I’ll get straight to the point: my major GPA is at a 2.75 right now. I am studying computational science and mathematics at UT Austin. I have been slacking off on studies, and not asserting myself fully. However, I have extensive work experience: I have interned at three companies (Avi Networks, where I am currently interning, The Qt Company, and and a biosensors company by the name of NeuroSky). I have also done research with a professor for at year at UT Austin and did research for a summer at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. I want to know what my options are, where do I go from here? I know my major GPA is not good at all, but I am confident in my abilities and know that I am not a goofup. Any advice as well as the truth would be very much appreciated.
Your chances for graduate study probably rest most on the relationship you have with the person you’ve done research with. If that person supports you vigorously then you have a chance. If not, probably not right away after graduating but after being in the field a while.
I still have two more semesters to go for undergrad. How do my internships factor in? What else can I do to bolster my chances?
Look, getting into grad school means showing three things (competitively!):
- That you want to work with professors at that school
- That you can handle graduate-level coursework in the department
- That you can contribute quickly and valuably to meaningful research
The first is pretty easy - find professors with whom you really do want to work! They will believe you!
The second is almost entirely indicated by your GPA at the time of application, either overall or major depending on the department. Grad coursework is harder and there is usually a minimum GPA of 3.00-3.25 to continue in the program. If you have a low GPA then this becomes a real dilemma, because you have to be able to explain why you didn’t have a better GPA as an undergrad and then convince them why you would have a better GPA as a grad student. You can do this sometimes if your last X credits were good enough to show a “new trend” that is a better indicator than the bad grades you got as a freshman, I am not aware of any other workaround.
The third is almost entirely contingent on any papers you publish (if any) and the letters of recommendation. Simple, but complicated at the same time.
Your internships will not generally factor in at all. Put simply, they don’t show your academic ability and they don’t show your research potential (actually, a small percentage do, and they are treated more like university research). Very few professors or admissions committees will care about internships unless they come with LOR’s from a PhD explaining how the internship was doing research and how great you did.
Your best bet at this point is to focus on bringing those grades up and get as much good research experience as possible before application time!
It may be different since we aren’t in the same field. But all the colleges I’ve applied to say a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. So while my major GPA is a little low, my cumulative GPA is higher. I just got done applying to grad schools but I learned several things. This may be different for you! 1:GRE didn’t really matter. Only one program had a minimum requirement and I was over it. 2: Make sure you have awesome letters. 3: Gain as much experience through research/internships as you can. 4: Contact the programs to get an idea of what’s it like and maybe try to visit if convenient. 5: Really think it through and see if you can see yourself working 8 years towards a PhD. My advice may be useful since I’m going for a masters and most would call it terminal ones. But I thought I might help. Good luck!