apply now? boost my gpa? gain experience?

[eyeninetyfive]

hello all,

i'm having a difficult time deciding on whether or not i should take some classes as a non-degree student, study abroad, or immediately apply to grad school after i finish my undergrad in the Fall of 2009.

here's a little background info:

Comments

[tisiphone]

If the program you're interested in has a set GPA floor, there's probably no point in applying to it if you don't meet it. Problem is, even if you pull off a 4.0 next semester, assuming you're doing a standard distribution of 15 credits you won't actually be able to drag your GPA up to a 3.0. Is there anything you can do about getting that class off your record entirely?

[eyeninetyfive]

no, theres no way i'd be able to get rid of the class on my record. I don't know if it's a set gpa but i know its a suggested one. I'm not sure if it's the case with graduate studies here but i know undergrad students who got in with a GPA far below the recommended one.

[therumsgone]

I just want to point out that for many programs, 3.0 isn't the recommended GPA, it's the minimum GPA requirement. I'd definitely retake the class, get an A+ in it, and take some time off to raise the GPA so that it meets the minimum (but don't worry about it too much after that, fit is more important than GPA). Good luck!

[endxgame]

This is the problem. It's often a minimum GPA set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, not a recommended GPA by the department. Even if the department wants you in the program the school itself may not bend on their requirements depending on the school.

The OP should contact the departments s/he wants to apply to and ask. All any of us can do is speculate as to the impact of a low GPA/an F in the last 60 credits, but the department can provide some details on how they actually feel about it.

[roseofjuly]

Of all the things that I could've done between undergrad and grad school (instead of coming straight through like a doofus -- just kidding), the one I regret the most is not working abroad. I have spent only very little time abroad, and I love traveling internationally, and I wish I had tried for a Fulbright or the JET or EPIK programs or something for a year first and then came to graduate school. Delaying graduate school by just one year isn't very long at all

[tisiphone]

That seems like a lot to me too - I failed physics fucking abysmally, and it only dragged by gpa down a tenth or so.

[freddie]

Take post-grad BA-level classes and get that GPA above 3.0.

[crazypumpkin]

Honestly, talk to your advisers and professors. Odds are high that some of them do or have sat on admissions committees and they will be able to tell you what those types of programs look for. They will probably also have ideas for you on what your best path might be.
Good luck!

[endxgame]

Figure out what exactly you want your GPA to be. Open a spread sheet. Put in all your grades and average it so that you arrive at your current GPA. Now insert enough rows so that you can insert hypothetical future grades. Insert what you think you might get in classes and calculate the new GPA. It's probably going to take a whole lot of classes to get you where you want to go. Due to the math of GPAs, once you get one bad mark it can be tough to raise your GPA in a short period of time. (4 A-s and an F are almost the same GPA as 4 B-s and an A-) The best advice I can give you is to e-mail prospective departments and ask them how firm they are on their minimum GPA requirements and ask if a sort-of-high GPA in Spanish would help offset that.

This isn't a delicate question, but if you can't manage to get a pass in a humanities course (in one of your majors) and have a B- average overall do you really want to be going to grad school?

[roseofjuly]

I failed a course in my major, in my concentration area -- I'm a social psychologist and I failed social psychology! It's not because I didn't know the content, it's because I was having a nervous breakdown and it's difficult to concentrate in class when you think the entire class is talking about you behind your back. I retook it and didn't get a very good grade then, either. I know the material inside and out, and I am doing very well in my social psychology graduate program.

I guess my point is, one failing grade isn't indicative of not being able to handle the material or graduate work in general.

[endsindillusion]

holy smokes i am sorry to hear this. did you explain the nervous breakdown when applying to schools? out of curiosity...