Is grad school still possible?

[stars7000]

I am a junior in college studying business and I have a 2.8 GPA right now. I have low grades and I am thinking about either getting into a masters program for applied statistics to be a statistician or a master's degree in data analysis or finance. However, I might have messed up because I got a few C grades in my early math classes and I had to withdraw from Calculus 1 twice. I took it the third time and got a B+. I understand that I screwed up badly but I am thinking about changing my life around. I have a bunch of W grades and I am thinking about trying to at least get into a masters program for higher education. I don't want to end up a failure. Be honest, do I have a chance at all or should I get another bachelor's degree in a field that's well-paying? I am ready to try my hardest to succeed.

[trynagetby]

applied statistics masters programs are not very competitive. If you get a good GRE score you can get into a few applied statistics professional/terminal masters. You might not be able to get into Stanford MS&Engineering, but you can definitely get into a few decent ones.

 

 

[dmacfour]

If at all possible, stick around for another semester or two to get that GPA up above a 3.0. Taking and nailing a few math classes would help prove that your early math struggles were circumstantial. Also, don't sweat the W's - I had like 10 of them and it was never brought up. 

[bayessays]

Do not get a second bachelor's, ever. Try to get your GPA up to 3.0 before graduating if possible and apply to low ranked/unranked MS programs that are applied and focus on data analysis.  

 

[DachshundDad]

I'm aware of a few MS Stats programs in Southern California for which you meet the minimum admission requirements.  Since your profile states you are located in New York, you may want to consider the following online program at California State University - Fullerton:

Master of Science Degree in Statistics - Department of Mathematics | CSUF (fullerton.edu)

Although you would need to pay out-of-state tuition, it may be cheaper than in-state tuition in NY.  The expensive part of going to college in California is the cost of living.  Tuition is actually very cheap.  You would be able to avoid these living expenses by completing the program online.  Of course, this only holds true if you don't live in NYC or on Long Island.  Then it may be cheaper for you to complete the program in-person in beautiful Southern California.

If you have time this summer, try to retake as many Math classes as possible at your school or local community college.  Spend as much time possible studying and mastering the material in order to a earn an A in each class. This will benefit you in two ways:

1.  It will impress the schools to which you apply.

2.  You will be able to handle the courses you face in a MS Statistics program.

In addition, take as many math and math-statistic courses as possible to complete your business degree.  I went into my MS Stats program with only completing Calculus I through III, Linear Algebra, Mathematical Statistics I, and Mathematical Statistics II.  It was not enough to get through the core classes for the program without a constant struggle to keep up with the material.  I would highly recommend taking a proof-based course such as Discrete Mathematics.  This will be very helpful for understanding all of the new mathematical notation and proof structures that will be throw at you during your first year.  I went from a BA in Studio Arts to a MS in Stats.  Your transition should be a little easier if you have taken upper division course in Finance and Economics.

If you want to be fully prepared for a MS in Statistics program, make sure that you can complete all of the following problems:

EXAM P SAMPLE QUESTIONS (soa.org)

These are the practice problems for Exam P, which is the first exam towards becoming an Actuary.  All of these problems are based on Calc I, Calc II, and at least one upper division Mathematical Statistics course.  Being able to do well on these problems will indicate how much you will succeed in your graduate program.

Good luck with your future academic endeavors.  Don't ever feel like you are a failure.  It is never too late to change the direction of your life.  

Edited May 16, 2022 by DachshundDad