Hello all.
I am new to this forum, and I tried to look at other threads to see if anyone has posted recently in a similar situation, but there are many posts here! So, sorry if this question is redundant, but I really need some advice.
I am currently a non-traditional undergrad. My major is Germanic Studies, and I have no minor as of right now. My cum GPA is 2.85, but my major GPA is 3.6. I have received 4 departmental awards for achievement and feel very good about the work I have done in the department and the contacts I have made. I am very interested in applying to grad school at the same school in the same department.
My concern is my lower overall GPA. I had some problems staying focused when I went to college the first time around, got pretty good grades with some C's and an F. I took about 10 years off and worked full time and even went to school to get training/certification to be a massage therapist. As I worked in that field for a while, I started to fell some physical (and mental) burnout, so I decided to return to University.
When I first came back to college, I was a Psych major. But I hated it. I also had some personal issues in the last year and unfortunately I let my grades fall. I got some bad marks, but on the other side of the coin, I fell in love with the smaller, more intimate German department and took some classes in that major and have done very well there and recently declared Germanic studies as my major. I went abroad last summer and I am also going back again this summer. When I get back from studying in Germany this summer, I will have only 4 credit hours left and can technically petition to graduate in December. However, I want to apply to grad school and I am seriously concerned that I will not get in, based on my mistakes.
I also have not had the chance to take any 400 level classes, so I was considering extending my studies an extra semester to take a couple 400 level seminars in the spring of 2010, and that would help me bring my GPA up and also give me some proof that I can do work at that level.
However, I am really concerned about the overall GPA coming up more than just hovering around 3.0, even though I know that my major GPA is good enough and will get better, as I plan to get As in all the classes I have left to take.
I was considering adding a minor or possibly a double major of English, which will extend me beyond one semester, but it would give me the opportunity to prove that I can do this. What do you guys think? I already have about 9 hours of transfer work that applies to the English program...