Chance and Recommendations?

Graduate School
1

<p>Hey y'all, I currently go to a university in Texas where I will be graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics in Dec. 2014. Following that, I would love to pursue a Ph.D. in Organometallics or Materials synthesis. I was curious, how competitive is Chemistry in graduate schools (such as MIT, UC Berkeley, and CalTech)? I'm not quite done with my degree, but currently I have a 4.0 GPA and plan to keep it that way. I also have participating in research for the past few semesters (not consistent with the field I plan to apply to). Would involving myself in Inorganic chemistry research before graduation be a wise idea, or would it be fine to continue research in a different area? I'm also currently working a Teaching Assistantship as an undergraduate. Besides that, I don't have much else notable towards graduate school. Is there any recommendations y'all have for preparing for graduate school?</p>

<p>Edit: I'm new to this website, so if any more information is requested, just ask.</p>

2

<p>Doing research and building relationships with professors are the key things in your field, so it sounds like you’re on the right track.</p>

3

<p>Your field of research as an undergraduate is generally not that important if you gain the kinds of laboratory skills that you will need in graduate school. However, chemistry is a very particular field and if you want to pursue an inorganic chemistry degree, then it might be wise to have some lab experience in the field as well. Since you have a couple of more semesters, you can look for an REU next summer in the inorganic chemistry area.</p>