<p>So, a number of total n00b questions:</p>
<p>What kind of GPA and GRE scores in general are required to get into grad school, let's say Ph. D. program in sciences such as biology? </p>
<p>Is admission to ivy league grad school any easier than admission to ivy league undegraduate school? (I know most college kids in America won't continue their studies past BA degree)</p>
<p>I don't have statistics on this - only anecdotal evidence - but for the committed student it seems easier to get into a good grad school. I know far more people that got into good grad schools than good undergrad.</p>
<p>Top 5 programs -- 700+ on both sections.</p>
<p>PhD programs in the sciences care more about research experience and letters of recommendation than about GRE scores and GPAs, but there is no "safe" GPA or GRE score for admission to a top program. Most students who are competitive for these programs do very well on the GRE and have high GPAs.</p>
<p>A top biology PhD program might interview a third of applicants and accept 50-60% of those applicants, so while the percentage of students admitted to top programs is slightly higher than for undergrad, the pool of applicants is probably somewhat stronger.</p>
<p>Graduate school tends to face much stronger pool of applicants because they are self-selected (which is why many kids in America won't continue beyond Ba/MA). That's why you tend to see many professors who started off at so-so schools for BA and then suddenly get in top programs for their PhDs.</p>
<p>If you want to get into the top 5 in science programs, you probably ought to do better than 700 on the quantitative, and you can score much lower than 700 on the verbal and still be very competitive. The two sections are standardized differently (I'll never understand why.) A 700 on the quantitative is about exactly the mean score for students going into physical sciences. (ets.org) whereas the mean on the verbal is more like 490. A top 5 score would be more like 780-800Q and ~600V With the verbal being much less important.</p>
<p>Your GPA should be better than a 3.5. Keep in mind that this is very general as all schools are different and deficiencies in GPA can be made up for by an outstanding personal statement or some meaningful undergraduate research.</p>
<p>anselmo1 - First, read the first page of the "Graduate School Admissions 101" thread pinned to the top of this section.</p>
<p>Now...</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Believe everything molliebatmit says. </p></li>
<li><p>Because of the uncertain economy, grad school admissions have just gotten MUCH more competitive. Take a look over on Who</a> Got In and compare last year's posts with this year. </p></li>
<li><p>As others have said, but it bears repeating, GPA and GRE scores are not the most important factors in grad school admissions, although they can act as gating factors. Do the best you can, get research experience and excellent LORs, apply widely, and you'll have a shot.</p></li>
<li><p>Start discussing grad school with your professors early. They can help you shape your undergrad experience to optimize your chances.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Good Luck!</p>