Advice for a Worried Sophomore Year Undergrad

[caroline16]

I am a second-semester sophomore student at a relatively unknown small liberal arts college in New England. Since I started college, I have developed my interest in government/public policy in different ways: I have interned and shadowed with the local and state Department of Transportation and have done mapping for a local Metropolitan Planning Organization. I have also worked as a college admissions counselor to low-income/underpriviledged students and created awareness of unequal education in my region. I continue to work hard and seek opportunities in this field - because I really find it interesting and something I really want to do! I continue to shadow and am seeking summer government internship opportunities right now. After graduation, I hope to obtain an MPA or MPP and work in urban/transportation policy.

 

Despite my interest, I am worried - I have a very low GPA - a 3.0. I was originally an Engineering major (because my parental pressures and as a low-income/first-generation student, the fear of not being able to obtain a high enough paying job after graduation) and really struggled. I was an Engineering major until I was able to convince my parents that Engineering was not right for me and I have an interest and strength in Public Policy/Government. I don't think graduate schools are really going to care that the reason why my GPA is low is because I was an Engineering major though. I feel like I will still be competing with students who started well and continued to do well. As a low-income/first-generation student, I am worried that a low-ranked MPA program won't fund me enough and I will put a huge strain on my family for pursuing a graduate education.

 

Which makes me worried. Honestly, if I get a 4.0 GPA from now on, I still will get around a 3.4 and 3.5 GPA which is okay. However, my flagship university MPA program (University of Albany, New York) GPA average is a 3.6 to 3.7.

 

I am not sure of what to do. I feel that I am doing the right thing but continuing to pursue internships in the field and changing to a major that suits my interests (and hopefully, can give me better grades), but I am still worried. Do you have other advice for me (especially since I am a low-income and first generation college student)? 

 

 

[MathCat]

Don't panic. Grad schools care far more about grades in your major and especially in your final two years - it is unlikely they will put much weight on your engineering grades.

[Hina]

Caroline, 

 

I can relate to your worries. I come from a low-income family and am also first generation. 

 

As MathCat said, I wouldn't worry too much about your GPA. There are so many different parts of an application, and from my research, GPA isn't going to get you into a school or keep you out (unless it's REALLY low). The great thing is that you are thinking about this early, and you have time to change components of your ungrad experience and your extra-curriculars to set you up for success in the future. I loved being a Government major, but if I could do it again, I would try to do a double major to have a fall back career option as well. I minored in business but I think majoring in Business would have been a great asset for the future. My brother (who majored in Business) was a consultant in the federal practice at his firm and made great money. If you are in the business school, large firms will usually come to recruit at your school and make finding a well paying job easier. 

 

I've been out of school for about 5 years and work for a state government agency. I love my job but it's in the mid-range on the pay scale. I'm now applying for grad school to get a MA and MBA dual degree. I'm going to shoot for federal government jobs and/or consulting jobs in the federal practice. 

 

I completely understand your worries. Being first general and from a low-income family is very tough. When I first told my parents I no longer wanted to be a lawyer, and would rather work in the public sector for a fraction of the salary, they were not happy. But I do think there are ways to have the best of both worlds, a good stable income and a job you love. Anyway, let me know if you'd like to chat more. I'd love to help in any way I can!

[chocolatecheesecake]

Just to chime in, I don't think 3.0 is really all that low, and as people have mentioned, public policy schools will care about what kind of courses you got those grades in. Since it wasn't politics or micro or stats, you're definitely better off than the GPA suggests. By the time you apply, if you want to show that the low GPA isn't because you can't knock it out of the park on quantitative stuff, take a few extra accredited courses at a community college or online and get As on those. That's a great idea before you apply.

 

Professional experience means a lot, lot more for public policy grad school. The kind of places you have begun to work at are ideal for someone who wants to do a graduate degree later on, so put in a few years at more of these types of organizations or agencies or deepen your relationship with one and work full-time for a while (and incidentally, maybe save up a bit for school). Learn more about the field that you're interested in and figure out if you really want to work there full time before you decide to apply to grad school. 

[rising_star]

I think your GPA is fine. What you really need is good experience and a solid SOP to really explain why you want the MPA. If you're interested in mapping, you may be able to find a GIS summer internship somewhere, possibly even for a government agency. You might also want to look into some of the NSF REUs that have a policy focus. A few that come to mind are at UT Austin on crime and punishment and one at University of South Florida combining social sciences and engineering. If you google "NSF REU" you can find a searchable list of the programs. While research experience isn't mandatory, it is definitely helpful. REU programs are great because their stipend is larger than pretty much any summer job you can find. You could also look into SURF (summer undergraduate research fellowship) programs and possibly opportunities available for first gen students specifically as well. Good luck!

[caroline16]

Thank you everyone for the responses! I was relatively worried at first. My grades have all been posted and my cumulative GPA is 3.1 (slightly better than expected). However, for my new major (Urban Studies, I am most interested in working in urban and transportation policy) is a 3.83.

So as long as I keep on improving with my new major, I will be okay?

[ccorc3]

I attended UAlbany Rockefeller (albeit undergrad) and know a bit about the graduate program and the admissions. While you're not dead from the GPA, I would suggest getting it up to at least a 3.4 to 3.5 range. They will definitely overlook your freshman and sophomore years if you do that much better your junior and senior year. They value relevant internship experience, and work in government will definitely help. It's a very good school if you want to work in state government or bureaucracy. You'll be fine if you do what you plan to do.

 

Don't worry, it's the worst thing you can do. Just focus on your work and enjoy college. Life is about balance.

[rising_star]

caroline, keep improving your grades but also make sure you continue to gain relevant experience through internships and summer employment. And, try to take courses in your areas of interest. You may even try to do an independent study or thesis to further pursue your interests.

[ridofme]

Assuming you keep your upward trajectory, I would not be concerned at all. My final GPA was close to your target for the end of your degree, and I got into a bunch of schools with funding offers, all of which were more competitive programs than Albany. And while my grades followed an upward trajectory over time, I did get a few bad marks in classes relevant to my major. I think you'll find that the amount of grade inflation really varies across colleges and programs, and grad schools know this. They will not mistake a C in Organic Chem with a C in Intro to Writing Composition.