GRE can make up for lackluster GPA?

[Madeleina]

My plans have just recently shifted. I've spent the past three years preparing for law school, and consequentlly I'm more familiar with that process. In case you aren't, a super impressive LSAT score can almost always override an unimpressive GPA (at least if it's over a 3.0).

I'll be taking the GRE for the first time in the fall, but my GPA from undergrad was a lowly 3.02 + 3.92 study abroad semester. Would it be terribly difficult to get into a wonderful humanities MA program with this GPA and an impressive GRE score? Or is it different for grad school? Do soft factors...like professional statement and resume...have significant weight?

[twocosmicfish]

3.00 is the bare minimum at most schools, so you barely clear the bar (not counting your semester abroad). GRE's will help, but the biggest factor is research, as evidenced in your publications (if any), SOP, and LOR's.

[lauraeli]

My GPA isn't all that much higher than yours (3.24 or something) and I got into NYU and Brandeis for MA programs. I had a really rockin' verbal GRE score, a terrible math one, and a pretty good analytical writing score. My SOPs and LORs were pretty fab.

I didn't get tons of funding (but still, got some!!) but i did get in.

[Madeleina]

I calculated yesterday that my GPA in my major was a 3.4. Yaaaaay. Plus, I have some pretty decent soft factors. We'll see.

I applied to the University of London yesterday for funzies.

Maybe they'll ignore those horrible math and science grades. :/

[Stories]

I had a poor uGPA (2.85), average gGPA (3.45), average GRE scores (520V, 730Q, 5AW), but a great SoP and LoRs. I got into schools just fine.

[Morrius]

Hmm. I had a 2.6 GPA, a 1400+ GRE with 5.5 AW, and I could not get in anywhere until I had two journal publications in hand.

I think the 3.0 isn't a hard cutoff number, but your chances will certainly dip.