I’m a sophomore in college right now and I only have a 3.3 GPA and it’s really depressing me. Even though I’ve been doing well recently, I got two C-'s my first semester here in required classes and it’s dragging my GPA down. The second semester I was here I got 2 A’s and two B’s and the most recent semester, I got three A’s and a B+ in classes for my majors. I feel so depressed because I just want to get into a prestigious PhD program right after undergrad and my GPA is way too low for that right now. What do I do? I’m shooting for all A’s this semester and it will probably happen, but after that my GPA will only be 3.35 and that makes me feel hopeless.
Well, you won’t even be applying to graduate school for another 3 semesters (and you can always take summer courses to boost your GPA), so you have plenty of time to raise that GPA.
If that doesn’t happen, and getting into a “prestigious” PhD program is your goal, you’re just going to have to alter the path you imagined. For example, you may not be able to do it “right after” undergrad; maybe you’ll have to do a master’s first and then go on the PhD program.
Or you can get work/research experience and boost your resume that way.
And, of course, your GRE score will matter a LOT. A stellar GRE score will help your case.
Fortunately, you want to get a Ph.D. That makes things easier.
- Ph.D. programs will be happy with the upward trend
- Research/academic writing > GPA
- Average GPAs are going to be lower than they were in high school
Ph.D. admissions are more holistic than pre-professional school, and as long as you maintain your upward trend and get something academic in writing, you’ll be a competitive applicant. You also have several semesters left to lift your GPA towards 3.5, which is enough to get your foot in the door most places.