Desirable places usually get far too many good applications, and nobody wants to spend time and effort reading poor applications. If you want your application t

Desirable places usually get far too many good applications, and nobody wants to spend time and effort reading poor applications. If you want your application to be taken seriously, you must first pass some minimal quality filters. A degree with good grades is one option, and if you don't have it, you have to find another way of making a good first impression. There are plenty of people with unusual backgrounds in the academia. The one thing most of them have in common is an insider who recognized their potential. If you have someone fighting for you from the inside, there are ways around most bureaucratic obstacles.