A No-Pass Grade Might Kill the PhD Application
18 posts across 6 communities in the last 90 days; 72% from r/gradadmissions.
“Some schools (Dartmouth, Princeton) only give out A.B.s, even for CS and math. Most others give you a B.S. for those. My path is grad school → industry (not straight to jobs), so I want to know: Grad school: Has an A.B. in a technical field ever been a problem for grad…”
“Ms in business analytics in columbia university is good option? I have searched a ton of options and they said northeastern uni is a scam..”
“If OP is in med school I agree with you but if he’s considering swapping to engineering it is possible he’s an undergraduate with a low GPA”
Numerous posts express anxiety about graduate school admissions (MS CS, Statistics, Sociology), navigating application processes, concerns over GPA and test scores, and securing funding like the NSF GRFP. Many are questioning program choices and career paths.
SOURCES (35)
“Ms in business analytics in columbia university is good option? I have searched a ton of options and they said northeastern uni is a scam.. submitted by /u/chery_goose [link] [comments]”
“If OP is in med school I agree with you but if he’s considering swapping to engineering it is possible he’s an undergraduate with a low GPA”
“Some schools (Dartmouth, Princeton) only give out A.B.s, even for CS and math. Most others give you a B.S. for those. My path is grad school → industry (not straight to jobs), so I want to know: Grad school: Has an A.B. in a technical field ever been a problem for grad admissions? Do committees care, or do they just look at GPA, courses, and research? After grad school: Once you have the master's/PhD, does your undergrad degree type even register in industry hiring? Or is it fully irrelevant”
“like the title says. can i get admission into masters program in engineering/physics without any publication? submitted by /u/yuricord [link] [comments]”
“I’m graduating this December with a B.S. in Chemistry from a smaller public university, and my cumulative GPA should finish around 3.60. I’m applying to PhD programs in materials science/engineering and chemical engineering, with schools like Stanford MSE, UT Austin MSE, and Georgia Tech ChemE in mind. My math grades are Calc I A−, Calc II B+, Calc III B, Linear Algebra B, and Differential Equations D. I know those programs are reaches regardless, but I’m trying to figure out whether this one D”
“I’m a sophomore at Virginia Tech switching from Biological Sciences to Biomedical Engineering with a minor in chemistry and a minor in ESM. I need to graduate by Spring 2029 for financial-aid/scholarship reasons, so my remaining semesters/summers are packed. I attached my planned schedule through graduation for context. My questions. * Physics: I have to take physics over the summer in order to graduate on time, and my financial aid and scholarships require me to finish by spring 2029. Is it oka”
“Hi, I'm a junior majoring in chemical & electrical engineering. I have a pretty terrible profile, and I don't know if I really have any chance of still getting into an MS and eventually PhD program. I don't care about going to an elite school, but my life's dream is to have a career in industrial research. My current stats are: 3.3 GPA at a mid engineering school. I have a pretty awful transcript: handful of As, mostly Bs, 1 C+, 1 D+ (in a freshman writing class...), and 3 wi”
“I have a gpa around 3.5 but have three different research experiences in physics throughout my bachelors and have done rigorous coursework in my field of physics. But I fear I will not get “a good” PhD because of my grades, is this true? I’m very scared as I prioritised research work and the courses I only had interest in, leading to a downfall from other subjects. I’m just very confused, will a good GRE score cover for it? submitted by /u/NeighborhoodWeak8028 [link] [comments]”
“Hi ya’ll, I have a question about grad school admissions. I study mechanical engineerng and just finished freshman year. Freshman year I got a C+ and a D in two math courses. Integral calculus C+ Vectors and Matrices D If I retake this courses over the summer, and Ace them my gpa grade calculate sonly the retaken grade. But I am worried about grad school admissions. I’ve got a plan to do a masters in MQM or BA and I will apply to two or three target programs in texas for a masters in mechanical”
“Hi guys! I need help making a decision about grad school. I was accepted into Boston University's online M.S. in Criminal Justice program, as well as Northeastern University's online M.S. in Criminology & Criminal Justice program (with a concentration in Cybersecurity). I have been doing research on both schools and these two programs but keep getting very mixed reviews.... My goal career wise is to go into law enforcement or a gov agency, I am more intrigued with things such as crim”
“I'm about to graduate from MS while working on people to contact for a PhD. My grades are average but I keep dreaming of life at MIT. Inspired by a different post. submitted by /u/Crimson_Marksman [link] [comments]”
“Hello everyone, I'm going into my senior year studying Electrical Engineering with minors in Physics and Astrophysics. My main research and career interests are RF engineering, photonics, quantum information science, and signal processing. I'm currently doing research on the optical characterization of nanoscale materials before and after plasma treatment. The project has turned out to be much more focused on 2D materials and plasma physics than I initially expected, but it's been a”
“Hi everyone, I'm currently pursuing my master's in environmental health and is expected next February. I really enjoy doing a research so I want to apply for a PhD program to continue down this path. My master's thesis focuses on air filtration, so I'll be applying to PhD programs in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, or Environmental Health. However, I heard that the acceptance rate for international students are dropping because of the reduced funding from the go”
