<p>First of all, I'm looking for some advice about whether or not I need/should take the GRE subject test for Bio. I'm on the fence about it because I still need to take the general GRE and hopefully get everything in by Dec.</p>
<p>My Stats:
GPA: 3.1 Undergrad at UC-Irvine
GRE: to take in Oct/Nov
Research Experience: 2+ years as a lab tech/lab manager in a Neurodegenerative Disease laboratory here at UCIrvine
Papers: None, only on a few manuscripts so far</p>
<p>Secondly, are the schools I'm looking to apply to out of my reach with my current stats?</p>
<p>Rockefeller U.<br>
Columbia U.
U. of California at San Diego
U. of California at Los Angeles
U. of California at San Francisco
U. of Washington<br>
USC
Boston U.</p>
<p>You should focus more on the general GRE than on the bio subject test, the subject test is pretty insignificant.<br>
It’s hard to make a call on your chances without knowing much info, but Rockefeller, Columbia, and UCSF and UCSD are probably out of reach given your GPA. If your research comes across well on the application and you get a 1350+ GRE score, then you have an ok shot at USC, BU, and UW, but should find more safety schools.</p>
<p>Given my GPA, would a high Bio subject test score somewhat offset/make-up for my relatively low GPA? Or is the subject test really that insignificant?</p>
<p>I would imagine that the importance of a subject test score would depend upon the dept. (To the general readership) Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought that the subject test score is used in applying to various NSF and other fellowships. I know that at UCLA, if you don’t apply with a subject test score, you need to take it before you can start your program. Perhaps if a dept is not as well funded, a high subject test score might be viewed much more positively as it would suggest a better shot at a fellowship. I also know that at least one dept at UC Denver couldn’t care less about general test scores provided they are over a minimum threshold but does value how an applicant did on the subject test.</p>