<p>I am currently a junior and there is a trend in my GPA: on my very first quarter in a university, I got a GPA of 3.76, but it has slowly dropped to an average of 3.39 over the past two years and I'm afraid this trend will go on despite my efforts to keep it up. Now, I'm thinking about other factors that might help and was wondering if having a part-time job (unrelated to my major), working 20 hours/week since I started college until I graduate, would help my chances with getting into graduate school. I'm also considering applying to an undergraduate research program for my senior year, if that would help my chances</p>
<p>Are you in a science program?</p>
<p>If so, a research program would help, especially if the research ended up being published. </p>
<p>But you should know, GPA (and GRE test scores) are the two most important factors in getting into grad schools. Grades in the field you’re applying to for grad schools will be crucial. (Obviously, if you’re a science student, a B or C in history or Spanish will matter less than a C in chemistry, for example.)</p>