Biology/Genetics Major Looking for Feedback on Schools

Applying to College
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I think it’s great and I wish your daughter the best! Working for a year or more if necessary will definitely strengthen her application. Good luck!

Each program has approx a 10% acceptance rate but the overall acceptance rate to GC is closer to 30%. Just over half who get interviews will match, and the more interviews you have the greater your chances. Each program looks for something different.

I don’t want to go too far off topic, but I just wanted to say that the MBA is a nice back up just in case it takes more than one try. I recommend that she remain very connected to genetics during that time.

The skills that you mention (problem solving, team work, collaboration, analytical etc) are important and found in successful applicants who are invited to interview, as are other skills.

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102

Really appreciate the kind words and perspective!

Best to your daughter as well!

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103

Thank you. If you have any questions please feel free to message me.

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Thank you…will do!

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The internship opportunities in business is a legitimate point, however, to say it gently as I can, you’re talking about Alabama like it’s Wharton. Alabama is not ranked in Bloomberg and is 50s in US News. And rankings are important in b-school. I think the Purdue and Indiana 5 year BS/MBA programs would be something to consider. I also did the engineering to MBA path and worked three years after undergrad. You also have a lot of flexibility in that path, when to apply, where to apply and even whether to apply.

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I think lost in the fray is the notion that my daughter isn’t necessarily interested in a business career but rather a career in genetics counseling. She is not looking to go to Wall Street, etc.

Alabama does have a solid business program and a practical business education to complement a STEM degree which in her case is useful and DOES add optionality (particularly relative to a biology degree by itself).

I also think a bit of research into the STEM Path to MBA program at UA will yield surprising insights. Classes are highly group project oriented, almost consulting-like in their approach. Project management, presentation, problem solving, data analysis, and team skills are developed and reinforced throughout the program. This is useful in any career path. Students work directly with local and international businesses, attempt to find ways to commercialize NASA patents, and learn about how businesses work in a very practical sense. You take classes with a cohort of the same students throughout the program, so many bonds are formed. The more traditional/fundamental subject matter is taught beginning in year 3 of the program.

Graduates typically average $70-80k salaries upon completion of the program and there is a 90% job placement rate. The majority of students in the program are engineering majors, but include biology, chemistry, computer science, math, physics, and creative arts majors as well…from all over the US.

For my daughter it exposes her to a great practical knowledge base, helps develop team building, networking, and problem solving skills, and rounds out an education focused on a myriad of science courses in biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, and physiology.

All for free (given her generous scholarship) and likely achievable in 4 years given that she is coming in with 36 credits that cover a significant portion of her Gen Ed requirements.

I do appreciate your feedback in any case and do agree that if the end goal is to pursue a strictly business oriented career there are “better regarded” programs out there. But in my daughter’s case that’s not the objective.

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I agree with you 100%. Just keep in mind that if your daughter plans to apply to genetic counseling programs while completing the BS/mba (thereby going straight to school after graduation), she will have to carve out time for shadowing, informational interviews, advocacy work (people with disabilities, etc), volunteering, research (not required but is viewed positively), teaching (TA etc) which is also viewed positively, counseling experiences (required) etc. There is a lot that she has to do before applying.

Also keep in mind that if she intends to head straight to GC school, she will be interviewing (hopefully) during the mba year. That could be difficult, depending on how many interviews she gets. She could technically be missing weeks and weeks of classes, if she has multiple interviews.

I think your daughter’s plan is great, but becoming a competitive GC applicant is hard to do in addition to the dual degree. The reason why I feel that the mba is a good plan is because she will be able to easily work after graduation and she can use that time while working to fulfill what she needs to do in order to be highly competitive. Also, working (any field) is viewed favorably: life experience, growth etc and will give her the time she needs to get volunteering and counseling hours etc. Working for a year or 2 will also give her something more to talk about during interviews, and will make it “easier” for her to answer tough questions during interviews. She will also possibly “stand out” a little compared to all of the younger applicants who worked for a year as genetic counseling assistants.

