How do I decide on a biology grad school program?

[kerena]

My name is Kelly and I am new to this community.  I am very interested in going to grad school next fall for biology, but only after recently reading "Getting What You Came For" did I realize how behind I am!  (He suggests researching and contacting potential advisors a year and a half before APPLYING... I've got about a month and a half at best

Comments

[snarkface]

I suggest that it is better to wait a year to apply for something you are sure you will like than to risk two years of your life studying something you might hate! You won't be stuck studying a particular specialty forever, but you will probably be stuck studying it for at least a couple of years.

It would be good to have a bit of direct experience with something to make sure that you love it before jumping into a grad program. Try to narrow down your interests, and then offer to volunteer in a lab or two. A year is not a very long time to ensure your happiness!

[homericlaughter]

I'm pretty far away from Biology, so I can't really give you much advice on the discipline. But I'm curious. How is 'Getting What You Came For'? Worth a purchase?

[kerena]

I'm only about half way done, but it has been great so far. Very informative and for what it's worth, it was recommended to me by a head of a graduate program. For 11 dollars, it's a good deal.

[fullofpink]

I've read it and I have found it extremely helpful. I also recommended it to my department's DGS who has found it extremely clarifying. It also gives you a lot of warning to look out for.

Of course, much of the information and statistics are dated (like buying a desktop over a laptop because laptops can't hold as much memory, etc.) but only a few chapters are dedicated to describing the process of applying while the rest of the book is about how to accelerate your potential to achieve a degree faster, what to look for, and how to manage it. There are tons of pro and cons list and it is really obvious that he discussed his ideas with a lot of other people who went through the process. For 11$ I haven't regretted the decision.

[brittdreams]

I recommend pursuing a MS first, which can help you narrow your interests down for subsequent PhD applications. It sounds to me like your interests are more inclined towards ecology, so you might want to start by looking up members of the ESA or looking for ecology departments.

[brittdreams]

Also, why are comments to this post screened?

[lostreality]

please do not screen comments or I will have to ban you from the community

[kerena]

My apologies. It's been a while since I have been on lj, but I think it is fixed now! Please let me know if it is not.