Biomedical Sciences Applicants 2009

<p>Yep I have virion. I have begun uploading personal statements but have not started the transcript traffic or score report requests.</p>

<p>Hello! I could really use some help on whether I'm on the right track in my graduate school application. </p>

<p>Currently, I'm most worried about my low GPA and analytical scores, and it appears that the programs I'm most interested in - Immunology with an emphasis in Public Health - are at the top tier schools. Should I wait another year or apply now? If I apply now, should I throw in some lower level schools even if the programs are not exactly what I want? </p>

<p>Here are my stats:
Overall GPA: 3.1
Major GPA (BA in Public Health): 3.0
GRE: 590V/780Q/4.5A
Undergraduate: UC Berkeley
Current job: Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control
Research Experiences:
Current fellowship
2.5 yrs as a Lab Tech at LBNL (in Earth Sci - hey, they paid me)
1 yr as a RA in Plant Genetics
1 summer at Cedars Sinai in Ped Inf Dis
3 years in high school with 2 poster presentations at AAAS (can I put this in?)</p>

<p>I have quite a bit of research experience, but I haven't published any papers! Would I get points if I stressed that I finished Berkeley in 3 years while holding down a part time job?</p>

<p>Graduate programs:
1. UC Berkeley
2. Johns Hopkins
3. Emory
4. Harvard
5. UMich Ann Arbor. </p>

<p>Please advise!</p>

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>I am new to this forum, so I appreciate as much help as I can get from everyone... Thanks..</p>

<p>I am an international student studying General Biology in Purdue University. I am a senior and will graduate in May 2009. Here are my stats:</p>

<p>current GPA: 3.96
major GPA: 4.0
general GRE: V-540, Q-800, A-TBA
subject GRE: taking Biochem & Mol Cell in Nov
Research experiences:
3 semesters and 1 summer internship in developmental biology lab working on chick inner ear embryogenesis
3 semesters and 1 summer internship in biochemistry lab working on antagonists of p53-Hdmx and p53-Hdm2 interactions.</p>

<p>TA for a sophomore biology lab course this semester.
Attended 2 campus poster symposium.
No publications yet, only 1 acknowledgment in chick inner ear paper (sadly). </p>

<p>I am probably inviting a good laugh, but this is my list:
1. Stanford
2. Harvard BBS
3. UC Berkeley
4. UCSF
5. Cornell
6. U of Chicago
7. U of Mich
8. Purdue U</p>

<p>My English is quite poor, as reflected from my verbal score, but I am doing well in my labs and courses. I am considering retaking GRE if my verbal score would undermine my applications... But what is my stand on an overall basis? And any recommendations for universities that have great faculties in either molecular biology or genetics?</p>

<p>Please advise. Thanks!</p>

<p>You should definitely get in to numbers 5 thru 8 and have a good shot at numbers 1 thru 4.</p>

<p>I would have to agree with kunrd07.</p>

<p>BTW, Why did you add Purdue to that list </p>

<p>You should feel free to apply to whatever program you want no matter how competitive. Your obviously above the standard.</p>

<p>Some other schools or institutions to consider;</p>

<p>-Baylor College of Medicine
-Scripps
-caltech
-The UCs
-UPenn
-MIT
-Yale
-Duke
-Princeton
-Rockefeller</p>

<p>Gundam,</p>

<p>I'm not sure if you have heard but California is having some major problems with its state budget. This could make it especially difficult to get in to UC schools as an international in the next few years. Mastermoe's suggestion of looking into rockefeller is a good one. They don't give preference to American citizens in the admissions process and it is about 50% international students. Penn is another school that is relatively international friendly (they have lots of money). Same goes for Johns Hopkins. All the international students that I know at Stanford have their own outside funding (i.e. the departments don't have to pay them). Don't know what the situation is like at Harvard. Hope this helps.</p>

<p>Oh, I some how missed that you are an international student. That definitely makes it more difficult for all of the schools you are interested in...</p>

<p>I also didn't notice the internation student bit.</p>

<p>In that case, the UCs are pretty much a waste of time. Frankly, applyin to certain schools is a waste becuz many don't take more than a few internationals here and there.</p>

<p>ONLY apply to schools that have a decent to good portion of internationals. </p>

