I have 2 years left of my undergrad and am trying to gauge what I need to do to get into a good PhD program. I’m very interested in Biomedical Engineering but I’m willing to do Chemical Engineering if I see research that interests me. I’m particularly interested in a research lab at Carnegie Mellon, and another at Harvard.
GPA: 3.48
GRE: not yet taken, practice test gave 154 Q 159 V
Research experience: will have 4 years by graduation
I think that I can bring my GRE scores up considerably by the time I take the test. I’m more concerned about my GPA–in order to pull a 3.7, I would have to get a 4.0 every single semester from here on out. I can see myself getting a 3.8 every semester, realistically, and I think that might put me around 3.65.
Currently I’m completing a year long internship at a national laboratory, in a position that was originally opened for a post bachelors student. By the time I’m done here, I will most likely have 2-4 publications and my name on 1-2 patents. Upon return to my university next August, I will continue research with my previous research adviser and hopefully publish one more paper with him, possibly more.
My mentor here at the lab has already offered many times to write a glowing letter, and my research adviser at my school will have worked with me for 3 years (so hopefully will be able/willing to write a substantial letter)
TL;DR: how much good will good research experience, publications, and patents do in compensating for a lacking GPA and GRE, if they aren’t in the most competitive bracket?
Quite a lot, actually. Letters and publications are more important than your GPA and GRE scores - they’re more indicative of being a successful scholar. The GPA is still pretty important, but I think a 3.48 is good enough. If you can bump it up to over a 3.5, you should be totally fine. Do you have a higher major GPA?
Many programs would be willing to overlook a lowish GRE score for your credentials, but a 154 Q is stretching it for an engineering degree. Definitely retake. Given that you have publications and a lot of research experience, I would say that you might get away with a 160+, but even that’s on the lowish side for engineering - it’s about the average for engineering all up and slightly lower than average for chemical engineering. A 164+ would be safest, but I think you should at least be okay with a 160+ Q. (Your verbal score is already above average, so that’s okay.)
What do your mentors say?
My final undergraduate GPA was somewhere around 3.4 or 3.5 or so, but I had 2+ years of research experience and no publications and I got into (I believe) about half of the “top 10” schools to which I applied for graduate schools and most of the rest of the “top 25” schools right in the middle of the great recession when applications were up. I agree with @juillet that your GRE could stand to improve, in the Q section, though. Generally, in engineering, GRE scores won’t make your application, but they can break it.
@juillet my mentors all firmly believe that I have great chances, but they have no idea about my low quantitative score haha.
I honestly think my GPA will go up by a lot, and I’m going to study a lot for the GRE. Hopefully that’ll help!