My undergraduate GPA ended up being a 2.6.    I ended up admitted to 4 graduate programs this last admissions cycle.  My professors apparently wrote some excellent letters of recommendation for me.<p>I thought I'd mention that since the article (and others) mentions that it's harder to get in with a low GPA these days.  This may be true, but it is still possible.<p>Your professors should know you after you finish taking classes with them.  Preferably you should also be doing research with one (or hell, more) of them.  Showing a professor your research potential is the quickest way to change your letter from "smart but lazy" to "smart and hardworking, but stubbornly doesn't care about the mundane class stuff that none of us really think is that important for research anyways."<p>As an aside: If you're interested in doing graduate work in security, please contact me.  (My e-mail is listed in my profile.)  We're always looking for good researchers and if you're good, we'd be interested in your application and it's possible I can poke someone on the admissions committee to make sure your app gets looked at thoroughly.<p>Also: Apply broadly.  I had success at a few programs, some ranked higher than the one I'm in.  I'm where I am because I followed funding and I wanted to be near the Bay Area.