<p>Hi! I graduated from a top-10 college this May with a GPA of 3.15. While in college, I completed almost all of the pre-medical curriculum, as well as two majors (in Neuroscience and Economics.) I shouldn't have planned out college the way I did and I wish I'd focused on just one major in retrospect. The way things ended up, though, my course of study was very rigorous and left me extremely sleep-deprived and low on motivation by the time graduation rolled around. I also took on a variety of extracurricular responsibilities while studying, which were contributing factors to my low GPA.</p>
<p>This is where the advice bit comes in: I am unsure about my next move. (Please bear with me, I know I'm floundering more than I should be!) </p>
<p>I received a competitive (albeit low-paying) fellowship after graduation and am doing research (data analysis and client reports) for the time being, but it will end in a few months and I would like to parlay it into a more defined career path that leads to a competitive graduate school.</p>
<p>I could finish my pre-medical classes at a community college and try to apply to medical school within the next two years, but I am honestly not sure if I have it in me to make it through the all-nighters that will be required of me (both in medical school and during residency!) Basically, I think I've used up all my all-nighters for good. I know law school doesn't offer the best employment prospects these days and so my options are limited. I didn't get an engineering degree as an undergrad (though I REALLY wish I had), so that ship has also sailed. </p>
<p>I enjoyed my psychology classes in college but I am also fairly competent at math and science. I would like to go into a field that is intellectually stimulating (I know, who wouldn't?) My limited experience with the world of business so far has been that it is fairly humdrum, but I know there's more to the field than I can see right now.</p>
<p>My question: what are my options? Where can I go from here (especially with such a low college GPA)? Thanks so much.</p>
<p>Here’s a parent’s perspective. You sound like a level-headed student who is aware of strengths and weaknesses, and open to exploring a variety of possible career paths. This is huge…you are teachable and willing to make an effort.</p>
<p>I suggest using connections (yours, your professors that you have a good relationship with, roommates’ families, your own family’s, church, high school teachers, etc.) Ask questions of those who have a teaching relationship with you. They may have seen a spark of something that you haven’t yet realized exists within you. Use other connections to try to get an interview with people working in several different fields. Ask them for 20 minutes or their time, and come prepared with intelligent questions. You want to find out the “real” job description, digging in past “I work with numbers” or “I make sales calls.”</p>
<p>My friend who works at the CDC arranged for my D to have a full day of tours and meetings with 11 different types of workers. She toured several labs and was able to get a feel for what life in a huge government organization might be like. She quickly realized that “cubicle life” was not for her. And knowing what you don’t like is a good first step towards narrowing down your options.</p>
<p>If you were independently wealthy, what activities or interests would you gravitate to? Do you have any passions for cars, architecture, travel, photography? And how could you use one of those passions to earn a living?</p>
<p>I’ll go a step further… you sound like you aren’t certain what your path should be, and since that is the case, I don’t think that graduate school (let alone professional school) is the right path to take right now - spending the kind of money required to get that advanced degree should be something you do only after you’ve figured out what you want to do. Law schools are actually seeing a huge drop in applications as the business world has picked back up, which means that law jobs that have been scarce for the past five years will begin to become more readily available in the next five; but investing three years and upwards of $150,000 only makes sense if you want to practice law in some capacity.</p>
<p>My question for you is, why do you want to go to graduate school at some point in the future? It is important to recognize that grad school isn’t for everyone and certainly isn’t needed for professional success, so you should only really look to do it if you are a) highly interested in the coursework and b) reasonably certain of what you want to do post graduation.</p>
<p>If you are looking for a challenge, just keep your eyes out for jobs. You probably want to stay away from the ones that involve repetitive tasks since you want to be challenged consistently, but if you get into something that involves data analysis, you will always find a new opportunity to learn, even if your work atmosphere is relatively “humdrum”</p>