Sorry for going on and on. Like I said, I do think she has a great plan, but it’s a lot to do while still in college and while completing the mba. My daughter ended up taking a few years off before officially deciding on GC, but those years helped her to become very competitive, which translated into a lot of interviews (and stories to tell, which they look for).

I am not suggesting that your daughter cannot get it all done while in her dual degree program. I just wanted to remind you that there is a lot to do before applying, and it is very time consuming.

Sorry to ramble. Good luck!

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108

Excellent perspective, as always.

I think she will carve out some time in the summer and perhaps during the in-school semesters to do an internship or two in the field (paid or unpaid) and also volunteer and/or participate in TA/research opportunities as they present themselves. She may not get into a GC program right away, as you mention, but she will have an opportunity to get some work/life experience (UA has some great student volunteer organizations in this respect as well).

I think the skill set she will build over this time will be very valuable and provide a lot of optionality. She will have an opportunity to network and meet a lot of very diverse individuals in her studies (students, professors, employers, mentors). That’s all I could hope for at this point. The rest is up to her. She needs to be proactive and opportunistic in pursuing what interests her most.

Really want to thank you again for your insights. So appreciated!

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109

My only hesitation is that people change. I had no idea going into undergrad as a wanna be sportscaster, I’d end up in b school 6 years after graduating.

That option, if it comes to fruition later, that your daughter would want a career pivot, would be gone. Many a teacher, for example, decides to pivot for business based on income opprtunities. I don’t know what your daughter’s career choice pays. The engineers will come out making st least 70s even with no MBA. Only one of my son’s offers were in the 70s, the rest higher. That said, the role they get offered with the MBA may be different than as just an engineering degree.

Obviously she has decided it is the right decision though - and that’s wonderful. That’s all that matters. No what other’s think.

U of Alabama - Where Legends Are Made.

Here’s hoping she’s the next ….

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If her career interests change she will have the added knowledge base and skillset that two degrees bring…an undergraduate biology degree and a graduate business degree…both fully paid for. I don’t see any downside in that.

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Just the potential for salary bump an mba brings. But I don’t know the salary for her field to begin with.

Plus the ability to pivot if it came to that. Sometimes without a wedge in there- meaning an event of time - it can be hard to pivot.

Obviously I think differently and what I think doesn’t matter - you’ve all made a decision and it’s great - but when we’ve seen MBAs right from undergrad, they got no lift at all in the hiring process.

So that’s my angle. But for other organizations, it may be entirely different.

You all have a plan…it’s well thought out, the skills acquired etc and I’m sure she’ll do great.

I hope her experience is wonderful and in the end she can successfully pursue her dream of genetic counseling.

Best of luck to her.

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GCs in the northeast start at about 90, with one school/hospital touting 100. The big downside to a hospital GC is that currently the position is not a money maker for them, but policies are always changing so hopefully that will improve/change soon. That does not apply to industry GCs. GC is be a broad degree, and given how big genetics has become in personalized medicine, I am not concerned about job outlook or salaries. Current grads have multiple offers at graduation, at least now, and the field is predicted to grow.

IMO if this student works after graduation, not only can she use her mba to obtain employment (even if it’s temporary), but her biology degree will allow her to work as a teacher (alternate route, good salary in the northeast), genetic counseling assistant, or clinical research coordinator. I say this as somebody with limited knowledge of mbas lol.

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Wow. Is grad school required (in genetics)?

That’s great.

Nice for mom/dad to know their kids will be able to afford life…hopefully. I was at Costco yesterday and was shocked at the prices. And I make more.

But that’s awesome - those salaries. I’ll have to read more on the profession!!

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Yes, grad school is required in order to be a genetic counselor. Those salaries are in the northeast with a masters degree. I am basing this info on GCs that my D shadowed. I am sure there is a range.

