grade F in my MA transcript

[Emily Eyefinger]

Dear awesome people,

 

It's all my fault--failing to turn in a final assignment and ending up getting F in one of my courses.

Other than that one course my GPA is pretty sound, and I have a pretty solid background in the area of research interest. Do you think I still have a chance at further pursuing PhD if I invest more time and energy to attending conferences and publishing papers, given that I give out an impression that I am not a lazy butt who just can't manage time? Or is F in the transcript pretty much a death sentence for me as an academic? I'm trying to recover from the devastation and realistically plan for my future. I'm doing my MA in English in Canada. 

[Dr. Old Bill]

It might not be a death knell, per se, but it would need to be explained at length in your SOP. If the rest of your grades are high, and your GPA isn't brought down too low by the F, then I suspect that you might still be able to carry on.

 

Out of curiosity, are you on good terms with the professor who gave you an F? Most professors are loath to hand out failing grades. Usually they'll work with you to rectify the situation. I recall one professor of mine saying in advance of the mandatory final essay "If you don't get it done, just hand in a blank piece of paper with your name and the assignment header on it...that way I can at least give you a completion mark." If it's truly past the point where anything can be done about the grade, perhaps you can at least get a letter from the prof, attesting to the quality of your work up until that point. If you were a reasonably good student, and the professor is a reasonably good person, I wouldn't be surprised if he/she would write a blurb on your behalf in that vein.

 

Either way, I reiterate that I don't think (but cannot know) that this is a certain end-of-the-line issue. It complicates things, to be sure, but if it can be reasonably explained, you might find some sympathetic adcomms out there. They're all human, after all, and are well aware of the pressures of deadlines etc.

 

Good luck!

Edited November 11, 2014 by Wyatt's Torch

[ProfLorax]

If you were an undergrad, I'd be as optimistic at Wyatt's Torch. But at the MA level? I really don't know. When you look at PhD program websites, you'll often see that the average MA GPA for accepted students is pretty close to 4.0. I've been told that a B is a warning grade for MA students, and honestly, I have never heard of an MA student earning an F in a graduate class. Have you talked to the professor about turning the paper in late? What do your advisors say? 

 

Gosh, I hate to be so pessimistic. I really would urge you to talk to your professor. Good luck! I hope you can work something out. 

[zanmato4794]

Your career is not over. I do agree with others that you should try contacting this professor. He or she must know that s/he's potentially foreclosing a possible avenue of your future by letting that grade remain. You literally have nothing to lose by contacting this professor.

 

But let's say worse-case scenario: the F remains.

 

My feeling is that you could still get into a PhD program, perhaps not a top twenty program, but perhaps also not too far below that.

 

The remainder of your application would have to be rather eccentric: high scores, high marks in other classes, outstanding rec letters, a few awards or other accomplishments.

 

If you polish everything else up well enough, that F will say more about the professor who gave it than it will about you.

[mikers86]

My feeling is that you could still get into a PhD program, perhaps not a top twenty program, but perhaps also not too far below that.

 

My feelings differ on this matter. Consider that each top 20 program narrows their potential candidate list to 30 or 40 people (ballpark) and each of these individuals gets scrutinized to a fault, equally deserving of admittance but removed for whatever reason - let's say fit because it's not quantifiable. It's a safe estimate, though not fact, that those who don't end up in a top 20 could potentially be offered admittance to programs just below. Traditionally they have close to a 4.0 as proflorax stated, as I would guess (generalization) those admitted to say the top 50 with an MA.

 

It's far easier to explain away an F when applying to MA programs, but it could potentially set you apart from other PhD applicants in a negative way. You're limited to roughly 2 pages in your SOP, and the space required to adequately explain the situation would take away from selling yourself to the committee. Adcomms are human, but even if they can be persuaded, the grad school may not agree. I don't say this to be pessimistic or deter you from applying and hope it doesn't come off as condescending.

 

All that said, I agree with those above. Speak with the professor if possible to see what can be done about the F. If nothing, then have a letter writer that knows you well explain it in their letter or even that professor. One concern with having that professor address the issue. Make sure they are willing to write about you in a positive manner that will enhance you as an applicant and not just a throwaway letter addressing the F. Every LOR counts. If you aren't sure, see if you can send your application materials to a trusted party outside of your university who can tell you either to include that letter or consider looking elsewhere.

