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

[eyeninetyfive]

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.
I didn't realize a 3.8 was "sort of high" i thought it was pretty good :/

The main reason for my failing grade in this class is because i have gotten too far behind on the labs to make them up in time. I also was not really interested in the material. What i plan to study in grad school is something that i'm passionate about and really want to study.

[tisiphone]

Maybe so, but grad schools are interested in how you do the boring stuff as well as how you do in what you're really passionate. Grad school isn't some idyll in the ivory tower where you'll only be exposed to or expected to do exactly what you are interested in. Even in the PhD program you're going to be teaching boring crap to freshmen at the same time as exploring your own research interests. So basically, admissions committees aren't going to care that you flunked it because you weren't interested in it.

[roseofjuly]

I think it sort of depends. I would argue that political science is directly related to the degree he plans to pursue, so that F is going to have more of an impact. But if the OP had failed, like, PE or freshman math, I'd say it wasn't as important that the OP wasn't really interested in it.

[tisiphone]

Well, of course. (At least I hope to hell that's the case, given that I've failed an unrelated class myself :() But the OP said it was a major class, they just weren't interested in it...

[wocka_wocka]

Be prepared to work your hardest to overcome this. I graduated with a 2.7, and after paying my dues (literally and in terms of school loans), I am starting in the Fall to do an M.A. at a top program in my field (I spent three years at one of the only graduate schools that I could get into, made contacts, and now have a spot...)...so, it isn't insurmountable

[roseofjuly]

Oh, this is very true! I made a case to my dean during the fall of my junior year to get a W from two classes, based on medical issues. I was very honest (my issues weren't physical) and she was sympathetic. I didn't even really have to discuss it with the professors at all; the dean withdrew me administratively.

My school was also one of those small LACs that just let your F stand in your GPA and averaged it in with the new grade. Thanks.

[endsindillusion]

this person isn't claiming a medical issues - he just admitted he "didn't really want to" and he plain old "fell behind"...