<p>So I'm finishing up my degree work at UC San Diego this fall. My cumulative GPA is 3.31, I'm majoring in Molecular Biology with a major GPA of 3.54.</p>
<p>I'm looking hard at applying to PhD programs this fall/winter all over the west coast with my interest being in cancer research/immunology. I'll be applying to a handful of "Dream schools"; UCSD, UCLA, UCSF, Stanford, and Berkeley...adn then the rest of the UC system (Santa Barbara, Davis, Irvine, Riverside) and a couple out of states (U of Arizona, and U of Texas)</p>
<p>My lab work isn't currently in that field as it was very tough to find an assistant position in the first place, so I wasn't in a position to be picky about my research topic. However my research is in the molecular field, at the moment we're working with yeast cells. But I'm learning the important techniques; PCR, running gels, DNA transformations, western blots, FACS, etc. And I've inherited responsibility of one of my postdoc's projects and once we get that under review I'll take a portion of it and do some protein purification and further analysis to make it my own project.</p>
<p>What are my prospects like in terms of my GPA? I've talked to PhD students and postdoc's in my lab but all they really tell me is that "you want a good GPA/GRE scores" etc, I haven't really opened up to them with the specifics of my academic record. I should be set on letters of rec.</p>
<p>PS I'll be taking my GRE sometime this summer/early fall.</p>
<p>Poke around these forums and check out last years results from interviews for biology grad programs (you can read the forum on this site or check our grad cafe). I think you’ll see that a high GPA (and GRE) certainly helps in getting into grad school, but the most important factors are research and rec letters. It sounds like you’re on the right track with your current research. Your GPA is decent, but admission is determined primarily on the basis of your perceived research potential, which most schools see as only modestly correlated to grades. I’ve certainly had friends who got into bio programs with lower GPAs (including one at UCLA).</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s a problem at all if your research now is not exactly in cancer biology or immunology. Your personal statement is all about telling the story of your passion for science. As long as your statement has a compelling narrative that gives insight into why you want to be in that field, you should be fine. It’s great to mention all the techniques you’ve learned, but make sure you focus on what scientific ideas have drawn you to your field and what types of contributions you hope to someday make (and have made).</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, what makes you put UC Davis in with the “rest” of the UC system? I was tremendously impressed with Davis when I visited this year, but I’m not in immunology. I also like UCSC, but that might be more specific to my field (computational bio). All the schools you mentioned will be competitive, but if you have good letters, a good statement, and a decent GRE score, I think you will be a competitive applicant.</p>