<p>UCSF tetrad only takes 1 international student a year who comes in without their own funding. I would assume that the BMS program is similar, as is UCSD.</p>
<p>Thanks Mollie! I am still not sure, I scored bunch of B's in satellite courses like 5.12, 7.06, 7.05 (B+ argh), so most of my A's come from restricted electives, or my major [bioeng] classes, or worse - hass, and a couple from UROP. Which makes me feel a little uncomfortable... :-(</p>
<p>Do you mind if I ask you a couple more questions over email? I am applying to Harvard HILS and SEAS. I believe you should have quite an expertise in getting in there ;).</p>
<p>Well on the face of it slashps, you look great. Why are your gpa's listed in 4.X? Did you mean 3.X or is this a different grading system? Anyway, your research sounds fruitful and your test scores look good. Best of luck</p>
<p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>You seem very nice and very informed, so I would like to ask your opinion on my chances as well. I'm applying to biochemistry programs in California this fall</p>
<p>School: UCLA
Year: 4th year undergraduate
Major: Biochemistry (through Chem Dept)
Desired Degree: PhD
Longterm Goal: Probably industry
Overall GPA: 3.799 (on 4.0 scale)
Major GPA: 3.871</p>
<p>GRE Math: 770 (high 80%)
GRE Verbal: 610 (80-something%)
GRE Analytical: 4.5 (Horribly 56%)
Subject GRE Biochem: Don't know yet!</p>
<p>Research Experience:
- 1 year in immunology lab (medicine dept)
- current lab since January (biochem dept)
- 2009 summer internship at Genentech process R&D
Paper/Publication:
- 1 (not first author) in J Immunology
Letters: at least one from each of my research experiences (2 profs, 1 manager in industry), I can also ask a previous upper division honors professors in my dept</p>
<p>Graduate school hopefuls:
- UC Davis
- UCLA (Biochem Dept or ACCESS)
- UCSD (Is there an umbrella program here?)
- UC Berkeley
- Scripps Research Institute
- UCSF (Probably TETRAD)</p>
<p>*Note on location: all of my family and a serious relationship here in CA, which I am reluctant to leave.</p>
<p>I'm hoping I can count on getting into at least one of these programs. I know some are a pretty long shot though. I was wondering if any of you had any advice or opinions about my background and these programs. Thank you!</p>
<p>belevitt, it's a weird grading system -- it's out of 5.0, but it's really the same as a 4.0 system as long as you don't get any D's. So a 4.4 is a 3.4.</p>
<p>slashpsi, you're more than welcome to ask questions via email. My alum email is the same as my Athena username (which is obviously in my CC username).</p>
<p>*Oops... you probably figured this out, but I meant 2008 summer internship (this last summer)</p>
<p>Just got my GRE scores in today and I'm not too happy with them. </p>
<p>Q: 660 (63%)
V: 510 (64%)
W: 5.5 (90%)</p>
<p>I ran o ut of time and didn't finish the Quant section. Do you think I should re-take and if so do I have time (if I retook it around November 10th)?</p>
<p>I am not an international student and am applying to schools for genomics.</p>
<p>Those are some low scores. Where are you applying, they might be okay for certain institutions but not others?</p>
<p>Wow, nice writing score... but if you're applying to top schools, I think you might want to try to improve your quantitative & verbal if possible. They process the scores in a couple weeks right? So Nov 10 should be fine if your application deadline is in December... but that's just my guess. I'm taking the Nov 8 subject GRE and crossing my fingers.</p>
<p>Also, I would appreciate any opinions on my chances of getting into the programs I listed on the previous page (post #224, pg 15) with my background... thanks for your input!</p>
<p>Hi Shoebox360,</p>
<p>Everyone on this forum will tell you that your GRE scores are pathetic. Most schools use GRE scores as one of theri many ways to weed out students. In an Engineering, Physics or Math PhD program, your GRE quantitative scores would have killed you. But in most biomed programs, they set a cut-off, of say 1200 (it was 1100 for even some of the best institutions), below which they usually don't accept, but if the rest of your application is very strong, then Admissions Committees will be willing to ignore your low GRE scores. Most international students from China or Korea have dismal GRE verbal scores but get into Harvard etc anyway. </p>
<p>Also undergrad research is very different from graduate level research. Except for very (and I mean very very) rare exceptions, one year of serious graduate level research is worth more than three years of undergrad research. So don't let people put you down too much.
