123hardasABC

OMG JUST got a call from NEW HAVEN, CT ---> INTERVIEW INVITE FROM YALE BBS  @biosci this is INCREDIBLE!!! You replied and exactly 2 minutes later I get the call. 
I'm soooo happpy, so relieved!! Thank you so much god!! 

BUT WHERE ARE UPENN CAMB AND VANDERBILT'S NEXT WAVE OF INVITES (i need to stop refreshing this page it's getting bad for my blood pressure)

What's the median? Std deviation? Average is pretty much useless here...

Just wanted to add that when I first started reading through this thread back in July/August, I was SO discouraged by the amazing stats that everyone had posted. I think it's easier to agree that applicants with 3.8+ GPAs, 1st author pubs, etc etc stand solid chances when applying to top tier schools. That being said, I think one of the most important things to take away from reading through this forum is the fact that GPA is not the end all be all factor in the admissions process. Letters of recommendation, research experience, and statement of purpose (including extenuating circumstances or challenges) ARE huge factors that come into play. And this sentiment has been reiterated over and over again in this thread...
Applicants with stellar stats may be easier sells to top tier schools, but that doesn't mean that you don't stand a chance if you have a 3.2 or 3.4 GPA. Duh, it's obviously more difficult - but to just shoot down an individual's profile solely on GPA is not something any of us are qualified to do. The overall process of graduate school applications is nerve wracking and depressing at times - we should be supporting each other rather than dealing out "reality".
 

In the end, people can do whatever they want with their money. lol 
And, after all, the chance of getting in if you don't apply is 0. By coughing up some bucks and filling in an application, you're automatically increasing your chances. 

PlanB, I'm not so sure how, as an applicant, you can say these things with as much certainty as you have in this thread, and others. While GPA is certainly one factor of the admissions process, it is by no means the only one, nor is it the most important one. I wouldn't be so quick to knock it, or use it as a way to judge an applicant's chances. Research experience, publications, and letters from well-known PIs, in my opinion all trump it. While it's true that many of the people applying to some of these schools have GPAs above 3.7 or even 3.9, if the average if 3.7, than for every person with a 3.9 there could just as easily be one with a 3.5.

Seriously. Based on the above advice I should never have wasted my time applying... To those out there with low GPAs. There is hope... you just have to make your app shine in other areas. Don't let this site discourage you either.

My sentiments exactly. I even applied low, like scrapping the bottom of the barrel (with the exception of WashU), because of my poor undergraduate years weighing me down. Best we can do is hope, but I can tell you that your stats are better than mine and you should stand a better chance.
 
Good luck

Was your perseverance essay about how you persevered to write a last minute essay? 

Glad I could help! Though now I need all the help and luck in the world!  And I live here permanently now! 
 
I've devised a 6 step plan for not getting into graduate school: 
1.) Cry.
2.) Drink.
3.) Netflix.
4.) Reflect on: Do I really need to go to graduate school twice? 
5.) Drink again.
6.) Find work. 

Okay I can't feel my legs....I GOT AN INTERVIEW INVITE TO THE DBBS PROGRAM AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS 5 minutes ago via email!!!!! 
Confirmed right away, booking my tickets for the interview weekend of January 14th.
All the hard work f***ing paid off. I'm so on top of the world nowwww!!!

I know it's early but I'm soooo jealous of everyone! I'll sit quietly and wait my turn now, lol. 

I know it's early but I'm soooo jealous of everyone! I'll sit quietly and wait my turn now, lol. 

Yup! I got in. I currently attend Mount Sinai, will be finishing this December, and have already applied to PhD programs. I also got in Emory and Boston (supposedly good programs for MPH) but settled for Sinai because it was cheapest (not more terminal degree,gotta save $$). And no, I did not address my GPA in my personal statement. 

Just got an interview invite from UPitt IBGP! They are on top of their game!

It's only been a few hours since the applications closed and I'm already wavering back and forth between "Hell yeah I'm going to graduate school again!!" and "I'm fucked."
 
This is gonna be a long winter, guys. Good luck to you all!

It's only been a few hours since the applications closed and I'm already wavering back and forth between "Hell yeah I'm going to graduate school again!!" and "I'm fucked."
 
This is gonna be a long winter, guys. Good luck to you all!

It's only been a few hours since the applications closed and I'm already wavering back and forth between "Hell yeah I'm going to graduate school again!!" and "I'm fucked."
 
This is gonna be a long winter, guys. Good luck to you all!

It's only been a few hours since the applications closed and I'm already wavering back and forth between "Hell yeah I'm going to graduate school again!!" and "I'm fucked."
 
This is gonna be a long winter, guys. Good luck to you all!

Hey all,
I was in your exact place this time last year. A few words of advice as applications are due, and you hit that dreaded "Submit" button.
1) Breath. Once the application is in, there is nothing you can do to improve it. Second guessing yourself, asking "What if?" questions constantly, agonizing about how you worded something in your personal statement, it does nothing but increase anxiety, with no good way to end it. 
2) Find something fun to do! Whether alone or with friends, distractions are golden. 
3) If anxiety is catching up with you, find a confidant to disclose to. Internalizing these feeling will just drive you crazy.
4) Look forward to all the exciting places you will (yes, will) be visiting. Interviews, while exhausting, are also exhilarating, and an excellent chance to talk with others who share your passion for science. 
Best of luck all. A grand adventure awaits!

https://i.imgur.com/64Pgcgl.jpg

Everyone that has a 3.5 or higher and thinks they have a low/ non- competitive GPA needs to chill out. You're going to be okay!
I didn't even graduate my undergrad with a 3.0 (literally had a 2.99), doing a MS now and trying again. AND I think I still have a solid chance at getting in to a decent school.
As long as you aren't an idiot (your personal statement will give you away) and you have solid research experience and LOR's you should get in to at least a couple schools. So calm down, and stop stressing over things that are out of your control.
If there is any thing I learned from the first time I applied, it is to not psych yourself out in the few months between when you submit applications and actually start getting interview invites. Everyone here has solid stats and is a much more competitive applicant then a lot of people I know, so you can all relax and enjoy the last year of your freedom!

Your GPA is a 3.9. Why you buggin tho? 

 

I'm sorry for calling you out, but this is total garbage.  This seems extremely unlikely and I have not heard similar experiences at all. I know several people who got accepted to the schools you mentioned (particularly Harvard and MIT) with subpar GREs on math and verbal (<65%) or subpar GPAs (<3.2).  I've also spoken with adcom members at these schools who have reiterated the same things.  There are several things that could have gone wrong with your friend's application process and there's obviously no way to know that it was his GPA.  The things that differentiate highly qualified applicants almost always has to do with how you fit with that particular university and if they just generally like you at the interviews.  You could look like the second coming of jesus on paper, but if you seem like a prick at the interview then you're not going to get in. 
I was originally very discouraged when I first started reading through gradcafe, but the more I learned the more I realized that this forum is no where near a fair representation of the applicant pool and that a lot of people on here actually have no idea what they're talking about.  So, for those who feel discouraged, don't listen to junk like this and get back to working on your application, as I will right now.
  

I'm just going to be blunt with you. If that's a priority, even a low ranking one, you should reconsider graduate school. School should be about improving yourself. While you will meet new people and form new connections, you should not be jumping into any romantic conclusions. If it does happen for you, then great! But don't be actively seeking it. If you're in a program to manhunt, I'm sorry but your spot in that program should go to someone else.