So you have decided to go to graduate school.
Graduate school is a big step in an academic progression. Students in our graduate programs are challenged not only to achieve but also to adopt new ways of thinking and generate novel scientific findings. This is a position where you will come to lab everyday and be expected to innovate.
How to apply
Applications to graduate school need to be submitted through the UW Graduate Program Admissions page. Our lab trains students from the following programs:
Integrated Program in Biochemistry (IPiB)
Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB)
Each program has different attributes and specializations and so looks for different qualities in student applications. Having sat on several admissions committees, be assured that every application from the strongest to the weakest is read and evaluated in its entirety if it meets the minimum program requirements and no program uses a single selection criteria for admitting students.
Preparing a strong graduate application
Personal statement
Sometimes called a “statement of purpose” this 1-2 page essay is your chance to tell the admissions committee why you belong in their program. Statements should be clear and specific. Admissions committees see right through waffly prose so be honest, genuine and detailed. Your statement will be specific to you but make sure it contains the following elements:
- Your motivations for going to graduate school.
- Why do you want to go to graduate school?
- What do you hope to get out of graduate school?
- How will graduate school help your career aspirations?
- What in your background or experiences would make you a unique and valuable addition to this program?
- Research experience
- Describe your past research experience in a way that indicates that you knew what you were doing, briefly describing methods, results and implications
- Name drop papers you worked on or conferences or meetings that you attended
- UW-Madison
- What aspects of the university excite you?
- What is it about this specific graduate program that you are interested in?
- List 2-6 professors that you would be interested in working with and why.
Curriculum vitae
This is like a resume but does not contain personal statements and lists everything you have done. Make sure it includes:
- Your past educational experiences. Include dates, majors/programs, GPA
- Research experiences
- List accolades like papers and conferences
- Awards
- Scholarships, fellowships or other forms of recognition
- Work history
Letters of Recommendation
This is usually something that you have to plan ahead for as cultivating meaningful relationships takes time (sometimes years). You cannot really control what your letter writers say about you but you do get to pick who they are. Who can write a letter? The strongest letter writers are going to be professors or group supervisors. Some options (not exhaustive):
- Research mentor (undergraduate, master’s thesis, etc.)
- This is often your strongest letter as it speaks to your ability to handle yourself in a research lab setting.
- Supervisor
- If you took a year off to get some research experience at a biotech or have extensive volunteering experience, your supervisor may be able to write you a strong letter explaining why you would be an asset for a graduate program.
- Instructor
- Often this is your weakest letter. Course instructors usually only get to know students for a few months. Pick an instructor that you actually interacted with: attending office hours or pestering with questions. The best letters are specific and if the professor doesn’t know you, it is nearly impossible for them to write a strong letter. Also pay attention to what this person could reasonably say about your ability to perform in a bioscience graduate program.
Transcript
Both the Graduate School and each graduate program set minimum GPA requirements for admissions. Beyond that, admissions committees will look at what classes you took paying close attention to your science course work and the grades you received. If you had a rough semester, explain it in your personal statement.
Test scores
None of the graduate programs that our lab takes students from require GRE scores. The graduate school and graduate programs do require English as a Second Language testing if you did not do your most recent degree in an English speaking country. See program pages for details.