<p>So I was all set to have a 3.5 when one darn course brought my GPA down to a 3.48 instead. I'm not extremely familiar with the graduate school admissions process but I'm wondering how much of a difference those 0.02 points are going to make. I was always under the impression that 3.5 was the "magic number" to be competitive. I do have close to a 3.85 in my junior-level courses and am now entering my senior year.</p>
<p>Some background:</p>
<p>I'm currently pursuing a chemical engineering degree from the University of Texas at Austin. I'm doing research and will have about 5-6 months under my belt by the time I apply. I'm taking the GRE in a month and plan on acing it.</p>
<p>I'm aiming for the top-20 (and some of the top-10) schools. I'm well aware that I'm competing with students who have 3.8's and 3.9's but I don't want to be discouraged by that. I do believe that I'm smart and have research potential and I'm hoping to be able to convey that through my application. The only slightly worrying factor I have is my GPA, which is partly due to the fact that I switched majors after my first year. I've done well in my chemical engineering courses.</p>
<p>Any helpful comments would be appreciated.</p>
<p>please tell me you’re joking</p>
<p>haha not joking, just slightly paranoid =p. It’s just that reading all the posts in this forum makes it seem that the bar is really set very high and a 3.5 is needed to be competitive. I feel like I’m already right on the fence and I’m not sure if falling slightly below the 3.5 mark makes a difference.</p>
<p>Let it go. People do round up.</p>
<p>A few places I think will inherently just throw in out, but that is going to be maybe CalTech and Cornell. Some schools have explicit cutoffs for application and I would not be surprised if they held to that. For example, while applying to study abroad at IIT Bombay, I was rejected, even though there was not explicitly stated cutoff, for not having a 3.5–I had a 3.49. </p>
<p>Granted, I was intent on going to National University of Singapore even if accepted to IIT, it just is a clear example of some people having a clear cutoff at 3.5.</p>
<p>Just get it to 3.5 with your next semester and all will be good.</p>
<p>A few places have hard cutoffs but they are the exception, not the rule. Most schools really only consider gpa’s to the tenth of a point, so 3.45-3.55 are all pretty much the same. The only real consistent cutoff is 3.00 - if you are below that there are very few schools that will take you without some great mitigating circumstances.</p>
<p>I can definitely get it up to a 3.5 next semester. Does it affect my chances if I complete my application right before the deadline?</p>
<p>Also, with my current stats (3.5 gpa, excellent grades in upper-division/chem-e courses) and experience (summer+fall research by the time I apply, summer internship at Exxon although I’m not sure that’s valid at all), do I have a shot at the top-20 schools? This assuming my GRE scores and LOR’s are decent.</p>
<p>And I don’t know if this matters but I’m technically an international student. But I’ve been in the US since 9th grade.</p>
<p>On a slightly different note, what exactly is the procedure to apply for a MS or a PhD. Are there separate applications for each? Is it frowned upon to apply for a masters AND a PhD at the same university? And is it possible to get a master’s degree and then continue on to get a PhD?</p>
<p>Sorry, I got a LOT of questions!</p>
<p>Generally speaking masters and PhD admissions at the same university will have entirely separate admissions processes. Keep in mind that most masters students receive no funding, so if your sure you want a PhD its generally better to not apply to masters programs. In many scenarios you can pick up a masters degree on the way to a PhD and in a few cases it may be necessary but just by being in a PhD program you will probably receive funding to get the masters. Some schools have you apply to their department and its assumed youll be entering to study for the degree you haven’t received yet, and some schools will allow you to get consideration for a masters program if you get denied admission to the PhD program.</p>
<p>Bottom line it depends on the programs/schools you are interested in. You should go through the websites for the schools you are interested in and see what their policies are regarding this topic. Keep in mind that if you apply to both, you will generally be required to pay a separate fee for both programs and may even be asked to submit documents to two places.</p>
<p>LOL OP, you and I are in very similar situations, except I am mechanical.</p>
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<p>Sephiroth I really hope you are kidding because I have a 3.49 at Cornell and am aiming for those two schools! Has anyone ever gotten into these programs with below a 3.5? I think I can bring it up above 3.5 this fall semester, but I’m worried that might be too late for applications. </p>
<p>Also, OP said he had an internship at Exxon Mobil… do internships carry any weight in admissions at all? I had research in one lab this summer and summer of freshman year, and took an internship (not that famous but a fortune 500 company) summer after my sophomore year. My position was technical but the work was sort of boring… not as much math or physics as I wanted. Do internships get you points even though they aren’t research?</p>
<p>I know exceptions happen, but why they happen is lost on me. I assume if you have a good reason for being at 3.49, then you can explain it and maybe get some leniency. Also, internships do not matter–only letters of recommendation from famous people that carry weight. If you had one of those at your internship, then use it.</p>
<p>sorry…didn’t want to start a new thread, but how about a 3.65 vs. 3.7?</p>