Strengthening my app for an immunology PhD?

[Sydber]

I’m looking into immunology PhD programs and was curious if anyone could lend me some insight in how my application specifically could best be strengthened. I’m looking into Mayo, WUSTL, Northwestern, etc. so if anyone has some advice concerning specifically those programs (or similar programs) that would be greatly appreciated.

I graduated from BU (hoping well-known grade deflation accounts for my not incredibly stellar GPA)
Cumulative GPA=3.75 (magna cum laude)
Science GPA=3.9
My degree was in neuroscience and philosophy.

In college I gained 2 years of experience in a behavioral neuroscience lab and will have one middle author publication with a target submission this April. I’m also in the middle of a stint as a research assistant/lab manager now studying autoimmunity, and here I will most like get at least two more publications. One will be a review where I’m the first author (only author besides PI), and one first author/coauthor research paper with a postdoc and my PI. This altogether will give me 4 years of research experience and at least 3 publications.

I should have three really good letters of recommendation: one from each of my PIs and one from my student advisor who was also my professor and my boss when I later served as a learning assistant for the class I had taken with him.

I haven’t taken the GRE yet, but my practice test yielded a 317 with a higher math than verbal. I’m hoping to increase this drastically, but I’m not sure that this is specifically where I should be targeting my effort or if my time could be better spent somewhere else. If something else sounds like it’s lacking more I’d like to know I should concentrate on it. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[geraniol]

Your grades look fine, and GRE isn’t that important as long as you score >85th percentile in all sections. If the schools ask for a subject GRE (even if optional) you should take the exam and aim for 80th or so… it’s less important for domestic students than internationals. Some more quantitative fields or schools want the top Math score, and use that to screen, but I can’t see that being too crucial for immunology.

The most important elements are research experience and letters, and you look in fine shape there. Your 1st author publications will help a lot, and are quite impressive & uncommon for bio fields. Know what your research interests are. Make sure your personal statement shows how you are going to be able to pursue your particular interests at the target school. Nothing makes the adcom laugh more than a student wanting to do experimental work with a theory prof, or stating their passion to in the lab of some adjunct prof.

If there are professors who really interest you, find some way to reach out to them (email or at conferences/seminars). Now is a little too early, but maybe at the start of Fall when you’re preping your application materials, you should email the profs you really want to work with. Tell them your background, your interests, how you see yourself fitting into their lab, and ask if they’re taking students. It helps by expressing interest since profs can pull applications directly into the “consider” pile, and also saves you an app fee if you find out there’s nobody you could work for at a certain school.