What are my chances for a Biology Masters?

<p>Hello everyone! I hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday season.</p>

<p>Here are my stats:</p>

<p>Senior at a reputable state university
Female
Asian</p>

<p>Numbers:
GRE: 780Q 660V = 1440
GPA: 3.5 (major in Biology and Psychology) - my major GPA is a 3.2</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
I am President of 3 different organizations on campus [Indian association, an umbrella org that oversees ALL Asian organizations and director of a 3 day Asian activism conference for over 1500 people that costs over $200,000], founded a medical organization for international relief for children, danced on a competition team for a year, honors program mentor and ambassador, was involved in new student orientation, a part of my University's equivalent of Yale's Skull and Bones</p>

<p>Work Experience:
Company: Church and Dwight
Duration: Summer 2008, Spring 2009 (Jan-May)
I worked in their R&D department and had a very hands on experience in which I gained chemistry based knowledge, patent law knowledge, biotechnology law knowledge. marketing, finance, and most importantly new technologies as well as research and developing new products at the company in a microbiological and molecular biological way. I have an outstanding Letter of Rec from my boss. She loved me to the extent that they offered me a full time position at the company in the department while I was a senior in college but I turned it down due to other commitments.</p>

<p>Research Experience: 3 years in a Physiological Psychology lab where I worked at a local hospital in the Cardiology wing. I have no publications though because the project was canceled at the beginning of my senior year [along with my thesis]. It was an extremely successful project but our target subjects were similar to a new project being run by the hospital itself so we were asked to withdraw from recruiting any patients.</p>

<p>Top Programs:
Columbia - Biotechnology M.A.
Mount Sinai - Biomedical Sciences M.S.
NYU - Biology M.A.
UPENN - Biotechnology M.A.</p>

<p>While I feel I am a qualified applicant, I understand that my GPA is a deterrent factor. Yet my grades for the past year do not really reflect my academic ability. I have been in and out of the hospital in Feb of 08, dealt with the suicide of a friend during a summer session (which heavily affected my grade) and then went through a string of personal deaths (7 from Nov-Dec) and then landed in the hospital the week of finals. Due to that I have earned 3 C's and one withdrawal. I plan on explaining this to the admissions council, but since Columbia does not consider GRE scores what do you think my chances are? Also, beyond this university, do you think I have a chance at other top tier schools?</p>

<p>I know that was ridiculously long, but thank you for reading =).</p>

<p>I suspect that you are particularly competitive for masters programs and you needn't worry about the GPA. The admission committees really aren't going to care about the skull and bones cult or the indian student activism. They will be impressed by industry research as well as your undergrad research. Also, your test scores are great.</p>