Hey! I’m in my final year of Nanotechnology Engineering at the University of Waterloo, specializing in Nanobiosystems. I’m looking into Master’s and PhD programs in biomedical engineering/bioengineering in Canada and the US.

My biggest concern is my GPA, which is currently 75%. I’m hoping to bring it up before graduation, but I do have quite a bit of research experience:

5 internships in biomedical engineering R&D
2 research papers I’m coauthoring (neither published yet)
Additional research experience in tissue engineering and biomaterials
A capstone project involving hydrogel microneedles for diagnosing specific sorts of skin cancer which received quite a bit of grant funding

I’m interested in applying to some top universities but don’t know how much my research experience can make up for my GPA :(

For those who went to grad school in these fields, where did you go, what was your GPA and how much research experience did you have? Would you recommend doing a Master’s first or applying directly for a PhD?