<p>I'm in the middle of my sophomore year now, and I currently have a cumulative 2.4 GPA. Freshman year, I had some trouble adjusting and got a few Cs, and then this past semester, I had to completely move off campus with a new environment and new roommate, which totally effected my grades. Yes, I realize this shouldn't be an excuse, but I did terribly this past semester. </p>
<p>I'm in the most difficult program at my school and my school is notorious for grade deflation, yet I still shouldn't have this low of a GPA. I'm a Human Physiology major and while I wanted to do Pre-med, I'm now thinking of going to grad school and going into research. I have a lot of lab experience doing various molecular and bio research and all that, and I'm really beginning to love it.</p>
<p>I have 5 semesters to raise my GPA and I'm also going to take (and maybe retake) some classes over the summer. I'm just afraid I'm still doomed for all grad schools. I will most likely do well on my GREs since I'm good with standardized tests, and I have the research experience, but will my grades so far hold me back? I plan on doing extremely well from now on and raising my GPA to at least a 3.0 by the time I graduate. Am I totally screwed?</p>
<p>You’re not totally screwed, as long as you bring your GPA up to… well, at <em>least</em> a 3.0, but you should have time to get well above that, the higher the better. What grad school admissions committees want to see is an improvement trend. Your lab and research experience will serve you well.</p>
<p>Most grad schools require a minimum of 3.0, but they do make exceptions, sometime. You’re not screwed, especially if you continue on with research (and even present at a conf or publish), get to know your advisor/other professors, and focus on the upper division classes relevant to your field.
In grad school applications, you are able to explain bad grades and such if you feel that’s necessary, but that’s usually for really extenuating circumstances… so in this case, just focus on doing better. Good GREs, LORs, research, and grade improvement can make up for the low GPA.
Also consider: you can always go for your master’s and then a phd, or just take a year off. My understanding is that pursuing a master’s or getting real work experience can make up for ugrad gpa.</p>
<p>Well, what a surprise. Not premed anymore, and it looks like grad school may be out the window too unless an academic miracle happens.</p>
<p>You might recall that back in the summer of 2009 you wrote a post and asked
Concerned this showed you had your priorities messed up, I replied saying that if you were serious about premed you had better put school ahead of the parties. And to point out what the competition, then ones that are earning good grades, does. </p>
<p>To which you cogently replied
Well</a>, look how things turned out. You weren’t willing to listen back then, and I bet the advice people give you now about how to rescue yourself from the hole you’ve dug will similarly fall on deaf ears. Such is life…</p>
<p>Badgolfer: You really told him, huh? I bet you feel really smart at this point. You’re a freaking fortuneteller.</p>
<p>OP: Just focus on school at this point. By now you should have your fill of drunken nights and one night stands (if that’s what your into). If you want to get into grad or med school this won’t be hard to do.
When you graduate, take some time and find opportunities to get experience in your field.</p>
<p>If you can put some distance between yourself and your abysmal transcript (assuming its that bad when you graduate) adcoms may give you a shot.</p>
<p>I was in your situation. I darn near failed out of San Jose State as a music major, so I quit before I could get dismissed. After spending a year outside of school, I enrolled in a community college, worked my way up, and will graduate this spring from UC Davis with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I also got accepted to many grad schools, including Georgia Tech, which I was not expecting.</p>
<p>What I would do in your situation is take the MINIMUM course load that you can get away with. If you are behind on school coursework you have two choices: take summer courses, or plan on staying past four years and not worry about it. Study the crap out of the material, and be prepared for the dream snatchers to get louder and louder. These dream snatchers could include your best friends, and even family members. Be ready for it.</p>
<p>Make sure you screen the professors you take courses with by checking websites where students can rate their professors, and get the best professors you can. Don’t be afraid of taking courses with hard professors, but make sure they’re good. Go to their office hours, and never let a concept go by that you do not understand.</p>
<p>You want to really beef up your grad school application? Get your GPA up over a 3.0, and then go for summer internships. You might even pick up some extra spending money.</p>
<p>That’s all the pep talk I have. Now, get back out there!</p>
<p>I actually think badgolfer’s original post (in the thread he linked to) was full of great advice.</p>
<p>To the OP: There are plenty of graduate schools that will accept applicants with a 3.0 GPA. Even with a GPA under 3.0, you still have a decent shot at the small, relatively-unknown schools. Just be sure to cast a wide net when applying.</p>
<p>I think you may have some difficulties in applying to a PhD program. Your undergrad GPA is one of the most important factors in applying to grad school and yours is below the required GPA for simply submitting an application to the program (most 3.0).</p>
<p>I am an junior undergrad. right now and I have seen a lot of my peers switch over from pre-med to wanting apply to grad school simply because they have a low GPA. The thought begins with thinking that it is easier to apply to grad school and the thought ends there. Grad school is difficult and the life after even more. If you originally wanted to become a doctor then stay on that course (not that the road to being a doc. is any easier). </p>
<p>My advice for you right now is to work your ass off in school. Take the most demanding courses, lose your social life, and get even more involved in research (try to get published) if you truly think you have what it takes to become a scientist or if you want to do medicine then do the above but also think about a post-bacc program in the med. sci. Finish that and you might have a chance at some med schools. </p>
<p>I’m not trying to sound mean in my post or dishearten you from applying but I just want to give a wake up call. Nobody is entitled to anything just because they want it. You have to work for it and show that you deserve it. Good luck.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Find, apply, get accepted, and complete a M.S. program that does not have a 3.00 GPA requirement.</p></li>
<li><p>Get a high GPA in the M.S. program and use that as a stepping stone for a PhD.</p></li>
<li><p>Find, apply, get accepted, and complete a PhD Program with a high GPA.</p></li>
<li><p>???</p></li>
<li><p>Profit.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>You guys are forgetting that the OP is only in the middle of his sophomore year. He has plenty of time (five semesters) to bring his cumulative GPA up above a 3.0 if he applies himself to his work and earns the grades he should be capable of. As long as either his CGPA or the GPA for his junior and senior years gets above 3.0, with an improvement track, he’ll be fine.</p>
<p>If not, then he’s probably not grad school material anyway.</p>