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I think that is ridiculous as well, especially given the rigor of a full BEng :| I know someone with a BSc from the UK and is currently doing her PhD at NYU - so it probably isn't state/university-specific as much as program/field-specific. I am going to echo the above that it really is quite odd. I read somewhere that only 3-Year BScs from certain countries are an issue (eg. the Indian 3-year BScs are not accepted by many institutions). I am not sure in your email to the admissions office if you had specified that it is from the UK (you probably had, but just being sure!). And if it helps, I just found this for Indian 3-year Bachelors: http://www.wesstudentadvisor.org/2014/04/how-us-universities-evaluate-indian-degrees.html -- with a list, some of which not on your list eg CMU.

The first thing you should consider is if the institutions you are applying to accepts more than 3 letters. A lot of them do. If so, you could just have both sent since they each can have different perspectives. If you can only have 3 though, then you'd want to pick the person who has the most experience dealing with graduate level students. Another thing to consider is how well these recommenders know you beyond your grades in their classes.

To be honest, I doubt a 90th percentile is enough to offset a low GPA because GPAs speak for consistency and ability to handle coursework like that during a PhD. However it may, if you have a 90th percentile in the subject test plus a high GPA within your major (presumably related to the field you plan to enter). I think then the admissions committee will more likely look at your transcript to see if the classes bringing your GPA down are particularly relevant to the field you plan to enter anyway.

Thanks for sharing the SfN stats and the nifty snapshot. I love stats too Although really if the stats considered only the top and even mid-tier universities, I suspect the stats have limited anxiolytic effects. I've been lurking for a while, so here I am. Just a snapshot as I am not too keen on sharing all the details. I do have cumulatively 2.5 years of full-time research experience (1.5 months of neuro, 1 year cell & molecular, upcoming 0.5 years of computational neuro), 2 low-impact non-first-author papers in microbiology. Undergrad Institution: UK university (2nd in the world for neuroscience according to US News/Thomson Reuters methodology) Major: BSc Neuroscience GPA: First Class Honours (average grade can be calculated but not reported in transcript) Position in Class: top 3 in a very small class of 30+ Type of Student: International Female GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 163 - 86% V: 166 - 96% W: 5.5 - 98% Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Granted external PhD Fellowship for 5 years, university of choice Graduation award for best performance (one of two awards given) in neuroscience cohort Deans list each year LORs: Probably good, but will not say they are particularly strong Applying to Where: MIT BCS Stanford Neuroscience UCSD Neuroscience Northwestern Neuroscience Harvard Neuroscience Columbia Neurobiology & Behavior Johns Hopkins Neuroscience UPenn Neuroscience In the case of UCSD and MIT, I know I could have applied to umbrella Biology programs at the same time given my predominantly biology background, but what is very important to me is to be part of a neuroscience community with people studying neuroscience on all scales. I am also aware that I am aiming rather high - all excellent for neuroscience - especially as an international, but applying for more is a real financial constraint, and I have considered fit of my interests very rigorously. I must confess I am not all too confident especially looking at everyone with great stats out there. Although I very much want to train in the US, my contingencies (which I feel very safe and more confident for) will be back in the UK where my degree is probably a lot better regarded and where I believe being funded also means a lot more. Fingers crossed. All the best everyone!