<p>Does strong fit along with overlapping research interests with a particular faculty member carry a lot of weight in the admissions process? I am currently doing full-time research in orthopedic biomechanics & biomaterials at a top hospital in the country. I graduated with a dual BS in biomedical engineering & mechanical engineering; my cumulative undergraduate GPA is not great (overall: 3.17, engineering: 3.08). I ask this because I am very passionate about this field of research and upon browsing faculty profiles, my interests strongly overlap with 2 professors from UC Berkeley. I would love to pursue graduate studies at an institution like Berkeley and I strongly believe I would be able to make significant contributions to either lab with my background (education, lab skills, research experience, etc.)</p>
<p>I am confident that I'll receive 3 strong letters of recommendation, do very well on the quantitative section of the GRE, write a strong statement of purpose, and have a few publications by the time I leave. I feel that my low GPA (due to lack of maturity in college) is holding me back. Do I have absolutely no chance of receiving an offer an admissions? Would I be given serious consideration at all, or would it rather be a waste of application fee? Also, I wonder if professors who are willing to accept me for their lab actually interact with the admissions committee to push for offering acceptance. Any encouragement or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>I think if the gpa was from a top 10 institution then they will be more lenient, but if it’s not i think it will be an impediment to get through the 1st admissions committee (people who only view your gpa and gre scores.) Your other areas are very strong and will definitely be eye catching to the professors, but it might not make it to them due to your gpa.</p>
<p>Will they take into account that I completed my degrees at Boston University? I know BU is consistently ranked within top 10 for both undergraduate and graduate biomedical engineering programs in the country. I also believe BU has a reputation for rigorous engineering curricula and grade deflation.</p>
<p>Bump - any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>Also to reiterate, if my research experiences & interests overlap almost perfectly with that of a professor’s, would that professor have any significant influence over the admissions committee’s decision?</p>
<p>Well I can tell you *my * limited experience so far. </p>
<p>I’ve found professors that lined up exactly with my research experience and I emailed them about it. None have responded. That doesn’t mean I won’t find luck during the actual admissions process though, but it certainly casts some doubt on me. With that said, I don’t think it has a *significant *influence like you are hoping. If anything, I would guess that your GPA lays the framework for how the adcoms view the rest of your application:</p>
<p>“Strong GPA and overlapping interests: I think we have a winner!” </p>
<p>“Strong GPA and but no overlapping interests: OK, we might be able to change their mind, we’ll put him aside…” </p>
<p>“So-So GPA and overlapping interests” (you): We like this guy, but let’s just put him aside for now…"</p>
<p>Again these are just scenarios I imagine off the top of my head.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply denizen, I appreciate it! </p>
<p>I know I should not be relying on it, just trying to stay optimistic. I know my GPA is nowhere near competitive as that of other applicants, but I’m planning to do the best I can to shine in all other aspects of my application, e.g. research. </p>
<p>In any case, (to maximize my chances) I’m thinking about enrolling in graduate engineering courses part-time as a nondegree student in hopes of doing well in them (A-/A). I hope this will prove to the admissions committee that I have matured and am capable of handling graduate coursework. Do you think that will persuade them to be forgiving to any extent? </p>
<p>I realize I can’t change my undergraduate GPA. I’m determined to work hard now (hoping it’s not too late) and do whatever it takes to earn admission into a top graduate program.</p>
<p>I would be surprised if Berkeley would take you - to expand on denizen’s comment, fitting well with a professor only helps you so much when there are a dozen OTHER well-fitting applicants who also have higher GPA’s. A bigger problem at the moment is that schools like Berkeley may well drop you from consideration before it even gets to the stage where they consider fit - often, a first pass is done by a secretary to see which applicants are actually worth a professor’s time. A professor who is actively looking for your app can still rescue it (usually), but they have to know it is there and have a reason to go out of their way for you. Remember that Berkeley is a top program… competition is fierce.</p>
<p>On the bright side, it does appear that you have a lot going for you. Good LOR’s and a publication or two will go a long way towards getting a spot… if someone gets a chance to look past the numbers. One thing you might want to do is talk to your professors about where you should apply - they might know people at those schools and might be able to get your application in front of a couple of potential advisors who won’t hold your GPA against you. </p>
<p>Some specific things to consider:</p>
<p>1) Your current program already knows you and are more likely than anyone to forgive your GPA.</p>
