The sub-3.0 GPAs ACCEPTANCE thread

[stukageschwader]

Hello! Another victim of sub 3 GPA spaking!  

 

I plan to apply for a Ph.D. in USA for fall 2016, and I'm just preparing my documents and stuff... Both my B.S. and M.S. schools are the top ones in my country, Turkey...

 

Summarizing:

 

age 26

Undergrad GPA : 2,83

M.S. GPA : 3,31

+2 years of professional work experience

TOEFL IBT : 102

GRE : 170Q, 146V, 3,5AW ( terrible! I'm retaking it a few weeks later)

Good LOR

SOP not written yet.

A few articles are to be published in next months.

 

Do you think that I have a chance for good schools (not top,I know!)?

I plan to apply for the schools in FL.

 

Thanks in advance! 

[nicoleraychelle]

I graduated from my undergrad program with a 2.32. I just could not get it. By the time I graduated I thought I would never even think of going to grad school. Well of course that changed after I got my Social Worker License and was hired by the state to work in the juvenile prisons. Knowing that I would not get into ANY MSW program with a 2.3, I went to an accredited online school and achieved a 3.63 to prove that I can actually do the work (I was so pissed cause I was wondering where my smarts went in undergrad lol).

 

I think that getting my Social Worker License, working for 5+ years in my field (I was hired by my senior year practicum and was blessed enough to become a probation officer by 23 and a parole officer by 26) really helped my chances. However I was rejected by The University of New England because of my SOP...they said I needed to take graduate writing courses, even though I had just graduated from a masters program. Go figure

 

For those who need LOR, keep plugging, especially if you do not have any school references. The one and only reference from my BSW program retired and I have no contact with her anymore. My field practicum teacher refused saying that she wouldn't have anything good to say, even though I received an A in her class *shoulder shrug*. Just be thankful that your teachers are being honest and not black balling you in your attempts to get into a program. Ask your supervisors, clergy, trainers on the job, anyone who you've worked with, ask. Get people who know your character and your work who can vouch for you.

 

I just got accepted into my second MSW school today and am waiting to hear back for two more. So like my signature says, if I can get into grad school then so can you! lol

[stukageschwader]

I hope one day I'll join this topic of sub 3 achievers. 

 

Wohah!

[justanotherlostgrrl]

Yay sub 3's! 2.97 and shocked I got in... but I did.  I got into my dream MFA program, and now the struggle begins

[mseph]

I hope one day I'll join this topic of sub 3 achievers. 

 

Wohah!

You WILL!! I'll be looking forward to see you again here with your achievements. =)

[stukageschwader]

@visgiven

 

Thank youu!! It was soo motivating to read it!

Anyways, I gotta keep searching for advisers 

[gradsoc]

Hello everyone i am also a sub 3 member my uGpa is 2.91 in a scale of four and major was sociology from a public university of Bangladesh.

Now my question is if i make a killing score in GRE and with good SOP and LOR what are the odds for me to get in to a masters programme maybe mid or low rank with a funding in US ? TIA

Edited May 1, 2015 by gradsoc

[ballwera]

Was accepted this year to biomedical sciences programs with a sub 3.0 gpa. Was a very stressful process and glad I won't ever have to go through it again. To anyone looking to apply, be open and honest about your gpa. It's the one part of your application that you have no control over so just own up to it. Good luck to any future applicants, it can be done!

[Crucial BBQ]

Was accepted this year to biomedical sciences programs with a sub 3.0 gpa. Was a very stressful process and glad I won't ever have to go through it again. To anyone looking to apply, be open and honest about your gpa. It's the one part of your application that you have no control over so just own up to it. Good luck to any future applicants, it can be done!

What if you cannot answer this question without sounding like a nutcase?  I have yet to find anyone in my situation to draw inspiration from as my path through undergrad was rather unique.  So unique in fact that no sane person would have chosen the path that I made the deliberate decision to take. 

Edited May 5, 2015 by Crucial BBQ

[Page228]

What if you cannot answer this question without sounding like a nutcase? I have yet to find anyone in my situation to draw inspiration from as my path through undergrad was rather unique. So unique in fact that no sane person would have chosen the path that I made the deliberate decision to take.

I'm also in the unique undergrad boat. Probably different from yours, but still unique and somewhat insane... Unique is tricky. Not impossible, but tricky.

[GradSchoolTruther]

What is the attraction of going to grad school if you had trouble as an undergrad? It doesn't get easier.

[EdNeuroGrl]

What is the attraction of going to grad school if you had trouble as an undergrad? It doesn't get easier.

