2nd round of application... help me improve my application, pls !!

[kobe36]

hi all:

I am seeking advice, comments, etc. on my apps. I am expected across the board rejection this year as I have already been rejected 3 schools our of 7 and expected the last 4 to be a rejection too as I don't even meet their min requirement for GPA. I graduated from a state school (SF State, to be precise) in 2006 with a BA in psychology. I am currently seeking a Master's degree in Social Work. My ultimate goal is to get my license as a LCSW and be a therapist for juveniles.

-2.23 -overall gpa, 2.32 for major

-3 LORs from two of my former manager and one co worker. I couldnt get a single academic one because I have been out of school for so long although i am SURE that all three of LOR was excellent.

-3.5 years of social work experience as a case manager a ta non profit with low income families, 2 years of experience working as an administrative assistant at a another non profit organization (while in college)

-no GRE score because all of the schools I applied to didn't require it

-a very spotty academic record ( 4 F's (2 in chem classes when my major was in chemistry), 2 D's in major classes, and 1 incomplete (never bothered to retake the class), no withdrawal)

-Personal Statement was average (my bf graded it a B on a scale of A-F if that helps)

My options are these:

1) reapply next year (no doubt I will)

2) take a year and do a non profit management class at SF State although I am not sure what the certificate in the end will help me do (maybe it will prove that I can succeed academically in grad school and also help me get at least 1 LOR from a professor

3) take the certificate in Drug and Alcohol Counseling at City College (as it relates more I guess to my career) and this will also take a year although I don't know how much this will really help my apps as it will be at a community college

4) I think learning Spanish will really help me too so maybe take some classes at the local community college

5) take a GRE prep course and do so well that the schools next year will have nothing to do but accept me and give me a full scholarship

6) retake the classes I got F's in as a non matriculate student .. will be super duper expensive but will do if it helps !!

So any advice, comments, suggestions to help me improve my apps for next year??

Thank you so much in advance. I know that I am sure everyone is stressing thru their own application right now and any help to me is greatly appreciated !! Good Luck to everyone and I hope everyone gets in their dream school with money !!

Edited March 16, 2010 by kobe36

[lily_]

Ok here's some points

1. I have a poor UGPA as well, however, the last 2 years of my undergrad plus 1 year of non-matriculated grad school grades are stellar, meaning above 3.5. I'm not sure how a Master's for what you're going for works, but this is extremely important. Can you demonstrate that you have improved and grown up and gotten beyond the "youthful indiscretions" that helped you earn your 2.3? Again, this is extremely important. As much as I would like to believe that your application is not all based on your UGPA (it's not) this is the main way admissions committees will judge you, and you will be competing with other applicants who did not do so poorly. This is reality, and you have to figure out a game plan to show that you are capable of independent research and (here comes point #2).

2. You must find at least one academic LOR. Someone who likes you, who believes in you, who gives you the impression that they are invested in your future. Someone who will write a personal letter saying that you are bright, intelligent, deserving, and the committee would be at a major loss if they rejected you. These committees are academics, even for MA programs and will inevitably take those LORs more seriously than ones from employers, and especially more serious than ones from co-workers. Taking the coursework you mentioned will certainly help, however, ensure that you get one of the top grades in that class, and make sure that you spend a lot of time with the professor. Even see if there is some kind of independent research he/she can get you involved with. Unlike your UGPA, this is something that you have control over.

3. Learning Spanish will probably be an asset for you in general -whether you continue on this career trajectory or not. Again, even if you just take it at your local community college, make sure that you come out with an A in the course.

4. A perfect GRE score will not guarantee you a scholarship, especially with your UGPA. I normally try to be as kind as possible on this forum, but that is reality. Most MA programs are totally unfunded, meaning you will pay out of pocket. Most available funding goes to PhD students, and if there is actually funding available for your Master's program, it will likely be extremely competitive. If you get into a two year program and earn a 4.0, and make a name for yourself as a responsible, hard-working individual, you might have a shot at getting funded for your second year, but that is unlikely as well. I would imagine that if you got into a program with your credentials you would not be considered for funding at all. Again, I am in a similar situation as you and I will be happy with a simple acceptance to the MA program I am applying to and realize that most likely the entire degree will be unfunded.

5. Retaking those courses will help, however, it would be best to focus on your aforementioned coursework at this point. Some more competitive programs will see that you retook it and assume that you got an "F" the first time and factor that into your non-matriculated GPA. Some might look on it positively, and some might see it as a sign that you are not a very serious student.

6. Also re-write your SOP and have someone other than your boyfriend edit it. They mean well, but they don't want to hurt your feelings. Not saying you didn't write a good SOP, but find someone you trust who is involved in your field or the school you are applying to to completely rip your SOP to pieces and then make a second draft, and repeat if necessary. This is potentially the most important aspect of your entire application because you have the most control over it.

Best of luck. Thomas Jefferson said that he believed in luck, and the harder he worked the more luck he found.

Edited March 16, 2010 by lily_

[throwupandaway]

This is what you should do...

1. Pick about 5 schools that are reasonable to get into...given your area of interest and with enough work (with a 2.3, this is really the hardest part)

2. Set up a meeting with the department chair. Say, "I'm really into your program, but I have an extremely low GPA. I plan to dedicate myself to showing that I'm worthy..." (obviously this is rather informal, so don't quote it verbatim)...see what advice they give you. Some programs prefer you have X amount of coursework in a subarea, or a certain level of math...and they don't tell you upfront. It is worth it to really ask someone to assess you and give you a better idea of what they are looking for--rather than strangers on the internet.

3. Do what they tell you and exceed expectations.

Given this, let me say that I had a 2.85 overall GPA. It actually is lower than most schools in how GPA is calculated (I was ill for two terms, and the new grades from classes I took didn't replace the old poor grades, if it were, my gpa would be at least a 3.4). I have a masters degree of 3.7, conference presentations, publications, the requisite languages for my area of interest. In short, I was more "qualified" than most candidates, but all the schools I applied for were still hung up on the 2.85 GPA, despite the fact that they are more than 5 years old.

From my experience...

Your administrative assistant experience won't help you at all. I have 5 years of it, and it didn't help me any (I worked full-time in ug, and schools didn't seem to care).

The best thing you can do to offset your GPA is have a high GRE. I'm talking about 1350+. You want 700 q. 650 v as your targets (higher if possible). Anything less than that will cast doubt on your abilities (again, speaking from experience...I had a high verbal/average math for a humanities candidate and was called "mediocre" at best from a tier-2 program).

Work on your personal statement. Don't settle for B work when you can revise it to an A.

Learning Spanish won't help you get into a program. It will help you get a job once you graduate. I would hold off on thinking getting an A in a community college course would impress adcoms for grad school, unless you got a 4.0 all along and were consistent.

---

Probably not exactly what you wanted to hear, but if you talk to the chairs programs and see what they want from you and you're willing to work hard, there isn't a reason to think that you won't get into at least one program (but be realistic where you apply).

[kobe36]

Thank you so much for the advice !! It is really helpful and I am definitely going to take a GRE prep course so I can get a good GRE score. Also i am wondering if i do take some classes in order to boost my gpa or just to get to know a professor better, would i matter if i take it at state or at a community college??? Would it make a big difference if the LOR comes from a professor at a state university or a community college?? and I am definitely going to start working on my personal statement again. Also do either of you think explaining about my low GPA in my personal statement a good idea or should I not talk about it at all?

and throwupandaway, I am definitely going to take your advice and call the schools and see what I can do to boost my apps.

Thank you so much again.