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How much does GPA matter for PhD admissions?


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I have a 3.3 cumulative GPA from a top 20 school, but the majority of my classes have been 300 and 400 level classes.

My Sociology GPA is a 3.75.

My GRE scores are in the mid-80th percentile for each.

How much does your GPA matter in admissions?

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It can depend on your major. If your major has a reputation as being very difficult or having grade deflation (e.g. engineering), then a lower GPA might not reflect so badly on you. Also, some schools claim to care only about GPA in the second two years of undergrad (though they request your whole transcript). Moreover, GPA is a tricky metric because it's hard to compare across institutions and programs. That's why the GRE is so critical.

All that being said, GPA matters. It might be worth it to apply to some masters programs as backups. That will give you an opportunity to improve on a week undergrad GPA while making connections and getting a paper into the publication pipeline. Funded programs do exist, and you can search these boards to find some good ones.

Also, don't think that admissions is all a numbers game. I'm not sure we've collected much data, but the consensus around here is that factors like research experience and the quality of your statement of purpose are of critical importance (though perhaps only as a qualitative measure after applicants have been sorted by GPA/GRE).

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It 100% depends on the admissions committee members. I'm sure some expect near perfection, some don't care. I'm sure some want a high overall, some only care about your major. No way of telling.

I had a 3.26 overall with an in major something higher, I forget, from an elite school known for <em>not</em> having grade inflation. I got into a top ten soc phd program. But my GRE was 1580. After coming here, I found out who was on the committee and how they worked. One guy did a presort and he claimed that he didn't look at GPA at all ("it doesn't mean anything any more with grade inflation") but he did pay close attention to alma mater (thinking that a school was a better indication of level of education than grades) and GRE ("the only way to make across the board comparisons"). I got in. They wanted me and were like, "Im sure you have a ton of other offers, but here's why we're the best for you.". I had no other offers (I only applied to 5 schools). However, if applied the next year with a different committee, who knows!

I'm relating this story not because it's the way school should or commonly do judge, but because it shows that admissions are unbelievably ideosyncratic and are based so much on not just the school, but the character of the people on the committee for that year. One of my friends got rejected by a program and later happened to meet with someone from the admissions committee who said, "Oh we actually wanted you but were afraid you'd work with X and we're trying to get rid of him." Another one of my friends was geographically restricted because of her husband's job and applied to all of the schools in her area. She was doing gender and got rejected from the one that had a gender subfield and into the (higher ranked) school where no one was doing gender (no faculty, no students). The second school, however, just saw somethings in her background that they realky liked and figured if they taught her organizations or whatever, she could learn the gender stuff on her own. Anyone who says "schools count this one thing in this way" is deluding themselves. It's just such an unpredictable process, which is why it's important to apply to a range of schools and not just have your heart set on one or two.

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How likely am I to get into a phd program with a 3.6 g.p.a. ? I just finished my MA in Soc... I have three strong letters of recommendation, some extracurricular work in the field, and 80th percentile GRE's. What are your thoughts? Thanks.

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How likely am I to get into a phd program with a 3.6 g.p.a. ? I just finished my MA in Soc... I have three strong letters of recommendation, some extracurricular work in the field, and 80th percentile GRE's. What are your thoughts? Thanks.

Likely. Just apply widely, tailor your application the programs you want to attend, and recognize now that nothing is guaranteed.

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  • 3 years later...

GPA does matter, but primarily if it's notably low. If it' a GPA of 3.0 or below, that's a red flag for committees. Between 3.0-3.3 would be considered mediocre, though technically can be overlooked. Anything above a 3.7 should be considered good.

The fact that top schools have average accepted GPAs of around 3.8 is probably due to the fact that students with high GPA are also more likely to have higher quality applications, overall. (As opposed to the GPA in itself being so heavily weighted.)

Edited by iemons
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What kind of Phd programs can I get in with Master (Soc) GPA 3.64, GRE verbal 152, Quant 163, two strong LORs, 2 year RA experiences. 

I'm thinking about NYU, CUNY-grad, Penn State, Stony Brook...

You should retake the GREs. Your verbal is quite low, and would be a red flag for the admission committees. If not, you should consider taking TOEFL and getting a high score on it. (I assume you're an international student.)

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You should retake the GREs. Your verbal is quite low, and would be a red flag for the admission committees. If not, you should consider taking TOEFL and getting a high score on it. (I assume you're an international student.)

Thank you. I thought so too. I am retaking in Nov, but the new scores will miss several schools' deadlines in Dec.  (I am an international student.)

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On 10/27/2015, 12:16:29, iemons said:

Yeah, that's unfortunate. Some schools are okay with it being late; others are not. Well, if you get rejected this year, you have an entire year to work on the GRE.

Yeah. I applied to a wide range of schools (18), really don't want to wait for another year.

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