What can I do to get into grad school?

Keidusii
Mon, 27 May 2019 05:02:14 +0000

My time in college is coming to an end and so far, my grad school app file does not look very pleasing. I was previously a Neuroscience major at the University of Michigan, in hopes of eventually becoming a neurologist. During my sophomore year, I realized that I should start volunteering at hospitals, but when I was getting ready to sign up for that, my whole future went blank. I suddenly realized that I never really wanted to work in a hospital, work with patients that may eventually lose their lives, etc. I took me until the beginning of my junior year to finally pick a career path in computer science. I did not exactly know what I wanted to do with it at the time, but I figured it would be the most fun for me. I had narrowed my choice down to a video game programmer and software engineering. I took the intro programming class and loved it, but all the non-programming classes (discrete math, calc 1 and 2) I hated so much. Most of these other classes were weeder classes, where the averages were Bs. I couldnt make the 2.5 gpa requirement for this major, so I decided to do the minor, which did not require a gpa requirement. I also decided to declare bio, health, and society since I had most of the classes completed from my neuroscience days. This was all figured out by time i started second semester junior year. But this major did not require much, and I realized that I am going to graduate a semester early (this December) , and I am currently in spring classes. I have no Idea what I want to do with bio, but I have seen some interest in Evolution. Also, I took the next programming course for computer science and it took so much time and literally took away my study time for my bio core classes, resulting in worse grades for bio. I was not doing well in this computer science class, and barely passed. Knowing that I would have to take the next class, which is the most time consuming course probably at the university, along with another bio class, I decided to drop the minor and just focus on bio. This means that I have a lot of weeder classes that I got Cs in that don’t really count for my major (calc 2, discrete math, into to neuroscience, etc). I finally decided to pursue grad school in evolution, in hopes of finally finding what I want to do with my future. I find it hard though to focus on studying when I have no true path that I want (in other terms, I have no idea what I want to do and not sure if evolution is going to be the path I truly want to do). I have no idea what I like to do anymore.

I was at a 2.9 gpa, but these last couple semesters dropped me down to a 2.7. Im finishing spring classes, and fall classes, then I graduate, so I really cant increase my gpa much unless I somehow ace every class. I have no research or volunteering experience in college. But I did work as a student coordinator in a leadership position for a couple years in a dining hall (because I couldn’t afford to not have a job). If I am to find a research position or internship, I need one that pays. I am taking the GRE this summer.

What can I do to increase my chances of getting in grad school? What can I do to truly find myself and find a path that I know I want to do? I do not want to go far down a path, and realize that I dont want to do it like when I declared neuroscience.