shadeslayer

Hi y'all. Junior actively looking at the entire PhD process rn, and I don't know if I should pursue the PhD application or shoot for a Masters in biology (4 BS+1 year Masters through my current uni). I have a 3.36 cum GPA, and have three years of wet lab experience at a Neuroscience lab. Two poster presentations 2 minigrants awarded for independent research 1 Summer Undergrad Research Fellowship Program at my uni My PI is well renown in the field and is def writing a letter, as well as a bio professor who can speak to my intellectual curiosity and my research interests. Also currently in the process of looking for jobs in biotech or an internship in the private sector. I definitely want to enter a program for Neuroscience as that is the field I am most interested in, especially dementias and development, but I coincidentally went to a talk given by a PI at UCSD working on RNAi stuff in BioChem who I worked for in high school. He recognized me and asked me how I was doing so I was planning on emailing him and telling him that I was interested in his lab and asking him if he was accepting students for rotation. My question now is, is my GPA holding me back from good programs? Will a good SOP, my LORs, and experience help? I'm hoping reaching out to the faculty member at UCSD BMSE might be help as well. Or should I get a Masters/Post-Bacc to improve my GPA/Get a better Masters GPA and apply to the PhD then?