Does GPA really matter while applying for a PhD degree?

Question

Esp. while applying to the univesities in the US as a non-US citizen ...
and for a CS student who wants to study bioinformatics???

Answer 1

GPA is one of many, many factors to consider. Considering how long a PhD takes, professors may be more interested in proof you can finish what you start!

I was on a graduate admissions committee once. We got one application with good GPA and good test scores, and a letter of recommendation that said, "Nobody can work with him." The committee turned that one down immediately. There were others with less than stellar GPAs that we did admit. My own file was stamped "inadmissable" by the university because of my low GPA. A professor had to convince somebody to let him look at the file, then file extra paperwork to get me in.

What can really help you is if you have talked with the professors in the department on the phone or e-mailed a professor who is working in an area you are interested in. You may have some pretty vague ideas for a dissertation topic, and they can help steer you in a better direction.

Sometimes the department won't admit you if no professor will volunteer to be your advisor. Many professors won't volunteer to be your advisor if they are not interested in what you propose to study, if they think you don't know what you're talking about, or it they have never heard from you or talked to you.

When I was on that committee, I sometimes read applications and didn't know whether I should say yes or no. If I found out the applicant hadn't bothered to talk to any of the professors, it was easy to say no!