I see your point, but I'm pretty sure any thread asking the question how important rankings are has to do with tenure track. If someone were attending the 123rd ranked school and had no wish to teach tenure track, I don't think this question would be asked...
Definitely an academic felon here. I don't even know where to start. Most of you guys seem to be on the science and engineering side - My experience is in arts but I thought I'd share because the take away really is that it's less the number than what you can show that you've done.
I ended up with a 2.6 or so (I don't even remember it because it really makes me almost physically ill to look at the transcript) and that was after 1.5 yrs of carrying a 3.8 at the end of undergrad. At one point it was below 2.0. It was years of failing, taking classes over twice and failing those, suspended multiple times, on probation a lot, lots of family and personal issues... Basically years of abject misery because I was not emotionally mature and had been raised to keep problems to yourself and never seek help, so I tried the same stupid things over and over. The main problem for me was a family that that very narrow and high expectations and being confused by what I was interested in - I really love bio but turns out research is not for me even though I actually really liked lab work. I just didn't know what else there was and just kept banging my head on the wall over and over.
Then I decided to make a clean break and spent an academic year at a totally different school with a vocational focus. That taught me that I was still academically capable and that a lot of mental baggage was holding me down. Eventually I changed majors and everything suddenly clicked. I earned almost all As and made sure to get to know some of my profs who went in to write my letters this round. I was hoping to pull my GPA up to 3.0 but it just wasn't happening with all the failure on the books.
I graduated a couple of years ago and pretty much gave up the idea of grad school. But as a result I worked my butt off on my own because I thought it was either that or I was never going to have a career. I stayed in touch with professors, took on independent projects, networked online and met people who eventually gave me an outlet to publish some writing in small venues, and I got some exhibition opportunities.
I think those two years really gave me the confidence to pursue my own ideas and be assertive, so last year, when I started wanting to use media that I had never learned, I decided I wanted to go to school for a second chance to learn it. I asked the MFA programs in my area if I could still apply with a sub 3.0 and they said they are willing to consider extenuating circumstances, so I applied. I explicitly addressed these issues in the personal statement (thank goodness this was an additional document - I would have never properly fit it into the SOP) with mentions of the personal family issues, what I learned, and how it all ultimately strengthens my practice. It was really heartfelt and I had an emotional time writing it. I was very frank about my flaws in the past. I don't know that that would work for all disciplines but I think you could tell it was not excuses, more like hard lessons learned.
I think it helped that I had an upwards trend in grades at the end and that my letters were from people I knew had my back because they had helped me advance in the past. I picked people who had recommended me to colleagues in the past, given me opportunities or asked me to work with them. I got involved in local organizations and was lucky enough to get an internship with a collective most people on the scene recognize and like. I have no idea why they picked me for that internship in the first place but thank goodness they did. I feel like it has opened doors because the work has been shown as prominent places.
So far I've gotten two interviews and one acceptance to an MFA program. One interviewer asked me to address my record directly and I feel like I was able to explain without being negative. In the other interview they didn't even bring it up, which is sort of encouraging - it seems like they are not overly concerned with it! I think it helped that I did do my failing at a prestigious school and that I was two years out and had continued to do work independent of faculty direction. I do have the benefit of being in a field where the work matters more than the grades, but I think that applies to research too.
It's been such a ridiculously long journey but looking back a lot of things make sense and I really doubt I could've gotten to this point without all the pain, which was really the pain of learning the hard way.
If you really want to go to grad school, don't let the GPA stop you. Reach out to faculty at the schools you like, keep in touch with people who have a good impression of you and just keep building up experience. If you can show that you have matured and learned and are a thoughtful person with good ideas despite your grades, then I still think you have a good chance. If you can turn your experience into a plus, do it, because sometime certain departments are looking for diversity of experience to round out the incoming class.
Anyway, that's my screed! If I can come back from such a huge fail, everyone can!
ExponentialDecay reacted to Fiz in Rankings: How Important Are They?