GPA HELP!!

[smartypants14]

I have about a year left. My GPA went down this semester due to getting nothing but B's. I think it is a 3.3 now. What are my chances of bringing it up to a 3.7? or have i already done the damage?

 Any ways to study for the GRE to make up for my low GPA?

 

Any help/ advice. would be great

[bamafan]

Well, you can do the math yourself and see if you can raise it to a 3.7, but I don't think it's going to be easy if possible at all. That said, a 3.3 isn't a death sentence; it's exactly what my GPA is at the moment. You can make up for it with an otherwise stellar application. As for how to study for the GRE, that's its issue -- practice early and often, simple as that. You should know though that a GRE alone won't make up for it; the GRE is a relatively minor aspect of the application, but then again, so is the GPA.

[smartypants14]

why isnt a 3.3 a death sentence? i need at least a 3.6 in my major and possibly over all..what schools have u applied too? What would make an application stellar?

[sugarmilk]

Speech-language pathology master programs are highly competitive. However, they do not simply compare GPAs to select who gets in, they look at the entire package. Résumé/CV, SOP and LOR all make an impact, as well as GPA and GRE. Don't let one bad semester discourage you from working towards your goal.

[smartypants14]

omg thanks sugarmilk!. Exactly what i needed! two bad semesters! omg. I have three more and i am gonna work to bring it up. I just feel like it doesnt accurately show how smart i am. I just think its so low.

 

Any other advice?

[bamafan]

I'm not sure the competitive of your programs, but some of mine are pretty competitive too (accepts only 4-5 per year for instance). This isn't med school. The GPA and GRE are frankly the least important part of your app, far secondary to your SOP, letters of rec, and research/work experience/qualifications. If it comes down to the final spots and you have a comparable app but a lower GPA, you could get cut, but for the most part, GPA/GRE are used more as minimum qualifiers.

 

For instance, the average GPA of one my programs according to the adcom folks when I asked is 3.7. Guess what? I have an interview there. That's why 3.3 isn't a death sentence; you can still get in. It's just not as ideal as a 3.7, but then again, that's not as ideal as a 4.0, if you get my drift. Just make your app the best as can be and your GPA as high as possible and stop fretting about the numbers.

 

edit: Also, you've got 3 semesters left! That's a TON of time. Nothing to worry about at all right now.

Edited December 23, 2012 by bamafan

[rexcordium]

definitely possible, I had a 3.2 my fall semester last year and I now have a 3.6. but it wasn't easy. I got a 3.6 term gpa last semester and a 4.0 this semester, with a total of 18 + 23 units. just work your butt off, you can do it.