How forgiving of early year grades?

[aqualilies]

So I'm just wondering how forgiving grad schools are when looking at grades for the first few years. My first three semesters  of undergrad I was in a biology program and did terribly. I did decently on my humanities courses, but my math/science courses were bad, some of which I retook and got better scores. I was just in the wrong school with the wrong major and my GPA was about 2.2 when I left.

I decided it wasn't worth staying there, doing terribly, and wasting money.  I decided to move back home, get a job, and just take a few community college courses (which I did much better in, including the science courses). I graduated and got my AA and a GPA of about 3.0. I then transferred to my current school where I switched my major to English.

For the past two years at my current school I have done much better. My GPA for my current school is a 3.89 and I've managed to raise my overall GPA to a 3.5 (hopefully 3.6 after this semester). I have some great professors writing my letters of recommendation, and the professor I have been working on my writing sample with says it has the potential to be published.

I'm not planning on going to Harvard or anything, I'd just like to get into a mid-level English PhD program. Do you think that's feasible? Any suggestions for places like that along the east coast especially around Boston?

Any input appreciated!

 

[dr. t]

If the experience of this forum is any guide, you will probably have to go get an MA before you have a serious shot at a good program.

[ExponentialDecay]

So, I don't know what it's like coming from a state comprehensive, but at my alma mater we have been told that your grades in irrelevant subjects will not have much impact on your application. 

 

Around Boston, the most decent place with funding is UMass. Of course the flagship is 2 hours out from Boston and the funding is ~$16k.

[kurayamino]

I went to a number of schools before I ended up in my last school and major. I think I had a 1.7 GPA from my first community college where I was majoring in photography. The next school I had a 2.7 in psychology and then finally in English a 3.9.

All of this is to say, it probably depends. I did not get into an "ivy" but I was accepted into 5 top 20 schools for PhD and 2 top 10 MA programs. If there's been enough time and your other materials are strong, particularly your writing sample, I say you have as good of a shot as anyone else.

[Tinieblas.]

The other day I came across an app that asked me to report both my cumulative GPA and my GPA for the last 2 years of undergrad.  So, I guess at least some programs wouldn't hold those initial low grades against you if you've made a substantial improvement since then...?  

[bretwelda]

16 hours ago, telkanuru said:

If the experience of this forum is any guide, you will probably have to go get an MA before you have a serious shot at a good program.

Yep. This. 

[Horb]

On November 20, 2015 at 6:35:51 AM, ExponentialDecay said:

So, I don't know what it's like coming from a state comprehensive, but at my alma mater we have been told that your grades in irrelevant subjects will not have much impact on your application. 

 

Around Boston, the most decent place with funding is UMass. Of course the flagship is 2 hours out from Boston and the funding is ~$16k.

How do you define decent? BU, BC, Northeastern, Tufts, and many other places are "decent" with funding around Boston (and much closer than UMass Amherst). 

[ExponentialDecay]

Northeastern... ehhhhh... 

The rest of those aren't actually that mid-level. Tufts and BC aren't easy to get into if you are worried about your grades. 

[Horb]

I guess I have a different understanding of what mid-level is. I would have assumed a smaller portion of top tier (essentially Ivys plus schools like Duke, NYU, UChicago, etc.) and more schools being in the mid-tier level. 

As for UMass Amherst, my friend is currently doing her PhD there. They let in more people than most schools, but they don't always offer full funding (she had to do an interview and a bunch of other stuff to secure her 7-year funding package). It may be worth it to apply to Villanova's MA program first (full-funded) or even UMass Boston's MA. Those are the only two I know of that have secured funding for the entire MA. 

[dr. t]

4 hours ago, ExponentialDecay said:

Northeastern... ehhhhh... 

The rest of those aren't actually that mid-level. Tufts and BC aren't easy to get into if you are worried about your grades. 

Last time I checked, BU's funding was absolute crap.

[ExponentialDecay]

The only perception of mid-level that matters here is OP's, and I don't know what that is. I only know their grades (and even that isn't the full picture).