Hi all,
I just recently graduated with a 2.9 gpa in general biology. I really want to go to grad school and look into to those in Canada and the state. I have two years of research experiences as an individual researcher working for the chair of biology department. My gpa was low not for really any good reasons( part time job and just too young and too bratty about academic). I’m taking a year of retaking my physics and one selective biology course from other university and also working as a lab assistant from another university at the mean time. I wonder how are my chances to get into a grad school? Should I apply for ms first? What level of school should I apply for? Thanks!
I got into many wonderful biomedical graduate schools with a 3.1 GPA, but I had a very valid reason for my GPA that ties into what I want to do along with 3 years of research and several publications. I will begin my Ph.D. program this fall.
Here is my advice for someone with a low GPA:
1.) Definitely work in research for a few years before you apply to graduate school. Try to get your name on a few publications and work hard. Strive to get excellent letters of recommendation from your P.I. and other well respected researchers at your institution. Often experience and publications can help mitigate lower grades.
2.) Study seriously for the GRE and do well above the minimum requirement for each university that you apply to. This will show that perhaps you have solved the problem that prevented a solid GPA in college.
3.) Start preparing your applications early! Write a personal statement about what you want to do and why. Also write another statement (typically called a research statement) about what your experience has been in the past and what you want to research in the future. After creating a general personal statement and a general research statement it makes things a lot easier. Each statement needs to be tailored to the school you are applying to - this is crucial! I started working on my statements in June so they’d be ready for August/September when applications opened. I wrote and rewrote them several times until they were perfect. Also have a few other people look them over.
4.) Cast a wide net when applying, but make sure that the proper “research fit” is there. Really think about what you want to study? Do you want to study the mechanisms of RNA polymerase in E.coli? Do you want to study cancer biomarkers? As you interested in viral transcription in Ebola? All of these fall under “molecular biology”. You want to apply to schools that have many researchers studying what you want to study. Have a specific interest and goal in mind. This shows the programs that you are focused and know what you want to do. Also, applications can be expensive. Give yourself your best shot by applying to schools that you fit well with - make it worth your time and money. Sometimes research fit can mitigate lower grades.
5.) Do you need a masters or Ph.D.? What is your end goal? Do you want to be a professor? Work for a biotech or pharma company? Usually, if your end goal is a Ph.D., most people advise you skip doing a masters. If your GPA isn’t up to par, you might have to get a masters to prove yourself. Keep in mind though that most masters are self-funded while Ph.D. programs (though longer) are typically fully-funded + stipend. A strong masters GPA can mitigate a low undergrad GPA.
Feel free to message me directly with questions.