C in OChemII for chemical engineering - grad school

konzer90
Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:06:17 +0000

Will a C in organic chem hurt you? Sure. Just like a C in any science would. What’s important though is how much it will hurt you. What’s your overall GPA going to be at the end of this semester? You’re young (I’m guessing a sophomore?), so you still have plenty of time to recover here. Don’t bother retaking the class if you pass, unless you have the money/time (but I’d say this for any course you got a C in).

If you want to get a PhD in chemical engineering from a good university, shoot for a 3.7 GPA BARE MINIMUM. Anything higher is a plus. Sure you can get in NoOneCares University with a 3.1, some research experience, and average letters of rec. But if you’re serious about earning a PhD at a well regarded program, you need to focus on getting that GPA the best it can be.

Also, don’t be so quick to cast all of ‘nanoscience’ (is that what we’re calling my field now?) as free of organic chemistry. I work in the nanoworld, and organic chemistry is an integral part. You have literally no idea what your thesis topic is going to be, and it could very well demand some knowledge that you’re getting in organic chem right now. But I love when undergrads tell me what my field is and isn’t, so do go on.