2.8-3.1 GPA, Looking to Communications MA at BYU, GRE?

Graduate School
1

<p>Alright guys, I've been reading random threads on here for a few weeks now, and after some threads scared me, others gave me hope, I thought I'd throw my case out to the masses. </p>

<p>I got a BA in English from the University of Texas on 09. Quite honestly, I had no graduate school aspirations back then (GOSH IS THAT KILLING ME NOW). And if i had anything to blame for my GPA, is that i wasn't driven like i should have been. I already had a plan lined up for myself when I did graduate. But things change, and well here it goes. </p>

<p>I've spent the better part of the last year in the Philippines, working/interning at DraftFCB. For those who don't know, it's a BIG advertising agency. My clients were pretty large, one was the biggest communications company in the philippines, the other was Nissan Motors. So pretty legit experience. </p>

<p>well I got home last month. I realized I wanted to go back to school. Get a Masters in Communications. and further with a PhD in Marketing. Yep, I want to be a Professor. Funny what real world experience, can do to a person. </p>

<p>My target and DREAM is Brigham Young University. I know they're different than most schools because they actually want certain types of people (not just mormon, but diverse, life oriented). </p>

<p>I'm shooting for a 1300 on the GRE. I've called and emailed them many times, and the best news i got was that they look at GRE over GPA. I've emailed my story to the dean of communications (which made him thank me for telling him). I'm moving to the area, and my plan is to get quite involved with meeting professors. I really mean to start a campaign to get acceptance. </p>

<p>I'm scared out of my mind. It feels like my future is really resting on this, and the remorse i have over my undergraduate gpa is quite painful. there is a pretty detailed story about how my GPA arrived where it was. But essentially it was confusion on what to major on, multiple schools, desire to graduate on time, but most importantly, without a goal of graduate school, grades were more for pride than anything. btw 2.99 or so is my upper division grade (though it rose steadily to 3.25 senior year), for my major it's 3.3. All my grades including first Uni is 3.1.</p>

<p>My SOP will definitely be highlighting not only my cultural and work experiences, but also my academic goals and reasons for the change in my life. My LOR will definitely be coming from the people i worked closest with at the agency. SO. </p>

<p>Is 1300 enough? Does anybody have experience with BYU? also, what the heck can i do for this next year!!</p>

<p>if i don't get in to a grad school. I'll probably return to undergrad for a BA in Marketing or something Business related. but that would be so horrible. would that benefit me? I'm at a loss quite honestly. this has really been weighing me down lately!</p>

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<p>some background on what they want. </p>

<p>They say they want a minimum GRE score of 1000 (duh), verbal of 600, and a writing of 5. </p>

<p>The funny thing about that is that their grad comm student average for the past 5 years is only around 1070, and a verbal score of 516. GPA is 3.54 (curses). Writing is a 4.6</p>

<p>kinda a funny discrepancy in what they want and their averages but whatev…whatev…</p>

3

<p>helpful advice? eh? eh?</p>

4

<p>No one can say whether your stats are good enough for BYU because stats generally have little to do with acceptances. I recommend that you stop bugging them for exact minimums and instead work on getting the scores you are shooting for. </p>

<p>Although you may not realize it, frequent calls and emails prior to acceptance might label you as a high-maintenance individual, something no program wants. Just apply with the best application you can muster, and wait.</p>

5

<p>thanks mom. I think my over zealousness was a reaction to the realization of wanting grad school and the following panic. </p>

<p>so what you’re saying makes sense. </p>

<p>but in defense i didn’t bug them for exact minimums or anything, the averages were on their website. and minimum was just something i was told on first calling.</p>