The sub-3.0 GPAs ACCEPTANCE thread

[PoliticalOrder]

^ MBA programs require GMATs not GREs

[Samoyed]

I'm applying to IU's HCI/d program and IUPUI's HCI program for Fall 2016. My GPA was a 2.79 in history and I'm taking my GRE tomorrow. I've averaged out my practice tests and I'm looking at ~162 for V and ~154 for Q. V is higher than other accepted students from the results index, but Q is a bit lower. History majors generally have strong essay scores, but we'll see.

I am currently taking three HCI classes (so full-time) through IUPUI as a non-degree student. I currently have an A- and two As in the classes. It seems like I should get into IUPUI at least; the class I have an A- in currently has several accepted students failing it. I'm also working 45 hours a week, which apparently means I am some sort of insanely dedicated student doing the impossible. All current grad students have told me that working full time and going to grad school full time is impossible.

I'm asking those three professors to write my letters of recommendation. I'm using my work from those classes in my portfolio. Additionally, I met with some professors on the admissions committee from the program at IU and IUPUI; I visited IU twice. I went to a general open house and I went to a campus visit I requested. For both programs, I know exactly what they want on the SoP. Both programs told me to address my GPA in a separate, brief essay if I don't want to address it in my SoP. I'm trying to figure out how to write about it.

Hopefully, I will get into either of the programs. I researched how to get into grad school with a sub-3.0 GPA, and the aforementioned things were the most highly suggested courses of action.

 

[Jo]

Is graduate school even possible for me? Will it ever be? This is what I'll be applying to graduate schools with:

Overall GPA: 2.96

Jr/Sr GPA: 3.04

Major GPA: 2.40

Minor GPA: 3.15

GRE Scores: 138V, 143Q, 3.5 Writing. 

One Semester of Research in a Lab.

Work Experience and Volunteer Experience interacting with people. 

Compelling Letters of Recommendation. 

I screwed up undergrad, I know. Besides doing a post bac, how can I get into grad school? Is it possible to get into an unaccredited program? I know an accredited program might be impossible. I'm wanting to go into Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Rehab Counseling, or Professional Counseling. I know some schools have a cutoff of 2.5. But most have a cutoff of 3.0. I have people skills and a lot of experience working with people. Can't they just use that to waive GPA? I did get C's and D's in my major, but that is because of personal reasons. I am not a test taker, which is why I scored badly on the GRE. I also never took a prep course and never had any prep for it. 

[milestails]

I'm applying to a range of programs in terms of program rankings. The decision is based more on fit and what my advisors recommended. I know they have ties to some of these universities, so that may play out favorably. 

I'm interested in computational chemistry, physical chemistry, biophysics, whatever you would like to call it. (no one knows what title to call themselves in my lab. one of them was like, "I'm a scientist who is currently studying solvation models")

Major in Chemistry, specialty is 'Biological,' minor in Applied Mathematics and Statistics. My GPA is 2.93, major GPA is 2.91. Last 60 hours is 3.36, though that includes a lot of general education requirements and 6 credits of research (they always give A's, I'm not sure if this bs-ing will be apparent). GRE is 158V (79th), 157Q (68th), 4.0AW (56th). I wish I had retaken it, but it was $200. I had a headache the day I took it, and I was just going through the math section too slowly. I feel like I know the stuff, I just wasn't feeling up to the pace at the time.

I have two years of research experience in two labs, I can code in C and Python, and I got an A- in a graduate course at my university (which I mentioned in my SOP, and the professor of that course is writing one of my LoC's). My name is also on two publications, though admittedly my role in those was pretty minimal. Some of my data was published in the supplementary info, that is. I know none of what I just said is the most impressive, but it's something.

I'm applying to Penn State (Chemistry graduate program ranking is #21), University of Minnesota (#24), University of Florida (#35), SUNY Stony Brook (#56), and Rutgers New Brunswick (#60).

Does it help at all if you apply to a graduate program to the school you attended as an undergraduate? Do they favor those applicants at all, even in the slightest? 

[Jo]

You probably will have a chance. You have some pretty good GRE scores. I might have to find a another professions that requires only a Bachelors. That or I might have to go to grad school abroad. 

