<p>i'm thinking of applying to berkeley, mit, caltech, etc for a MS or phD program in mechanical engineering</p>
<p>i'm currently a physics major with a 3.85 gpa, but so far this semester, which is my second-to-last as an undergrad, my gpa is probably ~3.0</p>
<p>i will probably have average letters of recommendation from a prof in one of my former classes, a prof i did a REU with, and my current prof who i'm helping with his research</p>
<p>for the GRE verbals, so far i'm scoring in the high 400- low 500 range</p>
<p>if my grades dont improve this semester, how badly will it reflect on my chances of getting into a good school?</p>
<p>You still seem to be in a pretty good boat as is shouldnt really bring down your cum GPA.</p>
<p>Also MS and PhD make a difference. Some Profs. prefer PhD and a lot of MS programs are easier to get into.</p>
<p>I can’t see that effecting your gpa too much, especially since you now have a ton of units. Do better next semester.</p>
<p>i used the gpa calculator, and at this current rate, my cum gpa will drop from 3.85 to 3.75</p>
<p>well, you’ll definitely want it is high as you can get for the schools you are looking at. I’m not sure where the school draw their limits, IMO it’s all psychological anyway</p>
<p>yeah I wouldn’t be really worried unless your GPA somehow drops below 3.0 this semester</p>
<p>i heard its easy to get into stanford for the MS program. how are my chances for it?</p>