No idea what my options are

[jambam1415]

I will be graduating in a year and a half with a double major in Biology (BS) and Spanish with a minor in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. However, my GPA isn't looking too great..I'm thinking I will probably end up with a 2.7-2.8. I have no idea what to do after I graduate. I want to get a masters, but I feel that I do not stand a chance of getting into a decent program.

 

Does graduating from a school which is known to be competive give me any advantage?

 

Thanks!

[Between Fields]

To be honest, no, not really in this scenario. A poor gpa can be explained by a lot of things (health, money, work) but a competitive school is only really an explanation for a 3.7 or 3.8 at a really tough school. I know UNC is well-regarded, but you'd have to work up a narrative to explain why your GPA is that low and how you're still qualified for graduate school. 

 

That is not to say, though, that there's no chance of getting in. There's a whole thread dedicated to sub-3.0 acceptances here. (And I had about a 2.95 because of health issues my first two years and got in). Using the school's name won't do it, but being able to show how you still were able to do research or did really well in your major classes can help. Getting an MA/MS and getting a really really good GPA in that would make a PhD possible (it's what I did).

 

Hope that helps.