lilymasala

1. Do not accept offers of non-matriculation, unless that's the route you want to go, are taking courses for personal interest, or just trying to boost your record without having that school as your top choice. I was burned very badly by a school in which I went non-matriculated, took graduate level classes, received very high grades and was told by professors and the DGS that I would be accepted, and was rejected without mercy. I would have saved myself time, money, and heartache had I just applied to be matriculated. 2. Cast a wide net, and look for creative ways to market yourself. After doing years of work in my field it dawned on me that I was a perfect fit for programs focusing on applied forms of study rather than traditional academic work. This application season marketing myself this way got me in. 3. GPA and GRE can only hurt you, not help you. What makes your application stand out is your SOP, LOR, and CV. I know quite a few precocious freshly graduated colleagues that figured they were in everywhere based off of their 3.8's and 1400s, which did not end great for them! 4. Persistence and patience pay off.

You do have some options. You could take the financial hit for the first semester or year and show the department that you are worthy of funding based off of how much you've reformed and what you're capable of. You could also look outside the department, there are tons of scholarships and funding opportunities available that you could apply to (although unfortunately many of them do look at undergraduate GPA). There is always also financial aid, submit that FAFSA. I know personally how hard it is to get into grad school with a sub-3.0 GPA. In all honesty you're not in a position to be picky, especially since funding for MA problems is usually scarce as it is. Best of luck.

Ok, so the school I applied to has a website where you can check your application status. Since I am compulsive and in dire need of knowing whether or not I got into the last of 6 schools I applied to (all the others rejected me) I have noticed that for a week now it says under Decision: Congratulations, you've been admitted! This is a stupid question: Although it says that, have I truly been admitted because I have not received any notice from the department or the school itself??? I ask, because this has been a very strange application season for me. Things have gotten lost in the mail. I was waitlisted twice only to be removed, and one of my schools sent me an acceptance letter meant for someone else! (However, they waitlisted me for the PhD program even though I only applied for a master's). I know the logical thing to do would be to e-mail the department or DGS, BUT I guess since I have had a few flukes happen already I am skittish, and also what if they are debating on giving me funding? Patience or immediate confirmation? Any insight is appreciated!