The EDUFAX Educational FAQ

Question #45:

I am a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I have a 3.1 GPA and have an internship with IBM for every summer until I graduate. I am somewhat active in school clubs, although I have yet to begin a research project or anything close to it. I have read so many things on the difficulty of getting into graduate school. I would like to know if graduate school at an institution like Stanford or Cal Tech is out of the question for me or is it still possible for me to bust my butt and be able to make the cut. Any answers or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Answer #45:

As I see it, the question is not really whether you want to "bust your butt" to make yourself a more attractive candidate for one of the top grad schools like Stanford or Cal Tech, but whether you want to go to grad school at all at this time. Graduate school is not the reward for a short spurt of hard work. It represents a commitment to an academic discipline that has grown out of sincere interest developed during your undergraduate years. Admission to grad school does not depend on your undergraduate GPA alone. A great deal rides on standardized test scores, recommendations, and undergraduate accomplishments. Some students find it more productive to work for a while and really narrow down their interests before returning to the classroom. Apparently you have enjoyed your internships, where you can put your theoretical knowledge to use in more pragmatic applications. You might want to consider the option of working in the "real world" since you seem rather lukewarm about committing to academia. Also, by setting such lofty goals (Stanford or Cal Tech), you are almost taking yourself out of the running. Talk with your adviser to see what options exist in your field and make a truly informed decision. Then you can take the opportunity to sit down and "bust your butt." See what you can do when you really focus. Just remember - there are no fraternity parties in graduate school! EDUFAX provides services for the Graduate School Applicant. If this information was helpful, please click on the smiley

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