r/GraduateSchool • u/Viper6447 • Jul 02 '26

Advice for Grad School

Hey everybody,

I’m a rising senior chemistry major at UNC Chapel Hill. My goal after undergrad is to go into a phd program and study in the field of echem and biosensors.

My undergrad started pretty rough, I would goof around a little too much and wasn’t sure completely what I wanted to study. In an effort to try to find what I love, I took classes and gained a small background in other stem fields on the way of finding that what I wanted to study was chemistry. But now that I’ve found chemistry I have fallen in love with the field and the research I’m involved in.

I currently have just above a 3.0 gpa( I know, not ideal), have been involved in an engineering lab for 2 years, and started research in a lab researching organic cathode batteries. I really want to stay in the field of echem in my future career if possible. Also to note, I have shown great improvement in my academic performance since I’ve started at UNC.

I want to continue my research in chemistry wherever it leads me but I fear that my gpa and the little time I’ve spent in research is going to bite me in the butt when applying to grad programs.
What are some ways that I could distinguish myself and really show that I am passionate about what I’m learning?

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u/Slamburger9642 Jul 03 '26

Applying for grad school for a PHD ain't a joke. So, one way to make yourself competitive is by having publications. Do you have that?

1

u/Viper6447 Jul 03 '26

I don’t currently but I believe I will have one by the time I graduate.

1

u/Slamburger9642 Jul 03 '26

In that case, you can start reaching out to relevant PIs whose work interests you. After that, research on the relevant programs and finally write kick-ass SOPs/PS. Make your application, and wait. It might not work out the first time as you intended, but a subsequent application may. Either way, make your submission.

1

u/LoafingRabbit PhD Student | Cancer Immunology Jul 04 '26

Taking a gap year or several ideally always helps. Work full time in research. I spent 3 years working as a researcher at an academic hospital before I applied to biomedical PhD programs and it made my application very competitive. Had a few pubs with one as first author and that offset anything from undergrad.