Research Technician (Low GPA) Seeking Advice For PhD Programs

[uprobot]

I am in the process of applying for admission into Fall 2013 PhD programs. I graduated from Boston University with a dual BS in biomedical engineering & mechanical engineering; my cumulative undergraduate GPA is not great (overall: 3.17, engineering: 3.08, the GPA factors in transfer coursework done at a state school prior to transferring to BU). I am studying for the GRE and I am confident that I can do well on the quantitative section.

I am also entering my 3rd year as a research technician for a leading orthopedic lab, doing full-time biomaterials research on polymers. I am in the process of writing (and hopefully submitting soon) two 1st authored papers. I am getting my recommendations from a BU professor with whom I've done well in an introductory course, as well as being the customer for my senior design course in ME; my PI/supervisor who has mentored me the past two years; and the co-director of the laboratory (among the top in his field).

I would like advice as to whether or not I should even look at any (at all) top 10 schools for PhD programs in biomedical engineering. I recently networked with a professor and her graduate students (last February), who are from UC Berkeley, at a research conference and I think we clicked pretty well since we do work on the same material and therefore have a lot of overlap in research interests.

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 from any top program (e.g. Berkeley)? 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, school suggestions, or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[Eigen]

Please don't double post topics.

[uprobot]

Sorry about that, I just wasn't sure which section was more appropriate. I also would like as much feedback as possible. I'll keep that in mind for future postings.

[Snoq]

I think that you should apply to Berkeley for sure, because of your connection with that one professo but ask him first if he will be having a spot the next year and express him your interest. One way to overcome your mid GPA (I don't think that is that bad) is to try to familiarize very well with his research topic and projects and start discussing about ideas and projects that you have in mind that you would like to work on. If he founds that you are well suited to his team and very passionate about his research and this research area then you might get in. But be careful about the language of your e-mails and about what you are telling. Additionally your SOP will matter a lot, so try in your SOP to Berkeley to explain why you want to do research and why it will be better to get in Berkeley (for your match of interests with that professor - if he has any spot next year).

On the other hand I think that you should apply to other top universities only if you find professors/projects that you will like to work on because the only way that you will have any chances to be accepted at top school is that you will fit perfectly in a lab.

[uprobot]

Thank you ChristN. for the input! Does anyone have any idea as to how the adcom process works? Will I get filtered out immediately since I do not have a high 3 GPA? Do professors within the department have any influence or say on who to offer admission? Also, any suggestions for schools (ranking ranges or actualy names of programs) would be greatly appreciated!

[Eigen]

The process will be different at different schools.

In my experience, individual professors do have influence and say in what students to accept, but not absolute power.

I doubt any GPA above the minimum will get filtered out before it reaches the admissions committee.

[victor.s.andrei]

I am in the process of applying for admission into Fall 2013 PhD programs. I graduated from Boston University with a dual BS in biomedical engineering & mechanical engineering; my cumulative undergraduate GPA is not great (overall: 3.17, engineering: 3.08, the GPA factors in transfer coursework done at a state school prior to transferring to BU). I am studying for the GRE and I am confident that I can do well on the quantitative section.

I am also entering my 3rd year as a research technician for a leading orthopedic lab, doing full-time biomaterials research on polymers. I am in the process of writing (and hopefully submitting soon) two 1st authored papers. I am getting my recommendations from a BU professor with whom I've done well in an introductory course, as well as being the customer for my senior design course in ME; my PI/supervisor who has mentored me the past two years; and the co-director of the laboratory (among the top in his field).

I would like advice as to whether or not I should even look at any (at all) top 10 schools for PhD programs in biomedical engineering. I recently networked with a professor and her graduate students (last February), who are from UC Berkeley, at a research conference and I think we clicked pretty well since we do work on the same material and therefore have a lot of overlap in research interests.

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 from any top program (e.g. Berkeley)? 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, school suggestions, or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Dude, your GPA is fine. You did a double major in engineering at a known, ranked school. It's over the 3.0 mark so you won't get immediately screened out.

Chill. Apply to Berkeley if you want. Let that professor know you applied. Who knows what sort of strings might get pulled...in your favor.

[lillymaginta]

Quick reply to your post. I made it to 5 schools with undergraduate 2.5 one of them were umich but I had a graduate GPA of 4. So if you take care of other things in your application GPA, SOP no one will notice your under