Do admissions look at undergrad AND grad GPA?

[annie a]

Hi,

I had posted something earlier in the Social Work forum about this, but just wanted to get a broader sense on the reasonableness of my current source of anxiety:

My undergrad GPA is a woeful 2.77 - but it was years ago; I just did not have my crap together.

I then went on to get an MPH with a respectable 3.5. However, on the grad app for Columbia's Social Work MS program (policy practice) they asked me to list all schools attended and degrees awarded - however they only asked me to list my sad, little undergrad GPA - not my slightly more respectable grad GPA. This leads me to believe that they are more concerned about my undergrad numbers.

On the other hand, I have been working overseas for three years in Thailand on advocacy issues with Burmese refugees/political activists in exile. I also played a significant role in developing and funding a health program for homeless women in Chicago. I just hope they look past those diminutive numbers and see this hard work.

My neurotic, rambling question is: Will they simply glance at that 2.77 and ditch my app before digging a little deeper?Any insight on this?

Thank you so much!

Edited January 28, 2010 by annie a

[fuzzylogician]

Hi,

I had posted something earlier in the Social Work forum about this, but just wanted to get a broader sense on the reasonableness of my current source of anxiety:

My undergrad GPA is a woeful 2.77 - but it was years ago; I just did not have my crap together.

I then went on to get an MPH with a respectable 3.5. However, on the grad app for Columbia's Social Work MS program (policy practice) they asked me to list all schools attended and degrees awarded - however they only asked me to list my sad, little undergrad GPA - not my slightly more respectable grad GPA. This leads me to believe that they are more concerned about my undergrad numbers.

On the other hand, I have been working overseas for three years in Thailand on advocacy issues with Burmese refugees/political activists in exile. I also played a significant role in developing and funding a health program for homeless women in Chicago. I just hope they look past those diminutive numbers and see this hard work.

My neurotic, rambling question is: Will they simply glance at that 2.77 and ditch my app before digging a little deeper?Any insight on this?

Thank you so much!

It is true that schools generally care about your uGPA, in the sense that they always want to know what it was, and it carries some weight in the final decision. However, it becomes increasingly less important when: a) time has passed between undergrad and the current grad school application, then the other things you've done in the meanwhile become an important way to prove your maturity, experience, etc.. b)you have a Master's degree, which is one of the common ways to make up for a lackluster undergraduate experience.

So while it's in principle possible that a school will toss your app as soon as they see the low uGPA, I think it's unlikely. The app still lists your MPH, even if not your GPA (I assume that appears on the transcripts you sent), and I assume there was also a space to list your other work/volunteer experience. I'm sure that the adcom will see these things and take them into consideration when making their decision.

Edited January 28, 2010 by fuzzylogician

[tem11]

You can also put your MPH GPA on your resume.