<p>Hello. I'm a fourth year computer science student from a highly-ranked non-PhD granting university. I will be graduating next December, and I would like to attend a PhD program for Fall 2010.</p>
<p>My GPA is currently only a 3.0, and my graduating GPA is expected to be around a 3.1. I understand that this is very low for a prospective PhD student. However, I have done research for two summers at an REU site, and the professors whom I worked were pleased with my work and promised to write good letters of recommendation. I am very interested in attending that university. I also have a research paper published in an undergraduate engineering journal from a highly-ranked university in the field.</p>
<p>What are my chances for being admitted to a computer science PhD program? What should I do to increase my chances?</p>
<p>I don't know exactly how closely it parallels ME, but for me, I have a 3.17 GPA overall and got into graduate school at Georgia Tech based on the rest of my application and the research experience I have, and I am not even published. Just make sure the rest of your application is strong, especially letters of reference. Also, if the application allows it, put down MS/PhD and that should help at least a little.</p>
<p>In a field like CS, a 3.0 is right on the edge of being okay. With the rest of your application being very strong, you still have a decent shot at getting into PhD programs. But I'd say that you should be either applying to master's programs as well (some schools will let you mark an option for "If I don't get into the PhD program, consider me for the MS"), or be applying for jobs. In other words, you have an okay chance, but you do want to start putting a solid backup plan into action.</p>