<p>roxannecellbio,
your post is not exactly accurate. i remembered something you had written previously. it is my understanding that you went to undergrad at stanford, did poorly, then went to work for several years and got a second degree with a really high gpa.
i think it is great that you are trying to be encouraging but your story does not represent someone fresh out of undergrad.
i only mention this because i have a similar story and i think the combined moral would be that if you are really set on a particular destination sometimes you have to take the long way. a lot of people do.</p>
<p>mutation - </p>
<p>I see your point. But my point is that I had a low overall GPA when I applied. I was weeded out of the Ivies because of this, but other great schools looked beyond this number to other parts of my app - which included my major GPA (which did include its share of B’s) and my great LoRs. I don’t think the OP should give up on his reach schools…</p>
<p>I think there is a tendency on these forums to be too stats-oriented. Comments like “your GPA is too low” or your “GREs are too low” are sometimes accurate, but also sometimes not. Yes, high grades and GRE scores go a long way to getting an application seriously considered, but graduate schools are looking for more than just the stats. They want scholars. Of course, often high grades and GRE scores often go hand in hand with academic accomplishment, which is why those components seem important. But sometimes a student who struggles for the first year of college finds his calling, and sometimes an excellent researcher does not do well on the GRE. </p>
<p>Obviously, a truly weak GPA, such as something below 3.1, does hurt, and GRE scores below a certain threshold (say, 1200 for PhD programs, or under 750 Q for quantitative programs like engineering) can rule out an applicant. But that doesn’t mean that a more average-stats person cannot get accepted into a good program with strong research and LORs.</p>
<p>If you have a high GPA, high GRE scores, and good research experience, you can afford to apply to mostly, if not entirely, top programs. If your GPA and GRE scores are lower, then you should indeed concentrate most of your efforts on lesser tier programs; however, you have little to lose by including a couple of dream programs. The only aspect of your application that cannot be weak is your scholarship and research. You will not get into a top or even second tier program with average stats, little research experience, and vague goals.</p>
<p>My story (and that of the people from my program who applied with me) does apply to people right out of undergrad. We applied with GPAs between 2.9 and 3.5, and are all at top 10 schools now. The people on the lower end of the GPA spectrum had fewer choices, but everyone had several choices of top 10 schools. We did go to an ivy for undergrad, as I think that GPA matters more the less familiar the programs are with your school/the professors writing you recommendations. </p>
<p>If you have a low GPA, and are coming right out of undergrad, it helps a lot to have really great references from important people, and to have a lot of research experience so that you can show that even though you aren’t a superstar at classes you are very competent in lab.</p>