Graduate Engineering (Ph.D.) Programs - Strong Fit & Overlapping Research Interests

[uprobot]

Does strong fit along with overlapping research interests with a particular faculty member carry a lot of weight in the admissions process? I am currently doing full-time research in orthopedic biomechanics & biomaterials at a top hospital in the country. I graduated with a dual BS in biomedical engineering & mechanical engineering; my cumulative undergraduate GPA is not great (overall: 3.17, engineering: 3.08). I ask this because I am very passionate about this field of research and upon browsing faculty profiles, my interests strongly overlap with 2 professors from UC Berkeley. I would love to pursue graduate studies at an institution like Berkeley and I strongly believe I would be able to make significant contributions to either lab with my background (education, lab skills, research experience, etc.)

I am confident that I'll receive 3 strong letters of recommendation, do very well on the quantitative section of the GRE, write a strong statement of purpose, and have a few publications by the time I leave. I feel that my low GPA (due to lack of maturity in college) is holding me back. Do I have absolutely no chance of receiving an offer an admissions? Would I be given serious consideration at all, or would it rather be a waste of application fee? Also, I wonder if professors who are willing to accept me for their lab actually interact with the admissions committee to push for offering acceptance. Any encouragement or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[ktel]

Your GPA isn't great, but isn't terrible. It's over the 3.0 cut-off that a lot of grad schools use.

I would say fit is extremely important in the admissions process, but I'm not on an adcomm. I think your research experience speaks much more about your abilities than your undergraduate GPA. That coupled with all the others parts of your application that you say will be strong leaves you with a good chance of getting in.

Whether the professors have any say in your admission depends on the university. When I applied for my Master's last year, finding an advisor who was willing to supervise you basically guaranteed your acceptance, provided you pass the minimum GPA requirement (3.0). Perhaps someone who has applied to engineering at UC Berkeley could provide some insight.

[uprobot]

Ktel, as always I appreciate your feedback!

I've asked others on another forum (collegeconfidential) and I was told:

"I think if the gpa was from a top 10 institution then they will be more lenient, but if it's not i think it will be an impediment to get through the 1st admissions committee (people who only view your gpa and gre scores.) Your other areas are very strong and will definitely be eye catching to the professors, but it might not make it to them due to your gpa."

I did not know there was more than one committee. Can anyone vouch for that?

I also wanted to mentioned that I went to Boston University. I know its BME program is consistently ranked within top 10 in the nation for both undergraduate and graduate. Also, I believe BU has a reputation for rigorous engineering curricula and grade deflation. I hope they will take this into consideration.

I also hope anybody who've had experiences with UC Berkeley Engineering could provide input as well.

[ktel]

I would assume the "1st admissions committee" is not so much an adcomm, but a group of people that make sure your GPA and GRE are above the minimum cut-offs that the university sets. Often these cut-offs are listed on the university website. Regardless, you can't exactly go back and change your undergrad GPA now, so your best hope is to assume your application will get past this 1st committee (in my opinion it would, unless you score low on the GRE)

[collegebum1989]

So how does a high graduate GPA have an effect on the "1st admissions comittee" process?