<p>I'm in my 4th (out of 5) year in college and am a double major in physical anthropology and biochemistry. My biochem major GPA is around a 2.6, anthropology a 3.97, and overall about a 3.3. My science grades are improving and I hope to graduate with at least a 3.5 cumulative, a 3.0 in biochem, and a 4 point in anthro. The approaches the professors take between the 2 departments are very different; I feel like most of the coursework in biochem is about memorization and cramming while anthro coursework allows more in-depth learning and retaining. </p>
<p>Anyway, I started out as a science major and was instantly killed by the chemistry classes in my first year. I'm retaking one of them next semester which will hopefully raise my cumulative to >3.4 . </p>
<p>I want to apply to a PhD program in biological anthropology at a good (selective) school. I have 3.5 years of in-lab health science research experience and 1 publication out from that experience along with a poster. I'm doing field research for biological anthropology this coming semester and hope to complete an honors project before I graduate. I feel like I am an extremely unusual case... </p>
<p>My questions are:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How important is my other major's GPA in the decision process at my chosen schools? Will they just be satisfied that I have some kind of background in the hard sciences? </p></li>
<li><p>What can I do to improve my chances of being accepted, besides studying hard for the GRE?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>GPA is only a small part of grad school admissions in biological fields. Your recommendation letters are probably the most important part, then research experience, publications, and personal statement, followed by GPA and GRE scores and other minor things.</p>
<p>You just don’t want your scores/GPA to be at the bottom end of the spectrum. I think if you can pull your biochem up to a 3.0 your chances won’t be hindered too badly by the GPA since your physical anthro GPA is high. Your record sounds good otherwise, if you could continue to publish or present posters that will always help as well. </p>
<p>Is there some reason you need to complete the biochem major? Why not just get rid of it and take more courses that you are interested in and will do well in? That would seem like the fastest way to increase your GPA.</p>
<p>I think I have LOR’s covered. With lots of small anthropology classes coming up I’ll have more chances to bond with professors. I already have 2 strong references. </p>
<p>I’ve thought about dropping the major, but I keep thinking that having a background in the hard sciences is better than not, considering that these classes don’t affect my anthro major GPA at all. Most schools I want to apply to for biological anthro only call for a background in anthropology, and I wonder if keeping my biochem major will give me an edge at all.</p>
<p>I think you are correct that having a hard science background will help you, but I’m not sure that you need anything as official as a double major. I’m guessing that with the amount of biochem you’ve already taken at this point you’ve more than made your point that you can take and understand science courses. I don’t think going through the last few will really help at all at this point, unless you somehow plan on wrapping biochem into your future research interests. </p>
<p>If it were me, and I wanted to get something that would impress admissions committees and potentially be useful in future research, I would consider taking more stats or computer science courses, or even physics or math. Every field in biology is becoming increasingly quantitative, so I would think these courses would be better for both admissions and possibly for your career in general.</p>
<p>“I think you are correct that having a hard science background will help you, but I’m not sure that you need anything as official as a double major.”</p>
<p>Thank you. Essentially the only science classes I have left are physics and math, so I think I’ll finish them off, and if they go well, I’ll go from there!</p>