Grad school is not required to be a genetic counseling assistant or a clinical research coordinator, and salaries for these jobs are 60-70 depending, with benefits. Teaching is the same (closer to 60 but could be higher, depending on credits), but you need a masters in NY within 5 years.

Prices are out of control!! I was at Panera last week and paid $24 for a tiny sandwich and salad. Ugh. I did add coffee, maybe that did it lol

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We have a family acquaintance that is a genetics counselor and has offered to help my daughter with shadowing and internship opportunities. She is also an associate professor in this field at our flagship state university.

Admit rates into the 55 accredited programs across the country are maybe 5-10%…so you really need to stand out and it helps to have a mentor or someone “on your side” in the field. There are only a few hundred GCs in each state so they are definitely in demand. $100k is a reasonable starting salary for someone coming out of one of these programs. They are very intensive and include classroom and field/shadowing work. 2 year program generally. Genetics research is an exciting growth field given medical innovations and applications in cancer, prenatal, etc. end markets. You need to understand the science and be able to analyze and interpret the medical data, work in a collaborative environment (with doctors, healthcare providers, patients), be able to explain the data in terms non-medical individuals can understand, be empathetic to patient’s needs and emotions, and employ psychological methods (it really is a “counseling” job). You also need to keep up with the medical/research innovations in the industry, so some level of continuing education is required.

A biology or psychology major is a good start for this career path but so much more is required to get into a GC program (admittance is generally through a “match” system). Diversity in cohorts is sought after by GC master’s programs…so my daughter hopes to bring something unique to the table in having both a STEM and business education and associated experiences.

She may need to fall back more on her business education/training if things don’t pan out or take longer in her pursuit of the GC career path. Having 2 degrees with a broad set of skills and a practical/technical knowledge base position her well and add a lot of optionality to pursue opportunities in this or other fields.

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Agree! Glad you have these connections! It helps to have a mentor who is younger, as the field has changed dramatically since the match started. We also have a family friend in the field, and she is young. My daughter has friends who are currently in programs, and she currently works with GCs. She also belongs to a GC group consisting of current applicants, current students, and recent grads.

Those numbers are deceiving and are actually better than what you are reporting IF you get interviews. There are about 2000 applicants each year for just over 500 spots (new programs opened this year). About half of those 2000 do not receive any interviews at all. Last year, from the 1000 applicants who did receive interviews, about half matched (51%). Those with more interviews had more success, and those with at least 4 interviews had more success. There is a lot of data out there regarding current match statistics, and the group she belongs to breaks it down nicely.

The process is extremely stressful. It helps to apply to a lot of programs because that increases your chances for getting interviews, but the process is time consuming, lots of essays etc. My daughter spent 8 months working on her applications, but it paid off because she received a lot of interviews. Also, different schools look for different things. One school might value work experience, while another school wants somebody who published, while other programs value lab work or those who were teachers etc. There is a lot of research that is involved just when choosing schools. It is very important to write an outstanding personal statement and to have the best letters of recommendation, because that is what helps you get the interviews, in addition to the CV. A “good” but not “wow” personal statement will not cut it (lots of subjectivity here). This is also one degree that is really based on program fit, as well as maturity. It’s really crazy, tbh.

Agree that one has to be able to analyze data, enjoy science and love genetics, as well as enjoy counseling and teaching, etc. And yes, diversity in cohorts is important, but keep in mind that half apply while in undergrad, and half have worked (teachers, researchers, bartenders, etc). It’s not the job or career that matters, but rather the transferable skills that you learn (teaching, collaborating, problem solving etc) and many, many careers will set you up for that. Diversity of cohort is program dependent. Collaboration and working well on teams comes up during interviews, and successful applicants need outstanding interview skills, need to have stories to tell, etc.

It’s a process, and a stressful one at that!

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Match day was yesterday. I heard of one person this cycle who got their mba after undergrad (worked first) and then applied to GC programs.

I wish your daughter well on her journey!