Chances of getting into graduate school with a mediocre GPA?

Question

I am a biochemistry major looking to get into a phD program in molecular or developmental biology. I have a 3.30 GPA from a 2nd tier school and my verbal GRE scores are also mediocre.

(GRE: 530 verbal, 760 quantitative, 5.0 analytical).

However, I have 1.5yrs of full-time research work and 3 excellent letters of recommendation from people who I know think highly of my research capabilities.

I am also going to graduate on time, within the traditional 4yrs, even though I took a year off (got accepted to a year-long research fellowship) although I'm not sure if that helps any.

Also, none of the 3 references are my professors. Does that hurt my chances? Two are from scientist's who I've worked directly with and the third is my advisor who knows me personally and is very well respected in the science community. All 3 are phDs and published.

Also, I am female and a US citizen (not minority, though). I'll also need funding.

Help?

Answer 1

lots - I got accepted in a Masters Program - you may have to work for few years but can then be accepted as a Mature Student into a mediocre university with your mediocre gpa

Answer 2

I think a lot of schools will look at your work experience positively, as that is what most of PhD work is about. Make sure you make the effort to talk personally to the admissions boards at the schools to which you will apply -- that always helps to put a person with a record. You might even contact specific professors with whom you would like to do research, and show them how motivated you are.

I had a 2.9 GPA as an undergrad and have so far been accepted into three graduate programs (okay, so I had a few career changes ;-). That being said, the GPA was from a top school, and I am a savant when it comes to standardized tests, so I was in the 99th percentile for the GREs.

Answer 3

With those qualifications you can certainly get into a graduate school -- and possibly a good one.

You don't say enough about your GPA. 3.3 isn't really that bad -- but students getting into the top schools will generally have better grades. My GPA was about the same. However, if you threw out by Freshman year I would have graduated with honors. I was able to get into a top 15 Math program. I did well there, but got no degree. Later, I was able to get an MBA at Duke and a PhD at Berkeley.

If you did really well in your major, or if you improved as you went through school -- then your GPA shouldn't be a problem. Point out that you improved or that your grades in major are a better indicator of how you will do in graduate school. If, on the other hand, you started out with a 4.0, went down hill and didn't do so well in your major -- then you could have problems.

As for your GRE -- your verbal score isn't as important as your quantitative score -- but you can always do a prep course & take it again.

Good luck.

Answer 4

You sound like you think it's all or nothing. You get in everywhere or you get in nowhere. You get in Harvard or your life is over. The only thing you can really say for sure is that if you don't try, you won't get in.

Approach your grad school application the same way you approached your undergrad application. Apply to one dream school, two or three realistic good schools, and a backup safety school. You will certainly be able to get in somewhere. It's not all or nothing.

Being a woman may help a little, since more men than women pursue the sciences. I wouldn't worry about the funding. Every grad student should expect and get a teaching assistantship, which will pay all the tuition and fees and a (barely) livable wage. In my opinion, nobody should have to pay to go to grad school. Having a TA in grad school was the most rewarding part of the whole thing in my experience.

Answer 5

I don't know how hard it is to get into grad school in your particular field, but in many fields, you would face some trouble. The mediocre GPA can be explained, but when combined with mediocre GRE scores, there is cause for concern. To be honest, I would read your qualifications as meaning that you are good at following directions when someone else is taking the lead, but probably not very creative. Your references have seen you in that capacity, whereas a professor would have seen you design, not just carry out, experiments. What is interesting to me is that the one thing which might help you is the one thing you say you aren't sure would help - the research fellowship! Is one of your references the person with whom you worked on that? (S)he should be, unless you didn't perform terribly well on that.

Answer 6

How big are your teirs? Top 20? Top 50? Top 10? I go to UNC-Chapel Hill and plenty of people would say that's a second teir school, with the Ivy's being first teir. It's certainly a first teir public school. Anyway, it's probably less important your school's rating than your program's rating. For instance, UNC is 20-something over all, but ranks in the Top 10 in several departments, Top 5 in a few less and #1 in certain program (for instance the School of Information and Library Science, which I am a part of). I'd say try to get into a master's program and then try to get into the PhD program at the same school. I know that happens in my program fairly often.

Answer 7

well, lets see: you need a 3.5 GPA for your degree that you are seeking, so unless you can pull that off good luck! all schools are very careful about GPA's, and such. your letters will not hurt but it would of been a wiser decision to also have done some research under your teachers and you would of had a better chance then. the advisor not is nothing that they will look at out of the ordinary. they will focus more on your grades as well as your reference as well as seeing your transcript and how you did in your science and math classes before even thinking of maybe letting you in.

Answer 8

It might be easier to apply to a master's program, then move to a PhD from there. Your references sound excellent, too, though, so try a few PhD programs, because you might be surprised. Good luck!

Answer 9

Are you a legacy? Are you uber rich?

If the answer to either question is no, see ya.

Answer 10

maybe... depends on the school you apply to, and your references from professors at the current school you are at now.