 

First, there are a lot of reasons one might struggle as an undergrad that don't really reflect potential grad performance.

 

Second, the skills needed to excel in grad school (e.g. writing skill, critical thought, resourcefulness) are not well aligned with undergrad (e.g testing skill, ability to decipher and recite) and so on.

 

Now, as why someone who struggled in their undergraduate work wants to go on... that's pretty individualistic.

 

For me, I want to do research, I am good at it.

 

However I did struggle keeping my grades pretty for my undergraduate degree, there were several reasons for that. Changing majors, mental illness, deaths in the family... It was not because I didn't have the ability to develop the skills, I just hadn't developed them until my junior year...

 

I did make it into a Master's program and frankly I am killing it grades-wise, nearly everything I am graded on is about critical thought, writing, project management... These are all skills I almost never got to use as an undergraduate.

 

It is going to be different for everyone I suspect.

[dr. t]

What is the attraction of going to grad school if you had trouble as an undergrad? It doesn't get easier.

 

Sometimes people just grow up. I know I did.

[zj868]

I can't believe I'm actually posting on here! I dreamt about my turn to post here for the past year! Anyway, my gpa is ~2.9 and I was recently accepted to two top MS programs in my field. One of them was my dream program and I'm still in shock. I had my doubts but now I can reassure everyone here that it is possible!! However, I must say that the process is no walk in the park and there are a lot of key factors that need to be strong on your application to offset a weak GPA. In my case, I had EXCELLENT LORs from well recognized faculty who knew my GPA situation to my professors and so they made sure to address it in my LORs. GRE was another important factor. - you need to ace that quant section (for engineering). Your SOP needs to be very well thought out as well and explain your situation without trying to pity yourself - spin it into a positive. I spent over a week on mine (~4 hrs a day) and I reviewed with some great writers. Get involved in extracurricular activities and obtain leadership positions if possible. Finally, you need to be tenacious and confident. Don't be afraid to contact your program if they take very long. Offer to meet with some faculty member in person or take some quiz to reassure them. Convince them that they need you as part of their program! For all those reading this and currently applying or planning to, I hope I helped and it is possible! 

Edited May 6, 2015 by zj868

[Crafter]

I hope one day I'll join this topic of sub 3 achievers. 

 

Wohah!

 

I really hope one day you will join the list of sub 3 achievers. HOWEVER.... (sorry about this, but I came here out of curiosity and read your post and felt I had to tell you this): 

 

As an international student things will not necessarily go as good as for american posters with stories of sub 3 gpa success. Competition for PhD spots is really hard for international applicants because of the limited amount of funding that can be offered to non US citizens or permanent residents. I read how people with GPA lower than 3 and average or slightly high GRE scores get into good schools in my field, schools that, with better general profile than those applicants I was rejected. I got to understand how relevant funding is if you are an international student.

 

My advise to you would be to apply to several private schools, since they tend to have better funding for us, international applicants.

 

My GPA is higher than 3 and I have an MS from a US school and yet it was hard for me to gain admission because I only applied to 2 private schools (I did not know about funding issues before applying). Fortunately, I was admitted to one of the private schools I applied to.

[HoosierTarheel?]

It's with great pleasure that I can finally post on this board. After graduating with a 2.8 GPA (rounded up) and an economics degree from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, I will be starting the Ph.D program in economics at Indiana University Bloomington. 
Let me be clear about one thing: determination pays off. 
I started my undergraduate career as a total misfit on a misguided path towards a medical career. After beating my head against my course work for the first two semesters, I somehow managed to pull out a 2.1 GPA (again, rounded up). Sometime after, I got my act together and managed to pull everything together over the next three years including taking summer school courses at the London School of Economics. My professors were blunt with me and let me know that I wasn't making it through the advanced economics courses on intellect like my compatriots but by guts and sheer determination. 

After graduating UNC, I went to the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics (which I cannot recommend to anyone in good faith) for a masters in public policy and economics. I have a decent resume including a few working papers and over 2 years of work experience (supervisory job, irrelevant to my field, but still), a mid-range GRE, but would not and will not take no for an answer. 

The point of this monologue?

Perseverance pays dividends.

There is a lot more to this story, though I imagine no one really wants to hear it. My goal is to use my own story and the next 5+ years of my life at IU as a living illustration of what determination and hard work can do for you. If I can go from a 2.1 GPA in 2010 to having a masters degree and being accepted into a U.S.  Ph.D program in 2015, anyone can do it. 