[aseemRawad]

Thanks Jo. It's always nice to see someone else in the boat.

My undergrad GPA is in the dumps. (6.21/10.0 by Indian scale. It is supposed to be between 2.5 to 3.0 by US system.) But GRE, TOEFL scores are alright.

GRE (V:164,Q:167,AnaWri:3.5), TOEFL(111/120). 

I hope a good SOP, good LORs and good test scores can go a long way.
 

[bhr]

On 12/27/2015 at 7:21 PM, Jo said:

Is graduate school even possible for me? Will it ever be? This is what I'll be applying to graduate schools with:

Overall GPA: 2.96

Jr/Sr GPA: 3.04

Major GPA: 2.40

Minor GPA: 3.15

GRE Scores: 138V, 143Q, 3.5 Writing. 

One Semester of Research in a Lab.

Work Experience and Volunteer Experience interacting with people. 

Compelling Letters of Recommendation. 

I screwed up undergrad, I know. Besides doing a post bac, how can I get into grad school? Is it possible to get into an unaccredited program? I know an accredited program might be impossible. I'm wanting to go into Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Rehab Counseling, or Professional Counseling. I know some schools have a cutoff of 2.5. But most have a cutoff of 3.0. I have people skills and a lot of experience working with people. Can't they just use that to waive GPA? I did get C's and D's in my major, but that is because of personal reasons. I am not a test taker, which is why I scored badly on the GRE. I also never took a prep course and never had any prep for it. 

You don't want to go to an unaccredited program if you want a job in any of those fields. Here's the thing that links almost every sub 3.0 acceptance: personal responsibility.

You dismiss your grades because of "personal reasons", but don't talk about how you can address those reasons. You dismiss the GRE because you aren't a "test-taker" and never took a prep course. Your one mitigating factor is "people skills" and a semester of lab research (which may or may not be in the fields you are applying to).

Most of us who have had success (and I got into a top MA program with a 2.0ish gpa), have done the following:

1.Have mitigating factors that explain poor grades, proof that those factors have been addressed, and a track record of success after that.

You have a sub 2.5 major GPA and an extremely poor overall and Jr/Sr GPA, suggesting that issues you had manifested throughout your college career. This doesn't suggest that you had a personal issue that affected a single semester or year, or that you had a couple of false starts, but rather that your "personal reasons" were never addressed, and are likely to affect your graduate work. If you can address this in your letter, do so, but just saying "personal reasons" doesn't help.

2. Have good test scores, publications, awards or other marks of alternative academic prowess.

The GRE's are dumb. Many students have problems with it, and it's not always indicative of your academic skills. That said, those scores are horrible for someone considering a graduate degree, and your excuses don't help. Graduate school, particularly in some fields, is full of different tests. Saying that you are a poor test taker will hardly fill someone with confidence in your ability to be successful at the next level. While many people don't take prep courses (myself included), programs are also going to want to know why you didn't spend time preparing for an exam that you knew you would have trouble with.

3. Have compelling experience either in the field or in life.

Programs are looking for people who succeed. If you have had success or experience in a related field to the one you are applying to, or even success in an unrelated one, it helps build a track record for you. Just saying that you have people skills doesn't make you a good grad student. A lot of people have people skills, and can't succeed in the classroom. Research in a lab doing similar work to what you will do in grad school definitely helps here.

4. Have a strong personal narrative and sense of self.

You will need to be able to make a strong argument why your past failures will not be repeated, and why you deserve a place in a program over people who spent more time, and had more success, in the preparations for graduate study. The fact that you haven't identified a specific field that you want to pursue doesn't help.

 

My suggestions to you:

1. Figure out what caused you to do so poorly in undergraduate work, and address it. If it requires mental health counseling, disability accommodation, or life changes, than address those things, and then talk about that in your letter.

2. Prepare for, and retake, the GRE. While the GRE shouldn't determine your success, it does, and an outstanding score will do a lot to prove your potential.

3. Find a job, either paid or volunteer, in your field. This could be as an administrative assistant, lab assistant, peer mentor, or any other position that gives you insight into how the field works. Doing this will make your SoP stronger, since you will have a better sense of the skills needed to succeed. In addition, you may find new letter writers or advocates willing to help you and add valuable experience to your CV.

