<p>i have a 2.9 gpa at uc berkeley (mech. eng.) and just graduated. i havent taken the gre's but am sure i can do well on them (i'm a good test taker). as for research i have a lot of research at lawrence national lab (but no publication). currently i'm doing a 4 month internship.</p>
<p>anyways, I was wondering....</p>
<ul>
<li><p>can i still apply to schools which have a min required gpa of 3.0? or is the 3.0 a 'hard limit'</p></li>
<li><p>if i do my masters of mech. eng. at a csu (say...csu long beach)...how difficult is it to get into a uc phd program after?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>-i guess where i do my masters doesnt matter to me, as long as i can get into a uc berkeley, for phd. any suggestions for not so picky yet decent engineering schools?</p>
It varies from school to school, but remember that “minimum” doesn’t usually get in - most people applying have a much higher GPA.</p>
<p>Is there a reason why your GPA is so low compared to other applicants? Do you have other outstanding application boosters to compensate (great research, great letters, etc.) besides GRE (the least important admissions factor)? Alternately, is there a good reason why they should consider your GPA uncharacteristic, like prolonged illness?</p>
<p>A UC Berkeley PhD is a pretty difficult program to enter, and you have positioned yourself poorly with that GPA. I am sure that there are some masters programs that might take you, but I have no idea what they are. Wherever you go, you will need to be stellar to have a shot at Berkeley for PhD.</p>
<p>A faculty member that really wants you at UC Berkeley could pull strings to help you get in. However, you will need to have someone who is willing to “go to bat” for you. Perhaps you have done research with a Berkeley prof?</p>
<p>Otherwise, you will want to keep Berkeley firmly in the “reach” pile.</p>
<p>I have heard mixed things about this approach. I have heard that it might be harder to get into a PhD program having a Masters because what will you get if you dropout etc.? You already have an MS coming in.</p>
<p>I have met people that were accepted to PhD programs at UCLA coming from a MS program from a CSU so it’s not impossible. The GPA requirement might be higher since you are expected to handle the rigorous grad classes. </p>
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<p>If possible, look for schools that have research opportunities in your intended research area.</p>
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<p>You still might have to do an MS first even with some work experience so apply now and see what happens.</p>
<p>Don’t just apply to CSUs or just Masters programs. Apply to a variety of programs i.e. from reach to safeties. Also, some PhD programs have an option to be considered for a Masters if you are not admitted to the PhD track on the application so don’t forget to check that box.</p>
<p>Talk to your research advisor and other professors. They will know best about your strengths and give you the proper advice on how to approach this issue.</p>