Getting into Grad School with a Low GPA

Graduate School
1

<p>I'm about to be a Senior at Harvey Mudd and I'm wondering what my chances would be for Grad School. I want to get a Masters or PhD in systems and control engineering. Some schools I'm looking at right now are RPI, Case, and Ohio State. </p>

<p>My GPA is a 3.1, mostly due to bad grades in my first two years. The last three semester I have gotten 3.0, 3.2, and 3.6. I'm much more focused now on my studies and plan to get above a 3.6 once again next semester (if grad schools will even see those grades?). Will the fact that I go to a rigorous school with grade deflation cancel out my low GPA?</p>

<p>I had an engineering internship last Summer and am doing engineering research this Summer, both of which are in areas not too related to Systems. I think I will have a pretty good GRE score and am going to study hard for it. My letters of recs will probably be average.</p>

<p>What do you guys think my chances are for a Masters or a PhD?</p>

2

<p>Most schools I know about use a formula, using points from your overall GPA/your major GPA/your GPA for the last 60 hours of work (2 of 3 depending on school), plus points from your GRE. That means that finishing strong and crushing your GRE could make the difference.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>Where are you looking? What school is your dream?</p>

3

<p>Hi there, I had a similar situation with a low GPA and still managed to get into a program that I’m pretty excited about in the biological sciences. Since I already posted what I did to get around this in another thread, I’ll just link that thread here. </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/graduate-school/730344-non-genius-applicants.html#post1062743460[/url]”>Non genius applicants - Graduate School - College Confidential Forums;

<p>My post is #6. </p>

<p>Aside from that, I think my last 60 hours GPA was around a 3.4, so I second what MBA Grad says above. Though if you’re aiming to apply next year, your fall grades probably won’t make it by the time the application due dates come around. I’ve heard some people re-send transcripts after fall grades come in, you might think about that if it will significantly boost your GPA.</p>

4

<p>UIUC CS Professor Jeff Erickson talks about PhD with low gpa…</p>

<p>[Ernie’s</a> 3D Pancakes: Re: PhD with low GPA](<a href=“http://3dpancakes.typepad.com/ernie/2005/03/re_phd_with_low.html]Ernie’s”>http://3dpancakes.typepad.com/ernie/2005/03/re_phd_with_low.html)</p>

5

<p>depends… my school… a top 50… just based on the last 60 hours and GRE… some are cumulative …some only within major, combinations, etc… Look and start doing research. I didn’t do that good fresh/soph year as well so some top schools were out, but did a 4.0 in my last hours and well on GPA… so. others were available. Many people mess around their fresh/soph years…part of the college experience… But it probably leaves you out of a top 25 school.</p>