4. Pursue opportunities to network, learn and research. Attend talks or conferences that happen locally. Reach out to potential future advisors and ask for their suggestions. Build a network of current graduate students who you may want to do work with. Pursue opportunities to conduct research or publish. Read new books and write up a book review for a journal.

5. Consider taking supplemental coursework that will help your application. This can be undergraduate work, or un-admitted graduate work, if you find a place willing to let you take a course. Consider retaking courses to boost your GPA.

[dr. t]

4 hours ago, bhr said:

Here's the thing that links almost every sub 3.0 acceptance: personal responsibility.

BHR and I don't often see eye to eye, but this is some flat truth right here.

[Jo]

9 hours ago, bhr said:

You don't want to go to an unaccredited program if you want a job in any of those fields. Here's the thing that links almost every sub 3.0 acceptance: personal responsibility.

You dismiss your grades because of "personal reasons", but don't talk about how you can address those reasons. You dismiss the GRE because you aren't a "test-taker" and never took a prep course. Your one mitigating factor is "people skills" and a semester of lab research (which may or may not be in the fields you are applying to).

Most of us who have had success (and I got into a top MA program with a 2.0ish gpa), have done the following:

1.Have mitigating factors that explain poor grades, proof that those factors have been addressed, and a track record of success after that.

You have a sub 2.5 major GPA and an extremely poor overall and Jr/Sr GPA, suggesting that issues you had manifested throughout your college career. This doesn't suggest that you had a personal issue that affected a single semester or year, or that you had a couple of false starts, but rather that your "personal reasons" were never addressed, and are likely to affect your graduate work. If you can address this in your letter, do so, but just saying "personal reasons" doesn't help.

2. Have good test scores, publications, awards or other marks of alternative academic prowess.

The GRE's are dumb. Many students have problems with it, and it's not always indicative of your academic skills. That said, those scores are horrible for someone considering a graduate degree, and your excuses don't help. Graduate school, particularly in some fields, is full of different tests. Saying that you are a poor test taker will hardly fill someone with confidence in your ability to be successful at the next level. While many people don't take prep courses (myself included), programs are also going to want to know why you didn't spend time preparing for an exam that you knew you would have trouble with.

3. Have compelling experience either in the field or in life.

Programs are looking for people who succeed. If you have had success or experience in a related field to the one you are applying to, or even success in an unrelated one, it helps build a track record for you. Just saying that you have people skills doesn't make you a good grad student. A lot of people have people skills, and can't succeed in the classroom. Research in a lab doing similar work to what you will do in grad school definitely helps here.

4. Have a strong personal narrative and sense of self.

You will need to be able to make a strong argument why your past failures will not be repeated, and why you deserve a place in a program over people who spent more time, and had more success, in the preparations for graduate study. The fact that you haven't identified a specific field that you want to pursue doesn't help.

 

My suggestions to you:

1. Figure out what caused you to do so poorly in undergraduate work, and address it. If it requires mental health counseling, disability accommodation, or life changes, than address those things, and then talk about that in your letter.

2. Prepare for, and retake, the GRE. While the GRE shouldn't determine your success, it does, and an outstanding score will do a lot to prove your potential.

3. Find a job, either paid or volunteer, in your field. This could be as an administrative assistant, lab assistant, peer mentor, or any other position that gives you insight into how the field works. Doing this will make your SoP stronger, since you will have a better sense of the skills needed to succeed. In addition, you may find new letter writers or advocates willing to help you and add valuable experience to your CV.

4. Pursue opportunities to network, learn and research. Attend talks or conferences that happen locally. Reach out to potential future advisors and ask for their suggestions. Build a network of current graduate students who you may want to do work with. Pursue opportunities to conduct research or publish. Read new books and write up a book review for a journal.

5. Consider taking supplemental coursework that will help your application. This can be undergraduate work, or un-admitted graduate work, if you find a place willing to let you take a course. Consider retaking courses to boost your GPA.

