Getting in with a 3.0 and an F on the transcript - not likely? (Communications)

[hopeful80]

Hey guys,

I touched on this before, but I have a 3.04 (to be specific) from a Top 10 Undergrad BBA program, and I'm applying to a few high calibur Corporate Communication/PR programs. OK to be specific - Columbia, Northwestern IMC, Georgetown, USC, NYU, and BU. No, it ain't science or law, but I was just wondering if any of you had insight/feedback on likelihood of being accepted. I do have some experience with Comm/PR related stuff in my undergrad and post grad, so I hope that will help, though it's all less than a year.

For example, Columbia requires a 3.0 minimum GPA, but err ... I barely meet the cut off. I take the GRE this Saturday and am aiming for at least a 160 in each section. I know, it's not spectacular, but most likely it's what I'm going to make (maybe verbal will be a little higher, if I can push it up to a 165 by then I'd be ecstatic.)

The other thing is ... I'm ashamed to admit ... I did get an F in one class. I won't go into the dirty details but some issues occured during college, and of course at the time I wasn't even considering grad school. Some of you have advised me to wait a year before applying again, which I appreciate, but I still think I'm going to try this time around for kicks. I'm a pretty good writer, so hopefully I can impress with my essay.

Any thoughts? What would I need on my GRE to make up for this? My letters of Rec are from old bosses, but they're at smaller, private companies.

Thanks and good luck with your process!

Edited December 10, 2012 by hopeful80

[bamafan]

Get perfect or near perfect on your GRE. There's really nothing you can do to offset it, it will be a glaring black mark, but if the rest of your app is stellar, you can still get in.

Also, be sure to write very, very well... without spelling errors like calibur...

[hopeful80]

Oooh lord haha, my bad. Writing's nice, spelling not so much... Excuse me. CALIBER

I mean, what would you consider a "stellar GRE?" Like a 330 or above?

[ZacharyObama]

I have slightly less than a 3.0 and one D from a sociology class where the professor just didn't like my political beliefs (slightly Marxist). I didn't address it all because frankly nothing comes off worse than whining/look weak IMHO. I would just aim for as strong an application as possible. I also think it helps to reminder that most reasonable people know that no one is perfect and that if they look perfect it's probably just too good to be true. Do your best on everything else and to hell with a low GPA!

[hopeful80]

I have slightly less than a 3.0 and one D from a sociology class where the professor just didn't like my political beliefs (slightly Marxist). I didn't address it all because frankly nothing comes off worse than whining/look weak IMHO. I would just aim for as strong an application as possible. I also think it helps to reminder that most reasonable people know that no one is perfect and that if they look perfect it's probably just too good to be true. Do your best on everything else and to hell with a low GPA!

Ack, getting a D just cause your prof didn't respect your views? That's harsh, man! Thanks for the encouragement, take the GRE on Sat so I'm hoping I'll kick butt I'm applying to USC too btw! Best of luck with your app process!

[ZacharyObama]

Annenberg?

Yeah, what can I say, I didn't think the workers in the factory were content "to play the game" just because they were productive "making-out" without a more critical interview process. From then on it was all downhill...I should have dropped the course but pride and optimism got the better of me in that course. But is this worth time in a statement of purpose? Nah. You're in communications, the application process is largely a game to be played with ruthlessness. Show weakness in your app, and it's going to be exploited.

Good luck to you.

Edited December 13, 2012 by ZacharyObama