 

It's a difficult position to be in. There's no hard and fast rule about this, but it's an entirely uphill battle and your other materials have to be as perfect as possible. Good luck to you! Please let us know if the situation gets resolved.

Edited November 11, 2014 by mikers86

[hypervodka]

You absolutely have to mention it in your statement of purpose. An F in a Masters-level course sends a terrible signal.

 

As Donald Asher explains it in his book on personal statements, the way you need to present the failing grade is to, firstly, make sure it fits these criteria:

1. It has to be in the past.
2. It has to be resolved.
3. It has to be sympathetic.
4. It should be unlikely to recur in graduate school.

Is the reason you did not turn in the assignment reasonable and understandable?

[surefire]

I can't tell from your post how long ago this took place. If this is a really recent thing, you might have some bureaucratic options.

 

-Sometimes you can request course extensions for a few weeks/months to get a paper turned-in. You generally need to have a good reason and this would have to be VERY recent (like, you would have taken the course in THIS current semester), but just an FYI.

- Every SGS will have a petition and appeals process, so you should consult that. Not sure what Canadian school you're at, but some institutions (like U of T, through their Grad Students' Union) provide academic advocates that can advise you on your options. In any case, you should see what this entails. I get that you're not really debating the "fairness" of the "F" (and I've never been through the academic appeal process so maybe you do need to have a really good reason or a strong case that unfairness took place), but this is still worth exploring. It's possible that there's something in the process that will give you the opportunity to "make it right" or, at least, diminish it in some way on official record.

 

The bureaucratic stuff is worth exploring though. If the "F" is in fact there to stay, you've got lots of good advice above on how to try to re-frame it. Like proflorax, I'm not sure that I'm optimistic, but if you're committed to trying, you've got strong insight here on how to execute. Good luck.

Edited November 11, 2014 by surefire

[Dr. Old Bill]

Just a thought, but even an "Incomplete" would be preferable to an F.

 

If you're an otherwise good/great student, there should be options, and if I were you, I wouldn't rest until I was certain that they were all exhausted.

[lyonessrampant]

Definitely try to get that changed to something, anything else.  When a B in an MA can be the difference, an F certainly will in some programs.  Top 20 programs get applicants with nearly perfect (read strong GRE scores, high GPA for BA or high/near 4.0 MA GPA) and the profiles of many, perhaps even most, students of top 50 programs will be similar as far as stats go.  Stellar writing sample, SOP, and LORs can certainly make a difference, but those usually come into play after the initial cuts have been made on stats, so you might not even get past that cut, in which case stellar everything else might not even be considered.  Definitely, definitely, definitely do anything to get that F changed to anything else.

 

All that said, it doesn't mean you can't get in anywhere.  You've got great advice about how to frame the issue in your SOP, and if you have super high GRE scores and/or subject score, then those might get you through the cut by stats stage.  

[lifealive]

As someone who's now on the other side of this process (meaning I've been hired into academia), I would urge you to get this situation fixed. A B- on a graduate transcript is a red flag (and depending on who's reading the application, a possible KOD); an F could very well stop a committee in its tracks. It's not an issue of "balancing out" the F with high an otherwise fine GPA or high GRE scores or good "fit." Committees do scrutinize transcripts, and a failing grade says a few things (which might not be entirely fair):

 

1. You didn't finish the class. In other words, you took an incomplete that turned into an F--probably because you didn't turn in a final paper. No one wants to admit a candidate who has problems finishing things. Attrition is a major issue in a lot of English grad programs. It hurts the program's statistical profile and sucks away funding (programs don't like to invest money in people who never finish). And yes, having an "I" on a transcript is equally discouraging because of the same issues.

 

2. You had a major problem with the professor. Maybe it was the professor's fault, or maybe it was yours. In any case, whose fault it was probably doesn't matter. It just says you might not get along well with people, and you've opened yourself up to this kind of speculation. Speculation will always follow an F, and it might not be speculation that works in your favor.

 

3. You don't have the initiative to follow through and fix things. Perhaps the F happened for a good reason--you had a family tragedy or a health problem. Still, if this F happened more than a semester ago, then most people would expect you to have fixed it by now.

