caroline16

Thank you everyone for the responses! I was relatively worried at first. My grades have all been posted and my cumulative GPA is 3.1 (slightly better than expected). However, for my new major (Urban Studies, I am most interested in working in urban and transportation policy) is a 3.83. So as long as I keep on improving with my new major, I will be okay?

I am a second-semester sophomore student at a relatively unknown small liberal arts college in New England. Since I started college, I have developed my interest in government/public policy in different ways: I have interned and shadowed with the local and state Department of Transportation and have done mapping for a local Metropolitan Planning Organization. I have also worked as a college admissions counselor to low-income/underpriviledged students and created awareness of unequal education in my region. I continue to work hard and seek opportunities in this field - because I really find it interesting and something I really want to do! I continue to shadow and am seeking summer government internship opportunities right now. After graduation, I hope to obtain an MPA or MPP and work in urban/transportation policy. Despite my interest, I am worried - I have a very low GPA - a 3.0. I was originally an Engineering major (because my parental pressures and as a low-income/first-generation student, the fear of not being able to obtain a high enough paying job after graduation) and really struggled. I was an Engineering major until I was able to convince my parents that Engineering was not right for me and I have an interest and strength in Public Policy/Government. I don't think graduate schools are really going to care that the reason why my GPA is low is because I was an Engineering major though. I feel like I will still be competing with students who started well and continued to do well. As a low-income/first-generation student, I am worried that a low-ranked MPA program won't fund me enough and I will put a huge strain on my family for pursuing a graduate education. Which makes me worried. Honestly, if I get a 4.0 GPA from now on, I still will get around a 3.4 and 3.5 GPA which is okay. However, my flagship university MPA program (University of Albany, New York) GPA average is a 3.6 to 3.7. I am not sure of what to do. I feel that I am doing the right thing but continuing to pursue internships in the field and changing to a major that suits my interests (and hopefully, can give me better grades), but I am still worried. Do you have other advice for me (especially since I am a low-income and first generation college student)?