GPA Questions

[Tom2230]

Hoping to hear from somebody with experience! (IE has been accepted before). I'm going to be applying to Master's programs for fall '13 and have a few questions...

I am a senior at Auburn university. My current GPA is seemingly kind of low, by the end of the semester it will be a 2.95 (Official). My first year of college, Physics, Spanish, helped attribute to this low score. I am confident that my GPA when I graduate (in May) will be over a 3.00.

My real question is will my final GPA even matter to the schools I apply for next fall? Most applications (if not all) are due early in the spring, so the only GPA they will be looking at will be lacking my final semester of credits. Also, even with a GPA of 2.95 what are my chances of being accepted into ANY masters programs? I am taking the GRE next month, and I have research experience (past and current) in an IO Lab with one of my professors.

If it helps, my three top prospective schools are: Middle-Tennessee State Unv. , Tennessee-Chattanooga, App. State.

Thanks.

[3point14]

GPA will matter, but it's not necessarily an application killer. My GPA ended up being a 3.1. Most of the schools I applied to didn't specify a minimum GPA, but some do and this cutoff is usually lower for masters programs. In my applications, my research experience and LoRs carried more weight.

Edited September 14, 2012 by 3point14

[psychdork]

I was the graduate student representative for my master's program's admissions committee for the past 2 years. Although everyone on the committee preferred a minimum 3.0 gpa (and I believe that is what is listed on the website), if an applicant had a gpa that was lower than a 3.0 we did take into consideration the other aspects of their application (gre, research experience, etc.). A 2.95 is not that much lower than a 3.0 so I would imagine you will be fine...we were more concerned when someone had a 2.3 gpa, or something of that nature. Now there are no guarantees, but if other parts of your application are strong, I would not worry (much) about it.

[Tom2230]

Thanks a lot guys, very helpful replies.

[digits2006]

I did my undergrad at one of those schools. Those are stepping stone programs. I would hope they would expect people to not have the best GPA. The school is there to help you along the way to your PhD.

[Quant_Liz_Lemon]

Some graduate schools have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0.

[Engali]

As you might know, App State uses a formula that uses your GPA and GRE scores to determine whether you will make it past the first cut. If so, I'm pretty sure your research experience, especially since it is I/O focused, will make a much bigger difference when they're trying to decide between you and someone else. The formula is posted somewhere on their website.

[watson]

Your GPA from your final spring semester is unlikely to factor into applications. Most decisions are made long before that info becomes available. That said, a 2.95 may still get you into a masters program, especially if a letter writer can address it (perhaps pointing out your GPA just in your major, or discussing improvement over time/GPA in the past year).