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I will be graduating with a BS in Computer Science in 2017 and have applied to a couple of graduate school to pursue MS in Biomedical Informatics/Bioinformatics. I'm interested in translational research and research in precision/personalized medicine. I am hoping to apply the computer science knowledge in developing pipelines that will facilitate the process of choosing best-fitting medicine/treatment for the patients.

I understand that admission is competitive and well aware that I have a chance of not getting into any of the school that I have applied to. (I have a 3.2 GPA in my BS, 70-75th percentile GRE, and some experience as an intern in my school's Department of Biomedical Informatics.)

My question is that in the worst case when I would have to wait until the following year to apply again (international student here), what would be the best way to prepare in the meantime in terms of reading journals and independent studies?

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  • As it currently stands, I'm of the opinion that this is a "strongly depends on personal factors" questions and should be closed. That said - I think there's an excellent question in there of "how should I prepare for graduate studies while waiting to reapply?".
    – tonysdg
    Dec 13, 2016 at 18:00
  • @tonysdg I understand where you are coming from, but I disagree. I think I have stated my case pretty clearly with my research interests along with my graduate study plans. I posted this question because I wanted more narrow answers as to how to be better prepared for my prospective field specifically, not just a general "what should I do after applying?"
    – HereWeGo17
    Dec 13, 2016 at 18:07
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    I can buy that, but in that case, anything about your GPA/GRE/background is still irrelevant to the question.
    – tonysdg
    Dec 13, 2016 at 18:08
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic. Please follow suggestion made by @tonysdg. Dec 14, 2016 at 1:47
  • To clarify what you want - do you want to know how to prepare to do well in grad school during a gap year, or how to strengthen your application for the next round of applications next year? They might be some very different answers.
    – BrianH
    Dec 14, 2016 at 4:59

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Try to get a lab position in your field as a tech - this will allow you to build exactly the type of experience that graduate schools will want, show your dedication and interest in the topic and give you the opportunity to build the type of relationships that lead to convincing recommendation letters.

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  • Hi Bryan, thanks for the reply. When you say a "tech" what kind of position exactly do you mean?
    – HereWeGo17
    Dec 14, 2016 at 19:02
  • @DJB A position in a university laboratory that requires a bachelors degree. I don't know what the exact opportunities would be in CS.
    – Bryan Krause
    Dec 14, 2016 at 19:04

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