PhD application, low Master's GPA I am wrapping up the first year of my Master's degree at an R1 university (social sciences program). I really want to apply for my PhD, but I am concerned that my master's GPA is prohibitively low. I am ending the first year with a 3.6 (primarily due to text anxiety, which was new to me this year). I love learning and feel that I've gained a lot from my classes, but it's not reflected in my test scores. 

My undergraduate GPA was a 3.9 I do not yet have publications, but I've joined multiple labs and connected with professors who know my research interests and motivations. 

Will my GPA be too low for admission into a PhD program? I will be completing my thesis next year. At this point, I think I've gained a good perspective on how I need to approach my studies in grad school, and I've developed strategies to improve my academics in my last year. Can anyone recommend strategies to help me improve? 
Thanks!
I have been affiliated with two doctoral programs in the social sciences and a GPA of 3.6 would be sufficient for the requirements of both programs. Have you looked at some prospective PhD programs that you would like to apply to? Check what the minimum GPA is - many will probably be between 3.0 and 3.5 minimum, which would mean that you should be fine.