I received my BS in neurobiology, physiology, and behavior from UC Davis with an undergraduate GPA of 3.25 (I know, that is not a fantastic GPA), while working and volunteering at the Center for Neuroscience. While there, I was a secondary author on a paper published in a peer-reviewed journal. I didn’t receive a great score on the GRE, as standardized tests have always been difficult for me though. After my BS, I started my Master’s in Biology at UT Tyler and have over 2 years of experience working in a molecular biology lab here. Here, I have maintained a GPA of 4.0 and have presented a poster at a conference, and will most likely be doing a talk at a conference in February. I have emailed potential PI’s at a variety of graduate programs, and I have several that have shown interest in having me work in their labs if accepted into a graduate program. I will be applying to PhD programs for Fall 2016, and my question is if I sound like I am a competitive applicant? This is what I have been working toward, and I will be devastated if I don’t get in to one of the programs. Thank you!
I can’t really judge your application as a whole, but you have some really strong points that admissions committees will like. Your publication and research experience seem great. Just out of curiosity, where are you planning on applying?
I plan on applying to University of Arizona, Arizona State, UC Davis, UC Riverside, and University of Oregon, but ASU and University of Arizona are my top choices.
And I have contacted professors at all of those schools, and there is at least one or two at each school that has expressed interest in having me work with them. I just still worry, primarily because of my sub-par GRE scores.
How sub-par are your sub-par GRE scores? This would change my advice to you. Make sure you apply to programs with a good research fit. Your second author paper should help you, especially if the school requires a research statement where you can really show that you know your stuff.
Could you retake the GRE to get your scores up, or do you think you simply won’t do well?
It really kind of depends - you’re borderline. Many professors will ignore your undergrad GPA and regard highly your master’s degree, your recent research experience and the fact that you have a publication, and your research fit with the department. Other professors may see you as more of a mixed bag because of your undergrad GPA and GRE scores. It also depends on who you’ll be competing with and how well you articulate yourself in your statement of purpose.
I will say, though, that you shouldn’t be devastated if you don’t get in anywhere. Try to separate your personal worth from the admissions process - it’s competitive, and qualified (and great!) applicants are turned down every year for a variety of reasons.