Which Master's Programs should I aim for with a sub-3.0 gpa?

[Ingo93]

In short, I did a pretty thorough job of screwing myself in UG by finishing with a sub-3.0 overall GPA (2.94) and by not finishing my major in political science (I finished my major in economics). Since the most reputable institutions are no doubt out of reach, I want to get a feel for what universities I can get in to, preferably ones that offer a good platform for pursuing a phd somewhere better at a later point. I need a no bs assessment of what the best programs are that I can shoot for.

I've looked at a few that claim to be more permissive of sub-3.0s (University of Georgia and Arkansas both say something to that effect), but I have no way of knowing if they just say that to get more applicants.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Ingo93

[Determinedandnervous]

Majoring in economics isn't the part that would hurt you - that actually helps, because economics majors tend to have more quantitative training. However, PhD admissions are likely out of the question for you with your current file. Try getting into as good of a Master's program as you can get into, and make sure to get stellar grades. This will render your undergraduate GPA much less relevant, and show that you have improved since then.

[Ingo93]

24 minutes ago, Determinedandnervous said:

Majoring in economics isn't the part that would hurt you - that actually helps, because economics majors tend to have more quantitative training. However, PhD admissions are likely out of the question for you with your current file. Try getting into as good of a Master's program as you can get into, and make sure to get stellar grades. This will render your undergraduate GPA much less relevant, and show that you have improved since then.

Are there any fairly reputable MA programs that come to mind that are more permissive of sub 3.0 gpas?

[Determinedandnervous]

I mean - anything's possible with the reputable programs, but you might have better luck applying to places that are near you. 

[TheHopefulGrad]

11 hours ago, Ingo93 said:

In short, I did a pretty thorough job of screwing myself in UG by finishing with a sub-3.0 overall GPA (2.94) and by not finishing my major in political science (I finished my major in economics). Since the most reputable institutions are no doubt out of reach, I want to get a feel for what universities I can get in to, preferably ones that offer a good platform for pursuing a phd somewhere better at a later point. I need a no bs assessment of what the best programs are that I can shoot for.

I've looked at a few that claim to be more permissive of sub-3.0s (University of Georgia and Arkansas both say something to that effect), but I have no way of knowing if they just say that to get more applicants.

Hi! Well firstly, best of luck on your remaining applications. I just wanted to second a comment above and say that you should maybe reach for the low-hanging fruit : a Master's program. That way you can create the most distance from your undergraduate GPA while still being able to gain the valuable experience you need to differentiate yourself from the rest of the applicant pool. GEt your GRE up, get some internship experience/publications and try again! In applications, I have realized that there really are no cut off grades for GPA or GRE. I was able to get into an Ivy League Master's program with a sub 2.5UGPA.

[elw]

I went with the "local option" per the previous poster, on the advice of then-current/recent graduates, and I don't regret the decision. It's a terminal two-year master's that typically serves as a springboard to PhD programs for one to two graduates each year. Ten to 12 students, and the ability to secure funding as a TA for the most qualified.

I don't know how much reputation buys you in this situation, nor do I know of how selective applicable terminal programs might get. I would contact programs that you're interested in and directly inquire — it's not a unique situation. On the plus side, a weak undergraduate transcript is weighed far less heavily if you are able to demonstrate success in a master's program and all other components of a future PhD application are strong.

Edited February 5, 2016 by elwright
grammar

[Ingo93]

I appreciate the advice, guys. One final question, how heavily is the GRE weighted? I know for law school the LSAT is weighted as (if not more) heavily than GPA and your LSAT score can make or break your application. 

As it stands, I'm probably going to just do the best that I can on the GRE, shoot whatever programs seem most accommodating/are in locations I wouldn't mind spending two years in (the local option is off the table for me due to GPA cutoffs), and let the chips fall where they may.

[MastersHoping]

Would it be possible for you to take classes as a non-matriculated student? That way, you could do like 2 classes a term while maybe working on the side, rock those classes with A's.

If you really want a Master's, have you considered online Master's? What about Harvard Extension School? 

The way you get into Harvard Extension is by taking 3 classes and doing well in them, then applying for admission. No GREs, no Rec letters etc, and they have a master's with concentration in gov't (aka political science). 

Try some online MOOCs like Coursera, EdX, Futurelearn too. 

[s1994]

With such a GPA, it is hard to get into a reputable master program. So even though you ace all your master classes, it would still be hard for you to gain a lot of credentials simply because your undergrad GPA is too low and the master program is not as reputable as, say CIR (Chicago) or Jackson (Yale).

A good strategy is to get your Ph.D. from a relatively low-ranked DC school so that the department won't care too much about your undergrad GPA and you can have the network to get a great job from government/NGO instead of academia with your degree once you graduate.

Edited February 9, 2016 by s1994

[worryandhope]

I was in a similar situation a few years ago. Feel free to private message me for more thoughtful advice, but my initial recommendation is to realize that no one here really knows anything more about application success or what committees are interested in than you do. Not to mention, depending on the program, masters programs care about different things. Perhaps you know a professor (not necessarily in political science, but a social science would be good) you could talk to about this? If not, I have found that professors at PhD programs you may be interested in will respond to relatively short, specific questions about half the time. They will have much better information than we can provide.