u/alaina_j

i’m entering my senior year of college and i'm majoring in chemistry. my goal is to apply to doctorate programs for structural biology/molecular biophysics, but i feel so behind on everything. my grades are excellent, i have two years of tutoring experience, and i know exactly what to write for a personal statement-- i just don't have a very fleshed out application. i’m not published, i’ve been to one conference (and it was for undergraduates at my uni, barely even a conference), i have no internships, and i’ve never done an REU. i plan to present a poster at two conferences in the upcoming year, but that’s all i’ve got going for me right now.

i work in a lab that is fairly separate from my research interests in all aspects except instrumentation (and even then, i don’t work with the heavy-hitter instrument that is ALWAYS used in my prospective field). my plan is to add on a physics minor and spend one more semester at my uni so that i have an extra summer to do an REU, get more lab experience, do an extra conference, and take all the extra classes that i'm itching to do that would make me a well-rounded applicant.

is any of that wise? there's also the option of applying for a masters program and graduating on time. i'll take any advice people have to offer.