I won't mind working to make my application better, but I do not want to take anymore undergrad courses. What I am trying to do is avoid sitting out a year or even 2 years. I am taking more courses that will get my major GPA up to a 2.5 and my Jr/Sr GPA up to at least a 3.2. By the end of this spring semester, my overall GPA will be a 3.15. I still have schools in the summer I am applying to. However, my dream school is due before I graduate. I'm upset at that. They should have all their applications due in the summer. However, somebody who works at my dream school who I have worked with is writing me a letter of recommendation. Not sure if that will weigh heavily. 

In regards to my academic performance in undergrad, I have aspergers and possibly a learning disability. I'm just afraid to address it in my personal statement because I'm worried they will read it and toss my application as a whole. I am planning to get diagnosed with a learning disability and if I do get into grad school, I plan to be on accommodations. The reason I have good people skills is because I have learned them throughout life. But when it comes to academics, I am very weak. I really want to work in the Counseling field because I have had experiences in the past. I don't want to end up working at Burger King or as a Custodian because 20 grad schools rejected my application. I'll tell you this. I never got in probation or got any F's in any classes. After my Masters, I think I will stop there and get my LPC.

I do hate the GRE though. If I were to retake it, I might take the GRE accommodate. I took the regular GRE last time and it was so hard. I may not be able to go to my dream school which is very upsetting. Again, it's unfair to have applications due before everyone graduates. I'll even consider myself lucky if I get into a school in a small town in the middle of nowhere. 

[Jo]

Also, I am applying to one school that requires a 2.6 overall or Jr/Sr years. I wonder if I have a chance at that school. No schools say anything about major GPA. 

[bhr]

2 minutes ago, Jo said:

I won't mind working to make my application better, but I do not want to take anymore undergrad courses. What I am trying to do is avoid sitting out a year or even 2 years. I am taking more courses that will get my major GPA up to a 2.5 and my Jr/Sr GPA up to at least a 3.2. By the end of this spring semester, my overall GPA will be a 3.15. I still have schools in the summer I am applying to. However, my dream school is due before I graduate. I'm upset at that. They should have all their applications due in the summer. However, somebody who works at my dream school who I have worked with is writing me a letter of recommendation. Not sure if that will weigh heavily. 

In regards to my academic performance in undergrad, I have aspergers and possibly a learning disability. I'm just afraid to address it in my personal statement because I'm worried they will read it and toss my application as a whole. I am planning to get diagnosed with a learning disability and if I do get into grad school, I plan to be on accommodations. The reason I have good people skills is because I have learned them throughout life. But when it comes to academics, I am very weak. I really want to work in the Counseling field because I have had experiences in the past. I don't want to end up working at Burger King or as a Custodian because 20 grad schools rejected my application. I'll tell you this. I never got in probation or got any F's in any classes. After my Masters, I think I will stop there and get my LPC.

I do hate the GRE though. If I were to retake it, I might take the GRE accommodate. I took the regular GRE last time and it was so hard. I may not be able to go to my dream school which is very upsetting. Again, it's unfair to have applications due before everyone graduates. I'll even consider myself lucky if I get into a school in a small town in the middle of nowhere. 

I'm not sure what is not fair about midyear applications. Most schools do this because they need to set their budget and schedule for the following year, so they accept students in the Spring. Summer applications also require that faculty meet to make decisions during a period where they often aren't on campus.

If you feel like you will be a better candidate after graduation, then take a year off. There is nothing wrong with taking a year, or two, or ten, to figure out your path. If you have diagnosed aspergers and a learning disability, than the best thing you can do is use whatever accommodations are available and post a strong semester or two of coursework.

What I don't think you understand is that not having Fs and having people skill through "life" won't do shit for you. Almost every person applying for these programs will not have Fs, and most of them will have better grades than you do. Most of them will also have "people skills", and, to be brutally honest, "life" doesn't count for much when you are 22, unless you have a particularly compelling personal narrative.

[Jo]

1 hour ago, bhr said:

I'm not sure what is not fair about midyear applications. Most schools do this because they need to set their budget and schedule for the following year, so they accept students in the Spring. Summer applications also require that faculty meet to make decisions during a period where they often aren't on campus.

