Will my research experience help with Applying to good schools?

Graduate School
1

<p>Hello everyone,</p>

<p>I'm a fairly recent grad from an Ivy League university. I didn't have much focus during undergrad, and instead took as many challenging courses as I could in an effort to find something I enjoyed. I started by taking 21 credit hours my second semester freshman year, and bombed all of them relatively horribly. Seeing as I'm a stubborn idiot, I vowed to just ace the next 20 credits and promptly signed up for them the next semester. 3 more semesters of this cemented my low position. I figured I'd stick around a 5th year and finish my M.Engineering before going out into the job world, banking on my Ivy League title to help me out.</p>

<p>I ended up with a pretty awful GPA (~2.8) for my undergrad in Chemical Engineering.</p>

<p>My 3rd year however, I got into research. I really took to Biomedical Engineering. For once, I was interested in a subject enough to spend time on research outside of class. I got crazy ideas about how to implement my knowledge in impractical, but technically sound ways to solve problems.</p>

<p>I. Love. Tissue Engineering.</p>

<p>But my GPA was a huge roadblock for any kind of application. I tried applying, but my professors didn't really want to write letters for me, considering my grades, and I decided I'd have to do something about it.</p>

<p>My senior year of undergrad, I took a lot of BME courses, and made connections with the BME professors, focused on fewer classes and rocked them, and generally did really well. I got into my school's M.Engineering program and worked with an amazing professor in Tissue Engineering/Cancer Research, and I got a pretty average GPA for the year that I was there. (~3.3)</p>

<p>I got a job after graduating, and for the past year, I've been working in a research lab as a technician in about 3 different labs (simultaneously) and the Principal investigator in one of the labs is the founding father of Tissue Engineering. I apparently got on his good side during my year here, because he raves about my skill in the lab, and has talked about helping me with recommendation letters and grad school connections. I'm also in the process of working on some really cool publications, that if they work (and we think they do) will be fairly paradigm shifting as far as regenerative medicine goes. Several of the PI's are encouraging me to apply to some of the top tier schools.</p>

<p>The last 3 years have really built my confidence, and shown me what I want to do, and I definitely have the skills. I've learnt techniques that most first-year PhD candidates in BME wouldn't have. I just rocked the GREs last week (95%, 166 on both sections) and that was a big boost for me.</p>

<p>However, when I'm looking at all these admissions websites, I see the requirements for undergraduate GPAs are near 3.2, and I get really nervous. I don't meet the minimum requirement for many of these schools; is there some filter that will just automatically toss my application? Since my GPA isn't going to change, did I screw myself out of academic research? There are only a few schools that are great for Tissue Engineering, and they're all really good schools. Is there any hope for me?</p>

2

<p>I’ve heard that your GPA becomes less important the longer you are out of school, but I have also heard that applications can automatically be cut for a GPA below the minimum requirements (often a 3.0). I would bring up your concerns with your PI. He may be more familiar with how admissions works in graduate schools in your field, or he may be able to use his connections to get your application into the hands of the admissions committee.</p>

<p>If you can get over that first GPA cutoff hurdle, then your GRE scores, your work and research experience, your letters of rec, and your publications sound like they will really boost your application.</p>

<p>Alternatively, you may consider trying to enter a master’s program first. That way you can get a great graduate GPA, which would further lead credence to your argument that you are prepared for graduate level work and your previous GPA was because of your immaturity as a young college student.</p>

3

<p>Well, I do have a Master’s degree… also, wouldn’t those programs have the same GPA requirements?</p>

4

<p>If the programs have a huge applicant pool, they will likely triage based on GPA and/or GRE scores. They just cannot review all applications thoroughly. What can you do to improve your odds?</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Get your employer to call his colleagues about you. That may pull your application into the pool that is being reviewed carefully. If he is that well respected, it could help.</p></li>
<li><p>Apply to some programs where they have a smaller pool and there is someone you might like to work with (ask your current employer who is good at a smaller program). </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Good Luck!</p>

5

<p>Network network network. It sounds like you already have at least one major player on your side, so have a conversation with him to get his advice on where he thinks you should go. If he mentions a school that you’d really like, tell him and get the ball rolling asap. Ask him for names, contact PIs you’d like to work with, and don’t be shy about adding your current BigWig PI name to your signature. It sounds like you’re in a great place to get into a really great school by both your hard work in lab and a little bit of luck.</p>