<p>I am about to graduate in a few months with a Political Science B.A. Midway through my college career, I was forced to drop out and leave the country due to a family emergency. That was in the middle of the semester, giving me a semester-full of F's. That really hurt my GPA, and I haven't since recovered.</p>
<p>Since coming back to school last year, I've maintained a GPA of about 3.3 (I work full-time and cannot be one of those 4.0 students). However, combined with my slightly lower previous GPA, and the disastrous semester, I have a 2.7. By the time I finish, it should be up to 2.9. Since the classes I failed were in a different major, I will have hard time retaking them. I am thinking of taking one of the classes on its own before I graduate, to break the 3.0 range.</p>
<p>I am good with math and can probably get 750+ on the GRE. English seems to be more of a challenge, but I think I can manage at least 600.</p>
<p>I am of a middle eastern origin. Does that help at all? I know some colleges value diversity.</p>
<p>Now, I need to know my options with a 3.0 GPA, 3.3 GPA for the last 2 years, and a 1300-1400 GRE score. How much will spending an extra semester retaking the classes (which is a great pain) help, given that it will bump me to about 3.3?</p>
<p>I am a very motivated person, and I want to eventually get my Ph.D. from a top school. What should I do?</p>
<p>Thanks for your time.</p>
<p>What are you looking to get your PhD in, Poli Sci? Grad schools are likely to care most about your GPA in courses that are directly relevant to your field. I think you will have trouble being accepted directly to a top school, but how about getting a masters from a lesser institution?</p>
<p>Yes, Ph.D. in Political Science. What kind of a school should I be looking at in my situation?</p>
<p>First - check in with your school - If you properly withdrew when that family emergency popped up, you should be seeing W's not F's. On the other hand, you may be screwed if you just left without doing the paperwork. But its worth looking into - there may be big time grovelling involved and ridiculous paperwork, but if you can erase those F's it will be worth it. </p>
<p>It is definitely worth while doing an extra semester if you can get above 3.0. </p>
<p>And, you'll want to 1) Read the first page of posts in "Graduate school admissions 101" and 2) talk to your professors about possibilities the fit your situation.</p>
<p>What is your gpa for political science courses only?</p>
<p>Will you be able to get very, very strong letters of recommendation from professors?</p>
<p>A strong political science gpa and letters of recommendation are essential for good PhD programs and, frankly, it is hard to get an academic job these days if you are not from a very strong program. </p>
<p>Besides trying to change those Fs to Ws, think about going somewhere with a credible M.A., doing very well there and then transferring to a strong PhD program. </p>
<p>By the way, what attracts you to the PhD? I'm assuming you want a university post or wish to work in a research institute. If not, then you probably should not be going for the PhD.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice so far.</p>
<p>WilliamC: I did leave without doing the paper work, so yes, I am screwed. I looked into it, and it seems that I will have to repeat the classes. It's worth the extra time to get my GPA to 3.3.</p>
<p>momfromme: I do indeed want a university post. My political science GPA is about 3.5. With my background, is it possible to at least get into a good M.A. program? I'm not aiming for Yale or Harvard, but what about such schools as Georgetown or William and Mary?</p>
<p>P.S. Those F's are not going anywhere. I've been trying to have them erased or changed for quite a while now. Brigham Young University simply does not allow this. I already retook 2 of the classes that I failed. I will take one next winter, and stick the other two in the shorter spring term.</p>
<p>It might help if you have a detailed explanation and proof (if possible) in your applications.</p>
<p>I think Georgetown would be out of reach unless your Poli Sci GPA is really high. A more promising plan is to go to any decent state uni. for an MA, get a high GPA, and transfer to a bigger name school for a PhD.</p>
<p>All of that sounds great. Another question. Is it easier to get into a European or a Canadian university in my current situation? Sorry if I seem to be clueless, I'm just trying to weigh all of options.</p>
<p>Also, I've been talking to some professors and it appears that I will be able to get a job as a research assistant. Will research experience make my application more attractive.</p>
<p>I will also be able to get great letters of recommendations from a few professors as I am a key member in a number of political organizations both in and out of school.</p>
<p>University of Washington seems to have a good political science program, and is not as competitive as some of the other state universities (e.g upenn and u of chicago). Is it within my reach?</p>