Advice for formerly bad student seeking an M.S.

Graduate School
1

<p>Over ten years ago, I flunked out of community college...twice. I stupidly did not go to class, and did not know to withdraw. About four years ago, I decided to go back to school. I discovered a passion, and now want to pursue an M.S. I have a B.S. in biology, and am seeking program in environmental science. </p>

<p>The bad:
Terrible cumulative GPA
No research experience
LORs will be decent, but maybe not “glowing”</p>

<p>The not so bad:
3.8 GPA for the last 60 credits
Volunteer experience in the field
2 graduate-level courses completed after graduation with a 4.0 GPA</p>

<p>These are the options I've been pondering:</p>

<p>1) Apply to grad schools now, targeting programs accepting GPA based on the last 60 credits. Include an honest explanation in my SOP (or addendum) stating that past mistakes proved to be valuable lessons learned. </p>

<p>2) Work toward a second B.S., gain some undergrad research experience, then apply for grad school. </p>

<p>3) Obtain some professional experience and apply to grad school in a year or so. </p>

<p>There are a few other things to consider. First, I am currently studying for the GRE, so I’m not sure how my score will factor in yet. Second, it has been tough for me to find a paid entry-level job in environmental science since graduating. Finally, I'm much older than a typical college grad. This won’t sway me from enrolling for a second B.S., but it has crossed my mind. </p>

<p>Any comments are welcome. Thanks in advance.</p>

2

<p>Anyone want to weigh in? What would you do you do in this situation? Thanks!</p>

3

<p>Hands down, go to #1.
If you’ve done well in your last 60 credits, no one cares about your community college problems. Still, mention them briefly in your admissions statement.</p>

4

<h1>1, or #3 as a backup.</h1>

<p>I flunked out of my 4-year school for similar reasons. 6 years later I was allowed to reenroll and graduated with a very high GPA for those last two years. From my personal experience, at least a few schools will care - the top-tier schools who will exclude anything more than a smidge off perfection, and the schools that rely on automated processes to sort applications by GPA. Most of the rest will understand that you NOW is not you THEN. This is something you need to keep on top of, however - I had an impending rejection from one school, but after I visited I became an admit with 1 TA and 2 RA offers.</p>

5

<p>Thanks so much for your replies. I’m going to go for it and apply. None of the programs I’m interested in are considered top tier, so hopefully they’ll be more forgiving. Thanks for the tip, cosmicfish- I’ll be sure to keep in close contact with those programs. Good to hear that someone with similar background was successful.</p>