Bad GPA in undergrad - need help

[rphysx]

Hey everyone,
I messed up in my undergrad, got lazy, stopped caring about grades and was just enjoying the college life. Consequently, I ended up with a really bad GPA. So I know that US institutions require a minimum on 3.0 GPA for admissions. But if I do an absolute conversion on a 4.0 scale, my undergrad GPA is around 2.746/4.0. Are there any programs that'll accept me? Assuming I get a good score on GRE(300+)/PGRE(900+).

Undergrad Institution: Somewhat good reputation in physics
GPA: 6.865/10
Length of Degree: 3 years
Position in Class: average

Masters Institution: Somewhat good reputation in physics (different from undergrad)
GPA: 8.5/10
Length of Degree: 2 years
Position in Class: above average

Type of Student: International (Indian)

[geekusprimus]

The Indian 10-point system doesn't directly translate to the US 4-point system via percentages. It's my understanding that the former (and perhaps you can correct me) is a direct percentage: a 10.0 is 100%, a 9.0 is 90%, an 8.0 is 80%, and so on. In the US, a 4.0 means you got an A, which in a typical class, will be 90-93% or higher. A 3.0 is a B, which will be 80-83% or higher, and so on. Anything less than a D is 0 points. I don't think you should look directly at the percentages, though, since I don't know much at all about the Indian education system. For all I know, an 8.0/10 (which would be the direct conversion to a 3.0 by examining the percentages) is absolutely ridiculous. So, here's how I would start with trying to compare your GPA:
A - You've exceeded expectations and learned the material quite well.
B - You understand the material at about the level the instructor expects.
C - Not great, but you've got the general idea down. Usually passing in undergraduate programs, a lot of graduate programs consider it failing.
D - Barely passing. Some programs will still require you to retake the class.
E/F/whatever your school calls it - Fail

To make a long story short, I haven't got a clue what your odds at getting into a US school are. What I will tell you, though, is that a master's degree helps a lot, and, having a few Indian classmates, a 6.8 cumulative undergraduate GPA isn't the end of the world as long as you've got a strong major GPA. Your test scores will be important (particularly as an international student, since a direct GPA comparison is so difficult), but the most important factors will still be your research experience and your letters of recommendation.

[sasha]

hey,
your undergrad gpa doesn matter. your master is above average, so dont panic and just apply

[Synchrotron]

If you are willing to spend the money, get the WES certificate. My undergrad was in the UK and I would guess my percentage was around 70%. Converting it to GPA myself is going to be a disaster. My converted GPA by WES is 3.6!