[The sub-3.0 GPAs ACCEPTANCE thread]

On 2016/4/11 at 11:23 AM, Formosus said:

I can share a success story here!

Came into undergrad (physics major) and absolutely bombed my second year. Battling with depression, the first semester of my Sophomore year saw me getting an F, three Cs and a B. Cratered my cumulative GPA down to a 2.4. (Oof.) Went and sought help at a counseling center and became very close with one of the physics professors - one whom I'd never had as a lecturer but who was known to be very open to undergrads. His help got me back and motivated and put me on the right track. I busted tail my last two years here in undergrad. It wasn't easy, especially at first. Because of my terrible performance up to that point, I didn't have the background knowledge necessary for the upper level courses, so the climb was a difficult one. But starting with the second half of my third year, I started seeing the results. Managed to get up to a 2.8 cumulative with a 3.3 major GPA. Most importantly, I found an INCREDIBLE undergrad research position doing LIGO data analysis, which I've worked in for two years now.

 

Two days ago I got word from my top choice school that I was accepted directly into the Ph.D program with full funding. I cried when I got the letter. Don't give up folks! People notice when you work as hard as you can and are passionate about what you do.

Nice 

[The sub-3.0 GPAs ACCEPTANCE thread]

I write my story here today because I was inspired by this forum several month ago.

My undergraduate GPA 2.93/4, master GPA 3.15/4.  very nasty GPA.

One year ago, I had several sleepless night after knowing GPA 3.0 is cutoff value for PhD. But I never give up. I wrote more than 500 emailst to professors of physics department and electrical engineering department of all possible/impossible university.  I made good preparation for those give me interviews or just ask a few questions to me.  My heart to become a phycist outweigh anything in my life. I will not let low GPA stop my path to my dream, even if I am a lady at the age of 30 and a  low GPA. 

It turn out that I was encouraged to apply by lots of university, because of my great academic background( one first-author publication in APL, two second-author publication in APL and RSC).

I wrote a personal history for Professor of interest, stating my determination and my past life, like why I want to continue my academic career, even I already got a job as software engineer. I spend lots of time to prepare SOP, digging out the past present and future of my POI's research by reading lots of paper. 

Now I already got two admission, university of Georgia, fellowship + RA, North Carolina State University , RA, both are electrical engineering. (Cornell and Michigan Ann Arbor Applied Physics put me in the waiting list but reject me). UC riverside and Colorado Boulder still waiting. But I already accept NCSU.  The reality is even more beautiful than my wildest dream.

I want to give a chinese old-saying to encourage everybody here. Sub-3.0 GPA still got PhD admission is like phoenix reborn in a fire.  If you are brave enough, nothing can stop you. What you need to do, is to truly believe in yourself.

I am internationshal student, female, sub-3.0 GPA, nothing is on my advantage. But I show my POI and the committee the unparallel persistance and passion, which are greatest advantages of being real researcher.