My mentor whose pretty prestigious in my field got into graduate school with a gpa UNDER 2.5/4.0
It's not impossible but in your SOP you need to state clearly why you floundered in these classes without appearing to be negative! "In regards to a low gpa I attempted in my jr. year to branch out my interests and took upper level math classes. sjdfhshd"
In response to this, I think it's only a good idea to mention why you didn't do well if the reason was something that's unlikely to recur, such as "I had a death in the family" or "I had an illness that affected my work" or something else. With all due respect to the OP, writing "I tried to branch out with my interests and took upper level math classes, and I tried really hard to do well but I just couldn't get it" doesn't sound the most...convincing.
Yeah, I realize that. So do I avoid it in my SOP, or only mention it if I go on to demonstrate improvement? It's something I want to discuss, I think, because I've challenged myself and found my limits, but I don't know the best way to go about it.
Hm, this is a rough one. I think you'll get different feedback from different people on this issue. There was an article recently that quoted a professor saying that you always discuss it because you don't want the adcom to wonder, whereas I've heard other professors say don't bring attention to it. I think it depends largely on your skill at writing and spinning it to your advantage.
In my case, I had some lower grades in advanced math classes and some other unrelated classes (I had earned a C in linear algebra and a C in an acting class, mainly because I goofed off freshman year) and a semester in which I tanked because I had a medical issue, and I didn't explain any of it in the SOP. I just crossed my fingers and hoped that the rest of my record would stand on its own.
I'm in microbiology. I got into grad school with an undergrad GPA of 3.16. I'd have to pull out my applications to see what my major or last 2 years GPA was, but it wasn't all that much higher. It also didn't help that my 3 C's were in biochem II, pathogenic microbiology and immunology, all majors classes for me. Yes, your grades are going to count for something, but so is your research experience. They'll also likely look at the rigor of the courses you take. So I'll have to disagree with karrie_o, don't waste your time on "easy" courses just for the sake of your GPA. Focus on getting good grades in your science courses. Ask for extra help. Go to office hours. Get to know your professors and TAs. These are all things I wished I'd done in undergrad
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High GRE scores are vitalgreedgeDecember 31 2009, 12:26:51 UTC
A Master's followed by work experience might be a useful combination, if you want to do a Ph.D. You need to find something to make your application shine, projects in your Master's, work experience will contribute there. Of course, high GRE scores are vital. It's advisable to take the GRE this year - 2010 - because the format will drastically change in '11. Here's some help to make that happen:) http://greedge.livejournal.com/1785.html
Your GPA isn't that bad. Most "require" a minimum of 3.0 (which you're at), and they can accept students with below that. Plus, you're doing research, which will look good. Since you're got a year to think about it, contact some schools or professors from other schools. Maybe they can give you some guidance.
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It's not impossible but in your SOP you need to state clearly why you floundered in these classes without appearing to be negative! "In regards to a low gpa I attempted in my jr. year to branch out my interests and took upper level math classes. sjdfhshd"
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In my case, I had some lower grades in advanced math classes and some other unrelated classes (I had earned a C in linear algebra and a C in an acting class, mainly because I goofed off freshman year) and a semester in which I tanked because I had a medical issue, and I didn't explain any of it in the SOP. I just crossed my fingers and hoped that the rest of my record would stand on its own.
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Yes, your grades are going to count for something, but so is your research experience. They'll also likely look at the rigor of the courses you take. So I'll have to disagree with karrie_o, don't waste your time on "easy" courses just for the sake of your GPA. Focus on getting good grades in your science courses. Ask for extra help. Go to office hours. Get to know your professors and TAs. These are all things I wished I'd done in undergrad ( ... )
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