Extended undergrad and 2.8 GPA - any chance?

[Bhodi]

I graduated last year with a 2.8 GPA. I've recently taken the GRE in preparation for applying to graduate schools. There was an issue, however, that extended my time as an undergrad, as explained below.

History: I went to a community college and did well, then transferred to a 4 year state school. I changed majors about a year in at said state school. This was probably around 2006.

Extended undegrad explanation: I cut my course load down a bit, so I could have graduated in Fall of 2009. There were two credits, however (single credit - portfolio review and senior thesis) that I needed in order to graduate. Due to small class sizes I was shut out of registration and had to wait a year for the credits to be offered again. During this time I agreed to work with my advisor to develop and complete my senior thesis.

Communication with said advisor became worse over this time period. I don't want to start whining, but it began taking this person a month + to respond to my email(s) with excuses as to why they hadn't found time to look over my draft. Though I wasn't an official student in the interim - and can thus understand not being moderate on the priority list - the lack of feedback (in conjunction careless excuses) was at times frustrating.

Months had gone by after I sent a draft in for review that I received a response; my advisor had sent a "surprise! you're graduating!" letter (I can only gather the thesis draft was too horrible to acknowledge as they made no mention of it). He/she had spoken to the head of the department, who granted a substitution of past credits for the two credits I had been waiting about a year to take. Though I was glad to hear this, I was also disappointed that 1) I had spent this time hashing out a (likely unread) thesis while waiting to take courses I didn't end up needing and 2) I was leaving college without having a portfolio to review or a senior thesis (which I thought was supposed to be the culmination of the previous years of study).

As stated above, I received my degree last year with a 2.8 GPA. Since then I have taken the GRE and have been considering graduate school. My major is all but useless without an MA (research + art). I've been hesitant to even apply as my GPA isn't impressive, I don't have professional experience that ties in with my major, and the length of time it took to receive this degree is atrocious.

I'm curious how valid worrying about this undergrad time length is when it comes to admissions. I would also be interested in listening to any options one might have to a next step, as I have been feeling progressively stuck.

Thanks for letting me vent some frustration.

Edited June 15, 2012 by Bhodi

[JMO]

I graduated last year with a 2.8 GPA. I've recently taken the GRE in preparation for applying to graduate schools. There was an issue, however, that extended my time as an undergrad, as explained below.

History: I went to a community college and did well, then transferred to a 4 year state school. I changed majors about a year in at said state school. This was probably around 2006.

Extended undegrad explanation: I cut my course load down a bit, so I could have graduated in Fall of 2009. There were two credits, however (single credit - portfolio review and senior thesis) that I needed in order to graduate. Due to small class sizes I was shut out of registration and had to wait a year for the credits to be offered again. During this time I agreed to work with my advisor to develop and complete my senior thesis.

Communication with said advisor became worse over this time period. I don't want to start whining, but it began taking this person a month + to respond to my email(s) with excuses as to why they hadn't found time to look over my draft. Though I wasn't an official student in the interim - and can thus understand not being moderate on the priority list - the lack of feedback (in conjunction careless excuses) was at times frustrating.

Months had gone by after I sent a draft in for review that I received a response; my advisor had sent a "surprise! you're graduating!" letter (I can only gather the thesis draft was too horrible to acknowledge as they made no mention of it). He/she had spoken to the head of the department, who granted a substitution of past credits for the two credits I had been waiting about a year to take. Though I was glad to hear this, I was also disappointed that 1) I had spent this time hashing out a (likely unread) thesis while waiting to take courses I didn't end up needing and 2) I was leaving college without having a portfolio to review or a senior thesis (which I thought was supposed to be the culmination of the previous years of study).

As stated above, I received my degree last year with a 2.8 GPA. Since then I have taken the GRE and have been considering graduate school. My major is all but useless without an MA (research + art). I've been hesitant to even apply as my GPA isn't impressive, I don't have professional experience that ties in with my major, and the length of time it took to receive this degree is atrocious.

I'm curious how valid worrying about this undergrad time length is when it comes to admissions. I would also be interested in listening to any options one might have to a next step, as I have been feeling progressively stuck.

Thanks for letting me vent some frustration.

You need some experience, of course in this economy that is easier said than done, you also want to be able to eat. Top schools for your major are generally very small and even with a graduate degree sometime you still end up on the streets. Your best bet may be to get some experience and apply to alright graduate programs, then do well and apply for a phd or another master at a better school...that is if you have an unlimited supply of money, which I assume you don't. I am sorry to say that a 2.8 GPA with no kind of great story or extracurricular activities is a hard sell anywhere.

[Bhodi]

Yes, that seems to be the paradox: need experience, yet most positions in the arts (for entry level) are internships or part time, neither of which I could survive off of. I may go back to school (undergrad) for a second Bachelors as it seems I really don't have much of a shot at graduate school (e.g. impressive enough track record to get an assistantship or tuition remission).

Edited June 29, 2012 by Bhodi

[TheFez]

Just curious - how are your GREs?

Comment: I got shut out of registration all the time as an UG. You go to the first class anyway, you talk to the professor, then go to the department and 99% of the time they will add you.

I don't think the length of time to get your degree is a problem. Many students have interrupted learning. I did. I think the problem is 1) Your explanation seems weak and yes, whiney. 2)Your performance is poor. 2.8 GPA without a lot of other good stuff (GREs, research, solid LORs, a strong SOP don't put you in a very strong position.

[Bhodi]

Well I relied too heavily on my advisor, getting to the point of becoming dependent on her. A number of factors including depression, codependency on said advisor and realizing my major (art history) wasn't for me contributed to frustration and wasted time. That may not be a valid excuse to others, but that was regrettably my mental state the time. It was too late to switch majors, so even though I kind of mentally resigned from it, I knew it it would be foolish to not get the degree.

I have no intention of pursuing art history in the future and would prefer to go into something more along the lines of applied art (Industrial Design).

My GRE verbal and analytical writing are about average (48th percentile), while quantitive is pretty poor (19th percentile).

[Sigaba]

I would also be interested in listening to any options one might have to a next step, as I have been feeling progressively stuck.

Notwithstanding your sense of frustration, I recommend that you work on your mindset. If you don't want to start "whining," then don't start.

Do what you can to have a candid conversation with yourself that centers around the choices and decisions you made. Break down those choices and decisions and develop a list of "lessons learned." To the extent possible, apply those lessons as you figure out your next steps. If you engage in such an exercise, avoid letting it turn into a session of self-flagellation. Focus on developing a "to do" list and not a "failed to do" list.

At present, your narrative is that of a person who found reasons not to put forth maximum effort to reach one's goals. In my opinion, the opportunity before you is to develop options and to take steps where you can build a fact-pattern that changes the trajectory of that narrative.

Also, break the habit of saying your undergraduate major is "all but useless." If you have no faith in the work you've done and the training you've received, why should anyone else?