<p>I am currently a biochemistry research technician at a top tier private university in California. If it were at all possible, I would want to go to graduate school here, however, my undergraduate GPA (3.1 from a University of California school) is not quite up to snuff to get into this school. Does anyone out there know if it could help me get into this school to talk to my PI and see if I could continue in this lab as a graduate student? I know that she thinks that I was a good hire and I have been here for about 10 months (after working in the pharmaceutical industry for the last 5 years). I also thought that it would be a good way for me to finish school quicker as I could maybe even start a project before starting....</p>
<p>Any help that anyone can provide would be much appreciated. Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>As an employee of the university, it is possible that you would be able to take some courses as part of your benefits. If you are not admissible as a regular student you might be able to start as a non-degree student and prove that you can do the work. After that it might be easier to get admitted. Employees at my university, Illinois Institute of Technology, do this quite often.</p>
<p>Whether or not you explicitly discuss staying in your current lab as a graduate student with your PI, your experience as a valued technician will help you with your application to your school and others. You will, I assume, have a letter of recommendation from your current PI, and she will presumably speak in your favor in admissions committee meetings. </p>
<p>My lab has never had a research tech who applied to our university’s PhD program and didn’t get in. We pick great techs in the first place, for sure, but having my PI on their side in admissions committee doesn’t hurt.</p>
<p>From what I understand, you have an excellent chance for getting into a top notch grad program at your school, or elsewhere, because of your experience. Your grades won’t matter much.</p>
<p>It may help you to know that my brother had an undergrad gpa similar to yours. Afterwards, he worked a couple of years as a research technician at a non-profit research institute (while contributing significantly to research), got a great recommendation from his boss, and then attended and graduated from UC Berkeley with an MCB Ph.D.</p>
<p>Like I said, methinks you have a great chance:-)</p>
<p>Thanks a lot, everyone. Your input was very helpful. I will talk to my PI sometime in the spring or summer in regard to applying for the next fall.</p>