But really, what are my chances?

[Hiimhaley]

I want to go to a decent graduate school to get my PhD in some sort of ecology. I have 5 or 6 presentations (oral and poster) under my belt, and we are close to publishing. I have a few other clubs, volunteering things, and also a session chair at a national conference. I'm a TA for the freshman bio lab. I haven't taken my GREs yet. The only thing is, my GPA is 3.2 and a science of 3.0. I'm worried about that. What are my chances ??

[bsharpe269]

This sort of question is really difficult to answer. It really depends on what classes your bad grades are in and if there is an upward trend. For most PhD programs you have to keep your GPA above 3.0 or 3.3 so admission committees may doubt your ability to do that if you are borderline in undergrad.

 

I was in a simlar position my senior year (tons of research but 3.3 gpa and 3.0 science gpa) and decided to get a MS first. I think that I probably could have been accepted somewhere before the MS but I don't think I would have gotten into the top schools for my subfield or into the top labs. The MS has been an aboslutely amazing experience and has given me the opportunity to prove that I can handle classes (my GPA is 4.0 for the MS).  Even though I had a ton of reserach as an undergrad, I have been able to get so much more and really figure out my interests.

[Hiimhaley]

My bad grades were mostly my freshman year. Since then there has been an upward trend. This semester, however, I did have someone close to me pass away and that affected my mindset a lot.

[bsharpe269]

Honestly, taking a break from school (1 year) and then doing the MS before PhD has been such a good experience for me that I strongly recommend taking some time before applying to PhD programs to anyone. I of course understand that not everyone is interested in doing that. If you were to work full time in a lab for a a year or two though while taking a class a semester and getting straight As in those could help your application a ton.

 

It never hurts to apply so if you are set on going straight into PhD then you could always apply to programs are that a great research fit and then also apply to a couple MS programs or research positions as a back up plan. Based on what you wrote, your application really does look very similar to mine. I do think that you have a shot at PhD programs but I think that delaying applications for a couple years could make the difference between a top 50 program and a top 20. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

[Vene]

You can probably get into somewhere for a PhD program, but you're going to have a tough time getting into a top program. A MS first might not be unwise, at least if you can get it funded. Otherwise there's the option of building up a few years of work history. The big challenge you have is your GPA.