Effect of a dropping GPA at end?

Graduate School
1

<p>Hi all, I was wondering if anyone can give me a little perspective on a problem I've been stressing about with my grades. So up until the beginning of last year (junior year) I've been doing pretty well with my grades keeping a 4.0 average. But last year I took a string of pretty difficult courses. When the grades came back, I had gotten two B+'s fall semester and then a B+ and a C+ my spring semester. I've had my heart set on going to a top grad school for a while now, but I had planned on applying in the fall, hence those grades are going to be the final semester grades the school will see. </p>

<p>I'm worried that the schools will see me as a weak applicant because those grades indicate a downward trend at the end (i.e. I lose steam as time progresses). To make matters worst, all 4 of those classes were required classes for my major (Electrical Engineering). My GPA is at a 3.8 as of now, but I hear that admissions emphasize heavily on junior classes and major specific classes. In this case, both would work against me giving me barely a 3.0 for last year. Did those grades dramatically reduce my chances of getting into a top school? Should I reconsider the schools I've picked?(originally had intended to apply to MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Berkley, Georgia Tech, Michigan + safety schools)</p>

<p>On an unrelated note, I also had a question about LOR's. I'm pretty sure I can get two decent ones(one from a professor I've been researching with for 2 years, and one from my employer from an internship related to what I want to study) but I'm unsure of what to do for the 3rd. I'm trying to decide between a professor I've taken a class or two with, that kind of knows me .. but not really well, or the professor that I did research with in High school and published a paper with. The latter will definitely write a more solid letter, but I've heard that colleges don't really care about what you did in high school and I've had virtually no contact with her since then, outside of briefly working with her summer of my freshman year. </p>

<p>Thanks beforehand for the responses. Any insight on either of those will be great appreciated.</p>

2

<p>It's time you showed an upward trend. I did bad in my junior year, too, though not as bad. I was able to get into a good PhD program with an upward trend, some research experience + good LORs. Granted it wasn't any of the fancy schools you mentioned, but it's a really good school and I'm happy. Maybe you shouldn't aim as high; pre-major GPA really doesn't mean squat. I see a lot of kids getting really good grades before they enter their major just to do a mediocre job once they're in it.</p>

<p>Go to your prof's office hours. Get to know him/her and ask for a lett. of rec. That's how I did it :P</p>

3

<p>That's the problem, if I'm applying in the fall I won't really have a chance to make a comeback. Would it be more worthwhile to wait until the following year to apply, so that I have a chance to demonstrate improvement with my senior year grades? However, like you suggested, I've been considering lowering my target schools. One of the main reasons I'm posting here is to gather some advice to help me decide if those grades has made my original goals unrealistic. </p>

<p>On a side note though, those weren't the only major specific classes I've taken. I affiliated pretty early, so I've taken about 7-8 ECE classes outside of those 4.</p>

4

<p>Are you on a semester system or quarter? If you're on a quarter system, by the time you apply you'll have finished ~2 quarters of your senior year. That ought to be enough to demonstrate an upward trend.</p>

<p>In my case I took a year off working at a part-time job and applying to graduate school. it gave me a better perspective. </p>

<p>However I think you should apply anyway just so you don't waste a year of your life. If you don't get in, you still have another year to try.</p>

<p>About prestige, in my opinion, if you don't intend to work in academia, it doesn't really matter. Five years or so after you graduate, nobody will care where you got your PhD as long as you have a job. The only reason why I want a PhD is so I could have an interesting job though I could have got a well-paid job w/o one. Do figure out exactly what you want from it.</p>