Will high masters gpa offset low undergrad gpa?

[Steve Benson]

Hello,

    I'm currently finishing up my masters degree in biology and planning on applying to several biology phd programs in december. I did fairly well academical in grad school (3.8 gpa) and gained research experience while working on my thesis. I was also a graduate assistant for my final semester instructing the lab sections of genetics and zoology for undergrads. Additionally, I worked for 2.5 years as a lab tech for a biotech company and 1.5 years as a lab lech in an animal research lab.

    My major concern with applying to phd programs is that my undergrad gpa was 2.6 and about the same in my major. I finished undergrad in 2011 and have worked hard to offset my gpa by preforming very well in the masters program (which I barely go into, rejected on first application, had to do a semester as a non matriculated student, reapplied, got in). I'm confident I will have great letters of recommendation and I'm planning on retaking the GRE and the biology subject test to further boost my credentials. I've looked at a lot universities and the vast majority require a minimum 3.0 undergrad gpa. I know biology phd programs are competitive so I'm worried that my chances of getting into any schools are slim. So I was wondering if anyone has been in this kind of situation before and what were the results? Will my masters gpa offset my undergrad gpa? Any advice or sharing of experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Bioenchilada]

Master's and undergrad GPA are scaled very differently and have different meanings. You don't take as many classes for your Master's and some programs require you to get a B or higher to pass, meaning the scale only goes from 3.0-4.0. However, given that the classes you take are supposed to be more difficult, this might work in your favor. I don't think that any factor in particular offsets another per se. The good thing about a lot of grad programs is that they don't have a minimum GPA/GRE requirement, so can technically still apply. There's nothing you can do about your GPA, so my best advice is that your apply broadly and make sure that your SOP ans LORs are amazing. Good luck!