<p>I haven't done much research into the grad school application process. I'm definitely going to finish undergrad in two years. I'm currently in my 1st year of undergrad (but I'm <em>very</em> advanced for a 1st year student). Would it be viable to apply to graduate schools for a PhD <em>directly</em> after undergrad? Here's some basic info about me:</p>
<ul>
<li>I have two fields of interest: (1) slowing and delaying aging and the onset of aging-related diseases, especially using C. elegans as a model to explore particular ways to combat oxidative stress, and (2) applying novel stem cell-based research to combat Alzheimer's and other neurogenerative diseases. (Can go into more detail but would rather not.) I am <em>strongly</em> biased towards working on the former but I will admit that (2) has been on my mind for a while so I just thought I'd list it here as well.</li>
<li>I have been working with two research groups/labs. The first one focuses on aging and the second one is a physical chemistry lab (I have done projects with EPR, studying the effects upon the anisotrophy of the g factor when the molecule possesses various functional groups/changes/etc.). Both PIs will be willing to give me a good LOR. I don't know about a 3rd LOR - is that usually required? I can definitely find one of my course instructors who will be willing to write me a good LOR, but it would definitely not be as good as the other two LORs.</li>
<li>My GPA is above 3.9, my general GRE score is above 95th percentile for both verbal and math, and my GRE subject test in Biochem is above 95th percentile. Majoring in Biochemistry.</li>
<li>I go to a large public state university strong in research.</li>
<li>I am 18 years old and will graduate at 19 - I don't know how much graduate schools care about age.</li>
<li>NO PUBLICATIONS YET, UNFORTUNATELY! But hopefully that will change next year...</li>
</ul>
<p>I have been considering taking a "gap year" after I graduate but I want to get into a top PhD program ASAP for personal reasons. Would it be a waste of time for me to start thinking about applying or should I do the gap year?</p>
<p>Again: I <em>absolutely</em> do not want to waste my time applying to graduate programs if I don't have a good chance of getting into universities/departments/programs which are strong in my research interests (especially (1)) and are good/prestigious. I want to get into a HIGH-QUALITY graduate program and definitely do not want to "rush" getting into grad school and end up at some mediocre program with a PI who doesn't really care about my research. I'm just VERY curious to know if it's even worth my time applying next year or if there's ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE that it's worth it.</p>
<p>Schools that have PIs who I would be interested in working with (I just did a cursory search, this isn't very refined): Caltech, MIT, Stanford, UC-Berkeley, UWashington, UCSF, Harvard, JHU</p>
<p>On that note - how many programs/schools do people usually apply to?</p>
<p>You are generally required to have three letters of recommendation, and most people apply to 8-10 programs, especially if they are aiming for top schools. </p>
<p>The factor that matters more than your age or the amount of time you spent in college is your research experience. Were you doing research with these PIs prior to entering college, or do you have only one year of experience? If the latter, it’s probably advisable to take a gap year to focus on research – most applicants to top programs have about three years’ worth of undergraduate research, and of course some have more.</p>
<p>Overall, it’s worthwhile for you to sit down with one or both of your PIs and talk about your plans. See what they would advise for a talented student in your situation. They will have a more thorough understanding of the typical profile of a student from your school who is accepted to top programs than anyone on the internet.</p>
<p>There isn’t an age requirement to apply to graduate school; as long as you have the prerequisites, you can apply to any PhD program. So considering that you will have a BS and the prerequisites in hand, you can apply.</p>
<p>However, whether or not you’ll be competitive…is the question. If you want to get into a high quality PhD program, to be most competitive most students have at least 2 years of research experience as an undergrad. I suppose you will have that - most people begin in junior year, so you’ll be at about the same place they were research-wise at that point - but many students in biological/life sciences/biomedical fields also take 1-2 years after college to work as a research technician in a lab to gain more research skills and demonstrate their commitment to science. Combined with your young age - just 19 when you graduate - having only one year of experience when you apply may make some professors wonder if you know what you’re getting yourself into (although the specificity of your research ideas allay that concern). With only two years in college, they may also wonder whether you have developed the technical skill and “soft skills” (critical thinking, analysis, communication, writing) that you need for a PhD program.</p>
<p>My recommendation to you is apply anyway, and target your applications. Apply only to the top PhD programs that you really want to attend (IMO people should do this anyway - I don’t believe in ‘safety’ PhD programs or applying just for the sake of going). I’d select about 5-7 programs and really spend a lot of time tailoring your applications to those specific programs and building yourself a case. You actually have a very strong application package.</p>
<p>If you don’t get in, you can always work as a technician for a year or two after college, or you can enter an MS program. I would bet that with your record you could definitely get into a funded MS program, so you may want to also apply to a few very selectively chosen MS programs that fund students.</p>
<p>I also very much agree with the advice to discuss this with your PIs. They’ll know better than us about conventions in your field, and they may even have connections.</p>
<p>I haven’t done much research into this before - how much money does it cost to apply to 5-7 grad schools? I remember applying for undergrad had a bunch of fees and costs at every step of the process.</p>
<p>Also, if I am rejected from all of them and I apply later, does my previous rejection have some sort of bearing upon my later application?</p>
<p>Finally - can’t I demonstrate my “soft skills” through my personal statement (& whatever essays are required) as well as (hopefully) through my LORs? My writing is pretty good (in my opinion, at least, whatever that counts for).</p>
<p>Would you recommend that I contact professors before hand since my situation is so out of the ordinary?</p>
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<p>What about applying to my undergrad university for graduate school? The PI in my lab is a <em>major</em> rising star in his field, has <em>lots</em> of money, and is doing <em>very</em> good research - but I don’t know if that’s good enough to counteract the fact that a lot of people seem to dislike people who don’t go to a different school for their PhD.</p>
<p>Part of the idea of going to a different school for grad is it’ll both expand your personal network and force you to work with different people and gain new perspectives on your field. A few of my grad colleagues also went to our school for undergrad, and I really think they would have benefited by going elsewhere.</p>
<p>I’ll agree with mollie and say the best thing you can do is sit down and talk with the professors you’ve worked with. They’ll be able to judge your abilities better than any of us, and will know how competitive you’d actually be.</p>
<p>Another option if you think the one prof you’re working with is a rising star is to stick around for an extra year as a lab tech, earn a few bucks, hopefully a publication and/or a conference talk, and possibly a ticket to any research group you’re interested in. Remember, it’s not always just getting into the school that’s important, but being accepted into the research group you want to be a part of.</p>