<p>If you're relatively sure you can get an excellent score on one of the biology subject GREs (most schools will take either biology or molecular/cell), then take the test. If you are not positive you will do well (and remember that you almost certainly won't be able to see the scores before you send them to the programs), don't bother. It's not going to make or break an application unless you have a poor score. For the top programs, ideally you'd like to have a subject GRE percentile of 90 or above, although people certainly do get interviews in the 60-80th percentile range.</p>
<p>As for recommendations, ideally you'll have all of them from professors, but if there's someone you think would write a very strong letter, it's okay to have one non-professor. I had a postdoc write one of my three letters, and it worked out very nicely. Having very strong letters is the most important factor, but it's preferable to have them all from professors.</p>
<p>Considering my stats, what schools do you think I can bank on as "safe schools" like from rank 15 onwards or rank 20 onwards or rank 10 onwards, etc....or if you could name some schools that are good and could be easy-safe -getin- schools..Thanks :D</p>
<p>There's no such thing in grad school apps. You need to find those that match your research goals, then look into their admissions averages (if you can find them). Even then, there is no safe school.</p>
<p>Hey Mollie, do you think it helps talking to deans etc for the colleges that I am gonna apply to?? Does it affect one's chances of getting in? What are your suggestions?? Anybody else has something to add???</p>
<p>Admissions committees at PhD programs are generally administered by individual departments rather than by the school as a whole. At MIT, for example, there's a dean of graduate studies, who is almost certainly completely uninvolved in admissions. The administrative staff in the biology department probably has more logistical information about applying to the program, but they are also uninvolved in admissions.</p>
<p>It can be useful to email professors in the department who are doing work that interests you. I wouldn't advocate doing it unless you have a compelling reason -- simply emailing and saying "I like your work" is unlikely to earn you any bonus points in the application process. Having a meaningful conversation about science can probably help, though.</p>