Admission to PhD Toxicology with low GPA and research exp in a diff field

[ebbytempura]

Hey guys, it's my first time to post here. Hoping some of you can give some advice on my situation:

I'm an international student planning to apply to a PhD in Toxicology. My undergrad is chemistry, but I realized after college that I really want to study toxic effects of exposure to environmental pollutants.

My problem is that I've been told by several programs that I would most likely be rejected because my undergrad GPA is not high (probably around 2.5-2.7 because I screwed up my last two years in college). Also I've got 2 years of research experience in chemistry, but almost none related to toxicology.

In the last two years, I've taken some undergrad courses in biology to make up for my deficiencies in biology, and I'm currently taking some grad courses in biology. My GPA has improved, but it's still not very high. In terms of work experience, I'm a part-time lecturer in biology now, and I'm about to become a research assistant for a project that's related to toxicology.

What I want to ask is that, given my situation, do I have a realistic chance of being admitted to a PhD program in the US? Can I make up for my deficiencies with a really high GRE/GRE subject score? Do my current credentials merit a possible shot at high ranking unis, or should I stick to "reasonably good" ones instead?

I am considering some top universities, but I would be happy to get admission in a reasonably good university. I'm really desperate to switch fields now, and I would really appreciate some advice.

[emmm]

All I can tell you is that admissions, especially to top schools, is extremely competitive right now. The schools are getting so many applicants that they can be as picky as they want. I would imagine that the competition is even worse for international students. Try to find less popular programs -- for example, in my part of the country, UW is super-competitive, while WSU, also an excellent school, but more geographically isolated, is not as crazy. If you are willing to search out these programs, and if you have people who will rave about you in recommendation letters (or even better, make personal contacts for you), you could have a shot.

[prettyuff1]

I had an undergrad GPA similar to yours and i was accepted into a PhD in Pharm/Tox.

What i did was work and then get a masters in biology before i applied, with a decently High GPA( 3.7, including a 4.0 for my full last year of courses). It really scares some departments to see a low undergrad GPA, but you can prove that you are able to handle graduate course work by having the grades to prove it. i also had pretty good letters of recommendation and an ok GRE score(320 total verbal and quant with 5.0 analytical writing). I would also tailor where i apply based n GPA. Dont expect to get in some where top with out really turning things around, meaning perfect score and high masters GPA. I was surprised i got in where i did, its a pretty decent school with a ton of research opportunities and i applied relatively late.

I was admitted but under special circumstances. Meaning i have to prove ability in the first year or i get recommended to the terminal masters program.. I am not worried about that, 2 other people in my program were admitted the same way and I know i have changed a lot since undergrad.. I am much more focused on getting it done and not making mistakes/wasting time.It is hardwork to do, but i think the important thing is to put some distance between you and undergrad. Focus on maturing, take some time to get a stellar application together and apply maybe for 2014 cycle.

[ebbytempura]

I had an undergrad GPA similar to yours and i was accepted into a PhD in Pharm/Tox.

What i did was work and then get a masters in biology before i applied, with a decently High GPA( 3.7, including a 4.0 for my full last year of courses). It really scares some departments to see a low undergrad GPA, but you can prove that you are able to handle graduate course work by having the grades to prove it. i also had pretty good letters of recommendation and an ok GRE score(320 total verbal and quant with 5.0 analytical writing). I would also tailor where i apply based n GPA. Dont expect to get in some where top with out really turning things around, meaning perfect score and high masters GPA. I was surprised i got in where i did, its a pretty decent school with a ton of research opportunities and i applied relatively late.

I was admitted but under special circumstances. Meaning i have to prove ability in the first year or i get recommended to the terminal masters program.. I am not worried about that, 2 other people in my program were admitted the same way and I know i have changed a lot since undergrad.. I am much more focused on getting it done and not making mistakes/wasting time.It is hardwork to do, but i think the important thing is to put some distance between you and undergrad. Focus on maturing, take some time to get a stellar application together and apply maybe for 2014 cycle.

Thanks for the reply! I've really been stressing out about the possibility of rejection because of my undergrad GPA, so your post is really reassuring!

Do most unis have the special admission that you mentioned? And are you still funded under this type of setup?

[ebbytempura]

All I can tell you is that admissions, especially to top schools, is extremely competitive right now. The schools are getting so many applicants that they can be as picky as they want. I would imagine that the competition is even worse for international students. Try to find less popular programs -- for example, in my part of the country, UW is super-competitive, while WSU, also an excellent school, but more geographically isolated, is not as crazy. If you are willing to search out these programs, and if you have people who will rave about you in recommendation letters (or even better, make personal contacts for you), you could have a shot.

Thanks for the reply! Yeah, I've been looking at admission stats whenever they're available and it does seem like the numbers are up. Do you see the number of applications dying down in the next few years?

[prettyuff1]

Thanks for the reply! I've really been stressing out about the possibility of rejection because of my undergrad GPA, so your post is really reassuring!

Do most unis have the special admission that you mentioned? And are you still funded under this type of setup?

I think most of them do. I was funded 100% like everyone else so I dont have to worry about that.

[aberrant]

I had an undergrad GPA similar to yours and i was accepted into a PhD in Pharm/Tox.

What i did was work and then get a masters in biology before i applied, with a decently High GPA( 3.7, including a 4.0 for my full last year of courses). It really scares some departments to see a low undergrad GPA, but you can prove that you are able to handle graduate course work by having the grades to prove it. i also had pretty good letters of recommendation and an ok GRE score(320 total verbal and quant with 5.0 analytical writing). I would also tailor where i apply based n GPA. Dont expect to get in some where top with out really turning things around, meaning perfect score and high masters GPA. I was surprised i got in where i did, its a pretty decent school with a ton of research opportunities and i applied relatively late.

I was admitted but under special circumstances. Meaning i have to prove ability in the first year or i get recommended to the terminal masters program.. I am not worried about that, 2 other people in my program were admitted the same way and I know i have changed a lot since undergrad.. I am much more focused on getting it done and not making mistakes/wasting time.It is hardwork to do, but i think the important thing is to put some distance between you and undergrad. Focus on maturing, take some time to get a stellar application together and apply maybe for 2014 cycle.

Just curious, are you an international student? Because many schools categorize students into 2 groups - American citizens/green card residents and internationals. While the local pool is competitive, the international one is off the chart.

[prettyuff1]

Just curious, are you an international student? Because many schools categorize students into 2 groups - American citizens/green card residents and internationals. While the local pool is competitive, the international one is off the chart.

Nope. I am a regular citizen.. I'm from Chicago and attend school In Louisville.

There are several international students in our program who started at the masters level and continued into PhD land afterward