mygpasucks

I was not the greatest student in my first two years of undergrad. It looks like I'll have a cumulative total of 3.1 or 3.2 by the time I graduate. I'll have a major GPA of around 3.6 or 3.7 when I graduate at my state school, but it's nothing spectacular; it won't wow anyone and it looks like I'll have to depend on a great writing sample. Was anyone here in a position similar to mine and how many of you were admitted to grad school? What was your GPA? What school did you get into?

I just did my calculations and it looks like if I get straight A's the whole way, my major GPA looks to be about 3.684. I really regret my semester in which I messed up! There's a lot of time between now and the end of my degree. I still think that I can come up with another writing sample should the need arise. I appreciate much of the advice you all are giving me! If you have more, go and give it! :-) And are you sure my pedigree won't affect me? I don't come from the more elite UC system here in California, I come from the Rodney Dangerfield of education that is the CSU system. I do not think my department is bad, they do come from very respective backgrounds and really give their all towards their students. edit: I certainly do not mind being accepted to a Ph.D granting institution that is not mentioned in the Leiter rankings, I certainly wouldn't mind teaching at a community college; if my pedigree of the university that granted me my Ph.D is perceived to be of low quality it looks like I might end up teaching at a community college. I do think research is something I might want to do though. At a projected 3.684, I'm not sure if I should go for Ph.Ds or a terminal MA.

Here's how I'm looking like right now: Overall GPA 2.929 Major GPA for Upper Division Classes: 3.66 Pedigree: California State University These look like lackluster stats. I've had a few Ws in my freshman and sophomore years. I want to get into SFSU, CSULA, and SJSU in that order. My chances look low for getting in to these schools, but I have 30 more units to prove myself. It has to be straight As or bust. That is my plan. I have a writing sample that's looking very average at the moment, I had an A in said sample but I know more ways to make it better. I am worried that my writing sample will not suffice; it leans continental and I may want to consider more programs to apply to in the future. Should I prepare a writing sample that caters to the majority of the philosophy academics in the USA? I don't have a specific AOA yet, but I am just an interested student. I do like phil of language, Kant, German Idealism, critical theory, ethics, and metaphysics, but this might change. Let's assume I get straight As, I did not calculate it but my estimate is that my major GPA might look like a 3.7 or a 3.8. Do you think I might get accepted to these terminal MA programs? SFSU looks really competitive, it's mentioned in Leiter's report as a good place for a terminal degree, but this is a place I'd like to go to.