If you feel like you will be a better candidate after graduation, then take a year off. There is nothing wrong with taking a year, or two, or ten, to figure out your path. If you have diagnosed aspergers and a learning disability, than the best thing you can do is use whatever accommodations are available and post a strong semester or two of coursework.

What I don't think you understand is that not having Fs and having people skill through "life" won't do shit for you. Almost every person applying for these programs will not have Fs, and most of them will have better grades than you do. Most of them will also have "people skills", and, to be brutally honest, "life" doesn't count for much when you are 22, unless you have a particularly compelling personal narrative.

If I have to, like if I have no other choice, I may have to do extra coursework. I can get diagnosed with LD and I can get accommodations. Maybe if I take a year off, I might get into my dream school in Fall 2017. I'm trying to avoid that route, but if it's my only option, I may have to do that. That, or I could do an internship somewhere and maybe that will strengthen my application. I could perhaps try to explain I have aspergers and an undiagnosed LD in my future personal statements. But I'm sure people who have below a 3.0 have gotten into grad school. 

[dr. t]

14 minutes ago, Jo said:

 But I'm sure people who have below a 3.0 have gotten into grad school. 

Sure. Have they gotten into a grad school worth going to without redeeming themselves through some other program (special student, low-ranked MA, etc.) first? No. Recovery from a poor undergraduate GPA is certainly possible, but doing so takes time, effort, and money. 

Look, there's a simple question you need to answer: what concrete things can you show an application committee to demonstrate your ability to excel at graduate-level work? It doesn't look like you can answer that question yet. Until you can, don't waste money on apps.

[BOUGIE]

I graduated last year  from the Top public University in Pennsylvania in MathOverall Gpa:2.84. Last 2 semesters GPA: 3.75 and 3.65. But prior to that i graduated from a Community college with a 3.65 gap. I did not do any undergrad research but i was involved in a math conference during a summer. I have a tutoring and volunteering experience teaching 5th grad students. I am currently working with a conservation company in california. 

I applied to  2Phd programs (Corolado and tennesse) and 3 Master( Idaho state University, U south florida and NJIT)

I received an admission from Idaho state so far. I am waiting on the other impatiently. I check my email like 400 times a day! smh. Wish me luck

Edited January 5, 2016 by BOUGIE

[coolpopat]

Hi! New to this forum but I'm glad to have read some encouraging stories in this thread.

Having performed poorly in my undergraduate studies, I'd like to get some advice.

I graduated in 2012 with a 2nd class lower honors (in Singapore) in biological sciences. My GPA is 3.64 out of 5, or roughly 2.9 out of 4. Not a good result for sure. I was burned out from junior college (aka high school) and lost my motivation to study. Coupled with the fact that I was never one for route memorization and test taking. I took many research internships BEFORE entering university, but none during my undergraduate days. You could say that I wasted my four years in University away... Almost. I did score an A- in my honors thesis, and my work was presented by the post-doc I worked for at a conference (he presented it, I was not there but my name is on the conference proceedings), though I'm not sure how much that counts.

I was broadly interested in life sciences, and since my results won't get me into local PhD programs, I decided to find work instead. I've been a research assistant at my current workplace for the 3rd year, and am now thinking about my next step. I've seen many people come away with stellar results after 3 years of work - tons of papers, first author papers even... Not so for me. I'm not even working in a place in my field (life sciences). This place has a lot of focus on engineering.... (My results couldn't get me a more relevant position then.) I did manage to get myself working in some microbiology, and if all goes well I would have a second authorship on a single paper. The rest of my work would just be listed as acknowledgements, if at all. I did learn as much as I can about microbiology and molecular biology skills, and learned to operate a lot of instruments - e.g. Confocal microscopy, TEM, GC. 

At least, I do know that research is what I really enjoy. Perhaps because I want it so much, all the more I'm afraid of failing. As if I've not failed enough with my undergrad degree. I really regret ruining my grades. I actually did really well in the internships I got before university - I interned with the same group over a period of 2 years and my experimental data was used in two of their papers - I was named in the acknowledgements - but all that seems like ancient history and would not be helpful in my applications I presume (the papers were published around 2008/09). 

So... At this stage in my life I'm filled with a growing sense of dread and fear, knowing that I'm stuck in a 'dead end' job, yet having no confidence about getting accepted anywhere. 

