: Describes my efforts in my current lab, and my goals for graduate study. A few of the profs on the admissions committee here helped me with it, and they thought it was outstanding. So I think I’m in good shape here.</p>
<p>Overall: I’m only worried about my GRE scores. However, of all things I think this is the best place to be lacking. Is my subject test score acceptable for top notch programs? Does it even matter? I only sent it to Weill Cornell, Sloan Kettering, UCSF, Rockefeller, and U Chicago. And lastly, I am trying to coordinate going to school with my long term girlfriend. She is applying to medical school, so we are applying all over the place. Hence why I am applying to 14 programs. I have completed my application at 9 of the schools. I plan to finish UCSF, Northwestern, UNC, NYU and USC over the next week or so. I need to polish a diversity statement for most of them. </p>
<p>Applied:
Sloan Kettering
Weill Cornell
U Penn
U Chicago
Rockefeller
NYU - Sackler (MOI)
Northwestern
Vanderbilt
UCLA
USC
Wake Forest
UCSD
UNC
UCSF </p>
<p>I’m not feeling overly optimistic right now. But maybe that will change later. My transcript should be alright, big upward swing in my GPA over the last 3 semesters in which I took most of my upper level bio classes.</p>
<p>Anyone know what admissions are like to Sloan Kettering or Weill Cornell? They are my top choices right now. Good luck guys.</p>
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