So what are my chances? Advice is welcome.

Graduate School
1

<p>I've got a dilemma. I want to get into a top grad school PhD program in IR. The stats alone are a little intimidating: avg cum GPA of incoming undergrads is 3.7 and GRE scores are above a 600 in both areas. My cum GPA is 3.24. I've heard people say numbers aren't everything, especially in grad school apps, but if they post stats on the website I assume they carry some weight. Besides scoring extremely well on the GRE, what else should I do to make myself stand out? I plan on visiting the school, writing an amazing statement of purpose (which I've been researching is an excellent place to explain your faults, so I plan on discussing the low GPA here), and great letters of recommendation. I just want to know is there anything else I can do? And frankly, do I stand a chance?</p>