(serious) Low GPA from Good School, taken into account by Admissions panel?

[bernsbry11]

Hi all, I'd like to ask a question that's been weighing on my mind. I have a degree from National University of Singapore (NUS) with at gpa of 2.9. It's extremely low, I know.

But for those that are not familiar with Singapore, you should know NUS is a brutal killing field and grades on a controversial bell curve. It's college that constantly ranks in the Top 20. I didn't do well in my uni years and went through all the similar things mentioned here by others like depression etc

I'd recently applied for a few European universities for their grad programmes and was rejected. But looking through their websites and current list of students made me feel even more uneasy. Several of the students were from unranked universities in Indonesia, India etc. Googling further on these universities you'd come to realise they don't even have stable websites!

But given the fact they were given admission, means their grades were good. Speaking to several indonesian peers, they told me of the various dubious ways of several colleges in their country and their grading procedures.

My questions is this, how can an admission panel differentiate between a low GPA from a top college vs a good GPA from a college with dubious standing?

Does an admission panel simply place them on an even playing field?

[cs_phd]

No, they consider the university but it is one of the criteria. You need to mention (tell that it is in top 10 in the world and how difficult it is to enter there and get good gpa) about your university in your sop and also mention about the reason for your gpa. If you can demonstrate that with some good research experience or some projects you have worked under professors, then it will add to it. Also, in such cases, good recommendation letters matter to offset the gpa. University rank is one criterion. Consult some seniors or professors whom you are close with to discuss what was in your application and how exactly you can improve your choices.

[random_grad]

Consider doing a transitional degree: a (second) MA or a graduate certificate relevant to your field, in which you get a 4.0 GPA to show that you can do well. This would substantiate your words with hard evidence. Without that it's really hard to differentiate between a person who has potential and a person who'll never be able to do well.

[brown_eyed_girl]

I've heard that if a school has a reputation for grade inflation or deflation that is taken into account - for example a 3.5 from UC Berkeley may mean more to admissions committees than a 4.0 from Nebraska State. That may not help you, however, if you don't meet a graduate school's cutoff GPA. Did you ask your schools whether they had a minimum GPA requirement before applying? The good news is that if the cutoff was a 3.0, which it often is, you aren't far from it. If I were you, I'd sign up for some courses at a local college with a less draconian grading policy and do as well in them as possible. Getting As in several new courses should push you over the 3.0 threshold. I'd also take a look at the "sub-3.0 GPA acceptance thread" to see if others can give you advice on what has worked for them and possibly what programs to target. 

[MathCat]

No, they consider the university but it is one of the criteria. You need to mention (tell that it is in top 10 in the world and how difficult it is to enter there and get good gpa) about your university in your sop and also mention about the reason for your gpa. If you can demonstrate that with some good research experience or some projects you have worked under professors, then it will add to it. Also, in such cases, good recommendation letters matter to offset the gpa. University rank is one criterion. Consult some seniors or professors whom you are close with to discuss what was in your application and how exactly you can improve your choices.

If this is the grading scheme of the university, I would ask a letter writer to explain it in their letter, rather than wasting SOP space on what could just sound like an excuse (since it's coming from the student).

[bernsbry11]

Thanks guys for the helpful responses. Was feeling quite hopeless in my situation and realise I'm not doomed.

[gradcoffee]

Is that your actual CAP on NUS' 5-point scale or did you convert it into a 4-point scale? If it's the latter, you really shouldn't be converting your CAP on your own; you should check out external agencies such as WES for conversion of grades ().

 

Also, have you considered UK universities which are presumably more familiar with applications from Singapore?

[Marst]

Unfortunately for you, in terms of admission (especially to European universities) it is often better to come first in your class in a lower ranked university than it is to be mediocre at a higher ranked university. Where does your GPA place you, class rank wise?

[brianf2i]

Consider doing a transitional degree: a (second) MA or a graduate certificate relevant to your field, in which you get a 4.0 GPA to show that you can do well. This would substantiate your words with hard evidence. Without that it's really hard to differentiate between a person who has potential and a person who'll never be able to do well.

This is what I did. My undergraduate GPA was awful, but I knew of a program that would let me go for my MS. I finished it with a 3.9 GPA and the acceptances for my PhD applications rolled in (I still addressed my low GPA in my SoP, as previous posters have also suggested). I used the same logic. I figured that if I proved I could finish an MS, then that would demonstrate that there is a good (or, at least, a better) chance of finishing a PhD program.

[cs_phd]

did you try this like others suggested: http://www.wes.org/students/igpacalc.asp

 

This converts your 3.9/5 to GPA on scale of 4. I think you would get a better rating. You can apply to US schools.

[Sword_Saint]

Unfortunately for you, in terms of admission (especially to European universities) it is often better to come first in your class in a lower ranked university than it is to be mediocre at a higher ranked university. Where does your GPA place you, class rank wise?

 

Along a similar train of thought, I'm of the belief that school ranking overall is less important than ranking or situation for your particular discipline at that university. For example, my undergrad was at a university with a low ranking (high acceptance rate, low graduation rate) but my discipline at that university was very good and known about by the schools I applied to. This could be another consideration. 

[random_grad]

Consider asking schools reasons for denial. it might be other than GPA.