Should I consider a masters? Is there any hope for me in terms of PhD applications? Or should I look for a job more relevant to my field, and get some papers out? Of course, I would like to go straight into a PhD, since money is a concern for me. But looking at all the stellar GPAs and dean listers I'd be competing with frightens me. Also unsure of who to ask my recommendation letters from. Is it ok if all three letters come from my supervisors/superiors from the same job? I never had any sort of personal relationship with a prof in my undergrad days (yeah, another big screw up), and for my final year thesis I worked with the post doc because the Prof was too busy flying around, I didn't even get a chance to see her. 

Oh yes GRE. None. I've not taken it yet. And since I just missed the application period, at least I have some time to prepare for it.

Edited January 6, 2016 by coolpopat

[lightballsdeep]

Just checking in to see if any of my fellow sub-3.0ers are anxiously waiting to see if the rest of their application was enough!

My two masters applications aren't due until February 15th, but a large part of me is hoping to hear sooner if I submit early.  The more I time I spent on this forum the more people (in this thread particularly) talked about their low undergrad GPA and in the same sentence mentioned their MA gpa as a saving grace. I'm hoping that means that MA programs are much easier to break into with a lame ugpa. Any insider info on whether this is the case? 

It would probably be best to just take a break from this forum instead of trying to squeeze information that doesn't exist out of it! 

 

[stukageschwader]

Ah, the ardous times for us, sub 3 people...

I am an international student, mechanical engineering Ph.D. applicant for Fall 2016 with uGPA 2,83 M.S. GPA 3,31. Both are from the top-tier schools of my country. I was resolute to compensate this uGPA issue with +2 years relevant industrial experience in a prestigous international automotive company as an R&D Engineer. Well, I did. this  week I am resigning 

-Took GRE twice, scores being 146V 170Q 3.5 AW and 152V 165Q 4.0 AW,

-TOEFL IBT 102.

Well, I applied to 7 schools. I hope I can get a thing. Before application I established contact with potential advisors and added their names in my SOP.

Fingers crossed 

[sjoh197]

I applied last year to 4 places with a 2.8 and unfortunately didn't get in... but I also only had 1 semester of research, a really bad SOP now that I look back on it, and I had only been a transfer into my program for 1 semester as well. And I'm super glad I didn't get in because I didn't really know what I wanted anyways. 

This year I got my gpa up to a 3.04, so I am no longer in the sub-3.0 group. But I still feel pretty close. lol.

[milestails]

Follow up to my last post. Great news! I got accepted to two PhD programs, Stony Brook University (with a $28,500 stipend) and University of Florida (with a $23,008 stipend). GPA: 2.93. And Stony Brook says it has a 3.0 minimum GPA requirement. \:p

I got rejected from one (Penn State) and am waiting to hear back from the last two. 

Edited February 10, 2016 by milestails

[ZachBoyer]

I had a 2.83 GPA (3.24 in my major, not that that matters?). I had no plans to go to grad school as an undergraduate, but am now considering it as a possibility. Should I even bother applying to schools whose GPA requirements explicitly say "3.0+" or only focus on those which make no such mention?

Also: Is there a faster way to check each one's requirements than just going to their official school site? Sorry, little naive about the whole thing, just starting out. Thank you.

This is only for my Masters, btw.

Edited February 17, 2016 by ZachBoyer

[nevermind]

Compensating for a low undergraduate GPA, you have to remind yourself that graduate admissions is NOT a meritocracy. That is, you can work very hard to "overcome" your stats, but the process is still up to luck, connections, and timing--to a certain extent. I'm very lucky this round to get into a great program and have a POI that I think will help give me valuable feedback to produce my best work. However, getting there was incredibly disheartening, but in the end, I think it's prepared my expectations very well for a lackluster, almost non-existent job market. 

For my B.A. (I graduated in 2004...so while many of you were in elementary school)...I had a 2.72 degree GPA (a 2.8 something cumulative. I'm a first gen. college student and I was homeschooled throughout high school, left to basically navigate an environment with little help (especially since I worked full-time). During my last 2 years, I had several professors who approached me to think about "graduate school" (I didn't really know it was a thing...few people in my parents' social circle had a college degree, much less an advanced degree), and they were surprised at my lower GPA since I showed "promise."

