Ask HN: PhD and First Year BSc Grades

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=499308

by zxcvb • 17 years ago

1 9 17 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I'm nearing the end of my undergrad (bachelor of science) computer science degree with an expected first with honours. I'm looking at doing a PhD. Funded PhD places are very competetive which is making me think twice due to the fact I have really bad first year grades on my undergrad. They are all passes, whereas my second and third year grades are mainly A's and one or two B's.

Because of the time in which I have to apply I will not have a full transcript, I will only have the first and second year transcript (this year hasn't finished yet) which includes my first year all pass grades, and my second year all A's and one B.

Do you think I could get turned down based on my pretty bad first year?

pg• 17 years ago

PhD programs care much more about recommendations than grades. The most important thing you can do is get a good recommendation from a professor at your school who's known to whoever you want to work with at the target school.

As for grades specifically, you can probably just tell them the truth, which is that you screwed up freshman year. Grad school admissions are done by smart people (usually the profs themselves). They'll realize that if you got good grades in the later, harder classes, you could have done well in the easier ones.

zxcvb3• 17 years ago

Problem is, I can't actually prove I'm doing/have done really well in my final year because it's not over yet therefore I have no transcript. Although they can clearly see I got 4/5 A's in the second year.

amichail2• 17 years ago

Have you worked on any significant projects? Have you done any research? Have you published any papers?

Logic-Shop• 17 years ago

If you are serious about getting into a PhD program then you should have a clear idea of your academic/research goals and some professors you have impressed with your work. Compile professor recommendations, the write up of your goals, and any supporting evidence you have of your abilities: i.e. particularly noteworthy papers, projects, etc.

If you do end up getting rejected, then look around for a project with which to prove yourself. You know what skills you have and how they could be useful. Find another student's project, or a start-up company, or a professor's research which you can contribute to in an important and impressive way. You can use such proofs of your abilities as a ticket into a PhD program next year.

Ask HN: PhD and First Year BSc Grades

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