GPA good enough for USC MSW?

[andyburrrr]

As of right now, the only school I want to get in to is USC (but of course I will look for other schools). I feel that if I am able to get into USC, a lot of opportunities will open up for me once I graduate that will guarantee me work in a field that will supplement my intended goal which is to help at-risk youths. I am debating whether or not I should take the GRE to apply for UCLA, CSUF, CSULB, etc. I want to take the GRE as my last resort. My GPA is not that great; however, I am starting to volunteer at a few(3) non-profit organizations to help build my resume. These non-profit organizations mainly help at-risk youths. My plan is to put as much hours as I can as a volunteer until I apply. I am definitely going to make my volunteer an on-going process even after applying to the schools for my Masters. Well the questions are: Am I even qualified to apply at USC? Has anyone been in the same situation as me before in the means of GPA?

MY GPA:

Cumulative GPA: 2.7~2.8

Undergrad GPA(CSUF): 3.1

Degree: B.A. of Criminal Justice

Why my GPA was so low from the start: I really messed up on my community college years as I was struggling financially and handling family problems (shouldn't be an excuse; I know...). I was just stressing through many things in my life while attending school (Ex: Losing a home). I even had to take a year off from school to work full-time (graveyard shift) as a security officer just so my family and I can survive. We are doing much better now in the means of family problems and financial crisis. I don't know whether or not if I should put these type of situations in my Personal Statement. What do you think?

Thank you in advanced for answering! Any insight and opinions is greatly appreciated.

[JPedde]

Hey Andy -- We (at USC) review applications with GPAs of 3.0 and higher, but we also take into account the entire application including background, experiences, and your references. So since you said you had a 2.7-2.8, don't let that stop you from attempting to matriculate at USC! Good luck!

As of right now, the only school I want to get in to is USC (but of course I will look for other schools). I feel that if I am able to get into USC, a lot of opportunities will open up for me once I graduate that will guarantee me work in a field that will supplement my intended goal which is to help at-risk youths. I am debating whether or not I should take the GRE to apply for UCLA, CSUF, CSULB, etc. I want to take the GRE as my last resort. My GPA is not that great; however, I am starting to volunteer at a few(3) non-profit organizations to help build my resume. These non-profit organizations mainly help at-risk youths. My plan is to put as much hours as I can as a volunteer until I apply. I am definitely going to make my volunteer an on-going process even after applying to the schools for my Masters. Well the questions are: Am I even qualified to apply at USC? Has anyone been in the same situation as me before in the means of GPA?

MY GPA:

Cumulative GPA: 2.7~2.8

Undergrad GPA(CSUF): 3.1

Degree: B.A. of Criminal Justice

Why my GPA was so low from the start: I really messed up on my community college years as I was struggling financially and handling family problems (shouldn't be an excuse; I know...). I was just stressing through many things in my life while attending school (Ex: Losing a home). I even had to take a year off from school to work full-time (graveyard shift) as a security officer just so my family and I can survive. We are doing much better now in the means of family problems and financial crisis. I don't know whether or not if I should put these type of situations in my Personal Statement. What do you think?

Thank you in advanced for answering! Any insight and opinions is greatly appreciated.

[andyburrrr]

Hey Andy -- We (at USC) review applications with GPAs of 3.0 and higher, but we also take into account the entire application including background, experiences, and your references. So since you said you had a 2.7-2.8, don't let that stop you from attempting to matriculate at USC! Good luck!

Thanks for the reply 'Jpedde'!

[dubi]

If you take classes at a community college and get straight As, you can show the admission committee recent grades to go by. More importantly, it might show them your past grades are not a true measure of your academic capabilities. Also, USC comes with an extremely high price tag. Are you prepared to spend $85K for a MSW? That cost doesn't include books, gas, loss of wage due to working at an internship and going to school full-time, etc. They offer scholarships, but they are limited, and honestly they're weren't as high as what other schools offered. When I applied, I was told by the Admission Office their aid packages would significantly help cut the cost to attend, but that was not the case when I was admitted.

As of right now, the only school I want to get in to is USC (but of course I will look for other schools). I feel that if I am able to get into USC, a lot of opportunities will open up for me once I graduate that will guarantee me work in a field that will supplement my intended goal which is to help at-risk youths. I am debating whether or not I should take the GRE to apply for UCLA, CSUF, CSULB, etc. I want to take the GRE as my last resort. My GPA is not that great; however, I am starting to volunteer at a few(3) non-profit organizations to help build my resume. These non-profit organizations mainly help at-risk youths. My plan is to put as much hours as I can as a volunteer until I apply. I am definitely going to make my volunteer an on-going process even after applying to the schools for my Masters. Well the questions are: Am I even qualified to apply at USC? Has anyone been in the same situation as me before in the means of GPA?

MY GPA:

Cumulative GPA: 2.7~2.8

Undergrad GPA(CSUF): 3.1

Degree: B.A. of Criminal Justice

Why my GPA was so low from the start: I really messed up on my community college years as I was struggling financially and handling family problems (shouldn't be an excuse; I know...). I was just stressing through many things in my life while attending school (Ex: Losing a home). I even had to take a year off from school to work full-time (graveyard shift) as a security officer just so my family and I can survive. We are doing much better now in the means of family problems and financial crisis. I don't know whether or not if I should put these type of situations in my Personal Statement. What do you think?

Thank you in advanced for answering! Any insight and opinions is greatly appreciated.