Your application will be reviewed by a panel of experienced research scientists who represent the participating PhD programs
in the BSTP. It will be assigned to reviewers in programs that you have indicated as your strong interests, but because you
might choose among any of the PhD programs, all representatives take a strong interest in your application.
Characteristics of promising young scientists include motivation and experience. We'd like to know what interests you
in science and why those aspects are exciting. We would also like to know what types of research experiences you have had.
Particularly interesting are any projects in which you have had a fair amount of independence. Did you do an honor's thesis?
Have you contributed to a publication? You might tell us about these activities in your essay, and have the professor
who guided the work write a letter of recommendation.
Grades and test scores give us an idea of your academic background and achievement. We do not have minimum grades or
test scores. In recent years our students had GRE scores averaging in about the 70th percentile, and
undergraduate GPAs of 3.4 - 3.6. We do not require a GRE subject test, but we're happy to see the scores if you take the test.
Some students take a year or two after college to complete a Master's degree or to work as a research technician - that's
great! Most students benefit from the additional research experience. If you've been working as a research technician,
you will probably want to include a letter of recommendation from your supervisor.
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