<p>Def ask the depts abt how many internationals they usually accept.</p>

<p>I think Baylor is decent in that respect as well. Not 100% sure. You might also want to check out Columbia. Yale is good too.</p>

<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I am looking to apply to Berkeley (although not in biomedical sciences) as an international student. Do the low international admit numbers apply across all programs or just certain ones? I've been trying to find admission stats but have had no luck so far.</p>

<p>MCB</a> Graduate Program - Admissions and Recruitment</p>

<p>2008 Entering Class Profile
Total Matriculated 44
International Students 2%</p>

<p>Oh sorry, I didn't see that you weren't applying to biomed. </p>

<p>It depends on the department I guess. Some publish their admissions stats, some don't. </p>

<p>But I strongly suspect its across the board, given the state's current financial crisis and lack of funding.</p>

<p>Just 2% int'l students for MCB program? That's disheartening. I guess the best thing for me is to contact the dept. Thanks sideserver!</p>

<p>Ya I wldnt bother applyin to those kinda schools if your an international student. The minute chance of getting in isn't worth the paperwork required to actually reply.</p>

<p>Save yourself the wasted time and apply to schools that actually take a fair amnt of internationals.</p>

<p>Say,</p>

<p>I'm a senior applying to Cancer Bio programs for fall '09, here's the stats
3.2 gpa at duke (3.3 in bio major)-both will be higher by end of semester ~(3.3 overall, 3.5 bio)
general GRE: 800Q/630V/5.0A
bio GRE: taking in november
2 years research experience in duke lab, 1 summer in yale lab</p>

<p>I'm having trouble finding admissions data for most programs. I know my gpa is weak, how much does that hurt? Anyway, here's my wish list:</p>

<p>Yale (exp pathology)
Duke (pharm and cancer bio)
wake forest
columbia
u of arizona
miami
upenn
u. washington
md anderson
south florida</p>

<p>any thoughts on chances? i know some are reaches but am more interested in which might be safeties. thanks</p>

<p>Your GRE scores make up for your GPA. It's not too important, anyway. You're definitely competitive for all of those schools and should make it into almost everyone.</p>

<p>Hi,
I'm actually curious about my husbands chances. He's currently at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Double Major in Molecular Bio and Microbiology. His GPA in core classes is 3.2 (due to a bad injury during last winter a week before finals...which he mentioned in applications). He worked for about a year in a lab working on the Staph that's resistant to antibiotics (sorry, I'm not much a science person...interesting though). He's got 1 very strong recomendation from the head of the lab and 2 very good from teachers that like him. GRE scores are 650 V, 720 Q, 6.0 W</p>

<p>The schools he applied to are:
University of Wisconsin
University of Washington- Seattle
Yale
Vanderbilt
Dartmouth
Arizonia State University
Virginia Tech.
University of Alabama- Birmingham</p>

<p>He applied to Micro in all and wants to do Microbial Pathogenesis.</p>

<p>I'm also curious how much race plays into grad school. It would see like it's not nearly as weighted as in undergrad.
Thanks for your time!</p>

<p>It depends on the race. They are definitely trying to recruit more African-Americans and Hispanics into the sciences. So, that is definitely an advantage.</p>

<p>Hello guys,</p>

<p>I have an engineering background in Computer Science and I am very interested in a career shift into an inter disciplinary program and for that, I am really impressed with the biomedical engineering program. Now, taking a look at the program basic requirements for this program in some top good schools like UCI, UCLA and UCSD, I learnt that they insist upon having an engineering background but not necessarily a prior background in biology related subjects. Since I havent had any prior knowledge on biology, I am a little worried if I could make a strong case for my admission. Oh btw, I am open to taking pre-requisite courses though. </p>

<p>Does any of you have an idea about the acceptance into these schools with a similar case as mine? I wanna apply for fall 2009 and would love to take your suggestions. Any piece of advice would be helpful to make a good decision for me. </p>

<p>Thanks a lot
Jayashree</p>

<p>jayashree,</p>

<p>Generally, its easy for computer scientists to make the jump into biology than vice versa and most schools recognize this. Assuming you have reasonable grades, its not hard to get accepted. </p>

<p>But I noticed you're applying to all the UC schools. Are you an international applicant by any chance?</p>

<p>Guys, anyone working on their applications? I figured it doesn't take very long once you have your personal statement ready. When are you guys submitting?</p>