Overall/Cumulative GPA

[jc177]

Hi everybody,

I recently graduated from UC Berkeley (where I stayed for 2 years as a full-time student); however, I've transferred schools twice during my time as an undergraduate: I first attended Cal State Fullerton for a year before transferring to a community college. My grades at Berkeley are somewhat decent: I have around a 3.91 GPA overall at Berkeley and a 3.93 in my upper-division philosophy classes at Berkeley. However, I spent my first year at Cal State Fullerton as a somewhat lackadaisical student (3.07 overall during that year; although my grades improved quite substantially during my second semester); as a result, my overall undergraduate GPA is 3.76, and my overall philosophy GPA (both lower and upper division) is around 3.95. 

At this point, I'm still a bit uncertain about where to apply. Does someone with my academic history have a reasonable shot at being accepted to a school in the top 15--assuming that they have an excellent sample and excellent letters? I understand that one should never expect to be admitted anywhere, but I still think it would be good to know where my grades wouldn't make my chances abysmal. 

Thank you so much for your input; I really appreciate your help!

Edited May 21, 2018 by jc177

[Duns Eith]

8 hours ago, jc177 said:

as a result, my overall undergraduate GPA is 3.76, and my overall philosophy GPA (both lower and upper division) is around 3.95. 

At this point, I'm still a bit uncertain about where to apply. Does someone with my academic history have a reasonable shot at being accepted to a school in the top 15--assuming that they have an excellent sample and excellent letters? I understand that one should never expect to be admitted anywhere, but I still think it would be good to know where my grades wouldn't make my chances abysmal. 

Thank you so much for your input; I really appreciate your help!

Yes!

[Kantattheairport]

9 hours ago, jc177 said:

At this point, I'm still a bit uncertain about where to apply. Does someone with my academic history have a reasonable shot at being accepted to a school in the top 15--assuming that they have an excellent sample and excellent letters? I understand that one should never expect to be admitted anywhere, but I still think it would be good to know where my grades wouldn't make my chances abysmal.

If your concern is just the overall GPA, then I can tell you I applied with a significantly lower GPA last cycle and came pretty close to being admitted to NYU. Sample + letters > everything else by some distance!

(Of course, maybe if I had a higher GPA, I might have gotten in, etc etc etc - my point is just that having a lower GPA apparently doesn't preclude you from getting into top programmes. )

[jc177]

13 hours ago, Duns Eith said:

Yes!

 

12 hours ago, Kantattheairport said:

If your concern is just the overall GPA, then I can tell you I applied with a significantly lower GPA last cycle and came pretty close to being admitted to NYU. Sample + letters > everything else by some distance!

(Of course, maybe if I had a higher GPA, I might have gotten in, etc etc etc - my point is just that having a lower GPA apparently doesn't preclude you from getting into top programmes. )

Thank you for the replies. 

[lyellgeo]

22 hours ago, jc177 said:

At this point, I'm still a bit uncertain about where to apply. Does someone with my academic history have a reasonable shot at being accepted to a school in the top 15--assuming that they have an excellent sample and excellent letters?

Well, yes and no, mostly because very very few people have a "reasonable shot" with things being so competitive.

I would place less pressure on a sample/letters being "excellent" (though of course they should be) and more on how your specific research interests and/or project syncs with certain people at universities you are interested in going to. This is hard to fake—usually you have to have read and/or at least be aware of the recent work of the people you are interested in working with, and have developed your some of your own thoughts on it. GPA and everything else is about 20% of the battle (most applicants will have very good GPAs and letters)—the other 80% will more or less come down to fit, which is mostly articulated through the writing sample and statement of purpose. 

Imagine applying to a job that 200 people are also applying to (and maybe 5 of whom will be accepted). Probably 100 of them are excellent all around applicants, but the vast majority of them will be rejected. And department fit (which, like "excellence," is difficult to pin down) will determine most of that. 

Edited May 22, 2018 by lyellgeo

[dgswaim]

I spent three years in community college, where I posted something like a 2.1 GPA. I transferred to a non-well-known LAC, spend 2.5 years there, and earned a 3.75 overall GPA. I did a philosophy MA at a not-well-known program, and posted (I think) a 3.85 GPA. I was admitted to a bunch of places. I don't think you need to worry too much about your grades. They look pretty good. Focus on writing a good sample, and finding letter writers that will be strong advocates.