<p>I'm from a state university, so I'd assume my gpa would have to be higher compared to applicants from top universities. Assuming my other aspects are pretty good :research, LORs, SOPs, etc... What gpa would be a good one? 3.5? 3.6? 3.7? 3.8? 3.9? Right now, I'm aiming for a 3.7+, I did pretty bad my freshman year only got a 3.4. Anyone got some insights? Thanks.</p>
<p>3.5 is good enough.
Past that, it is research that will get you into a top program.</p>
<p>even from a 50-60th ranked university? Definitely, the higher the better right? If we were to compare 2 people with the same cv but 1 has a 3.7 and other has a 3.5, then the 3.7 will be the one that would be likely accepted right?</p>
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<p>Sure, but this doesn’t really happen in practice. There is a much larger variance among other factors (research experience, rec letters, SoPs.) That ensures that this type of situation pretty much never happens. Basically the answer to your “the higher the better” is yes, but the gain is so marginal it’s not terribly important.</p>
<p>Research experience and good grades in higher level engineering/physics/math classes are important. Going to a state university rather than a private university? Not important. Overall GPA of 3.6 vs 3.8 because of relatively low grades in core courses freshman year? Not important.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what’s considered higher level math classes, but the highest math class I have to take is ordinary differential equations (which I got a B in my freshman year b/c I overslept for a test) and statistics (but that’s a whole different style of math)</p>
<p>Also do you guys think research experience in the area you want to research in grad school is a must? Right now, my major is Mechanical engineering, but they’re very closely related. My university does not offer AE, but I just started working at a lab that revolves around propulsion. Would it be a significant downside that if let’s say I want to switch research areas when I apply for grad school even though my only undergrad research was in a different area?</p>
<p>Any related research experience will be a great help, as would a letter of reference from a professor who you did research with.</p>
<p>I’m currently at a lab and this postdoc just came from another country to do some research for a year. I speak his native tongue and he wants me to join in on his experiments. He said he’ll put my name on whatever he does, idk what he meant by that, I’m assuming pubs. I will probably get an LOR from the professor in the charge of the lab and the post doc, will it be bad to get 1 from someone who’s not a professor but has a phd?</p>
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<p>Yes. Especially in this case, since you’re going to get a letter from the PI. Find a different professor to do your letter of recommendation.</p>
<p>What does PI stand for? Also, why would it be bad? I always see posts saying it is bad to have a post doc teach you or write your a LOR, but I never understand why it was bad. Wouldn’t it be better than having another professor who just taught me a class write one?</p>
<p>@pyroknife,
How did you manage to take ODE your freshman year?
Did you take calc 1-3 and linear algebra in high school?</p>
<p>don’t need linear algebra for ODE. Tons of freshmans take diff eq their freshman year. I took AP calc 1&2 my junior yr in HS.</p>
<p>“Big” research is funded by grants. A grant is awarded to a person, the Principal Investigator or PI.</p>