 

An F in grad school is a big deal. It's not like one loner F in undergrad, where maybe you were having a bad semester or fumbling through organic chemistry before dropping your pre-med major. You are expected to get mostly A's in a grad program. Grad professors know this and most give very good grades. Grad school is your job and you should be treating it seriously.

 

I'm not saying that you'll never get into grad school or that this is the end of the road. No one can really tell you this. Adcoms are quirky entities; some might not care and some might care a lot. You don't have to be a perfect person to get into grad school, but getting into grad school these days is indeed really difficult, and no one here can tell you whether you're "top 20" material or "top 40" (how do people here know these things?--I would have no idea). The only useful advice I can give is to talk to your advisor and talk to your DGS. Talk to as many trusted professors as you possibly can. Perhaps one of your recommenders can address the problem in a letter.

[lyonessrampant]

Certainly no one can tell OP if she or he is "top 20" or whatever material.  What one can do using whatever ranking is collect statistical data on admitted averages on the quantitative elements like GRE and GPA.  Having done this somewhat obsessively before I applied several years ago, those averages say that an F, which for 18 credits with the F counting as 3 credits and the other 15 at A resulting in a 3.3 GPA [using a quick online GPA calculator], is a bar on the quantitative aspect, which is often used as the first way of wading through a pile of applications.

[lifealive]

Certainly no one can tell OP if she or he is "top 20" or whatever material.  What one can do using whatever ranking is collect statistical data on admitted averages on the quantitative elements like GRE and GPA.  Having done this somewhat obsessively before I applied several years ago, those averages say that an F, which for 18 credits with the F counting as 3 credits and the other 15 at A resulting in a 3.3 GPA [using a quick online GPA calculator], is a bar on the quantitative aspect, which is often used as the first way of wading through a pile of applications.

 

Okay, but the average GPA doesn't really seem to be an issue here, as the OP says they still have a pretty good GPA. Even if someone's GPA isn't completely marred by an F, and even if they make it past initial cuts, the F by itself still might be an obstacle. (That's not saying it definitely will, just that it might. And an F can be kind of a red flag for the reasons I've listed--which have nothing to do with someone's average GPA.)

 

Moreover, we don't even know how committees make their initial cuts. I've seen a lot of people say that committees do this, that, and the other thing, when really each committee is very individual, and it's difficult to tell how they assess candidates. Sure, you can look at averages, but they don't tell the whole story because this process is very sloppy and subjective.

[lyonessrampant]

I don't think we're disagreeing that the F is a problem and the OP should try to get that changed if at all possible.  Some schools will post their median GPAs and a few their 25% and 75% (so mean + standard deviation) and a 3.3 grad GPA (or thereabouts) is well below what I've seen.  Unless the credit load for the F is only 1 credit and the OP has 20 (or more) credits of an A, the overall GPA is less than 3.8, which is itself on the lower end when many people applying from an MA have 3.9-4.0 GPAs.  This to say that there are reasons besides the ones you listed, which I agree are valid, to try to get this grade changed.

 

I certainly don't know how all committees make their cuts, but the quantitative as first cut is something that some schools put on their webpages, is something that has been said for specific programs in Chronicle articles, and is also something that comes up on blogs and sites like Semenza's.  Are there exceptions, committees that don't work that way, and averages that hide outliers?  Sure.  But if one must gamble on so much else in this subjective process, gambling on something that is often within a person's control raises the stakes unnecessarily in my opinion.  

 

Bottom line, we're not disagreeing overall here.  I'm responding only to emphasize that there are many, many reasons why getting this F changed is strongly advisable.  If the OP is still in the program (or perhaps even if not. . .no idea but can't hurt to ask) there may be a way to do an extra project to replace the F with even a B-.

[lifealive]

I don't think we're disagreeing that the F is a problem and the OP should try to get that changed if at all possible.  Some schools will post their median GPAs and a few their 25% and 75% (so mean + standard deviation) and a 3.3 grad GPA (or thereabouts) is well below what I've seen.  Unless the credit load for the F is only 1 credit and the OP has 20 (or more) credits of an A, the overall GPA is less than 3.8, which is itself on the lower end when many people applying from an MA have 3.9-4.0 GPAs.  This to say that there are reasons besides the ones you listed, which I agree are valid, to try to get this grade changed.

