College of William and Mary
GPA : 2.81
Major: Physics
Minor: Math
Junior
What I want to do:
I was looking to go to Virginia Tech for nuclear engineering due to the increase of employment/salary in the near future; Im considering nuclear engineering due to my financial background/struggles since I was a kid.
It doesn’t have to be VT, Im considering any school really. What I really was passionate about was quantum computing, quantum gravity, space exploration and helping communities in need.
I guess I can apply my knowledge of nuclear engineering into helping communities in need of energy. Though I don’t know what that job is called.
I’m not familiar with Nuclear engineering, but it’s possible to get into graduate school with a 2.8 if you can get a high enough score on your GRE. You won’t be going to MIT, but an accredited masters degree is still worth its weight in gold.
@TomSrOfBoston I worked with one of my professors on research based off of stochastic mechanics, different approach to quantum mechanics. He said “make sure you come back to me for a letter of recommendation.” lol
I do have others but its based off an organization Im helping to start at W&M called FGLI ( small pitch its First-Gen-Low-Income students at W&M; Im helping them succeed in their college careers and not make the mistakes I made.)
Admittedly, a 2.81 is rather low even for a master’s program. It’s not impossible, but usually the rest of your application needs to be glowing. Strong recommendation letters from professors, great GRE scores, and other indications of your academic ability besides GPA will help you out here.
Is your physics GPA, by chance, any higher? What about your GPA in your last 60 credits/roughly last two years of college? Will it be higher?
Well not such good news my physics gpa is a 3.01 at the moment. Ive been improving ever since I got slammed my first semester sophomore year by +0.4 roughly.
The GRE is going to be a challenge but I have started studying (taking it this august).
I don’t know if this will help at all, since its not related to physics etc , but I think I can get a recommendation from my schools president. Also one of my physics professor loves me.
A little bit more of a back story to my academic performance: I was diagnosed with epilepsy (getting frequent seizures) the summer before my sophomore year, and also my financial struggles were hard. Its one of the reasons I started an organization at W&M called First-Gen-Low-Income students (its why i have such a close relationship with my president she loves the idea) I don’t want anymore students to be the position Im in due to their backgrounds.
Though I feel like I shouldn’t include my “Cinderella” story on my grad school application. Any thoughts? extra tips will be really helpful thank you.
I don’t know whether you are open to relocating or online study, since the two colleges you named are in the Virginia area, but if you are, you may want to check out Missouri S&T’s Graduate Certificate programs. It’s a more formal approach to the frequent advice to take classes as a non-degree-seeking student. Students take four courses from a specified curriculum within a given department, and if a student gets an A or B in all 4 courses, they can continue on towards a master’s degree, often without ever taking the GRE. My undergrad was a hair below yours, and I can even relate to your medical condition, yet I am now a few classes away from finishing my master’s in aerospace engineering. Granted, it’s not an Ivy, but it is reputable, and employers (at least in my area) recognize the name.
There are not very many Nuclear Engineering programs in the US, but S&T has a decent one. If you’re sure about nuclear for its own sake (rather than just because it’s highest paying), check out the Nuclear Nonproliferation certificate.
If you’re sure about a master’s in engineering, but maybe flexible about which discipline, then look at the other certificates they offer, which in engineering are generally open to people who have at least a bachelor’s in a hard science, which Physics definitely qualifies as. Just be aware that many will require 2 years of professional experience first - but that may not be a bad thing either.
(@Juillet, I hope this doesn’t violate any forum rules against advertising for a particular program. I felt fortunate to get in to grad school this way, and hoped to share with someone who could benefit similary.)