[bambi_86]

One thing to think of, and I know not everyone has this opportunity, is to look beyond the country where you did your undergrad. In my case, I did my undergrad at a European university (in my home country) where a GPA-system isn't used. In fact, no numerical ranking is given for my undergrad coursework. This has really worked in my favor. I slacked off during my first year of undergrad before I realized that I might need good graders for the future. With substantial publishing and work experience, I managed to get into the 2nd highest ranked my program globally in my field. Graduating in two weeks, I will be continuing on to a PhD program at an Ivy-league school. My undergrad self wouldn't believe me if I went back and told him about this... 

 

My point is -- if you're stuck with a crappy GPA, at least entertain the thought of doing your next degree in another country than the one you did your undergrad in. Surprisingly many schools don't seem to know or care about translating grades to their own systems. 

[suhas_anantha]

will doing internships help me during admission to a masters program.. if yes, to what extent ?

im planning to apply for masters in mechanical engineering in US next year, will this finishing school program(link pasted below) help with admissions-http://www.imtmatraining.in/pages/33/Finishing%20School

[rjbbse]

Hi. My undergrad gpa is good. 7.55 in 10 point scale. Did my masters from very good college. Now i have very poor grade with no paper. Do i have any chance in Phd?

[Nanolol]

My undergrad GPA was 2.0, Master's GPA 3.7. Will be starting my PhD in September.

[Crafter]

Hi. My undergrad gpa is good. 7.55 in 10 point scale. Did my masters from very good college. Now i have very poor grade with no paper. Do i have any chance in Phd?

 

I don't know about your chances in gaining admission to a PhD program, several factors come into play.

 

However, I do not think that your 7.55/10 is actually a "good" GPA.

 

For instance, to be eligible for a scholarship, most organizations will require a GPA of 8/10 at least. A 7.55 may be much below 3.0. To be sure, I suggest you calculate your own GPA using the following:

 

7.0-7.9 = C = 2

8.0-8.9 = B = 3

9.0-9.9 = A = 4

 

Use an online GPA calculator or do it yourself by multiplying the grade (converted from your scale to the numerical equivalent in the 4 point scale) by the number of credits. At the end add all the results and divide by the total credits.

 

This conversion tends to be unfair because it is not based on your general average but rather in how many A, B or C you got, so you may end up with a lower GPA than expected. I know this sounds weird, but I had a 8.47 GPA, just 0.03/10 from graduating Cum Laude, but when converted, my GPA is just above 3.2, not that impressive at it is in our grading system.

 

However, if you did well in your MS, that could help in with your undergrad GPA.

 

But, as I said before, it comes down to many factors, so your chances are hard to tell based only in the little info provided in this post (and even when all info is provided, there are many other factors for international students that come to play with admissions (like funding).

[dental88]

My undergrad GPA was 2.0, Master's GPA 3.7. Will be starting my PhD in September.

How did you get into master's' program with 2.0 GPA? I'm in similar situation as you (2.5uGPA) and I really want to get into master's program. Any advice would be helpful!!!

[bhr]

How did you get into master's' program with 2.0 GPA? I'm in similar situation as you (2.5uGPA) and I really want to get into master's program. Any advice would be helpful!!!

I did by closing strong (4.0 in major the year I applied), networked my ass off with professors and students at other programs, and concentrated on why my GPA was so low in my SOP (I took a long break in the middle, which helped)

[KB27]

So I just graduated from a state school with a 2.7. I was fortunate to receive a fulbright grant for this upcoming year and am currently thinking about my future after the grant ends. I have found a grad program that I am very interested in and have a lot of relevant professional and volunteer experience in the field, however the 3.0 requirement is making me really hesitant to apply. I'm just wondering if anyone has any input on if the fulbright combined with my professional experience will likely be able to make up for that .3 difference.

[EdNeuroGrl]

So I just graduated from a state school with a 2.7. I was fortunate to receive a fulbright grant for this upcoming year and am currently thinking about my future after the grant ends. I have found a grad program that I am very interested in and have a lot of relevant professional and volunteer experience in the field, however the 3.0 requirement is making me really hesitant to apply. I'm just wondering if anyone has any input on if the fulbright combined with my professional experience will likely be able to make up for that .3 difference.

 

1 contact the admissions/department and ask them it that is a hard cut off (your app won't even see the light of day) or a soft one where you have a chance. They will likely encourage you to apply anyway, but you may find a way to get them to reveal this info.

 

2 carefully and if possible talk to potential mentors about this. Don't just jump in cause you don't know what they're like or how they'll react but if they respond to a basic inquiry, you could tactfully ask if they felt that x experiences could compensate for a weakness in GPA.