Ummmm......

I guess the only reason I'm worried is that alot of schools mention that they require a minimum 3.0 GPA for their Master's programs. So I'm just wondering if they put that to give credence to their admissions process as being highly competitive or is it that serious. I don't wanna get in a situation where I can't get into grad school although my research experience won't reflect for my less than stellar grades.

friedokra

It does seem to me that some of your professors in your major in undergraduate school are critical for what you do and where you go. Particularly if you are looking at programs where they earned their PhD's.

All the learning how to learn must be out of your system (or put another way, wired INTO your system). Graduate school is not a place to start figuring out what you want to do and how to do it. That is what undergraduate school is about. Thus, graduate programs are looking for superior scholarship skills (not just a high gpa and gre score). They want someone who will come in and make a difference, advance the ball, put them on the map, or be able to publish a major work.

Good luck.

WilliamC

Ummmm......

Yes, they are serious. Depending on the program and school, the effective minimum may be much higher. Your grades are the frontline indicator of your ability to handle academics after all.

Professor X may weigh in with his actual experience in admissions, but personally, I would be be looking for a post-bac program or something like that to bring up my subject GPA if I had an overall GPA under 3.2 or so (and to demonstrate motivation and such).

jmleadpipe

WillC is right. If you do some post bac work and prove that you can excel academically, you will have a much better shot at being admitted to grad school, even if it is only a few semesters of solid work.

Professor X

Ummm...

3.0 minimums for admission are routine, and they are indeed adhered to. At many universities, the Graduate School (the administrative office) will not even send on applications to the relevant departments if they do not meet this minimum requirement. At other universities, the Graduate School will send applications that do not meet basic requirements, but they will include a note saying "We recommend denial of admission."

Applicants routinely exceed the 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA, but it is the GPA in one's major that is more significant. Expectations are MUCH higher for the major GPA as well.

I hope this helps.

UCLAri

In the 20 or so year history of my program, only one student has been admitted with less than 3.0. He's in my year, and very successful. However, he had a VERY uphill battle getting in, I heard.

Ummmm......

Thanks for the help. It looks like I'll have to do what I can to raise those grades enough to be considered for admission....I'd hate to get shutout of grad school but since it's my goal, I'll just have to keep trying until I get there.

Guyomar

Nicely written (very clear and to the point) and helpful as well.

"You don't need to start thinking about graduate school in your freshman year of college."

This made me laugh because just a few days ago I was playing around taking mock GREs.

MissLovelyRita

I want to go into journalism, but I am at a private liberal arts undergrad that doesn't have a journalism/communications major. I am majoring in English because I am interested in that also. Do most people go to grad school for journalism if they don't have journalism as an undergrad? Or is it more about connections and grad school isn't needed as long as you can get an internship or job?

molliebatmit

I think it is, with the caveat that science PhD programs often expect to see long-term commitment to a laboratory, so an internship held for just one summer might not be the best for you because you might not be able to get too much accomplished. But a summer internship or two in addition to research in an academic lab during the year would be more than fine.

(I should add that one of the people interviewing with me last year for biology PhD programs actually didn't do research during the year -- she had only spent one or two summers in internships at another school, since her school didn't have any research jobs. But she was definitely the odd one out. Most of the people who interview for the top programs have been doing research in a single lab or two labs during term and during the summer for two or three years, or else took a research technician job for a year or two after graduating from college.)

linguae

Hello. I am a computer science sophomore who plans on applying to a PhD program in computer science in the future. I attend a school (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo) that is not a research institution (i.e., no PhDs are granted here); only a few of the computer science professors here do research, and most research opportunities are generally for masters students. However, I still have research experience and opportunities; I did participate in a computer science REU at UC Santa Cruz the summer after my freshman year (in storage systems; UCSC, along with Carnegie Mellon, are the leading schools in this area of research, and UCSC has many connections to governmental research labs and Silicon Valley companies such as IBM), and the professors whom I worked with invited me back for another summer of research.

What can I do in lieu of working in a lab throughout the academic year? By the way, all Cal Poly students are required to do a senior project (which is usually a year-long project); I am planning on starting my senior project a quarter early (such that prospective graduate schools can look at it) and do a senior project with a research emphasis.

Thanks in advance.

lkf725

Can someone please estimate:

1. What percentage of engineering undergrads do research (unrelated to internships) overall, regardless of their post graduation goals

2. What percentage of engineering grad students did undergrad research

Thanks!

WilliamC

First read the OP for this thread. I'll wait....

Now to your specific questions:

They aren't specific enough! What branch of engineering? Same field for graduate school? Highly competitive school? What do you mean by "research"?

Since its engineering, there are probably professional societies somewhere that track the statistics but a couple data points might help you:

Here at Penn (note: I'm in Classics) ALL SEAS students do a senior project that involves research and design skills. This appears to by very typical. See the College Majors/Engineering Majors threads here on CC.

Nationwide, there are a couple hundred engineering (all fields) REU sites (based on a quick look at the NSF website) so figure that as a couple thousand students a year minimum for NSF funded projects alone.

So, I'd say the answer to your first question is probably "almost 100%" depending on what you mean by "research".

The solution to #2 is left as an exercise for the reader.

Dirt McGirt

No way almost 100% of undergrads are involved in research. Outrageous claim.

While I can't give you exact numbers, from my experience students going to grad school are more likely to have been involved in research

poppyseed11

hmm, yes. i agree.