<p>2) Taking grad classes may help, but you should perhaps also consider just taking a masters degree separately before pursuing a masters - they are less competitive, and a masters will effectively replace your undergrad performance in applying for a PhD.</p>
<p>3) Apply to a lot of schools. I normally do not recommend that, but in cases like yours it generally helps to have as many chances as possible. Grad admissions is fickle, and procedures vary - applying to a lot of programs maximizes the chances that your application gets seen by someone who knows your advisor, read your article(s), or takes a shine to your letter.</p>
<p>When you mention this first pass through the secretary, is he/she simply just seeing which ones fit within a (designated?) range of GPA & GRE scores? No offense to secretaries, but I’m just somewhat bothered by the idea of trusting the judgement of a secretary as being the first filter out applications, i.e. deciding who’s application is “worthy of being viewed” by a professors.</p>
<p>I understand that Berkeley is a top program with intense competition to say the least. However, I feel that among my list of programs, I will definitely include a few dream gems that I’ll try my luck with anyway (given how some of you pointed out that the admissions process can be fickle). My gut tells me that if I were to choose a few dream schools to apply to, the ones having strong fit (with the exception of my GPA) are worth trying at least. I’ve thought about the master’s but I feel like it would take much longer, no? I would take part-time classes while still being able to work. Also, I’d like to jump directly into a Ph.D. track.</p>
<p>Also, for the programs that have the option of being considered for MS admissions (on the application), would I likely be considered for the MS at such competitive institutions? Or would they only look at GPA and disregard my research experience completely?</p>
<p>Yes, the secretary is pretty much just checking the numbers - like I said, they get enough 3.7+ gpa’s that they feel they can safely ignore the 3.3- crowd. It sucks, but you need to remember that we are not as special and uniquely matched as we tend to think we are.</p>
<p>Definitely try a few reach programs, just make sure you also look at more realistic options as well.</p>
<p>As far as masters programs go, you might not spend any extra time if you stay at the same school for your doctorate, or you could lose all 2-3 years transferring. It will be worth it (probably) if it gets you the great program you want instead of the mediocre program you’ll take.</p>
<p>I totally see what you mean now. I guess this goes back to how you’ll often see it mentioned that you’ll have different piles for applications, i.e. yes/no/maybe.</p>
<p>I’m no longer at my undergraduate institution (BU), instead I am working full-time as a research technician. I guess I can apply and if I don’t get into the programs I like, then I should consider doing a part-time master’s program while working (tuition reimbursement). I originally mentioned enrolling as a non-degree student since I am considering continuing a research technician position at a university so that I can take graduate level courses for free as an employee. I guess we’ll see when the time comes.</p>
<p>To touch on a point you mentioned, if I work for a professor at BU that went through a lab at Berkeley, perhaps I can build a good relationship with that professor in hopes that she could contact her old PI and see what kind of networking help she could get? I know there’s only so much one can do, but I am hoping I can work hard enough to earn this favor. Is this what you meant by getting my application in front of the right people?</p>
<p>Also, correct me if I’m wrong, given my not-so-competitive GPA, I feel that having my research background would make me stand more of a chance in terms of getting into a graduate program if it’s Ph.D. rather than M.S. at X institution. Is that true? Or would it be possible for them to offer me an M.S. since my GPA isn’t part of the 3.7+ crowd?</p>
Masters programs are almost always easier to get into than PhD programs, even considering that they tend to weight research less and GPA more than PhD applications. In your case, I would strongly considered an MS at an intermediate program - something solid, but perhaps not all the way at the level you would like your PhD. Do well there and you can get into a top school for your PhD.</p>
<p>If I get admitted to MEng programs (but not for MS) at great engineering schools, assuming that I acquire an excellent graduate GPA, would that be enough to help me get into a top Ph.D. program? I realize that they usually do not have a thesis requirement and that it is primarily coursework (more opportunities to get high grades) with design project. I figure I’d have research experience already from my current full-time position. </p>
<p>Also from a financial standpoint (assuming absolutely no funding for MS anyway), I figure since an MEng program is usually one year, I’d be spending less time to do a master’s anyway (compared to two years for MS) and hence I’d be saving money.</p>
<p>In summary, would an MEng be adequate as far as effectively replacing/making up for my not-so-great undergraduate GPA?</p>
Yes and no. It would be adequate to repair your GPA issue, but maintaining your research credentials could be difficult. Still, for one year it might be a decent choice, but it is hard to say whether or not it will be enough to get you into a “top” PhD program, especially not knowing the particular masters program.</p>