shinee_alpaca

I'm considering reapplying to graduate school at the end of the year in a Master's Biological science program. I am a little scared because my overall GPA is 3.42 and within range of accepted students, but I got told my committees that the biggest concern was my science GPA being only around a 2.94-2.98! Barely a 3.0! I knew my grades weren't top tier when I graduated, which is why I worked for a little over a year as a lab tech, did other science education activities on the side, and volunteered as a research assistant at another lab in my hometown's university right when I found I got rejected, so I've been hoping my working experience would offset a borderline GPA. However, I can't see myself doing the lab tech job long term, which is why I am interested in going to graduate school to further my research and reapplying again. The weird issue is that many of my programs want a 3.0 GPA minimum during the last 2 years of my education - which I definitely have. But because I never realized how borderline I was with my science GPA, I plan to cut back on my activities, go back to school this fall part-time to rectify my GPA and hopefully raise it up just slightly so I don't get screened out by applications when they're due around January. Many of my programs range of average accepted science GPAs were from 3.18 to 3.8, and I know even if I take extra classes, I'd still be borderline at the low end of the accepted range. I tried talking to an adviser what to do about my GPA and he's suggested that in addition to a Cell Physiology and RNA Biology class I wanted to take this fall that I take all these random biology classes such as Fossil Record and Plant Anatomy (basically both not in my desired concentration and classes that I do not need to get into my programs) for 3-4 semesters and that it was not feasible for me to even apply this fall. Waiting 2 more years just to apply again makes me feel bummed because I just feel like a sitting duck. I'm also not rich, so I don't want to take 2 years worth of classes when I'm not eligible for many of the student scholarships anymore. Should I try applying anyway this cycle and hope for the best or should I follow adviser's wacky advice and take random Bio classes not related to what I want to do for 2 years, even though I don't need them?

It's a biomedical-related grad program, but I'd rather withhold on saying what exactly is the program or which school it is, since it's very niche and possibly small enough to out me. Basically, I'm missing a class involving animal dissection while my other schools allowed it to be waived in place of my regular two-course human anatomy lecture. My other schools said I had all the requirements when I showed them my transcript or said specifically if other classes would be okay in substitution, but my first choice school said the dissection component was something they wanted (which is something I didn't realize because I think they changed requirements just this year and wanted a vertebrate anatomy or comparative higher division class, and I assumed falsely that my lecture-only animal physio class fit the former). I'll try and list somewhere in my app that I intend to enroll at a local college for it and hope if I take it in the spring it and complete it will still allow me to be admitted in for fall 2016, but I'm just really frustrated that I had to find this out months before my apps were due

I'm considering trying to ask a professor at a local college near my home if I can get a waiver and register straight into his class for the spring semester, but I was curious about my chances, since the class won't be finished by the time I submit my app and potentially get an interview. I'd be willing to email the program director if it's truly the best way, but I'm just nervous since I feel like I've contacted them with inquiries many times in the last. All this grad school app anxiety is starting to get to my head...

I was told a while ago that I was missing one class requirement for one of my schools and I missed it because the wording was so similar to what they wanted but it wasn't the same as what they were looking for (my bad, I know...). Everything else on my application looked great when I emailed them my transcript and while my grades aren't super high, I'm still within range of many accepted students from the past but that's the only thing missing - one prereq. It's a science masters program affiliated with the medical school, and I've heard cases where people could still take prereqs the spring or summer before they get in, but my apps are due in January before the new spring semester would even start. Could they scrap my application because of this? I'm worried that if I email them again with more questions I'm bothering them since I've already contacted them a few times for them to recognize my name, but I was curious if I should apply anyway? I'm hesitant to withdraw cause it's my first choice school in terms of concentration and program, so it's bumming me out if I don't get in due to something small like this than just not being a good candidate, but I also am not sure if it'll make me look bad if I apply anyway.