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I have a mediocre GPA (hovering right at 2.99, although higher in last two years, and 3.5 in my major) and I will be applying to grad schools for a MS degree in biology, ecology, marine biology, or evolutionary biology. I know that the subject GRE in Biology is not required - but would it be beneficial for me to take to kind of make up for a low GPA? I would only be interested in taking it if it would actually bolster my competitiveness (and I think I could do well on it). Any info would be much appreciated! Thanks

Hi all, I have been trying to find info about this online but its been hard to pick through all the noise. My undergrad GPA was mediocre, at 2.99. I graduated from UNC Wilmington with my BS in Marine Biology. I have considered taking extra classes to become more competitive, but how do I do this granted that I have already graduated and my GPA is set? Can I take upper-level/grad-level classes? Incidentally, can anyone recommend a university that is conducive to online/distance-learning biology classes that would look good on my CV? I would really appreciate any input or advice! Thanks in advance

Oh my goodness, thank you so much for both of your replies! I somehow did not get notifications for them and just now stumbled upon my own post. I will look into all of these opportunities! Thanks again.

Hey guys, just read through this thread and found it fascinating. One poster advocating that an MS degree is useless - while I, for the most part, have always been under the impression that you choose to do an MS first (en route to a PhD) if you are relatively unsure of your ultimate intended research area. One professor put it to me this way: that working for a PhD is like working exclusively on a tiny pixel of the whole biology picture, and that determines your career for the rest of your life. Pretty intimidating... I have A LOT of questions about grad school in general, however I'd like to just get some advice, any advice that might be helpful to my situation: I graduated from UNC Wilmington with a BS in Marine Biology, with a very mediocre GPA 2.9 (do they round that up to 3?) but around a 3.5 in my major, and for my last two years. It's that overall GPA that makes me so anxious, though... I have some experience, although I don't know if it would count as "research": I volunteered and then worked in the ecology/ornithology lab at UNCW for around 2.5 years - through that professor, I was invited as a tech to help with his paleoecology project in Colorado (two weeks) and then later on Ross Island, Antarctica (1 month). Because of my volunteering/working for the above professor, I am pretty sure I could get a strong recommendation letter from him. AFTER graduation (2010) I moved back home, worked at a restaurant (ugh) until I found a field job in eastern NC (which is where I wanted to be) doing avian surveys for the summer season. After that job ended, I worked as a "marine fisheries observer" for the NC Division of Marine Fisheries for about 9 months. I ended that job because I felt it was so menial it was not contributing to my resume at all (anyone know anything about this at all?). So I have been unemployed for several months, trying to decide what to do with my life - ultimate goal being to get a PhD and study something related to birds, marine fisheries, evolution, paleoecology. Is it a problem that I do not know EXACTLY what I want to study (therefore applying for a PhD would be weird)...I want/need to go to grad school, I just feel like I have so little guidance as to how to go about the whole process. Subsequently I AM looking at UNC Asheville for a Masters in Biology...and any input on if its a good program, has good funding, etc, would be much appreciated. Also any other comments or advice for an overwhelmed chronic worrier who just wants to do science! Cheers

Hi all, this is my first post so I am hoping to get some good advice and realistic feedback. First off, I struggled through college (mostly in the beginning) thanks to some issues of severe depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, my GPA has suffered and although I managed good grades in the last two years, it averages out to a very underwhelming 2.99 (I also did a semester abroad, which with the pass/fail ranking did not help nudge my GPA up). *As a side note...does 2.99 round up to 3.0 or am I stuck at <3.0, which seems to be the cutoff for many schools even accepting applications* If I could do it all over again...I would. I would just go through and re-do my lowest grades...but of course, time is of the essence. Or is it? I have a deep passion for science, specifically marine biology (my UG major), as well as evolutionary biology (now there was a class where I got the top grade in the class, for once). Special interests for me are ornithology, fisheries, conservation...but really any field gets me going. I could not imagine doing anything other than biology...and so my dream is to continue in marine biology, or possible evo. bio. depending entirely on what school will accept me. Which brings me to my current dilemma...I have absolutely zero confidence that any reputable grad school will accept me, thanks to my GPA, which is nothing to speak of. However, I do consider myself an intelligent, intellectual person - I have been lucky to travel to many different countries over the course of my life, as well as speak a second language fluently. I keep my sights on the important things and issues in life, and I dream about becoming a fully accredited marine biologist/zoologist/evo biologist somewhere down the road (hopefully sooner rather than later). My boyfriend is someone who after serving in the military for 9 years, is just applying to undergrad programs in California. He has excellent chances of getting in where ever he wants - UCSB, UCSC, or UCSD are at the top of his lists (as well as mine in regards to grad school). I want to move out to CA with him and hopefully enter the same school he is at (or get another field job in the area). To make a long story short, here's my question: What are my chances of getting in to the aforementioned schools in the fields I dream about? If they are meager, what do I need to do to increase my appeal? My initial (new) GRE score is 314. I excelled at verbal but ran out of time on both quantitative sections, and will be retaking it soon... Thanks for reading my long post, and taking the time to answer! It is much appreciated!!! P.S. As for field work experience, I have a good amount: Colorado, North Carolina, as well as Antarctica. Currently am working for the state's Division of Marine Fisheries as an observer. *Incidentally, does anyone know how much experience as a fisheries observer is worth towards grad school? I couldn't find any info on that before I accepted...*