<p>Especially for someone applying to grad school. In my case, I'lll likely graduate with around 3.75-3.8 (~3.9 and 3.98 in my majors), and while that qualifies for "high honors" at my university (for whatever reason, we don't do the Latin distinctions), many of the programs I'm applying to have mean GPAs in the 3.7-3.8 range. Thus, while good, a 3.75 suddenly doesn't seem so high. Perhaps it's just because my field (social science) is generally considered easier than engineering/hard science?</p>
<p>Maybe it’s because psych majors are smarter. :p</p>
<p>No but seriously – I got into a graduate psych program with a 3.49, but that was a generation ago and I was in the inaugural class, so they weren’t terribly selective.</p>
<p>I was looking at some grad (engineering) programs for S-- most required a 3.0. Of course they look at test scores, too, because some schools grade harder than others.</p>
<p>Your GPA is perfectly fine and no one is going to select students on ‘highest GPA’ (e.g. one isn’t picking the kid with the 3.9 over the kid with the 3.7). In the fields I know well, 3.5 is good enough as a general rule, and 3.9 isn’t ‘better’-- too many factors play a role, including courses, college, area of study. We also look at the pattern of grades-- where you were strong, where you were not.</p>
<p>Your GRE (at top schools in my field we look for around 90th percentile, but there is room for flexibility, it depends on a lot of factors…but if one of the subscores was say 75th percentile it would be a concern). Hugely important is your research experience, and your letters of rec from faculty (not so much how positive they are-- they are all universally positive- but rather who wrote them and if we know them and can call and talk to them personally in depth, that is really valuable).</p>
<p>Admission to graduate school, especially for PhD programs, is very different from admission to BS programs.</p>
<p>Key is achievement in your field of interest. Of course grades vary widely from college to college, but still, it is hard to imagine that an eventually successful PhD student would do much worse that an A- in the field of interest at the BS level.</p>
<p>And much more so that in the high school preparation for college (as through AP and Honors courses) the course that you take are extremely important. By the time you’re a senior you would probably take some graduate courses, and you do well in them. An “easy” curriculum with exceptional grades is very unconvincing when the undergraduate college provides an opportunity for higher level/more rigorous/independent study course.</p>
<p>As important as grades is some proof of achievement in the filed of interest. In science, engineering and math this is easier than in the humanities/arts. That proof can be successful participation in a research project, some vetted innovation, exceptional recommendations from professors in your field of interest.</p>
<p>To clarify, this isn’t asking about me specifically. I have a (very?) strong research background (which is the key for the type of programs to which I’m applying)–publications, theses, first author conference posters, etc., and good GREs for those programs, good research matches, good clinical experience, etc.</p>
<p>I’m just wondering, in general, what you would consider “doing well” in college to be, grade-wise.</p>
<p>Very nice C.V. I can’t speak for admissions officers, but personally I’d consider 3.75-3.8 to be pretty impressive, especially when you also have almost a 4.0 in your major.</p>