- #1
ChemHopeful
- 26
- 0
I've bolded the essentials of this topic.
My background as an applicant to grad school is not very strong at all. Here are the main obstacles I'm facing:
-No relationships with professors
-No research experience
-Mediocre grades at the first university I attended
I am a transfer student and since transferring turned my act around, so the last point may not matter as much. My GPA at the school I've attended for the past 2.5 years has been a 3.6, with my chemistry GPA being about the same or slightly higher.
Unfortunately, I have never cultivated a relationship with any of my professors and typically when I had a problem in a subject I figured it out for myself with the book. For a BS at my school you either have to do a senior thesis or get a minor and I minored in math. Now this fall will be my last semester before I get my BS in chemistry and I'm feeling doubtful about my ability to get into a good graduate program. My problems are due largely to my failure to overcome my shyness or laziness and build relationships with professors.
My general GRE test scores are good - I've never had any trouble with standardized tests - and I haven't taken the chemistry subject GRE yet.
Do you think I would be able to use the time I have left to get as much face time with professors as I can, and possibly get a spot in some lab then pump them all for recommendations in October? Or would I stand better chances if I took a year to work in a research lab, so I would have experience and the recommendation of someone who knows my work well? Basically what are my options looking ahead...
I really do want to continue my studies and get a PhD in physical chemistry as I have never been satisfied when we skipped over material in my classes because it was "beyond the scope of this class".
My background as an applicant to grad school is not very strong at all. Here are the main obstacles I'm facing:
-No relationships with professors
-No research experience
-Mediocre grades at the first university I attended
I am a transfer student and since transferring turned my act around, so the last point may not matter as much. My GPA at the school I've attended for the past 2.5 years has been a 3.6, with my chemistry GPA being about the same or slightly higher.
Unfortunately, I have never cultivated a relationship with any of my professors and typically when I had a problem in a subject I figured it out for myself with the book. For a BS at my school you either have to do a senior thesis or get a minor and I minored in math. Now this fall will be my last semester before I get my BS in chemistry and I'm feeling doubtful about my ability to get into a good graduate program. My problems are due largely to my failure to overcome my shyness or laziness and build relationships with professors.
My general GRE test scores are good - I've never had any trouble with standardized tests - and I haven't taken the chemistry subject GRE yet.
Do you think I would be able to use the time I have left to get as much face time with professors as I can, and possibly get a spot in some lab then pump them all for recommendations in October? Or would I stand better chances if I took a year to work in a research lab, so I would have experience and the recommendation of someone who knows my work well? Basically what are my options looking ahead...
I really do want to continue my studies and get a PhD in physical chemistry as I have never been satisfied when we skipped over material in my classes because it was "beyond the scope of this class".