Failed Semester with Replaced Grades: does it ruin me?

[thehegeldialectic]

Like two other students I know, I failed study abroad - as well as a philosophy class and a directed study I took around this time. Embarrassed and defeated, I took two years years off and got my act together. 

I managed to get all of the failed grades replaced, but they are still on my record. When I came back to finish my degree, I made an almost 4.0 (only one 'B' ) over two semesters, wrote my honors thesis, and published several undergraduate papers. I finished 3.62 (3.96 in philosophy with 57 hours of phil. courses) with a 166 verbal, 150 quant. and 4 analyitical writing. I have a strong writing sample, statement, and letters.

Does this failed semester necessarily ruin me? How are such things typically perceived?

(Going back to desperately refreshing my inbox).

Edited February 11, 2016 by iunoionnis

[bechkafish]

If you're worried about that rough semester impacting how your application is received by programs, you could always make it a point to address it briefly in your statement of purpose (it's kind of your one chance to set any records straight, clarify any confusion or inconsistencies, etc.). Since presumably you've already applied, though, I suppose that advice doesn't do much good.

Did you address the semester at all in your application material? 

I'm thinking that if you did, and explained the situation, it might not have too severe of an impact.

[thehegeldialectic]

My professor advised me to mention it, but not to dwell heavily upon it. I highlighted with an anecdote in the first paragraph my naivete about language learning, then said: "I wanted to learn German as quickly as possible. I thought study abroad would be an instant fix. I didn't succeed and realized I needed to get back on track. I took a two-year hiatus, focusing on writing, language learning, etc. [then came back, succeeded, etc.]"

One of my letter writers is the German professor. I haven't seen the letter, but I'm hoping she can vouch for my German abilities. 

I'm hoping that puts a positive spin on it, but it's rather nerve racking.

I'm sure that many have experienced the Siren call of Europe before, too.

[bechkafish]

Wow, it sounds like you accounted for that peiod of time with a really positive spin, actually! Given what you included about it. I would say you've done all the damage control you need to - I don't think they're going to hold it against you. That you were able to come back to your degree and succeed on a lot of different levels (raising your GPA, replacing the bad grades, etc.) speaks volumes about your capacity for hard work and determination.

If I were you, I would feel confident that that rough patch (especially the way you presented it) wouldn't pull my larger application down. Try not to get too tangled up in worries about it (I know, I know, that's ridiculous advice), but remember: there's nothing you can do to change it now. It sounds like you've done a really excellent job of mending any potential damage.

[MentalEngineer]

I had a 2.54 GPA in previous majors before settling on philosophy and was hardly a model student even afterwards. My philosophy grades include a couple of C's and a class that I failed and had to retake. I didn't address it at all in my applications straight out of undergrad, and maybe that hurt me a bit. But I think there were plenty of other aspects of my profile then that made me look unprepared for PhD work. And even then, apparently I was admissible, even if not directly to a PGR10 doctoral program. So it definitely doesn't destroy your chances, particularly if you can account for it well. It might somewhat constrain where you set your sights - maybe think harder about an MA, for instance - but my intuition is that any place that would reject you purely on this consideration isn't a place you should want to go anyway.

Edited February 11, 2016 by MentalEngineer