Hi, I’m currently an undergraduate student at Wheaton College and I’m a biochem major.
I’m looking to transfer because I want to go to a bigger school and it’s getting too expensive to dorm, so I’m gonna be a commuter student.
I currently have a 3.1 gpa, and I’m looking to apply to Brandeis.
Is there any chance at all?
I’d really like any information at all
I’m sure you have a chance, I say go for it 
You have a chance, but it’s very, very small.
Brandeis has one of the top biochem departments in the country and a 3.1 from Wheaton does not present a compelling argument for admission.
Furthermore, you would really need to present a better case for your admission than “I want a school close enough to commute to.”
I see what you are saying, and I do have other reasons besides a close school. And I want to have more opportunities such as potentially doing chemical engineering.
I’m working on being a better test takes because I actually do understand the material, but I choke during tests.
I also do extracurriculars and will be a research assistant at Wheaton in the chemistry department.
I’m part of the Pre-health society and my school’s Relay for Life
And this past summer I interned in Bangladesh at Grameen Bank, learning more about their healthcare system.
I really enjoy chemistry and I want to continue to study it, but I’m worried that my gpa will show a lack of effort even though I spend hours and hours working to understand the material.
Admissions is not the only problem you are facing.
What do you realistically think that 3.1 at Wheaton is going to become if you were a student at Brandeis? (which I’m quite certain is a “harder” school, especially in your field, not to mention that the upper-level coursework is going to be more challenging anywhere.)
Maybe a 2.5 if you’re very lucky (sorry but I’m just being blunt).
With a GPA like that, med school is out of the question as is any graduate program worth attending.
P.S. Brandeis does not have a Chemical Engineering program.
Update: I unfortunately did not get into Brandeis, but I was accepted to Simmons and BU