Grad School Chances for BioSci PhD

Graduate School
1

<p>Wow, can't believe I'm actually back here since my last post in 2008 (!). Looks like alot has changed. Since there hasn't been many chances threads, maybe someone can take a gander at my background here. Long story short, I wanted to apply to grad school back when I just graduated, but unfortunately personal financial circumstances took over, and I had to work for some years before I could have a comfortable ground to launch again. Briefly......</p>

<p>During undergrad:</p>

<p>Volunteered two years in two labs, one in evo-devo and one in chromosomal biology. Learned some good skills and completed some small projects for them in addition to securing a good PI reference, but never had a undergrad thesis or paper result from them.</p>

<p>Paid internship for two summers, one in an international institute, one in a large biopharma company. Had two projects there but did not complete them, though they were launched and were improved upon. Good reference from both managers.</p>

<p>After graduating:</p>

<p>One year as an entry level RA doing cell culture maintenance in a bigtime university lab. Had a bit of a rough time there so switched to a better paying, less hour working at biotech startup for another year, doing the same tasks. After that, got hired at a large cytokine/antibody company on a higher level and better pay scale, this time working with protein production (i.e. reactors, wavebags, cell stacks). That's where I am now since last year. Could also get a good reference from the manager there.</p>

<p>Undergrad GPA: 3.11
Postgrad GPA(took some classes for enrichment and training): 3.6
Total GPA (undergrad +postgrad): 3.16</p>

<p>GRE: Quant 670, Verbal 750 (took it in 2008)
Will retake it this year and also the biology test as well</p>

<p>My questions:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Should I try and boost my GPA by taking a few more classes in my local community college? </p></li>
<li><p>I've worked in alot of labs and have gained a pretty broad yet deep skillset. Unfortunately, my experience was pretty light on the research aspects (i.e. create, plan, execute, and finish a project from the groundup for publication), since the projects I've been involved in have me either doing standard maintenance with it or the ones I did have a heavy hand in I've never managed to finish it. How badly will this impact my application?</p></li>
<li><p>Should I bother applying to Top 10 schools like Berkeley, MIT, Harvard, UCSF, etc. at all ? I've been doing some research on which areas I would like to go in and alot of them are represented in those schools. However, I am unsure just how compatible my experience and stats are for their program standards. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Any advice will ge greatly appreciated !</p>

2

<p>I think your app looks solid - gpa is low, but great real world exp. if you could get a publication that would help dramatically. I wouldn’t take more classes unless they really interest you. Strong letters will be key!</p>

3

<p>From my experience in graduate admissions, it will be hard to get into a highly selective graduate program like MIT. The real world experience you have is great but there are so many highly qualified candidates applying at a place like MIT that they usually make an initial cut based on GPA and GRE scores.</p>

<p>If you apply to a less selective program, they will look at your application more closely and see the strong points. You also might be able to make contact with a faculty member and find out what your chances might be. If you write a non-generic first email and show that you have actually read some of the professor’s papers and have a real interest and knowledge about the subject, you could help your chances.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the advice! Would it be better if I went first for a MSci degree then apply for a PhD from that stage?</p>