Hey there! I was recently accepted into 2 (of 5) grad schools my first year applying and had a relatively low (3.03) overall GPA. My last 60 was close to 3.7-3.8, so I'm not sure if my situation applies. I was accepted to a school that has an interview process, and although it was stressful leading up to the interview, I had the opportunity to showcase my personality and explain the areas of weakness in my application. If it helps, I took about 8 years to finish my undergraduate degree and int he first year and a half of that degree I was suspended twice for poor grades. I never thought I would be accepted, but made an effort to gain relevant experience, have competitive GRE scores, and explain my low GPA in my personal statement. Don't avoid the subject. It may be wise to retake a few classes with low grades. You may find that being accepted may take a few years, but don't let that stop you if you can't imagine doing anything else. Let the admissions committee see persistence and passion instead of a low GPA.