 

I certainly don't know how all committees make their cuts, but the quantitative as first cut is something that some schools put on their webpages, is something that has been said for specific programs in Chronicle articles, and is also something that comes up on blogs and sites like Semenza's.  Are there exceptions, committees that don't work that way, and averages that hide outliers?  Sure.  But if one must gamble on so much else in this subjective process, gambling on something that is often within a person's control raises the stakes unnecessarily in my opinion.  

 

Bottom line, we're not disagreeing overall here.  I'm responding only to emphasize that there are many, many reasons why getting this F changed is strongly advisable.  If the OP is still in the program (or perhaps even if not. . .no idea but can't hurt to ask) there may be a way to do an extra project to replace the F with even a B-.

 

I definitely agree with you; I just think that an F in a grad class might trump even the best stats simply because it is an F in a grad class. Like, even if your numbers are otherwise perfect and your GPA is high (which might not be mathematically possible, as you pointed out), an F in graduate-level coursework is still a rather urgent matter that might undermine other aspects of a really-good application. So that's the point that I wasn't expressing all that well: these programs don't simply put your numbers on a spreadsheet and slash everyone who doesn't make the cut. They do look at things like your transcript and letters of recommendation too. It's hard to get anything by them, especially when the applicant pool is so competitive these days. I was responding to the idea that you could "offset" an F by working really hard on other aspects of the application. I'm not so optimistic that that's possible. And I'm also not sure if GPA really shakes down by "top 20" or "top 50" groupings. It's just impossible to tell these days what a "top 20" or "top 50" GPA looks like. I'm guessing there really isn't much difference. (All major programs are competitive.)

 

Also, your grad GPA is held to a much higher standard than your undergrad GPA, if only for the fact that you're supposed to be really good at English at this stage.

Edited November 12, 2014 by lifealive

[Between Fields]

To be frank, an F in a grad class is like rolling a natural 0 in Dungeons and Dragons--it's a critical failure, beyond simply passing the skill test that was the course, and it's going to have repercussions. I'm sure the OP knows this, though. I'm not sure that an F can be explained away in a personal statement, not thinking about rankings at all, when it comes to PhD programs. Undergrad is the time when you can make those sorts of mistakes and the MA is where you fix them. It'd take another year (or two years maybe) of solid A work to demonstrate upward trajectory from that grade. A B would mean you did all the stuff and it just didn't pan out for you. An F means you've failed somehow in studenting (as one of my professors puts it), and that's a definite red flag for a committee who's going to be deciding whether or not to invest in you for five years of funding and energy.

[heliogabalus]

I've never even heard of anyone getting an F in grad school... People are trying to be nice, but my guess would be that a PhD isn't in the cards for you. From the writing in the post, am I right in guessing that you are a foreign national studying and paying international fees? Schools are so hungry for money from foreign applicants (esp. from China where a PhD is immensely prestigious and opens so many doors) that at the MA-level, I think they might be tempted to take some weak applicants. With the F it sounds like the professor is trying to send a clear message to you and admissions committees that he believes you should not do a PhD. Also, can you get an MA with an F? I thought that you could not get an MA if you got anything lower than a C (or even a C, which is basically an F in grad school).

[1Q84]

I've never even heard of anyone getting an F in grad school... People are trying to be nice, but my guess would be that a PhD isn't in the cards for you. 

 

 

Agreed. I know the mantra around here is to stress the holistic approach to evaluation to which many adcomms adhere, but an F in a master's program is severe. It's basically the equivalent of a "DO NOT HIRE." 

I think the most helpful thing that we should communicate to this person now is the trouble that they are in. It really would take another MA degree to even come close to having leeway to explain away an F.

[heliogabalus]

"It really would take another MA degree to even come close to having leeway to explain away an F." -- This sounds right.

[Between Fields]

Also, can you get an MA with an F? I thought that you could not get an MA if you got anything lower than a C (or even a C, which is basically an F in grad school).

 

A number of universities won't count a 'C' towards the program, but the terminate/dismiss/prohibit from getting an MA policy is often something like two classes worth of C or lower work. So, it's theoretically possible to get an F and get the degree still. (This of course varies from school to school, but it's the most common policy I've seen.)