<p>Okay, my first two and a half years of school were really rough. I ended up having to take a year off to handle some personal issues. Fortunately, I have all that stuff under control now, and my grades are way up. However, the damage to my college gpa is already done. I have about 50 credits at a gpa of 1.9, and almost 30 credits from AP tests. I just finished my first semester back and got a 3.5, but even if i maintain that until I finish my degree, I'll graduate with about a 2.6. </p>
<p>So, what do I do next? Will employers factor the stark contrast in my favor? Do I need to get a post-bacc (will that even help?)? Expounding on my personal troubles surely won't get me far in a job interview, so how do I even explain the grade difference if it comes up? Please help.</p>
<p>you should probably take some extra classes over the summer to boost your gpa because that is below a 3.0. Do you have any strong work experience because that could factor in also when you do interviews? But the important thing to do is continue to work hard at increasing your gpa</p>
<p>I didnt work while I was in school before, but I took a job while I was out of school. I still work there, but its just a retail job, a field I have zero interest in pursuing long term. I dont really qualify for any internships right now because of my low overall gpa, and I need a real job to pay the bills.</p>
<p>And again, even if I took summer classes before I’ve completed my degree, the highest I’m going to get is around a 2.6 or 7. I only have a year and a half left of my degree. :(</p>
<p>you might have to take unpaid internships in local areas that have your interest. I would suggest moving up the ladder at your current job to make some more money even if you don’t like it. Maybe talk to career services to see if a alumni might be able to give you an internship</p>
That is astonishingly bad advice. My D, a recent grad, works for a non-profit in DC and has been part of the hiring team for interns. For the summer, they received 500+ apps for 10 different positions. To make the semi-final pool, one needed a 3.7 gpa. Never confuse “non-profit” with “no value” or “little attraction.”</p>
<p>As for the OP, just do your best to ace your classes for your last year-and-half. Don’t overschedule. 12 units of 4.0 is better than 16 units of 3.5 in your case. You want to establish an impeccable narrative that makes an organization overlook your overall GPA. Normally I look askance at grade-grubbing but you’ve put yourself in a position where you have little choice.</p>
<p>You’re caught between a rock and a hard place. The best thing you could do is to get a job, any job, in something related to your fields of interest. Part-time clerk-typist, whatever.</p>
<p>You might catch the attention of someone in the organization that would lead them to give you a break for an internship. <em>Whatever</em> you do, establish yourself as having an incredible work ethic. I.e., arrive early, stay late if situations indicate it’s a good idea, ask for more work, etc. You want any recs you get, any checks on past employers, to glow.</p>
<p>@TheDad I Know some of the bigger non profits will look at gpa’s and is more competitive but some of the smaller local non profits are always looking for people to help.</p>
<p>Might be true in some cases but every non-profit I know is picky.</p>
<p>Intern = someone who needs to be supervised, someone who provides a net increase in value due to skills and abilities. </p>
<p>May not be fair but GPA is used as a proxy for evaluating the second clause.</p>
<p>One should not think of internships as gifts that organizations do, or should be required, to hand out. They usually represent a two-way transaction that benefits both parties.</p>
<p>ive worked in retail for too long to take the “take a crap job and hope for a break” route. it isnt worth the emotional strife. i have no problem taking a not so great job, but i dont think its a good idea to put a lot of hope into turning the job you applied for into the job you want. </p>
<p>Any thoughts on doing post-baccalaureate work? Does that help in the liberal arts, or is it just a med school/engineering thing?</p>
<p>You can just not put your GPA on your resume. HR Managers and Recruiters will assume your GPA is below a 3.0 or not that great. Sometimes you will still get the interview and if the question comes up, you can present them your scenario. Make sure you customize your resume accordingly to the job you are applying to. For example, since you do not have experience in business and you are applying for a business internship, include the courses you took that is relevant to business.</p>