I'm about to finish up with a BS in biochemistry and molecular biology with a minor in German from a respected US university, and I'd like to pursue a masters in biochem (or a combination of that and another field) in Germany (and most likely pursue a PhD after).
I'd like to hear of any experiences or valuable info that you guys may have on the German grad school system, especially if related to biochemistry, molecular biology, or microbiology.
Important Info on me:
- US and German citizenship
- All my family lives in Germany
- ~3.94 GPA with 2 years of varied research experiences in my field
- Plenty of recommendation sources (min 4) from professors who have known and worked with me spanning multiple semesters
- My conversational German is apparently very good (according to almost all Germans I've spoken to, my professor, and family), but I still need some work with expanding my vocabulary to be suited for a professional environment. I still need to take the C1 or B2 language certification exam.
- I did transfer twice, each a major upgrade from the Uni prior. All my upper levels and hard-science courses were taken at the respected Uni though, just electives were done at the previous schools.
Some schools I'm interested in:
1. Goethe
2. LMU
3. Heidelberg
4. Gottingen
5. Cologne
6. FUB
7. Bonn
Is there anything important I'm missing? Do I look like someone with good enough credentials for a decent school in Germany for the program I'm going for? I'm worried I may be at a disadvantage in a uni environment if the program is full German since I've learned everything in English. I know these are all things I should be asking my advisor, but he's just an expert on the US system. I'll be visiting for 6 weeks starting in November, how could I use that time wisely if I plan on trying to enroll in the next Winter semester of 2021?
Any tips, info, or experiences with the German grad school system would be well appreciated!
I'd like to hear of any experiences or valuable info that you guys may have on the German grad school system, especially if related to biochemistry, molecular biology, or microbiology.
Important Info on me:
- US and German citizenship
- All my family lives in Germany
- ~3.94 GPA with 2 years of varied research experiences in my field
- Plenty of recommendation sources (min 4) from professors who have known and worked with me spanning multiple semesters
- My conversational German is apparently very good (according to almost all Germans I've spoken to, my professor, and family), but I still need some work with expanding my vocabulary to be suited for a professional environment. I still need to take the C1 or B2 language certification exam.
- I did transfer twice, each a major upgrade from the Uni prior. All my upper levels and hard-science courses were taken at the respected Uni though, just electives were done at the previous schools.
Some schools I'm interested in:
1. Goethe
2. LMU
3. Heidelberg
4. Gottingen
5. Cologne
6. FUB
7. Bonn
Is there anything important I'm missing? Do I look like someone with good enough credentials for a decent school in Germany for the program I'm going for? I'm worried I may be at a disadvantage in a uni environment if the program is full German since I've learned everything in English. I know these are all things I should be asking my advisor, but he's just an expert on the US system. I'll be visiting for 6 weeks starting in November, how could I use that time wisely if I plan on trying to enroll in the next Winter semester of 2021?
Any tips, info, or experiences with the German grad school system would be well appreciated!
