Low, but Polarized GPA, and Applying for MS in Chem E

Graduate School
1

<p>I'm by no means an academic superstar... and I've made the the huge mistake of not doing any undergraduate research. My only redeemable non-class oriented bit of academia is my senior thesis/research paper, which I am very proud of.</p>

<p>I graduated from UC Santa Cruz recently, with an overall GPA of 3.12, and a major GPA of 3.28 in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry. Turns out it was a terrible major choice for me- I have straight C's in every biology class I've taken (which was part of my major). If you discounted the 6 biology/biochemistry classes in my major (so only chemistry, math, physics), my GPA would be a 3.62.</p>

<p>I've taken the GRE, and my scores are as follows:
Verbal: 153 (57 percentile, old scale 500)
Quantitative: 165 (92 percentile, old scale 790)
Writing: 4.5 (73 percentile)</p>

<p>My letters of rec are from professors where I have done well in their classes, but do not know on a personal level- they will be solid letters of rec, but not stellar. All I want is to get into a mid-tier MS program in chemical engineering. What do you guys think? If I explain my low major GPA, would I still be competitive for a mid-tier chem e program?</p>

2

<p>You actually have a decent GPA and fantastic GRE scores. </p>

<p>Good luck! Try applying all over the board. You might even get into some of the higher ranked ones. </p>

<p>Also, just wondering what is your reasoning for getting a Masters in ChemE with a Chem major? (I have a Chem degree too.)</p>

3

<p>Oh really? I see all these people posting on this site with absolutely stellar qualifications, and it makes me so nervous!</p>

<p>I was originally taking the pharmacology route, but I absolutely fell in love with the physical chemistry series. I’m currently underqualified for too many jobs with my undergraduate degree, and I don’t want to get a PhD, so MS was the way to go. </p>

<p>I’ve seen the opportunities presented with an MS in chemistry, and they did not appeal to me. I see ChemE as a nice compromise between studying what I enjoy and a sustainable career in the future.</p>