Apply to a mix -- a few very good programs, a few pretty good programs, and also to a few places that you know you have a pretty good chance of getting into -- say, for instance, the department where you were an undergrad, or somewhere you did research.</p>
<p>I am the same way. I am a chemistry major pursuing a Pharmacology PhD with an undergraduate publication in Materials Science and Engineering. I have asked that same question and graduate schools say it really doesn't matter. It shows that you have serious research potential no matter what field your publication is in. I wouldn't worry about it. Pre-graduate school, a publication is a publication and it is greatly revered.</p>
<p>Scores are just ONE component of the application. All of that depends on what else you have going for you. Research? Grades? Letters? Diversity? Many people in admissions consistently tell me that I am more just scores, but an entire package and thats what matters most. Admissions are like a see-saw. If you are low in one area, you will be balanced if you have high marks in another. I wouldn't stress it.</p>
<p>no one has answered my previous question</p>
<p>please i need help</p>
<p>Q : Chemistry major who wants to pursue PhD in the biomedical field - if have a good research experience with a publication, in the environmental field - would it hurt my chances as being "not commitment to the desired field" ?</p>
<p>please advise</p>
<p>zxzz74 I doubt it, I sometimes think the scientific thinking aspect of research is valued over the actual subject or technique involved. However, if you have no exposure to biomedical research the committee may question your desire to pursue it, so did you take any bio labs?</p>
<p>Actually....I DID already answer your question by making the following reply:</p>
<p>I am the same way. I am a chemistry major pursuing a Pharmacology PhD with an undergraduate publication in Materials Science and Engineering. I have asked that same question and graduate schools say it really doesn't matter. It shows that you have serious research potential no matter what field your publication is in. I wouldn't worry about it. Pre-graduate school, a publication is a publication and it is greatly revered.</p>
<p>Quick question about submitting transcripts, GRE scores and letters, can they be received before you actually submit your application online? Or do we have to wait until app is submitted?</p>
<p>Well I certainly hope that stuff can be received before the app is officially submitted. In fact some of the places that I am applying have an online interface where you can monitor (in real time) the receipt of scores, transcripts and letters (my app is not submitted yet)</p>
<p>I would try to get your apps in before you send letters of rec, transcripts, etc. A few schools specifically told me to do this last year, but I dont remember which ones. Some schools are very disorganized as it is so I would try to make it as simple as possible for them. In general I had my apps in before I had the supplimental material mailed. There were a few instances where this was not the case. Depending on the school's organization, this is not a problem. I did have to resubmit my suplimental material to a few schools in Dec and Jan, since they lost my earlier submissions. This obviously delayed review of my app at these schools. Some of the very popular schools may just throw out your app if this was to occur.</p>
<p>Hi, I'm new to this forum. All of you have been very helpful. I'm thick in the middle of applying to programs, but I'm hitting some lethargy due to confidence issues, I think. The weakest part of my application is my GPA, and I just need some opinion about whether I should even bother applying to some of these places, or whether I would be competitive at these places. </p>
<p>B.S. Chemistry at MIT
GPA 3.0/4.0
GRE 780Q 710V 5.0W
1 publication in Biochemistry, third author
3 great references from faculty who know me well through research
4 years of solid biomedical research experience</p>
<p>Applying to:
Harvard BBS
MIT Biology, Microbiology
Stanford Biosciences
Caltech Biology
BU Biomedical science
Michigan PIBS
UCLA ACCESS
Tufts Biomedical science
Brown Biomedical science
U Illinois Molecular/Cell Biology
Vanderbilt IGP in Biomedical science</p>
<p>Thanks for your opinions!</p>
<p>Hey Bekah, your applications are going out to many of the same programs mine are. I think you are right about your GPA being the weakest part of your application. On the other hand, you have good looking research experience which is arguably the most important part of the whole thing. Also you have an excellent range of schools that you are applying to from Harvard, Stanford, MIT down to Vanderbilt, U of I and Michigan. I wouldn't be too afraid about your chances provided your 3.0 is not 2.99 as that probably would prevent your app from ever reaching an admissions committee. You may also want to really make your personal statements strong as good research experience and "fit" can definitely outweigh poor grades. Research those professors that you are interested in well and highlight the components of your experience that relate to their current projects. Best of luck.</p>