GRE and GPA

[EffNine]

Hi folks,

Can a high GRE score make up for a low GPA? Say a 3.1 for a master's?

[felicidad]

My personal opinion is that an extremely high GRE score might make the GPA look even worse by suggesting to the adcom that the applicant does not perform to potential.

I'm especially concerned because it is a graduate degree. What have you done between earning the degree and now to demonstrate that you are ready to do a higher level of work?

I'm sure that some schools will cut off at 3.0 instead of 3.1, but I only ask because your post implies that you are applying for schools for which a 3.1 might be a serious disadvantage.

[EffNine]

Well my plan is to take more undergrad courses and a few grad level courses to bump up the GPA, hopefully this will help. I assume that the grad will help more than the undergrad courses however, I just have access to more undergrad courses than grad at the moment due to my day job.

[felicidad]

I think that it will actually be really transparent and make your GPA look worse if you try to boost it by taking undergraduate courses. That's like going backwards and wouldn't inspire confidence in your level of work or your judgment.

[EffNine]

So you would say only take Graduate courses then?

I'm trying to do anything I can. I was ill the first time I around so I'm trying to make up some ground, and I'm coming from a really small school, so I thought "any little bit helps."

[TropicalCharlie]

EffNine, the relevance of GPA vs GRE scores vary from school to school and program to program. A school may place more emphasis on GPA than GRE scores and vice versa. Sometimes the best resource is your potential advisor in the program you are interested. Make contact with a professor whom you are interested in working with and ask them about this. Most professors are candid and often times will provide you with helpful information which you can then use to strengthen your application. Don't bother asking a graduate program coordinator, because they are trained to hand out generic answers since they are not involved in the admission decision-making process.

[BrianM]

I made it to my masters program 2 years ago with an 840 combined.

But I had done a lot of extra work in my field to make me stand out.

A girl in my masters program never did anything that I did such as T.A or research but her GRE scores were a 1200.

So it depends on the committee looking at your scores.

I heard that the cutoffs for the PhD programs are 1100, and if you don't make it you will be automatically cut out.

[nike913]

My personal opinion is that an extremely high GRE score might make the GPA look even worse by suggesting to the adcom that the applicant does not perform to potential.

I'm especially concerned because it is a graduate degree. What have you done between earning the degree and now to demonstrate that you are ready to do a higher level of work?

I'm sure that some schools will cut off at 3.0 instead of 3.1, but I only ask because your post implies that you are applying for schools for which a 3.1 might be a serious disadvantage.

I have a similar GPA and High GRE Score. I don't think I was slacking off though. I came in going pre-med and took Calculus, Biololgy, Chemistry, and Physics and have a lower GPA due to some of those classes. I am now a CSD major and Just for my last 60 hours my GPA is a 3.8. How do you think this would look to Masters programs in CSD?

[Eigen]

I have a similar GPA and High GRE Score. I don't think I was slacking off though. I came in going pre-med and took Calculus, Biololgy, Chemistry, and Physics and have a lower GPA due to some of those classes. I am now a CSD major and Just for my last 60 hours my GPA is a 3.8. How do you think this would look to Masters programs in CSD?

There's a huge difference, here- the OP is talking about a 3.1 in a Masters program, which is a completely different ballgame than a low undergrad GPA.

OP:

A 3.1 in a masters program is more equivalent to a sub-2.5 GPA in a bachelors program, imo. Since many graduate programs consider anything under a B average grounds for expulsion/academic suspension. You definately don't want to take undergraduate classes to try to bring this up. For one thing, they won't effect your GPA. Graduate and undergraduate GPAs will be calculated from graduate and undergraduate coursework, respectively. If you do, what you're basically saying is that you can do OK in undergraduate coursework, but start having real problems in graduate coursework.

I think what you will want to highlight more than your GRE scores to balance out the low GPA is research experience.

[EffNine]

There's a huge difference, here- the OP is talking about a 3.1 in a Masters program, which is a completely different ballgame than a low undergrad GPA.

OP:

A 3.1 in a masters program is more equivalent to a sub-2.5 GPA in a bachelors program, imo. Since many graduate programs consider anything under a B average grounds for expulsion/academic suspension. You definately don't want to take undergraduate classes to try to bring this up. For one thing, they won't effect your GPA. Graduate and undergraduate GPAs will be calculated from graduate and undergraduate coursework, respectively. If you do, what you're basically saying is that you can do OK in undergraduate coursework, but start having real problems in graduate coursework.

I think what you will want to highlight more than your GRE scores to balance out the low GPA is research experience.

I appreciate the insight but what I meant was that I have an undergrad 3.1 not a Master's 3.1. I'm looking to get in to Master's programs.

[Eigen]

Thanks for the clarification. I doubt you'll hit any cutoffs with that GPA, but I'm not really sure of the criteria for admissions within philosophy.

You might want to be careful how you phrase things, because "3.1 for a masters" sounds a lot like you got a 3.1 in a masters program. I think Felicidad's advice would probably change about taking undergraduate courses as well, since that was based on the assumption that you were currently in your masters program.