[adamr997]

I'm a sophomore chem major procrastinating his comm 1000 paper and was wondering how competitive graduate schools, specifically organic Ph D programs, are nowadays. I have a 3.81 GPA through three semesters and will hopefully raise that in the coming semesters (really f*$#&@ around for my first three semesters). I'll have 3 years of research under my belt as well as a thesis in either organic or materials science. I'm also a "Supplemental Instructor" for my school's gen chem course sequence and a biology tutor. How competitive will I be/where should I aim if I keep improving?

[Corribus]

Assuming your test scores are decent you shouldn't have a problem getting into a good program. The topmost ones can be competitive but there are a lot of great chemistry departments out there. I highly suggest you look around and tailor your target to whatever your specific research interests are. You should be thinking not only of what institution to go to, but also who you want to work for. I.e. if you are interested in applying to John Doe University, go to the website and check out the faculty members doing research there. Make sure there are one or two that you are interested in. And contact them, let them know you intend to apply and that you're really interested in their research, can you come meet them, yada yada. Then you can mention this on your application. This can really help get your foot in the door.