<p>A brief synopsis of my academic career:
After high school I enrolled at a CC, ended up screwing up and failing out. I spent a several semesters aimlessly taking classes, getting mediocre grades, withdrawing from classes because I didn't have the discipline to succeed. I think I have 3 W's in Physics and a couple in English. </p>
<p>I ended up taking a year off from school just to get my mind right and face some severe psychological problems that were crippling me. Went back to CC, spent a few more semesters there, this time excelling in my classes. I transferred to a respected 4-year college (thank goodness for the admissions officers who saw something unique in my application and gave me a chance) and I've done well there- my upper div GPA is 3.8+. I have research under my belt as well, although it didn't lead to anything being published. </p>
<p>As you can see I have an extremely checkered past. As a result I'm a several years older than the typical undergrad student, and I only have minimal work experience. For obvious reasons I'm very discreet about who I reveal my academic past to- I feel like my past poor performance will completely sink me. My question is this: do I have a realistic chance of some graduate program accepting me? Not an elite program; I'd be thrilled to be able to do research at a CSU. I just don't want to pour money, time, and effort into the process of applying if the chances of acceptance are minimal.</p>
<p>I don’t see any problems with your academic background that would bar you from a respectable graduate program- even an elite one. If anything, your history shows persistence and dedication. Add some more solid research, upper level coursework in your field of interest, good GRE scores and good recommendations (same as what everyone else has to do)- and you should be in great shape.</p>
<p>One thing I would add is-- if you are going to begin applying, try to focus your application on the most successful parts of your story. I’ve heard of people who elaborate at length in their applications about what a ditch they were in, emphasize how horrible their GPA is and why, etc, in hopes that they would be rewarded for being humble and honest. </p>
<p>I don’t think this was always helpful for them. It’s important to illustrate the steps that got you to the place you are now, and to mention briefly the things you deem important in your decision to pursue further studies- be they good or bad- but graduate schools really care more about your present and future than any academic or personal past that has already been replaced by a shiny new record. Basically, be honest about the negatives if called upon to do so, but for the most part focus on the positives. You’ve done well and you’ll have a great application to show for it. Good luck! :)</p>
<p>I realized that during one of my interviews that many of the people on the admissions committee don’t even know your GPA. I had mentioned some of the unique things I had done in undergrad and said that that was why my college GPA was probably lower than many of the individuals they were interviewing and the faculty member pulled out my app and couldn’t find my GPA in it. Moral of the story is that GPA is a lot less important than research and ambition.</p>
<p>I know that when I was applying, I spoke to several professors here in my department and they advised me to touch on the things that hurt my GPA and record briefly, but don’t dwell on them. I know that engineering is different than a lot of other majors, so this might vary slightly with your particular situation, but I found it very helpful to lightly elaborate on some of the early semesters in my college career and how they positively shaped my later person despite the less than stellar effect they had on my credentials.</p>
<p>So far that approach has gotten me into 3 top 10 schools, with 2 being top 5, and my GPA is only a 3.25 overall, 3.5 within my major.</p>
<p>My story is similar to yours and I have been recommended for acceptance to a top-10 university, so don’t despair. Don’t dwell on the bad place you were - address it briefly and then focus on the much stronger and more focused student and researcher you are now. I would strongly recommend that you make sure that at least one of your letter writers knows the full story and can address it as well. Also be aware that many departments will calculate your gpa for you based on your transcripts, so if your listed gpa does not match what they will calculate make sure they know this ahead of time.</p>
<p>I have a similar academic history as you. My freshman year, I just stopped going to class and left with a 1.5 or so GPA. Then took 3-4 yrs off of school. Figured out what I wanted to do, went to a CC (4.0’s all the way through), transferred to a 4 yr university and did really well. Applied to graduate school, and will be attending UCSF in the fall. All the professors I interviewed with thought it was great that I took time to realize what I wanted to do and I was motivated to work hard. It helped a lot that I had several grants/scholarships and the research I’ve been doing, so if you can focus on that, it’ll help you during the applications process. Good luck!!</p>
<p>I also have a similar past… and I am going to UCSF as well in the Fall. I actually finished a non-science degree with just under a 3.0 GPA, worked for about 3 years, then went back to school for a science degree, which I am finishing with about a 3.75 GPA. I honestly think that if they like how you sound as a person and as a future scientist, they focus on the positive parts of your application when they are deciding. During my interviews at 7 different schools, not a single person mentioned my below 3.0 GPA from my first degree - in fact, most of them said I was “very competitive” when it came to grades, etc. Bottom line, you have a very good chance of getting into a top program, but also make sure that you apply to all types of schools - top 10, top 20, top 50 and so on… also, it wouldn’t hurt to do well on GREs.</p>
<p>Don’t forget about getting strong LORs also! But you look like you’ll likely be a very strong applicant, so I wouldn’t think you have any reason to panic. Best of luck! :)</p>