<p>I'm a student at a large public university in the South. I'm getting ready to apply to grad schools in cell and molecular biology. I was wondering if my school list is realistic and also wanted some advice.</p>
<p>I'm a senior with a 3.83 GPA and 780Q, 640V GRE scores. I'll be taking the bio subject test later as well as applying for the NSF fellowship. I did research at a developmental bio REU the summer after my freshman year and since then have been doing molecular biology research in a lab at my university. My PI is well established in his field. I'm pretty sure i'll get good recommendations from my recommenders as well.</p>
<p>I've gotten multiple scholarships from my university and was awarded the American Society for Microbiology undergrad research fellowship (ASM URF) this summer and will be giving a presentation on my research next summer at the ASM general meeting. I was also a TA for an intro chemistry class.</p>
<p>I plan on applying to:
Stanford, Berkeley, UW-Seattle, UM-Ann Arbor, UC-San Diego, Duke, and UNC-CH</p>
<p>My top choices are Stanford, Duke, and Berkeley. What kind of a shot do I have at getting into these schools?</p>
<p>Also, how important are extracurriculars? Does the fact that I was a TA matter? Should I be emailing professors at the schools I want to go to?</p>
<p>Thanks for any help.</p>
<p>I'm an international undergrad at the University of Toronto so I know next to nothing. However, your scores seem very impressive --I don't know what the percentile is for those GRE scores but as long as they're all at least in the high 8xs, you should be fine.</p>
<p>Someone with your stats should feel confident. </p>
<p>There were internationals from my university with weaker stats and they got into similar schools.</p>
<p>You should have no problem getting into most or all of those schools. Good luck!</p>
<p>I can only assume that Mastermoe is referring to subject tests being in the 800's. Your stats are quite impressive and your research experience is great. Judging by the individuals that I have interacted with professionally that have gone to grad school at Berkley and Stanford (never dealt with a Duke graduate) you are above the curve. Certainly there are things that you could do to improve your application like working in the field for a couple of years to accrue publications, poster sessions, abstracts etc but I can't imagine that it would be worth it with the stats you have. Hopefully we will meet at the Duke interview weekend (fingers are crossed). Congrats on the superlative record and enjoy the fruits of your labor.</p>
<p>Your stats are impressive, Devine. Assuming you're not an international student I would say you have a pretty reasonably shot at all of your schools.</p>
<p>Don't count on Stanford, though it certainly could happen (all depends on how your research comes across on the application). Berkeley you have a better than 50% chance. At the rest of them, you've got very good chances.</p>
<p>thanks for the input everyone. stanford 2008, doesn't almost everyone who applies to stanford also apply to berkeley? i figured they'd be the same competitiveness due to this situation.</p>
<p>stanford seems to look for different things than other schools, that's all--its a lot less predictable. and i think the overall admit rate is lower than berkeley, based on what profs have said and how students from my year did in their applications.</p>
<p>Stanford2008, what do you mean by "different things"?</p>