I am applying to a funded PhD program at the University where I will be receiving my undergrad. I have a relationship with quite a few profs in the dept. in which I’ll be working. I have been part of two major research studies as an undergrad. I’ll be graduating with a 3.5, double B.S Kinesiology/Psychology.
My main concern is that I bit off more than I could chew in my last semester. I was supposed to graduate this semester and I mistakenly took 22 credit hours to finish my double major. I ended up with 6 As, 1 B and an F… Its my first F and its safe to say that Im gutted. The semester was absolutely brutal as theres only so much time in the day. I slept 4 hours a night during finals week. My chem 2 professor had a very demanding grading scheme and the combination of that and my work load created the environment for me to fail one class.
I just took the GRE, 2 days after my last final. I got a an unofficial 150Q and 159V. I know that I could do better with a little time to study. Im going to talk to the graduate school advisor on Wednesday and I have a meeting with the researcher who I would be working under as well. Ive known her for some time and have been working with one of her current PhD students all semester. But now Im going to have to tell her that I got an F. I will have replaced the grade with an A before I would start grad school but my application will go in with an F in my most recent semester (Total GPA of 3.4 for the semester).
Any advice/thoughts are welcome. Im worried now that I will not be able to get into grad school. In hindsight maybe I should not have taken 8 classes in one semester but man, if I had succeeded it would have been glorious…
Honestly, a 3.4 with 8 classes (6 A’s!) isn’t something to be upset about. Be proud of what you accomplished and confident in your PhD application.
Is the class directly related/recommended for your PhD program? As for the GRE, it’s hard to gauge; some schools have cut offs, others don’t, and you do have a direct relationship with the graduate team which may help offset any concerns about your potential.
Talk with your advisor and see what they recommend. You could take some time off to strengthen your application, or apply anyway and see what happens. Are you applying to any other PhD programs? If you’re concerned, I would diversify your program list if you still have time - most deadlines are coming up fast. Find some strong matches at programs that are a fit for your profile.
Hindsight is always 20/20; no need to get caught up in what could have happened, or what you could have done differently. Focus on what you can still do right now.
Thank you for your insight. I’m doing my best to stay focused and to consider the positives. I am applying to a few other programs. The class was Gen. Uni. Chem 2. Its required of all science majors but isn’t really related to anything I’ll be doing in motor behavior, which is primarily anatomy/physiology and physics. I’ve taken classes with 3 out of 5 members of the department and did well, so that’s a plus.
The (chem) professor that I had is pretty notorious. About 150 out of 240 students dropped. He regularly bragged about giving out more F’s than anyone in the department which seemed strange. In the end, I had the book and I took the tests, so the grade that I got was the one that I deserved.
I will update this thread in case anyone comes along with a similar situation.
Update: Got a 4 on the analytical writing. Bugs me but it seems that its competitive for the program. I met with the grad advisor and my potential mentor. Both seemed to think that my chances were very good. We talked for a good while about research goals etc and at one point she said that shed crunch the numbers (hasnt gotten her funding budget for next year yet) and try to come up with an RA position which guarantees full tuition plus a stipend.
I will be over the moon if I get in. I found out that 3 researchers on the acceptance board are the professors that will be writing my letters of rec. I would think that would be a good thing, she said it has happened before.
Ill update further as the situation unfolds.