Grad School Acceptance Question (For Biology/ Neuroscience PhD.)

[11J11]

Hello, I am a rising senior at a small public liberal arts college who is majoring in cell/molecular biology and minoring in neuroscience. I am wondering what my odds are in regards to being accepted into a quality biology/ neuro PhD. program. My major GPA is a 3.86 however my overall GPA is a low 3.3. My low overall GPA is due to a single bad semester during my sophomore year ( I received a D in a humanities class and a D in a health and wellness class, both of which were very easy intro classes). Although I had that one bad semester my sophomore year, I have since then made strictly A's (no A-'s) in every class beginning my first semester as a junior which includes this past fall, spring, and summer terms. I began doing neuro-biology research this past summer at my university and will continue this research through next summer, totaling over a years worth of continuous research including one full time paid research position. Also, I am more than likely going to need an extra year to graduate due to not declaring my major until pretty late, giving me more time to boost my GPA and do research. Granted, If I do well on my GRE and continue to make all A's, what are my odds for getting into a top tier graduate program? Any advise/comments help.

Thanks.

Edited August 2, 2016 by 11J11

[eternallyephemeral]

Hi!

If two bad marks are all that you think is keeping you from the schools you want, don't worry. It does matter what you consider top tier, and who you are specifically interested in working with. These things take time to figure out though, which is okay.

I would not worry about grades, as you are obviously doing much better now. And you have at least another year to improve your GPA.

I would focus on your research, read lots of papers, find out what questions/topics you find interesting based on your research and by reading papers, and then look for people doing that kind of work.

The earlier you start prepping for the GRE the better, including just making a word list to learn all the random obscure words that no one knows.

Also, remember that the best graduate program is the one that you have the best fit in, where they want you (and they are willing to pay you) and you want to work with them. That doesn't always mean the highest ranked school. It's very different than undergrad, and "better" schools might actually be a worse fit for you, where you could end up less productive and with fewer opportunities, despite going to a more highly ranked school.

Good luck!

[11J11]

Thanks for the helpful response!