extremely low GPA in difficult major

yellow001
Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:46:21 +0000

Hello,

I was an Immunology major from a top UC and received a 2.8 GPA. Only about 10 kids from the entire school graduate with this major every year. I had many personal problems my first and second years, but showed improvement as the years went on. My upper division biology major GPA is a 3.2 and my overall biology GPA is a 3.0, which shows a lot since my overall GPA is so bad.

Since my GPA is so low, I know I won’t get into very many programs for an MS in Immunology or Microbiology or Biology even if I get perfect on my GREs. I currently have a research position at a top institution and will probably get published a couple of times. I also worked almost 30 hours a week at two jobs during my senior year, when I got nothing below a B grade.

Is there any way for me to improve my application? Do most graduate programs calculate community college courses taken post-bacc? Also, would taking any online courses at universities through distance learning programs help? Any input would be appreciated, thanks.