<p>Do you guys think for molecular biology it would be better to go straight to Grad school out of undergrad or </p>
<p>should I work for a few years to gain research experience then perhaps have a better chance at getting into a top school later?</p>
<p>It depends. What do you want to do?
Some people feel as if they need a break from school after finishing undergrad, work for a couple of years or so, and then come back refreshed, so to speak.
If you go right away, you'll be able to finish grad school earlier... If it's a PhD you want, you might be able to get it age 27 or 28. Some people find that preferable to getting it later, such as in their 30's or beyond.
If you're not sure what to do, perhaps apply to some schools you're interested in, and if you get in, go. If you don't get in, perhaps work for a while and then try applying to schools again.</p>
<p>About 50-60% of the people in my molecular biology PhD program took a year or two off (or more, in some cases). Most worked as lab techs, though a few did other things that interested them -- one taught 8th grade math abroad, for instance.</p>
<p>I think taking a few years off can be a great thing. The students who take time off seem anecdotally less prone to burnout and more sure that they want to be in grad school. Considering that completion of a biology PhD program is highly dependent on personal motivation, I think those who took time off have an advantage. Personally, I would suggest that every prospective applicant to a biology PhD program consider taking time off -- I didn't do it, but I think it has quite a bit of value in most cases.</p>
<p>If your undergraduate research experience (or undergrad GPA) is weak, you are almost obligated to take a year or two off -- without strong research experience, you have very little chance of getting into a top biology program.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies.</p>
<p>The only thing I'm worry about with taking time off is for letter of recommendations.</p>
<p>If I ask professors to write me a letter now, I won't know which specific field or even college I'll be applying to so their letters will most likely be very general.</p>
<p>If I ask professors in 2 years, I'm afraid they will have forgotten about me. </p>
<p>I can probably ask my future work supervisor for 1 letter but that means my other 2 letters will be somewhat weak.</p>
<p>Any suggestions to tackle this problem?</p>
<p>Gattaca,</p>
<p>I was out of undergrad for a year, and all of my favorite profs remembered me. Give them, and yourself, some credit!</p>
<p>Well I'm not really a people person so I doubt I'll leave any impressionable marks on them. =)</p>
<p>I think you should get the rec letters right away. It's highly unlikely that profs will remember lots of things about you after two years, unless you were someone very special in their heart..</p>
<p>
[quote]
If I ask professors to write me a letter now, I won't know which specific field or even college I'll be applying to so their letters will most likely be very general.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>For that problem, you would need to make those decisions now. Do you have absolutely no idea on which field and what schools to apply to after two years?</p>
<p>well I'll most likely be pursuing something related to stem cells as that field seems to have a lot of promise/funding.
A breakthrough could push one to stardom relatively fast as you're basically promised to receive a lot of media attention. Of course I am interested in the actual subject as well but additional benefits is certainly a nice bonus. </p>
<p>Thus I'll be most likely pursue molecular biology during my grad studies.</p>
<p>For that reason I will probably apply to 6-7 UC's (Prop 71) and perhaps 3 other random schools.</p>
<p>Do you think it is acceptable to ask professors to tailor their letters to my interests and expected colleges now and have them update it as needed if they change?
(I am currently a junior)</p>
<p>Gattaca,</p>
<p>If you are definitely going to take time between undergrad and grad to do lab work/research, I strongly advise that you meet with your professors in the last semester of your senior year, tell them you are waiting a year or so to apply to grad school, and then ask them if you might contact them in regard to letters of recommendation when that time comes.</p>
<p>You also should ask them about where to apply, even if you think you know. They will appreciate the fact that you value their opinion, and wish for their guidance.</p>
<p>I direct a graduate program, and we want to see CURRENT letters. And most grad programs want the letters sent directly from the professors (either via postal service, or submitted electronically on special forms), so it is not like you could get those letters in hand, and submit them later.</p>
<p>I also teach undergrads, and often write letters of rec for them after they've been graduated for three, four, and five years. I have no memory problems in that respect, nor do my colleagues. (Also, well-prepared applicants to grad school have kept graded research papers which they offer to fax to us, and they also "remind" us which classes they took with us, and what grades they earned. They also send us a current resume or CV, and often, they also enclose a copy of their personal statement.) I also do not want students asking me to write a letter now, hold on to it, and update it later. Bah. Ridiculous. (Sorry if this comes off badly, but I'd honestly be more than a bit miffed if a student asked me to do that.)</p>
<p>Bottom line: Please don't ask for letters now. Visit your professors later, and inquire if you might ask for letters in the future.</p>
<p>This is a little off-topic for the thread, but you won't need to know exactly what you want to research for your thesis when you apply to biology programs. It's considered normal to say "I'm interested in X" and/or "I like the work being done in your department by Professors Y and Z" in your statement of purpose, but there wouldn't be a reason for your LORs to address the specific subject of your interest in their reference letters.</p>
<p>You don't need to decide what specific area of molecular bio you'd like to attack until after your first year in graduate school, when you've rotated through multiple labs and picked one for your thesis research.</p>