<p>I’m starting to think about grad school now for BME. The only problem is I’m a B/B- undergrad student. I know GPA is very important for graduate school, as is the GRE (which I’ll be taking that in the fall). What are some good BME grad schools for someone with around 3.0-3.2 GPA?</p>
<p>Do you have research experience? Publications? Undergrad thesis? Many engineering schools can overlook your grades if you have met some of the requirements listed above.</p>
<p>You need to answer these questions…</p>
<p>1) Do you want a funded (full-time) admission or unfunded (part-time/distance) admission?
2) Do you have relevant work experience?
3) Do you need a “top 10” school or can you be happy with a #11 to #20 ranking?</p>
<p>I can tell you that a 3.0-3.2 GPA will get you admitted for an unfunded part-time graduate program for a grad school ranked #10 to #20. Even if the school balks about immediate admission, you can take 2 or 3 courses as a non-degree student. If you “ace” those 2-3 courses, not too many schools will refuse admission because you have basically proven that you can handle non-research graduate studies.</p>
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<p>I would be very careful about recommending this. As we discussed in another thread, there are many schools that won’t allow this. It would be tragic for a student to pick up and move across the country, rent an apartment, enroll in a school then get rejected for transition from non-degree seeking to degree seeking. It’s not a bad idea for someone who already lives near a college, but you should add that caveat.</p>
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<p>Agreed.</p>
<p>I would think the student would “get a feel from talking to graduate admission reps first” before trying this but it is best to state to not do this blindly.</p>
<p>I want to get a funded admission. I currently work in a lab, but I don’t have my own research project, nor have I ever been published. I just create Matlab programs for my PI to assist in her research. I would love to attend a top 10 school but I’m also a realist…I doubt I’d ever gain admittance to one. I’d be perfectly happy with #11 to #20, but I don’t even know if my GPA is acceptable for one of those… </p>
<p>Side question: Are there many undergrads who actually get published? Or does “published” not necessarily refer to one of the first names in the article?</p>
<p>You dont need to be the first names, just have a name on a published paper (coauthor section)</p>
<p>bump…</p>
<p>i like it! :D</p>
<p>I had about a 3.2 GPA when I applied to the following schools:</p>
<p>Georgia Tech
UC Davis
Auburn University
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Santa Clara University
San Jose State University</p>
<p>I got admitted into all six, and Auburn offered me a fully-funded research assistantship. In your personal statement, talk about your research experience, as well as any other selling points you may have.</p>
<p>Does being published make a big difference? I have a 3.2 GPA and have been published, but for research chemistry, not engineering. Does that make it irrelevant?</p>
<p>Being published makes a MASSIVE difference. That’s how you get into the top graduate programs…</p>
<p>The graduate student I work with at Berkeley had a 3.3 undergraduate GPA, but had his name on two papers as an undergrad (3rd and 5th author).</p>
<p>the majority of undergrad students ARE NOT published, not even the one’s aplying to top grad programs in the engineering field. it’ll help, but I’m not sure how much. I recently emailed a few schools. a graduate coordinator from university of illinois urbana replied “The number of applicants who have publications is pretty low. If you do have something that is being prepared to be submitted for publication, you could mention that in your resume and/or personal statement. Just make sure that you state clearly that it is “for submission” and don’t try to imply that it has been published already. Let me know if you have any other questions.” Another from purdue replied “Having published by the time you receive your BS is not an issue.” That was a response to my question if not having anything published was a downside to an application. I think if you were to apply with a lower gpa <3.5 having something published could push you over if admission was questionable.</p>
<p>I’m not a grad student but from what I hear its all about your research experience as an undergrad. As long as you have the minimum GPA, you shouldn’t worry too much. Schools will focus more on your undergrad research experience, projects, references etc. Sure GPA is a factor, but grad school is all about research. My friend who was a Biochemistry major applied to his undergrad university for grad school and was not accepted due to his lack of research experience. He is top student and definitely had the grades to continue with his school but unfortunately could not. </p>
<p>These days, “It’s not what you know, its who you know.”</p>
<p>The expectations regarding making contributions to research as an undergrad also depend on what field you are in. It is more difficult to make contributions to a more theoretical science than to a lab science as an undergrad. </p>
<p>There is a lot more that you have to know and to understand in order to make a contribution in a theoretical science. For example, I bet that most math graduate students fresh out of undergrad can’t even hope to read math journals and get much out of it, much less make a relevant contribution. In a more empirical science like biology, there is very little theory, so there isn’t too much you have to know before you can participate in lab work.</p>
<p>Note: I don’t mean to say that it is easier to do novel experimental science than theoretical science. A lot of things go wrong in experimental science and having the know-how to be able to do a good experiment requires a lot of hard work and experience. However, there are more opportunities for undergraduates to participate in the research process via grunt work in a more empirical subject.</p>
<p>Would being the sole inventor on a patent issued by the United States Patent Office for a medical imaging device that I invented be comparable to being published?</p>
<p>^ That sounds impressive. Definitely more impressive than being 3rd author on a publication.</p>
<p>I was in a similar situation. What worked for me: 1. Spent time getting practical experience in the field of my intended study, impressing the people I worked for. Then when I went to apply, used recommendations from the bosses and top scientists at work, particularly from the schools I wanted to attend. (WARNING - you need to know these people personally and be sure this won’t put you in the layoff pool, otherwise do NOT do).</p>
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<li>Paid for a study class for the GRE and scored way up at the top. </li>
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<p>The combination of alumni with big titles on my recommendations and a GRE score that showed I could think seemed to do the trick. No issues being accepted. Funding followed one semester later (but I did not originally apply for funding because I did not originally want the extra time that added to the degree).</p>