<p>I'm currently entering my last semester and if I apply for grad school, I want to get into a good phD program for genetics or another area in the biological sciences. I have a summer fellowship and two semesters of research in the same lab, with a 3.6 gpa, but it seems everyone else already has done a lot more with publications and prestigious internships, so I don't know if it's worth it to apply. Is there anything I can do to significantly improve my chances if I'm already about to graduate like work experience.</p>
<p>Many people take a year or two (or more!) off to work as lab techs, and when they apply to graduate school, their technician experience is seen as a large plus, even if they had a poor GPA or little research as an undergraduate.</p>
<p>Still, it's emphatically not true that everybody in the biological and biomedical sciences has been published as an undergraduate, and being published or having a prestigious internship isn't a prerequisite for getting into a good biology PhD program. </p>
<p>Talk to the professor in charge of your lab and see what he or she thinks about your chances of getting into a good PhD program in genetics.</p>
<p>For next fall? I think it's a little late to put together a well-done application. Most people in sciences take a year off or two to work in the lab to get more research under their belt and get the felt of that kind of work.</p>
<p>molliebatmit,</p>
<p>IIRC you're mathematics, right? Is there 'lab tech' like work for pure math folks? I'm interested in pure math, foundations of math, and will probably have a minor in computer science. I'm interested in taking a couple of years after I graduate to up my 'math cred' before grad school, but I asked a professor and he said he wasn't familiar with lab tech work in pure math. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Thanks,
Joe</p>
<p>Nope, I'm a cell biologist, where there are lots of lab techs. :)</p>
<p>But I'm sure someone more knowledgeable about math admissions will be able to answer your question.</p>
<p>Ahah. I'll make my own thread, I shouldn't derail this one. I can't find more information and it seems like a good topic.</p>
<p>Thanks much,
Joe</p>
<p>Thanks. I was thinking of working first mainly because I hadn't decidely exactly where I wanted go.</p>
<p>Have you made your decision?
You can take any job mentioned here and write books on the side, especially if you have summers off. I know a PHD in english who was even able to publish his master's work as a book. It seems to be quite common for English grad students.</p>