2.4 GPA

[ELRF]

I have a low GPA because I was in a science program that I was really not cut out for. my Parents were paying for my schooling so I was forced to stick with it even though I was failing miserably. I have since gained financial independence and I am completing a different degree that I am much more suited for. Since starting this I have been making high marks but my GPA is climbing very slowly. Is there any chance for me to get into a grad school? Preferably in England but the US will work too. I want to be an anthropologist. 

[COGSCI]

Teachers College, Columbia is known to have high acceptance rate and they do not have minimum GPA requirement.

Application is still open for admission (rolling) 

 

http://www.tc.columbia.edu/its/Anthro/

[perpetuavix]

There's a thread of people with GPAs below 3.0 who were accepted to various programs:

You can browse and see if anyone has had success in anthropology. But that is a pretty low GPA. If you want to get into a good program right after graduation, you would need the rest of your application to be stellar. You could also take graduate level classes as a non-matriculated student to show that you can handle grad level work. It also might help if you waited a few years before applying; the further out you are from undergrad, the less your GPA matters (especially if you have relevant work experience). 

[juilletmercredi]

Can you get into a graduate school?  Probably.

 

Can you get into a graduate school that will suit your needs and interests?  That's the question you want to be asking.

 

If you want to be an anthropologist, then you will need a PhD in anthropology.  You said that you are currently completing a degree more suited for your interests; is it a second bachelor's in anthropology or an MA in anthropology?  You will need to take the prerequisite coursework for an anthro PhD, and you will need to do well.  Hopefully that is the degree you are currently completing.  If not, then your time and money would be better spent taking those courses, including perhaps 1-3 graduate-level anthro courses to prove you can do the work.  Strong recommendation letters from anthro professors will also help you overcome the low GPA from undergrad.  Most successful anthro PhD applicants also have some research experience.

 

Most importantly, though, is fit.  You can't just pick a program with a low acceptance rate and go there; you need to pick a place where research is going on that you'd want to do, and where there is someone to advise you.  This is more important for PhD programs than MA programs, but it's important for MA programs too - especially if your goal is a PhD afterwards.

 

In addition, TC is notorious for not funding their doctoral students well, although this depends on the department.