<p>I'm currently having a "crisis" where I can't decide what do do with myself. My GPA is 3.4 (at an elite LAC), which is not good enough for med school. My other option is to do research and go to grad school for environmental chemistry, but all the good programs seem out of reach and other chemistry grad programs don't have the environmental focus I want (Im majoring in environemantal chem at college).</p>
<p>I also did not get any of the internships/research positions I applied for this summer. Things are not going well and I need suggestions for how to get on track for a PhD program.</p>
<p>Graduate school isn’t a consolation prize for medical school rejectees. I suspect you have more options than medical school or graduate school.</p>
<p>Didn’t you post a couple of months ago about this? You’re at Middlebury, if I remember correctly … Anyhow, I wouldn’t worry about it – a 3.4 is not bad. You should certainly have many options available upon graduation.</p>
<p>I did post a few months back. it was regarding grades as well. </p>
<p>To clarify, I never was going premed out of interest; I was a “practical” premed since doctors make decent salaries and are never out of a job.</p>
<p>My true passion is music, but to go that way is way too impractical and you need passion, intense early training, and talent. I missing the intense training and the talent.</p>
<p>My academic interests however are with applied sciences and chemistry is my favorite. Environmental studies has also drawn me in so naturally I took the environmental chemistry major.</p>
<p>I’m worried because I need research, but can’t get any internship positions. (That age-old conundrum…you need job experience to get a job…***). Furthermore, graduate programs of my program are rare (UW-Madison for example has an EChem grad program that accepts only 3-6 applicants out of roughly 100 a year).</p>
<p>Top liberal arts colleges are always touting their ability to provide their students with close relationships with their professors and research opportunities. Have you talked with your professors directly about research opportunities with them?</p>
<p>Yes, they always fill them with students that are either upper classman or have better GPAs. Every professor only fills about 2-3 and I don’t think Ill ever get one.</p>
<p>I’m a B+ student in my major and that will never get me anywhere with professors.</p>