itzbobbeh

(tl;dr at the bottom) So here is my success story. I got accepted into my dream school, The Johns Hopkins University for their MHS program. Some background info: my undergrad GPA is 2.85 and my science GPA is roughly 2.6-2.7, which is appalling. So appalling that I've had 3 professors/supervisors tell me that I wouldn't get anywhere with my GPA. So what else was on my application? My GRE scores are V/Q/A 154/155/4.5, my letters of recommendation were good but not stellar (one academic professor, one research PI, and my supervisor when I was a lab tech after college), I had a lot of work experience for a recently-graduated student and worked for almost a year after graduating college as a lab research tech. My research experience was probably the best part of my application: 4 independent research projects (with presentable results), 1.5 years of research in undergrad, and almost a year of research as a lab tech. I also spent a great deal of time writing my SoP and making sure I communicated the right stuff to the Hopkins admissions committee. So here is what I did differently from most other applicants: I visited their campus and met with their program director as well as a prospective faculty member that I was interested in doing research in. I met with both of them and I gave them my story. I had a VERY clear idea of what I want to do, and it was evident on my SoP. I explained my prior research projects, I told them what I want to do, and I gave them a very detailed description of HOW I plan to achieve those goals. I projected myself very confidently, I didn't submit to my terrible GPA, instead I told them that I was confident that my GPA will improve in grad school. I didn't give them any excuses. I knew that if I wasn't confident in my experience then they wouldn't take me (as an applicant) seriously. Then after all that happened I just carried on with my life. I wasn't too hopeful because it was Hopkins and with my terrible GPA I didn't really think there was a chance of me getting in, but I was pleasantly surprised when I got the acceptance email. So for all of you who are demoralized and worried about getting into grad school with average GRE scores and sub-3.0 GPAs like me, here is my message: stay confident, and get a ton of research experience. tl;dr- I got into The Johns Hopkins University with only a 2.85 GPA and unimpressive GRE scores. My secret weapon was my research experiences.

Thanks for the tips everyone! I have a specific question about studying for the GRE: For someone who works a full-time job, how does one find the time in the day to study for a big test like the GRE? I studied for it just fine last year when I was in college, but now I'm either exhausted after work or completely occupied at work. I'm thinking of studying in short pieces but it doesn't bode well when I want to take practice tests..

tl;dr at the bottom. Hey guys, I'm new here and I will do my best to keep my post brief, but I still would love for some advice from you guys. So I'm a recent college graduate (with my BS in biochemistry) and my undergraduate final GPA is a 2.9, which I am aware that it is pretty low. I am applying to one or two biochem PhD programs and like three or four MS programs. I applied to 2 biochem PhD programs and 2 MS programs during my senior year, and didn't get accepted anywhere. Here are some basic things about my grad school application that you can take into account: GRE: V/Q/A --> 153/154/3.5.... Planning on retaking it before applying to Fall 2015 programs. Experience: UNDERGRAD: 1 year and 3 months of independent research. 1 summer semester as a lab TA. 1 semester as a lab assistant. 5 months as a lab technician. 5 total months at a government internship. POST-GRAD: 2 months (and currently employed) as a medical school research technician. Recently appointed as project manager in the lab and will be managing/running 1 to 2 projects soon. Letters of Rec: 1 from undergrad research P.I. (who can attest for my research experience), 1 from post-grad technician job (should be pretty good, doing really well at work), and 1 from a senior seminar course professor (can attest for my academic motivation despite my GPA) With all this said, is it advisable to apply for 2 PhD programs? My "reach" school is not very highly ranked, and my other PhD school is the same university as the one I'm currently employed at now. Not applying to any top-tier programs. Another big hurdle that I have is that if I get accepted into a masters program, I don't know how (or if at all) I will afford to pay for it without a TA'ship or big bad loans. Also, I am looking for any advice on how to boost my application. I thought about doing an online masters but my job is too demanding to have the extra free time to do that. I don't mind working as a research technician for another year or two until I get accepted into programs because I love my job and luckily it's in the field that I am interested in. If I do work for an extra year or two, I can expect to have 5-7 independent projects and maybe 1 poster presentation under my belt. tl;dr: I have a 2.9 undergrad GPA (got my BS in biochem) and slightly-above-50th-percentile GRE scores, but I have a (relatively) lot of work/research experience. Applying to 2 biochem PhD programs and 3-4 masters programs (none are top-tier). Would love to have some advice on my situation, any advice is welcome.