<p>Hey all! </p>
<p>I have a unique situation. I went to University of Texas- Dallas for 3 years, and did very badly for the latter 2 years due to some personal problems. I ended up leaving with a 2.0 and about 40 hours of Fs. </p>
<p>I then transfered to the University of Houston, got my act together, and made 3.8 or above each semester. By graduation, I will have 4 consecutive semesters at UH making 3.8 or above.</p>
<p>I have a 4.0 major GPA at UH in Communications.</p>
<p>I have excellent letters of recommendation, as well as a very extensive resume with an impressive writing portfolio featuring articles from various national magazines and newspapers.</p>
<p>I also expect to get about a 650 on my GRE verbal.</p>
<p>What are my chances of getting into any of the following Grad Schools for Journalism? </p>
<p>-Boston U
-Columbia
-American U
-NYU
-CUNY</p>
<p>Do they average my GPA from both institutions or will they only look at my graduating GPA from my second institution?</p>
<p>Your chances are great I think. You basically “rebounded” and will be rewarded for it. I would expand your list of choices for graduate school. Limiting yourself to select few choices can leave you hanging in the end.</p>
<p>Your portfolio is very important. I too, have had articles published in and linked by top media companies including the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and CBS Sports.</p>
<p>My GPA was average at best, around 2.65. So, if it wasn’t for an outstanding portfolio I wouldn’t even bother considering graduate school.</p>
<p>I expect letters of recommendation from professors, my internship supervisor, and the Cleveland State Director of the School of Communication.</p>
<p>I am being recruited by the University of Southern California. The University of Miami and North Carolina have shown their interest as well. Stanford might take a look at me. Forget about the University of Florida. They told me my chances are slim to none.</p>
<p>To some extent, it depends on the program. I don’t have a hope and prayer of going to a research based program. The skills based programs are a different story. That is something you may want to consider.</p>
<p>They will probably look at your latest GPA. Most of them care about what you have done the last two years. </p>
<p>And just because they say they want someone with a 3.0 to 3.5 cumulative GPA doesn’t mean they automatically brush you off. The last thing a graduate program wants to do is miss an oppportunity to teach someone with a ton of potential. Grade Point Average is not enough information to determine a candidate’s chances for success in a graduate program.</p>
<p>Why would a graduate program miss the opportunity to teach a naturally talented journalist just because they didn’t earn a 3.0? The answer is they wouldn’t dare. It would look terrible for their program.</p>
<p>Even if you don’t score outstanding on the GRE, you would still have a chance. If I were you, I would type a letter in your defense and give reasons why the GRE is not a fair indicator of your chances of success. The GRE is an extremely tough exam so I wouldn’t go in there thinking “i’m going to crush this exam.” I took a look at the study material and I can tell you for a fact this thing is awful. You may do well though, who knows. Just study your tail off and you may do alright. I know I will study mine off when the time comes.</p>