Low GPA Big Dreams

[lowgpabigdreams]

Hello, 
This is my first post on here so be gentle on my poor soul. Long story short, I entered college to major in business and get a minor in mathematics. For context, in high-school I was student body president of a school of 4,000 and had automatic acceptance into my top 50 state school. Not that either of those is impressive, I'm just giving context that I wasn't a complete bum.

The summer before I left for college I had some "out of character behavior" as my parents put it. Unfortunately, this was a foreshadowing of what the next four years entailed. By the end of freshman year I was kicked out of my major and forced into a joke of a life science's major, tourism management. College was very rough for me. Somehow, I managed to not fail out while toeing the line for 3 and a half years. At the beginning of the second semester of my senior year, I was hospitalized.  I was referred to a therapist and a psychiatrist. They diagnosed me with Bi-polar, which in hindsight, was extremely obvious. I had spent three and a half years having extremely taxing mood swings and unusual behavior. For most of that time I thought I was going insane or becoming schizophrenic. I didn't dare tell a soul or ask for help. If I did, I'd be admitting there was something wrong with me, that I was "crazy," and being mentally ill was too far removed from my self-concept to accept. Eventually it got so bad I was forced to face reality. After my hospitalization, I got on medication and saw a therapist. My life changed within weeks. My mood stabilized and I could function again. I graduated from college with a 2.44 GPA, yikes.

Since then, I've become obsessed with overcoming the lost time and meeting my true potential. I learned to program and took up an interest in data science. I enrolled in Harvard Extension School's Master of Liberal Arts in Data Science. The classes are challenging and most of them are the same classes the actual Data Science grad students take. Since undergrad I have completed classes in Data Visualization, Data Mining, Advanced Python Programming for Data Science, Statistics, and Mathematical Modeling at Harvard. I've also completed extra undergrad coursework in Linear Algebra and Vector Calculus from LSU online. For all of these classes I received an A- or better. I also have a GRE score of 169Q and 167V. While I was taking these classes I was working full time as a Marketing Analyst, leading the digital marketing for a small 20 million dollar consumer products business. 

So to get to my ultimate question. In the context of my Undergrad GPA, and all I've done since, do I have a chance of getting into any of the top Data Science Masters Programs? NYU, Columbia, University of San Francisco, etc.?

Thanks for reading, sorry if you were second-hand traumatized.

Looking forward to hearing some responses.

-LowGPABigDreams

[tacos95]

Straight data science isn't my field, but I'll offer some thoughts. For starters, since most data science programs are pretty new and still accumulating rep (even to some extent at places like NYU and Columbia), they have lower bars to get an admission than other programs. In your case, it sounds like that's a good thing.

Your obviously very good GRE scores show you have the mental capacity, at the very least, to pass a data science program. The fact that your raw intelligence (to the extent measurable by GRE scores) stacks so well against everyone else trying to get into grad school will probably be very meaningful to admissions committees.

I don't know how much Harvard brand value you get from the extension school, but the initiative and competence that that and the math classes show are probably pretty valuable. I guess I'd emphasize your responsibility and competence from a) these classes and b) your work, which sounds pretty legit, rather than explaining in too great of detail why undergrad went as it did. In my opinion, 1-2 lines about personal issues and injuries should be the extent of explanation of poor performance in undergrad. In SOPs really hammer your drive and capabilities demonstrated after undergrad.

Again, not my field, but having just finished the process of applying for competitive schools in government affairs and, thereby, having a general feel for the admissions process, I think you definitely have a shot. As far as funding, I don't know if industry-professional programs like that usually offer scholarships/fellowships, but there's likely an ok prospect for a good return anyway even absent school-provided funding.

[Fruit]

Hi! I worked as a data scientist out of undergrad at a big tech company, and had the privilege of meeting folks from across a spectrum of life and professional experiences: from career changers, to pipeline-from-CS-programs, PhDs-turned-data scientists, etc. Seeing that we're all humans, have made mistakes, I don't see why you can't become a data scientist—especially since you've demonstrated you are more than willing to pursue that path through your classes, kickass GRE score, etc.

I have a friend who did a career change, went to the data science program at USF, and is now working as a data scientist; it was fascinating seeing the parallels between our career paths. Feel free to PM me for more details or questions!

Edited July 19, 2020 by Twiste