John Dunn '16 Earning his PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Iowa. |
John's Advice:
My advice for finding the right graduate school is to be open to looking at schools you never thought you would ever look into in the first place. When I began my search, a professor told me to look at Iowa, and I thought that sounded like the most ridiculous place to look, but decided to give it a shot anyways and ever since then my heart and mind has been set on the University of Iowa. I am so thankful and so happy that I decided to look into the MCB program at the University of Iowa because it is everything I could ever possibly want and more in a program--a supportive faculty, education support, a top research institution, and strong history of success. Some schools may seem perfect or wonderful just because you know something about them already (which is how I felt about UofL and UK), but if you do go out and take a chance, you may find something even more perfect. When I went into my interviews, I just felt like I belonged at U Iowa as opposed to at UofL or UK.
I also recommend that once acceptances and offers come in, that you don't be afraid of trusting your instinct in helping you decided where to go. Never be afraid to take a chance and to follow your heart. I still recommend making a list of pros and cons of each program you look into, but at some point, it will become painfully obvious which school or program you actually really want to go to, even if on paper they seem identical. There is something about having the pros and cons of each written out in front of you that allows you to see what it is you really, honest-to-God want and to not be afraid to make the commitment towards that program.