I decided to pursue a (self funded) Master's degree program at a non-competitive school (that is, a school where I could get in). I thought I did everything "right" to gain admissions to a Ph.D. program...I published in a grad journal, did a grad conference, taught 2 classes as an adjunct, did some international fieldwork. I was pretty much shut out of PhD programs, even one to work with a professor that I took his class (got an A), who I'd talked to about Ph.D. programs, and he knew my work.

It was a big blow to me, just emotionally. I felt like I'd put everything on the line and it didn't produce the desired result. When I met with my contact at the school that rejected me, he said it was because my Master's institution wasn't "academically rigorous" enough and that my high Master's GPA wasn't indicative of promising academic performance. I was under the assumption that people would see my potential as a scholar and the hard work I'd invested to prove that I wasn't my undergraduate GPA. I was wrong. 

Essentially, to me, "the game" felt rigged. I saw a lot of people from higher socio-economic statuses succeed quite easily. Friends of mine had parents who gave them $$$ to sit at Starbucks for a summer and do nothing except study for the GRE (and in return, they got near perfect scores). I didn't have that luxury and felt like I fought for every opportunity I received. And still it wasn't enough. 

I moved back in with my parents (at this point, I was 25). I balanced some part-time administrative assistant work with adjunct teaching. I re-evaluated and decided to pursue a different field related to my academic interests. I was accepted to another Master's program at Cornell...after being there for a year, I was able to secure TA-ships in two different departments (providing much appreciated funding), take doctoral-level classes in top departments, do additional fieldwork, and pick up the first year of another important research language (in my field). 

I decided to take a job outside of academia (while also addressing some medical issues) for awhile, so I could gain more perspective, instead of feeling like I had to continue on an academic treadmill of sorts...and prove to myself that I had skills outside the ivory tower. After 3 years, I applied for Ph.D. programs...with 5 years of graduate-level coursework (A to A+ average), 4 years of adjunct teaching / TA-ing, 2 fieldwork experiences, 1 poster, a 95% verbal GRE (let's not talk about the quant.)....and I was still almost virtually shut out from everywhere I applied. 

This all to say...it takes a hell of a lot of work to overcome a sub-3.0 GPA, especially without the right support system in place (like an academic advisor that can help you select programs that "fit" your interests). It's not insurmountable, but it really takes a lot of dedication and soul-searching to figure out of academia is the right path to pursue or if there is something else out there equally rewarding. Good luck everyone.

Edited February 17, 2016 by nevermind

[JMarv15]

I was accepted to my first choice (masters program in a STEM field) with a mediocre GPA of 2.4, average GRE, but my LOR's are probably what pulled my application through. This thread provided a much needed motivation boost for me, I hope this encourages anyone else that is in a similar situation.

[nicharris90]

So I graduated with a degree in history from a small liberal arts university in Georgia in 2012.  My GPA was a mediocre 2.7.  I worked myself to death and prioritized college sports over studying.  No excuses though.  I enlisted in the U.S. Navy after graduation to earn the GI Bill so I could go to grad school on Uncle Sam's dime.  A couple of months ago I started applying to different schools just for the heck of it.  I applied to three schools (for either history, humanities, or international relations) I knew I didn't have a chance at gaining acceptance (University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and NYU).  Three schools that I felt would be a 50-50 shot (Loyola University, UT, FSU), and three schools I felt had a good chance of getting into (DePaul, Auburn, Georgia Southern).  I didn't think I had a snowball's chance of gaining acceptance into almost all of them due to my poor undergraduate performance.  My GRE was also very low, the verbal and quantitative I scored 150 for each.  The essay I scored a 5 though.  I believe the only good thing about my application was my upward improvement from my first two years of my undergrad to my last two years and I had a very strong letter of intent.  My sample essay was decent as well I guess.  I brought my GPA up from a 1.4 to a 2.7.  My letters of recommendation was my dean, a professor, and an old employer.  I was worried about my letter's of rec because most schools want three professors.  I didn't have three because I slacked in school all the way up until my final 3 semesters.

