ChondroitinSulfate

No, I'm pretty sure it's atypical in my field, since I've looked over the handbooks of maybe 20 departments in the same field and only one other has this kind of exam. The whole field is moving away from such exams, so that's really not surprising. The department director herself said it was unusual to have one like this - it's usually R01 grant proposal writing/oral defense now. I'm not trying to hide any truth. I just don't know what that question is asking. It's not as though I'm not prepared to be upfront about it - I'm including it in my SOP, briefly. Since it's a radio box type question, I'm just trying to figure out if it'll be mistaken as something else if I do check it. That said, if it's uncertain, I'll probably check it. Better safe than sorry...

Long story short, I failed my qualifying exams after some health issues, leaving my department with an MA and a 3.6 GPA, still want to pursue graduate studies, sure that I could pass most qualifying exams (my bioscience department has a comp written exam that tests everything learned in the past year; I'm sure I'd do just fine with drafting an R01 and defending it). Any advice or opinions about viability would be great - did my undergrad and MA both in pretty good schools, both with half-decent GPAs, probably around four years of research experience when I graduate, though no publications when I apply. I'm probably applying anyways, because I don't have any compelling reason not to and two compelling reasons to do so (because I like this rigor of bioscience that much and it actually makes my two-body problem easier), though I'm also looking into industry and science writing opportunities equally. Real question, though, is that I've seen this on several applications: How do I answer this? Do I answer "yes" and explain failing quals and switching to an MA because it's a dismissal from the PhD program, or "no" because it's neither college nor high school and I'm not dismissed/withdrawn from the department/school, but rather switched into a terminal MA program? Just not sure what that question is asking for. Should I contact the schools and ask?

Thanks for the reply - I am taking the courses to learn, but given the research-oriented nature of graduate school, the general feeling around the program is that classes are a thing you pass to get on with research (and this comes from the faculty, not just from the students). I don't mind the classes; I just don't like sinking in five hours a week on a single class and getting a B after scoring above average for so much of it. I suspect he doesn't curve, since my raw score alone was in the mid to high B range. I wasn't intending to ask in any tone other than "what can I do to improve"; it's just that I do want to know if his Bs mean subpar work or expected work, since he is known for his tough grading. I fear if I talk to him sooner, there's no way it won't come off as grade-mongering, because I can't do it by any other venue than email, and conveying tone through text is challenging. The fellowship is kind of a nonconcern in some ways, because I'm pretty set on a lab that has reasonably stable funding, and I doubt I'll be out sick half as often next semester, having caught at least one variant of every common viral infection this past semester. I've asked my adviser, but he's rather laid back about it all and says I'm worrying over nothing.

I know this topic has been thrown out there a lot, but when I look at the threads, I keep seeing a blend of MA and PhD students from diverse subjects of study, so I'm not sure how relevant all of it is to me. So here's the gist of things. I'm a first year bio PhD student, I've been sick a lot this semester on top of focusing on a rotation in a lab that I really, really like. I've pulled a 3.5ish GPA with 2 As, 2 B+s, and 1 B (in a class where I scored above the median for all but two assignments). I've seen the posts float around that that's a very mediocre GPA, and that Bs are subpar in graduate school, so I'm a little worried that I'm not doing so hot, even though it didn't really seem like I was doing badly at the time. When I asked my faculty adviser, he pretty much said my grades don't matter as long as I pass (above 3.0 overall), so the discrepancy is somewhat confusing. I'm most worried about this knocking me out of the loop for fellowships that I'm considering applying for, though funding is actually not an issue in my program. Basically, I want to have some idea of how well or meh I did (I know it's not bad), and whether I should be concerned about anything. Also, I'm kinda wondering how to approach the prof that gave me a B, because he'll be teaching another class I'm taking next semester, and I really don't want to bust my butt and wind up with a B again. I was considering just asking him at the beginning of the class what his expectations were, since I don't want to make a bad impression and come off as a grademonger by asking now, but any opinions would be welcome.