[TomRickhoff]

Hello,

     I have a general question for graduate school. I am a B.S. Chemistry undergrad at a small university in Illinois. I had a lot of medical issues in the first four years of college and I did mediocre. My GPA fluctuated in the 2.5 range. Several classes I took over (one Physics class I redid 3 times). Things have gotten better and I am finishing up my fifth year with a 2.65. My adviser and I expect that by graduation next spring (the end of year 6), I will have a GPA in the 2.8-2.9 range. The classes that I had the most difficulty in were not the Chemistry classes (I have a B average in those) but my general education classes because those were the ones I took early on.

     I am now looking at applying to a Master's program for the Fall '15. I do want to continue on eventually for a Ph.D., but right now I know that is not the most feasible option. Several schools I am looking at are saying a minimum GPA of 2.75 is required. A couple did not have minimum requirements but just had "your overall record will be examined". If I meet a minimum GPA standard (2.8-2.9>2.75) and have strong letters of recommendation, an average GRE score (not having taken it yet, but I do not expect to be extremely high), and 9 credits of undergraduate Research, do I still look okay? I'm assuming hypotheticals like this get bounced around a lot but what I really am trying to dig at is can a GPA just barely over the minimum almost be overlooked by average or above average standards in other places? I can raise my GPA to just under a 3.0 by retaking a 100 level math class and an Economics. Will that look bad or should I do it to inflate the number?

     The schools I am applying for are not extremely top tier according to the rankings I have seen. They are in my locale (Loyola, NIU, Roosevelt). The other thing is my current university is starting a Master's program in Fall '15. I am sure that I can probably be admitted back, but will that look bad if I am going to continue on to another school's Ph.D program? Can I just transfer Master's credits into any Ph.D. program? Would I have to start a Ph.D. from scratch or would I start ahead? The other thing is financial assistance will almost certainly be required as at this point I am near the end of the money for my undergrad. I know if I attend my current school for graduate school, almost everyone gets a campus job (being a small school). I don't know if I can guarantee that somewhere else.

Any thoughts.

[Corribus]

One of the (few) great things about applying to grad school in the sciences is that if you're an American male, you're practically a minority. It'll depend on your letters and your GRE, but you can probably get in somewhere without too much trouble. And I don't recommend settling - try to stretch yourself and apply to some places you don't expect to get in. The process is fickle and you may be surprised (especially if you make some contacts, see below).

Tons of people do Masters' degrees in one place and do a PhD in another. It's almost inevitable for foreign students. Do be aware that whether or not the PhD institution accepts your masters credits will depend a lot on where you get your Masters and the PhD-institution's own policies. E.g., if where you got your masters isn't ACS accredited, they may not accept your credits and you may essentially have to start over or at least do a lot of repetition. But anyway, transfers are pretty common, so that won't necessarily be an issue. If you have a few PhD institutions in mind, it wouldn't hurt to call them and ask what their policies are regarding this.

Also, another thing that helps with admissions is to have a relationship with a professor at the institution already established. This can be as something as simple as some phone calls and a visit to the professor's lab just to get your name out there, to even spending a summer or two there doing research. Especially in the latter case, if you have a professor at the university who can vouch for you this can help grease the admissions wheels.

[orgo814]

I am in the application process myself for Ph.D programs. However, from what I hear, your major GPA and research experience (along with good letters of recommendation) are the most important factors. Your cumulative GPA has all sorts of stuff in it like philosophy, poetry, etc that is really unimportant for graduate studies in chemistry. If you were med school bound, my advice would be different since cum GPA is the most important factor along with MCAT! However, grad school is a bit different. You state that you have a B average in your chemistry classes (so I'm assuming you have around a 3.0 major GPA.. which is plenty fine for chem). I would try and get some good research experience in. A professor who worked on an admissions committee once told me that a 4.0 student with no research experience has less a chance of getting accepted compared to a 2.8/3.0 student with a lot of research experience. Ph.D programs are a lot about research. So, that would be my advice. Good luck.