The problem now is that I have received acceptance letters from every school I mentioned for Fall 2016 admission for M.A. programs.  I have no idea which school to choose. My best advice to anyone applying with a low gpa or gre score is to distance yourself as much as possible from your undergraduate years.  I believe what gave me an advantage was my work experience and my service in the United States Navy.  I believe that helped them overlook my poor undergrad performance, and showed maturity and growth on my part.  Also it was beneficial that I had a very strong letter of intent.  I didn't bother using it to explain my poor undergrad performance, instead I told them awesome stories about my travels and deployments in the Navy, and how I wish to use my degree to become an officer for the military and eventually work for the pentagon.  I focused on only good stuff in my letter of intent, they are already aware of the bad stuff (my low gpa and undergrad performance).  I also proved to them I am capable of critical analysis through my sample essay and talked about disproportionate incarceration rates of African Americans.  Although my letters of recommendation weren't all professors or academia people, they apparently spoke very highly of me.  To anyone applying with a low gpa, just do whatever you can to make up for it in other regards (letters of rec, work experience, sample essay, the GRE even though my scores were pretty bad).  I spent about 4-5 months getting my applications together, waiting on my letters of rec, rewriting and improving my sample essay and letter of intent.  I had all of my friends proofread my stuff so many times.  I even took the time to meet up face to face with some of the faculty and admissions people at a few of the schools.  If you are in close proximity to a school of your choice, I'd advise visiting the faculty.  A positive impression through meeting you in person will definitely go a long way.  Anyway hope this could help put some peoples' mind at ease.  I had the worst anxiety applying to grad school because I had no idea if school's would even want to give me the chance.  A low gpa can be neutralized with solid work experience among other things.  Good luck to everyone.

 

Here's what the University of Chicago had to say about my application (it sums up pretty much what every school told me): "Dear Mr. XXX,

On behalf of the Faculty Admissions Committee, I am pleased to offer you admission to the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities (MAPH) at the University of Chicago for the 2016-2017 academic year.

Our decision to admit you reflects the favorable assessment of your academic record and professional promise by the MAPH Faculty Admissions Committee. It also reflects our belief that you will be a welcome addition to the diverse intellectual community on campus, within both MAPH and the larger University community. The resources and opportunities here at the University of Chicago can contribute significantly to your personal and career development. We hope that you will accept this offer and join us in September.

As you are a veteran of the United States Armed Forces you should be aware that the Division of the Humanities participates in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Yellow Ribbon 1:1 federal matching program for eligible veterans. More information about this and other services for veterans is available from the University Registrar.

You may use the online response form to formally accept our offer of admission. We ask for your reply no later than 30 April 2016. The links found below under the heading "The following letters are available for this account" provide additional documentation regarding your offer of admission.

Michael Beetley, Assistant Dean of Students for Admissions in the Division of the Humanities, can be reached at 773.702.8499 or mrbeetle@uchicago.edu should you have any questions about your offer of admission or the process going forward.

Congratulations on this achievement; we look forward to welcoming you to campus in the fall.

Sincerely yours,

Martina Munsters
Dean of Students"

[mbfox125]

Close friend of mine got into UCSD's MA in Biology (tuition waived I think) with a sub 3.00 GPA and no GREs. We went to UCSD together as undergraduates and he was a networking machine. He also had a lot of research experience as he had been working with post docs there even before he transferred in (part of a community college program) and has a compelling story about  over coming adversity. But he went straight to the dean of graduate studies who he meet before and made sure to keep a connection, she basically got him in because he showed fire and promise, he barley had to fill out the application. He's now a A student in the program and will finish in a few months. 

[HistoricScout]

This thread is making me feel better. I switched my major from animal science to history during my sophomore year at Purdue because my grades were awful and I didn't like my courses. My final undergrad GPA was 2.95 and my major GPA was a 3.4. I've done volunteer work at a local historical society here in Indy and a former professor has allowed me on two separate occasions to give speeches to the Tippecanoe Civil War Round Table despite not having a pHD. I applied for a museum studies MA program at IUPUI and I'm anxiously awaiting a decision. It makes me feel better to see people with GPAs around mine, getting accepted.