How can I get into a graduate program without a stellar GPA?

How Difficult Is X?: How was Bradley Voytek able to get into a neuroscience PhD program with a 2.5 GPA, if a 3.0 is required to even apply to graduate school?

• Answer:

  First, you can always apply. It's not like there's some guard with a gun checking your grades before letting you through to hand in an application. Remember, the admissions committee consists of human beings reading through your materials. Well, hopefully reading your materials; sometimes they see a low GPA and toss the application out right away. That's just a chance you take. If you can craft an application that explains your situation in such a way as to grab their attention (and their sympathy), then any negative marks can be overlooked in the face of evidence of compensatory successes. There's no magic or trickery. Just plain old communication and empathy. The rest of the story is pretty much explained over at