[Applying Grad school] Could I make up for this?

[Jayden Kim]

Hello guys! 

I am writing this to ask a question if I can have chances to get admission from grad schools considering my low GPA. 

 

I am a future applicant with a Bachelor of English Literature degree and 10 years of professional experiences in journalism in South Korea. I won several journalism awards with international reputation. Now, I am going to apply MA or MS in comm/media/journalism programs as many as possible this year.  

 

Unfortunately, after having read the degree program overview of some programs, i figure the programs require a minimum 3.0 GPA(on a 4.0 scale) for admission. My undergrad GPA is about 2.9 on a 4.0 scale. So, I wonder if my application will not be reviewed by Admission Committee at all because it is too low. Also, is it possible that I make up for my low GPA by submitting GRE scores or my professional experiences? Of course, I ask this questions to some admission committees of the schools, but they gave just a general answer. So, I am seeking pieces of advice here.  

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

[Janiejoneswoah]

Hey Jayden,

I'm sorry to say I'm not at all familiar with the type of program you have listed, but since nobody else has responded to this question I want to give it a shot.

From what I have learned about other programs, GPA is far from the most important factor considered. GRE, experience, and a good SOP, can certainly help make it up - especially experience and the SOP. If the communication from the admissions committee did not indicate that your GPA would be too low to even be considered, I believe that there's a good chance that your other merits could make up for your GPA.

Another thing to consider - does your GPA show an upward trend? Often if you did significantly better your last year or two, committees will take that into account and weight your earlier performance less significantly.

[Warelin]

While GPA is not the most important factor, it is often a credential set by the graduate school. As such, any gpas below this will most likely have their applications tossed.

There are some programs that accept a 2.75 and above. Master programs also sometimes have lower requirements. In most cases, a high gre score cannot compensate for a gpa score which doesn't meet the minimum gpa requirement.