So I have a bit of a problem. I’m a junior at Mizzou and trying to decide if I should take an extra semester or year of school. I did not transition to college well (mostly because I have had to work 2 jobs and have also been taking 18 credit hours a semester) and, because of that, my GPA is only 3.00 (I also failed a class, got a D in another, withdrew from two, and have several C level grades). All of my low grades are also in my major (Biochemistry). I would like to go to graduate school (I’m primarily looking at immunology programs- especially Iowa State) but I’m not sure if I can pull my GPA up enough (I think I can get it to a 3.2 by the end of senior year, only a 3.1-ish by the time I have to start applying. I also have significant research experience. I had to drop a biochem course this semester and can no longer fit in all of my classes (for my Biochem and Statistics majors plus 12 credit hours for honors certificate-which also requires me getting my GPA above a 3.3).
So I guess my question is, would it be worth it (financially) to stay in undergrad for an extra semester or year to take electives and not overload myself anymore/finish my honors certificate? I don’t really care where I go to grad school, but will any school accept me with a low GPA? I think I can do well on the GRE and I will have strong LOR and research experience.
It is clear that at 18 credits per semester, you will continue to struggle to raise your GPA. The last few semesters are critical for your graduate school application because if you demonstrate an upward trend in your grades, you can mitigate the overall GPA somewhat.
If your goal is to get a PhD, a 3.1ish is a lowish GPA. Most PhD programs expected to see something around a 3.5+ (although there are no hard and fast rules). It also sounds like all your low grades are in your major, which is necessary for immunology.
So, either you can stay in undergrad for an additional year, take fewer credits per semester, and try to get your GPA up some more - or you can get an MS degree to show that you can do graduate-level work. Honestly, though, even if you stay a fifth year - let’s say that you can get your GPA to a 3.2 if you stayed a fifth year. That’s still a pretty lowish GPA, and you might still need to do an MS before the PhD anyway. So it may make sense for you to finish quickly and plan on doing an MS before the PhD.
Another option is to drop the second major to a minor or a concentration, and forget about the honors certificate. Minimize the amount of classes you have to take and focus on the biochem.
your GPA is definitely on the low side…you might look into the MA program at Mizzou. See if you can stay for a 5th year. Earn A’s, do more research. Then, you’d be a much more competitive candidate.
I agree that an extra year won’t make a substantial impact on your grad school application. Also consider whether you can even do that. I’m not sure about your school, but at my undergrad if you fulfilled all degree requirements and continued to take electives during an extra semester, those grades did not affect your GPA since the degree was completed. They were considered separately as a continuing education student. So when I did an additional semester so I could partake in a thesis program, I pushed off one of my required courses to take during that extra semester. Look into that if you choose to stay, but I think your time is better spent strengthen your application in other ways.