“Hi everyone, I’m about to enter my senior year in Computer Science and I’m starting to plan my applications for Fall 2027. I’m at a bit of a crossroads regarding whether I should target research-based (Thesis) Master’s programs or professional (Non-Thesis) ones, and I’d really appreciate some realistic advice on my profile and school tiers. My Profile: GPA: 3.54/4.00 (One of the best universities in my country). Research: None. No publications or lab experience. Work Exp: 2 solid tech/engineerin”
“For some context, I'm a canadian looking to do an engineering phd in the US, and will likely be able to graduate with max 2 years of research experience and a gpa of high 3.8 to low 3.9. I'm just wondering if it would be worth doing a research based masters beforehand, especially if I am looking to do my phd at a t10 or t20 school? submitted by /u/Impressive-Ant-970 [link] [comments]”
“Hello, I am an international student that goes to school in Louisiana. I don’t go to a well known university and my university isn’t in the top 100 of cs rankings. A bit of myself I have a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics (set to graduate in the spring ) My GPA is currently 3.5 but by the time I graduate I’m working towards it being between 3.6 - 3.7 I have been working on my thesis and we are going to publish it, I’m not sure if we would get it published before the deadline for”
“what are my chances into an ivy like harvard, yale, cornell or columbia? Or am I aiming too high? Anything I can do in my last year of college to increase my chances? GPA: 3.0, Dean's List, Chancellor's Award, merit scholarship for $80k and other external ones. School: B.S. Computer Engineering, in Northeastern University Experience: 10+ tech internships /co-ops incl PWC in my freshman year (full-stack AI, Digital Coworker apps), (agentic AI, LangChain/OpenAI), (RPA/UiPath), a cybersecur”
“I am currently a bachelors student and due to some recent issues, I started doing poorly in one class. The class is connected to another class that I'm doing well in, so in order to take "W" for the one I'm failing, I would also have to lose the class I am doing fine in. If I stay in both, I would get a "no-pass" on the failing course, and keep the grade for the complement course. The course is not in my major. I placed an appeal to drop the failing course despite its”
“As an incoming PhD student in an university studying pure math(number theory related) what are the qualifications usually to get the NSF GRFP funding? Do they usually have publications, clear research plans, etc? My university is ranked 200+ in the US, and the math PhD program just started this year so I have no previous data. I expected to just take courses in the first two years, and I have no publications nor expecting one in the next two years. I am thinking if I should spend the time applyi”
“About to start my masters and have the opportunity to work with alot of professors, but what i am interested in are either llms or iot and ai mix, obviously llms are currently the dominant field, but i read before that physical ai is the future and the winner in the long run, i dont mind both honestly, both are super interesting, which one should i go with here? submitted by /u/Tonka-Jahari-Pizza [link] [comments]”
“I am from India and am currently pursuing the final year of my MSc in Physics, which I will complete in May 2027. My bachelor's CGPA is 8.0/10 (approximately 3.4/4.0), and I expect my master's CGPA to be between 7.5 and 8.0/10 (approximately 3.2–3.4/4.0). I am currently looking for PhD opportunities starting in mid to late 2027. During my studies, I have explored several areas of astronomy, and I have found that solar physics is the field that interests me the most. I have completed a fi”
“Hey everyone, I’m planning to apply for MSEE/MSECE programs for the upcoming admission cycle and wanted a realistic assessment of my chances. I’d really appreciate any advice on whether my college list is balanced and if there are any programs I’m overlooking. Profile: Undergraduate B.E. Electronics & Instrumentation BITS Pilani (Tier 1) CGPA: 8.67/10 GRE: 328/340 (169Q, 159V) TOEFL: 118/120 (6/6) Work Experience 2 years full-time at a US semiconductor company Working on semiconductor manufa”
“Apply as an International Student for Fall 2027 Background The University of Auckland Bachelor of Science - Mathematics - Graduation 2026 May GPA: 3.47/4 (WES) SAT: 1550[R: 760 M: 790] GRE: 335 [V: 167 Q: 168] Certificate: Calculus and Algebra Core Courses: Real Analysis, Mathematical Logic, Analysis in Higher Dimensions Proficient in Python, JavaScript, and C++, skilled in reverse engineering and web security No paper, No research Experience Teaching A-Level and AP Courses - 3 years - Further M”
“hi guys! i’m a rising undergrad senior planning to apply to mainly phd programs (and some masters) in statistics in the us, and i’d appreciate honest feedback on how competitive my profile is. - bs in stats, math and economics minors, ai fundamentals certificate in top 10 public university in us - 3.67 gpa (i had a rough second year ... it was kind of 67) in honors program - undergrad stats and coding coursework: a/a- - 2 research symposium presentations - top poster award - 1 pending co-author”
“Hello all, I am a recent graduate from a satellite campus of a well-known Indiana college (Purdue) with dual majors in History & Sociology. I am applying for 13 Sociology/Applied Sociology PhD programs with the focus in urban sociology this coming cycle from universities such as Pittsburgh (my top choice) to CUNY to even Brown! Right now, I am making my list of potential advisors and will start with personal statement outlines later this month. Any advice is welcomed! I have a strong backgro”
“Between the two, a W is better, but the short answer to this is no, an NF or a W in a non-essential class isn't going to be the reason you don't get into grad school.”
“If you’re aiming for a PhD, neither . Research, graduate-level classes, and research. But more generally: Nobody will ever care that you had a double-major. If you’re interested in Physics or EE, then just take more physics or EE classes. The specific classes you take might help you get into graduate school; demonstrating your ability to jump unnecessary administrative hurdles will not. Similarly, the only good reason to graduate early is financial. Nobody will ever care if you graduate early. M”